CHABOT COLLEGE ACADEMIC/FACULTY SENATE
R e g u l a r Meeting
Board Room, Building 200
Thursday, August 30, 2007 – 2:15 p.m. to 4:42 p.m.
A P P R O V E D M I N UT E S
Submitted by Mike Absher and Ming Ho
Senators:
Applied Technology & Business (Michael Absher); Counseling (Rachel
Aziminia & Dara Greene); Health, Physical Education, & Athletics
(Nancy Cowan & Vacant); Arts & Humanities (Bill Johnson); Language
Arts (Susan Gill & Francisco Zermeño); Library (Jim Matthews);
Science & Mathematics (Dave Fouquet & Ming Ho); and Social
Sciences (Michael Thompson & Vacant); Part-time Faculty (Anne
Brichacek).
Ex-officios:
ASCC (Jove Meyer, Vice President), CLPFA (Shari Jacobsen,
Membership Coordinator), Academic/Faculty Senate Immediate Past
President (Chad Mark Glen)
Guest:
Norma Ambriz (Interim Dean of Social Sciences)
Presiding Officer:
President Diane Zuliani
ITEM
1.0 GENERAL FUNCTIONS
1.1 Call to Order: President Zuliani called the meeting to order at 2:22 p.m.
1.2 Approval of the Minutes: Francisco Zermeño moved to approve the
May 10, 2007 minutes and Michael Thompson seconded. The motion to
approve carried with revisions.
2.0 REPORT S
2.1 Academic Senate President’s Report:
2.1.1 Introduction/Welcome: Diane Zuliani began her first President’s
Report with her background and philosophies about higher
education and how the classroom is a contested battleground with
many stakeholders, including students, parents, faculty, governing
boards, researchers, politicians, and others, many of whom do not
teach. She delivered a prepared statement on some of her lessons
about teaching learned while she was a new art history professional
at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Her statement is below:
ACADEMIC/FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
August 31, 2007
“This year marks my twentieth year as a teacher. I was hired fresh out of college
in 1987 as a museum educator at the J Paul Getty Museum and have taught in one
capacity or another ever since. Throughout those years two things have become
clear: first, that teaching other people is both a huge responsibility and an incredible
privilege, and second, that the classroom is contested ground, with many conflicting
stakeholders. Those of us who stand in the classroom and do the work of education
should therefore remind ourselves, from time to time, who those stakeholders are.
They are students, parents, faculty, administrators, boards, state and national
departments of education, lobbyists, teachers of education, educational researchers,
employers, and politicians, all seeking to impose upon classroom education the
processes or standards of their domain. As a result, faculty, whose classroom
standards are usually based on the requirements of their disciplines, are often asked
[often by individuals who themselves do not teach] to adapt their pedagogy to reflect
ideologies from realms beyond the academy.
“We who have dedicated our lives to teaching therefore must do the work
necessary to analyze the content and source of any external pressures on
classroom practices; to take from these sources all that has merit and excise from
them all that may do harm, in order to preserve the integrity, diversity and freedom of
the learning experience. A full vetting of any proposed changes to higher education
is the faculty’s responsibility and such vetting must be undertaken for the protection
of our students from so many competing interests. For although calls for change
always come with assurances that they mean only to strengthen the educational
process and put learning and students firsts, at issue for many faculty is that
sometimes these changes are actually an attempt to redefine the educational
process and to propel it in new directions. It is incumbent upon the faculty to be
critically aware of the real ramifications of those new directions, and it is incumbent
upon the faculty to remember that the system of higher education is meant to give
students the knowledge and skills that will allow them to define themselves; not so
that they may be defined by other systems.”
2.1.2 Introduction of 2007/08 Faculty Senators: Each of this year’s senators
gave a short review of their previous experiences on Senate or their
reasons for joining this year’s Senate. All were welcomed, and Chad
Glen presented gifts to the Executive Board for this year’s Senate and
incoming Senate President.
2.1.3 Summary Reports on Senate-in-Recess Activities: Diane Zuliani’s
prepared statement is below:
Tenure of the new President begins July 1, so from that point forward I
attended all Board meetings and college councils; actually my first board
meeting was last one in June, which I attended as the invitee of LPC’s
outgoing Senate President Melissa Korber. At these meetings I gave reports
on faculty-related matters like the publication of Francisco’s book Café
Chronicles, Rachel LePell’s original plays for Convocation, work that faculty
did over the summer to help us along with tasks like accreditation and SLOs. I
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August 31, 2007
also had a meeting with the new chancellor, which he mentioned at
Convocation.
