Faculty Senate Agenda & Minutes
Thursday, September 6, 2007
3:15 PM to 5:00 PM, Chesapeake 110
1. Attendance: Please check-in on the attendance roster.
2. Review the Agenda for the 9/6/07 meeting.
A letter from the Chairs’ Council was added to the attachments, and a discussion of the Academic
Council was added to Old Business. The agenda was approved with these additions.
3. Review the Minutes of the 5/3/07 meeting.
The minutes from 5/3/07 were approved as written.
4. Calendar
Fall 2007 important dates
A. College closed or no classes
i) College Enrichment Day, no classes, Tue. 10/30
ii) Thanksgiving Break, no classes, Wed. 11/21
iii) Thanksgiving Break, college closed, Thu. 11/22—Sun. 11/25
iv) Winter Break, college closed, Sat. 12/22—Sun. 1/6
B. Other important dates
i) Last day to withdraw from 15-week classes, Tue. 11/20
C. Final exam week, Thu. 12/11—Mon. 12/17
D. Grades due December 18th or 19th
September/October important dates
E. Senate meetings
i) Thu. 9/6, 3:15—5:00 PM, Chesapeake 110
ii) Thu. 9/20, 3:15—5:00 PM, Chesapeake 110
iii) Thu. 10/4, 3:15—5:00 PM, Chesapeake 110
iv) Thu. 10/18, 3:15—5:00 PM, Chesapeake 110
F. Board of Trustees meetings
i) Thu. 9/6, 7:00 PM, Kent 262
ii) Thu. 10/11, 7:00 PM, Kent 262
G. College-wide Forum
i) Wed. 9/5, 2:00—4:00 PM, LSC Community Room B
ii) Wed. 9/19, 2:00—4:00 PM, LSC Community Room B
iii) Wed. 10/3, 2:00—4:00 PM, LSC Community Room B
iv) Wed. 10/17, 2:00—4:00 PM, LSC Community Room B
5. Attachments
A.
B.
C.
D.
Minutes from the 5/3/07 meeting of the Faculty Senate
Memo from Tom Knapp regarding Adjunct QII proposal
Memo from Lark Dobson regarding sick leave.
Letter from the Chairs’ Council
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6. Reports
A. Senate President
President Dukes has called for the academic divisions to prepare division retention plans. Each division
plan should have specific components for the departments. Plans are due in the President’s office by
Nov. 15.
Wendy Owens will serve as Senate Secretary. Please help her out by stating your name when speaking.
Owens is an adjunct in the Department of Biological Sciences, and she attended a number of Senate
meetings last year.
During welcome back week Mark Hubley attended a session with Lark Dobson and Jimmy Cobb in which
they discussed proposed changes to the sick leave and vacation benefits. A recent memo from Dobson
is attached. Three days of personal leave will still be front loaded for faculty.
In various discussions over the summer with Dukes, Tom Knapp, and Dobson, Hubley brought up the
issue of employee pay and benefits, and the need to examine fairness in the system. An outside
consultant is coming to the college this fall to examine this very issue. Constituents will have
opportunities to speak with the consultant. Adjunct pay and benefits definitely need to be part of this
conversation.
Hubley mentioned that he, Swazette Young, and other constituency leaders attended the Board Retreat
in Cambridge during June. The members of the Board discussed governance with the constituency
leaders, and Hubley said he felt the discussion was very constructive. Various members of the Senate
asked Hubley if he thought this was the “dawn of a new day” at PGCC. Hubley said he is optimistic that
Dukes is open to change and that progress will be made in the area of governance.
Hubley noted that Louis Renaud represents the faculty on the CWF, but he is now in an administrative
position (interim Dean of STEM). The CWF by-laws does not clearly address how to deal with such a
situation, and the FO should express an opinion on whether or not Renaud should continue to represent
the faculty. The Senate asked Hubley to find out what Renaud wishes to do, and the Senate would take
up the matter again at its next meeting.
