Institutional Planning and Budget Council
Meeting Notes
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Present: Bob Curry, Tom DeWit, Gerald Shimada, Denise Noldon, Laurie O’Connor, Linda Barde, Joe
Kuwabara (note taker1), Patricia Shannon (note taker2), Jan Novak, Kathleen Schaefer, Ron Taylor, Carolyn
Arnold (note editor)
1. Review of November 10, 2004 Minutes
Carolyn Arnold called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m. She asked IPBC representatives to review the minutes
from November 10, 2004. There was one small revision, and they were approved as revised.
2. IPBC meeting with tBP facilities consultants
Carolyn Arnold has arranged with tBP consultants to meet with IPBC on Tuesday, November 23rd, at 2 pm in
order to discuss the vision of becoming a learning-centered college, and the implications for facilities. Since it is
not a regular IPBC meeting time, she asked who was planning to be there. Joe Kuwabara and Kathleen Schaefer
both indicated they would attend, and Kathleen volunteered some articles she had for the consultants to read.
3. Grant Development Report
Kathleen Schaefer and Carolyn Arnold presented two recommendations on grant proposals from the Grants
Subcommittee. Carolyn Arnold reported that the first grant RFP, from the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching, had appeared and was due within a two-week period ending November 1st, so there
had not been time to bring it to Grant Development or IPBC. However, since it called for strengthening existing
projects addressing developmental education that were reflected in the Strategic Plan, the Title III proposal, and
in current basic skills efforts, it was decided that it did not need prior approval to apply. Kathleen Schaefer
passed out a one-page description of the grant proposal, and showed that it asked for funding for existing
projects—the new, low cost learning community, supplemental Math instruction, and faculty development and
curricular links to support learner-centered pedagogy (see handout). Staff members involved in writing this
grant besides Kathleen were Katie Hern, Anita Wah, and Tom DeWit. If funded, it would provide $75,000 the
first year, and $75-$120K the second and third year if the projects are successful.
Kathleen Schaefer then passed out a one-page description of the main activity and three components of the Title
III grant proposal (see handout). Kathleen has been working on this proposal along with Rachel LePell and
Patricia Shannon, the Title III Coordinators, since Fall 2003, and it is due in February or March of 2005. They
developed the proposal by interviewing and meeting with many faculty and staff during the last year, and they
have come up with a proposal that directly reflects the major goal of the strategic plan to become a learningcentered institution. The proposed main activity seeks to “improve student persistence and academic
achievement by creating strong communities of teaching and learning at Chabot College. We will transform our
institutional culture from one marked by isolation and fragmentation to a collaborative, learning-centered
environment where students, staff, administrators, and faculty successful engage in learning together.” The
three proposed components are: “1) Incorporating student learning outcomes across the institution; 2) revising
curriculum to implement a new emphasis on learning-centered pedagogy, and 3) creating, sustaining, and
expanding learning communities across the campus environment.” The main point of the grant is to “provide
faculty and staff with time and resources to make students learning the top priority.” Joe Kuwabara moved, and
Bob Curry seconded a motion, and all agreed, that IPBC supports the current direction, activity, and
components of the grant proposal and approves Kathleen to move forward with writing the grant. The document
will be circulated on campus for editing during December and January. Carolyn Arnold commended Kathleen,
Rachel, and Patricia on their work. If we get this 5-year grant, it would start in October 2005 and provide
$360,000 per year to fund the cultural shift towards a learning-centered college.
4. Strategic Planning: Finalizing Priority Objectives for 2005-06
Carolyn Arnold passed out a synthesis of the top priority objectives voted by the Community Focus Groups,
Faculty Senate, other college faculty, and IPBC last week (see handout). The thirteen objectives on the first
page had been a top priority of two or three of the three groups, and she recommended that all of these be
approved as priority objectives. On the second page were objectives rated as priorities by one of the three
groups, and she recommended that we evaluate these to see if we felt they should be added to the core list.
The group evaluated the objectives on the first page. They discussed and adjusted some of the benchmark
percentages and numbers in order to make them more realistic and still give the college something to work
towards. Patricia Shannon moved, and Joe Kuwabara seconded that we accept page one as the 13 core priorities
for 2005-06 with the revisions. Then Laurie O’Connor, Kathleen Schaefer, Gerald Shimada, Patricia Shannon,
and Carolyn Arnold each proposed adding an more objective from page two, in order to ensure “inclusion” of
key “consensual”: objectives. After thoughtful discussions and several straw polls, the group agreed to add five
more objectives to the core list. These were related to becoming a learning-centered college, encouraging
curriculum that fosters student understanding of multicultural diversity, success and persistence in transfer
pathways and from Basic Skills to transfer courses, and implementing policies to address professional ethics
issues. The final list of 18 objectives was sent to College Council for final approval on November 19th.
5. Budget: Review of budget assumptions
Bob Curry passed out a list of budget assumptions for the 2004-05 budget developed by himself and the Budget
Subcommittee (see handouts). These assumptions will be handed out to the managers when they start
developing their budgets, along with the Strategic Plan priorities. He asked for feedback and any additions.
IPBC reviewed them, and was glad to see the assumption that the budgets will be developed “in a manner to
support the Strategic Plan of the College.” The only question the group had was about the source of the number
(2) of new faculty positions, and Bob replied that it was the District allocation that had been decided the day
before. They also asked about the policy on replacement positions, which was deferred to the faculty hiring
committee meeting the next day. The next step for these budget assumptions is another review by the Budget
Committee, and then to College Council.
6. Institutionalization of PFE Projects
Tom DeWit passed out a report from the PFE Projects Review Committee, which had been charged with
soliciting and reviewing the progress reports from the funded PFE projects, and making recommendations for
institutionalization (see handout). The report described each project, and stated whether a report was submitted,
how much money was left over, whether the project had asked for institutionalization funds, and if so, how
much. Tom asked IPBC to review the report, and to come to the Dec 8th meeting ready to discuss how we
would find ways to support, not only these projects, but also how we would identify and fund other non-PFE
projects that also may not yet be institutionalized. At the next IPBC meeting, a good amount of time will be set
aside for that discussion. The group thanked Tom and the task force for the report
The meeting was adjourned at 5:10 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Joe Kuwabara, Patricia Shannon, and Carolyn Arnold.