“The most important charge I saw for myself on behalf of the faculty had
to do with SLOs: I began attending the meetings of the SLO committee after I
was elected president. As I was attending meetings I learned that some
members of the committee felt their charge was to determine a definitive SLO
process for Chabot. Based on my research, it is critical that SLOs are
controlled locally and by the faculty, and I felt that having just a few committee
members create a process for faculty while faculty were away for the summer
was the wrong way to proceed. I successfully argued to allow faculty, via the
Senate, to determine their own SLO process. The SLOAC committee agreed.
Today it is the purview of Senate to determine a SLO process, and the
SLOAC committee is committed to facilitating the process we determine.”
2.1.4 Overview of Issues 07-08: Diane Zuliani’s prepared statement is
below:
•
SLOs: Where are we going to report them? Because of the probability
that the SLO requirement will change in the future (given current debates
between accreditors and the Department of Ed) the SLO Committee is
hesitant to embed them deeply into existing campus systems like Course
Outlines of Records or within Program Review documents, where adding
them would be difficult, and revising them even more so.
We need an SLO philosophy statement. This statement should be part
of our approach to SLO, and part of the SLO package we turn over to
ACCJC-WASC. Senators were given a packet of examples from other
colleges.
•
Accreditation: This is a call, added to Chad’s call at Convocation, for
faculty to be fully involved in shaping the self-study; I am co-chairing the
4th standard on leadership and governance with Dmitry Kalagin and
encourage you all to join that or another standard. Basically, be involved.
Increased vigilance is required, beginning now, because of issues brewing
in the area of Accreditation. Most importantly, the standards we are
working with now are new to us but became active back in 02;
Accreditation standards are reviewed every five or six years, coincident
with the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Secretary Spellings
and the Bush Department of Education (DoE) has acted far more
aggressively in the process than previous administrations, and standards
are currently being revised, discussed, debated between the DoE and the
Council for Higher Ed (CHEA) and the Council of Regional Accrediting
Commissions (CRAC). Here’s an overview of the debate:
Last spring and summer the two sides undertook a series of three
“negotiated rulemaking sessions” and are currently at an impasse, which
will be resolved one way or another by the end of September. The DoE is
pushing big changes, one of which is having accreditors set the standards
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August 31, 2007
for vocation programs, rather than having the programs set standards for
themselves in relation to state licensing or certification requirements.
According to accreditors, “this appears to be a case of the department
requiring accreditors to impose a “one-size-fits-all” measurement of
vocational/career programs….presumably consistent across the country.”
Another change being pushed by the Fed is having standards for transfer
programs be “externally validated” by outside consultants, or be required
to use standardized tests that have been validated by an outside testing
agency. Finally, the DoE is proposing a huge change to the transfer of
credit. Today, the institutions we transfer to accept our transfer credits on
the basis of our accredited status. DoE is saying accreditation is still
required for transfer of credit, but that now our accreditors also have to
validate the quality of transfer education down to the program level, and
ensure to the transfer institution that quality requirements at the program
level from the sending institution are being met. Previously, accreditation
is an institutional validation, not a programmatic one. Accreditors oppose
these changes.
•
Chabot College Presidential Search: I have received emails and inperson expressions of interest from faculty regarding serving on the
committee. I am personally interested in serving on the committee
because as the new Faculty Senate president I feel I’ve recently received
a show of support from the faculty as someone who represents faculty
viewpoints across the college, and I feel in general that the Faculty Senate
President should be on a presidential hiring committee to empower faculty
in the process. I’ve made no final decisions about the make-up of the
committee yet, including my own participation in it. Joel has sent me an
outline configuration of the committee showing four faculty members
involved, three chosen by the faculty senate pres, one by the FA. I will be
sending out a faculty-wide call for interested parties.
•
California budget: has good news and bad news for the CCC. See
handout for summary of wins and losses.
Other issue for 07–08 issues raised by Senators include:
•
Chalkboard vs. whiteboards: Ming Ho reported that the Math
Subdivision conducted a survey among its faculty on board preference
and submitted the result favoring chalkboards to the Facilities Committee.
He encouraged others to do the same so decisions would not be made
without faculty input. Among the concerns were allergy to chalk dust and
fumes from whiteboard pen.
•
Director of Student Life: Francisco Zermeño was directed to draft a
communication to the Chancellor for the Senate regarding its support of
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August 31, 2007
filling the vacancy of the Director of Student Life. All others are welcome to
do so individually as well.