B. Senate Vice President
Lt. Governor Anthony Brown discussed issues related to community colleges and higher education in a
meeting in late August with members of the Faculty and Student Organizations. He is familiar with PGCC
from his service on the Board of Trustees, he expressed his vision for this college to be a model college,
and he seems to have a genuine interest in strengthening PGCC
C. College-wide Forum
i) Representative from Faculty Senate
Laura Ellsworth reported that the first meeting of the CWF was largely concerned with orienting members
of the CWF and discussing vacancies on various committees. The CWF also discussed the issue of free
access to the Natatorium. The CWF had initially recommended free access for all employees of the
college, and this policy was approved by Dukes. Over the summer, Knapp altered the policy such that
part-time employees would still be required to pay a $50 fee for access to the Natatorium. This change
was made in response to concerns expressed by Joan Shay, the manager of the Natatorium. The
manner in which this change in the policy was made raised numerous concerns about the process of how
the CWF works. It is a concern that policies may be changed over the summer without involvement of the
CWF. This appears to have been done in accord with the CWF bylaws, but it may not meet the spirit of
what is intended with the CWF. Ellsworth reported that Dukes said she expects that 70% of policy
matters will be run through the CWF; the administration will decide the other 30%. Policies may have to
be modified apart from the CWF when financial considerations are taken into account.
ii) Human Resources Committee
iii) Budget Advisory Committee
iv) Campus Culture Committee
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v) Learning Committee
vi) Technology Steering Committee
vii) Strategic Planning Committee
viii) Assessment Committee
ix) Facilities Committee
D. Chairs’ Council
E. Adjunct Faculty
7. Old Business
A. Adjunct QII proposal, response from Tom Knapp
Hubley referred the Senate to a letter from Knapp regarding the Senate’s Quality Improvement Increment
proposal. The proposal was not considered by the CWF. Rather, it was referred directly to Knapp.
Knapp’s letter states that he recommends against the proposal, concluding it would be unwise for the
college to extend another benefit to part-time employees. Knapp said that other community colleges in
our area do not extend similar benefits to their part-time employees. Hubley told Knapp he disagreed
with this conclusion, considering that pay for our adjuncts is low compared to other colleges in the area.
We should not make a decision based on a comparison of benefits without including a comparison of pay.
Eldon Baldwin suggested that the QII proposal is not a benefit anyway, it is a salary matter. Baldwin said
we should go to Dukes with the proposal, making clear that this is salary, not a benefit. The Senate
recommended that the Salary and Benefits Committee take another look at the issue and recommend
how to proceed.
B. Faculty Social Security numbers on college documents
Hubley reported that this is no longer an issue; SSNs have been taken off various documents that may
circulate openly.
C. Update of the Faculty Handbook
D. Other old business?
Hubley reported that a committee consisting of himself, Young, Cheryl Dover, Melinda Kramer, Robert
Barshay, Baldwin, and Sandra Dunnington has been working on a proposal for creation of an Academic
Council. A draft proposal will be presented to the Senate for its consideration once a draft is complete.
8. New Business
A. Need to select a member of the faculty to serve on the President’s Leadership Team
Hubley reported that Dukes will convene a President’s Leadership Team to discuss matters of importance
for the college. This team will include members of each of the constituency groups. She needs a rep
from the Faculty Organization. A motion was passed to nominate a member of the Senate to fill the
position for the ’07-’08 academic year, with the idea that this position will be elected in the future during
spring elections. This motion passed unanimously. Baldwin was nominated for the position and elected
unanimously.
B. Need to convene the Academic Regulations and Standards Committee
Dunnington requested that the Senate resuscitate the Academic Regulations and Standards Committee.
Danny Jones said that he had been serving on the committee along with Barbara Sanders, Abigail Bardi,
and Joanne Weinberg. Jones offered to convene the committee. Kathi Linville offered to serve on the
committee, and Hubley said he would broadcast an E-mail to the faculty looking for any additional
volunteers.
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C. Group purchase of academic regalia?
D. Conduct a comprehensive review of the faculty evaluation process?
Hubley referred to the letter from the Chairs’ Council requesting a review of the faculty evaluation
process. As the time was getting late, discussion was deferred to the next meeting.
E. Need faculty to serve on a committee to compare Microsoft Exchange with GroupWise
9. Agenda Items for Upcoming Meetings
A. Attendance by VP Dunnington; 3rd week in October
B. Attendance by Pres. Dukes; when
Hubley said he would invite Dukes to the 1st meeting in October.
Discussion of the Academic Council and Faculty Evaluation would be placed on the agenda of the next
meeting.
10. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 5:20 PM.
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