2.1.5 Change to Agendas with Respect to Guest Reports: Diane Zuliani’s
prepared statement is below.
I have cleared the slate of guest reports. Reports from our regular
representatives like ASCC and the FA are needed, but I opted out of
regularly scheduled reports from Dr. Carlson, who came as a guest of
Senate. Frequent communication with the college president is critical, and
frequent invitations to speak will be necessary; but my feeling was that a
permanent slot on the agenda was not. This change can be reversed if
Senators wish it so, so I open it up for discussion.
DISCUSSION: There were suggestions regarding the manner of Dr.
Carlson’s report. One suggestion was that the Senate requests his
presence when needed. Another is that Dr. Carlson be regularly
scheduled once a month. A third suggestion is that he be regularly
scheduled, but with written questions submitted to him ahead of time to
address; likewise, he is to submit in writing topics of concern about which
he will address the Senate. President Zuliani took a straw poll, which
showed that the Senate was split on the issue. Further discussion will
continue.
2.2 Public Comments: None presented.
2.3 ASCC: Jove Meyer reported that the ASCC has done well this summer. Including
a carryover from last year’s elections, ASCC is pretty full. The ASCC wants 15
senators to represent 15,000 students. The ASCC helped plan Gladiator Day.
They are electing a new student trustee. In October, there will be leadership
training for the ASCC leaders, Club Day, and other events.
Mr. Meyer outlined the activities that the ASCC is planning and stated that the
ASCC was hoping to fill all vacant positions this semester for ASCC Senate. He
was optimistic but also stated a concern about the filling the position of the Director
of Student Life. Their next meeting is Sept. 5, and he urged faculty to recommend
students to participate in ASCC.
3.0
ACTION ITEM
S
ITEMS
3.1 Elections: President Zuliani handed out a description of Senate officer duties
augmented from the Senate Constitution and indicating release time assigned.
• Election of Senate Vice President: At the nomination of Chad Mark Glen,
Michael Absher was approved by acclamation.
• Election of Senate Secretary: At the nomination of Chad Mark Glen, Ming Ho
was approved by acclamation.
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ACADEMIC/FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
•
August 31, 2007
Election of Part-Time Faculty Senator: At the nomination of Chad Mark Glen,
Anne Brichacek was approved by acclamation.
3.2 Approval of Barbara Ogman as SLO Coordinator: Norma Ambriz came before
the Senate to seek approval for Barbara Ogman to succeed her as SLO
Coordinator. The motion was moved, seconded, and carried unanimously.
4.0
DISCUSSION ITEMS
4.1 Senate Binder: Each Senator were given a bound volume of Senator’s Handbook
2007–2008.
4.2 Catalogue Language on Atttendance/Withdrawl Option: Dave Fouquet
highlighted the discrepancy between the policies stated in the Chabot Catalogue
and on the back of rosters the Faculty receive from A&R. In the catalogue,
attendance was counted by instructional periods, not hours as printed on the back
of the rosters. The general consensus was that instructional hours should be used.
Further, the roster states that the instructor must drop students for non-attendance,
while many feel that “must” should be replaced by “may.” Senators were asked to
bring up these issues at their division meetings for faculty input.
5.0
REPORTS II
5.1 CLPFA: Shari Jacobsen asked that the FA report be moved up in the agenda.
President Zuliani responded that it was only delayed because the Chabot FA Vice
President Dave Fouquet had previously indicated that he would be late due to
business at the District. Dave Fouquet reported the use of F Hour and trouble in
banner to keep track of leave balance.
5.2 Senate Committee: Mike Absher reported for the Curriculum Committee and
Nolly Ruiz that the changes to Title 5 and an unofficial training session will be held
at the Curriculum Committee meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 4, at 2:00pm.
5.3 Senators: No reports.
6.0 FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
6.1 Title V Curriculum Updates & AS Degree Report — Nolly Ruiz
6.2 New Directions for IPBC — Christina Ruggiero and Yvonne Wu-Craig
6.3 The “Greening” of Chabot — Francisco Zermeño
6.4 Textbook Expense — Kathleen Kaser
6.5 Cameras in Labs — Farhad Javaheripour
Meeting adjourned at 4:42 PM.
Next Meeting— September 13, 2007. Fall Meetings— 2nd & 4th Thursdays.
September 13 & 27, October 11 & 25, November 8 & 15*, December 6* & 20*.
(*Special Meetings— not on 2nd or 4th Thursday)
MA/MLH/DZ
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