COLLEGE COUNCIL
Friday, May 6 t h , 2005
2 to 3:30 p.m. – Room 3902
MINUTES
The College Council meeting was called to order at 2:05 p.m.
1)
Staff Presentation: Alex Clark was recognized for his service to Chabot College.
2)
Military Recruiting: Joe Trujillo, a student, an ASCC representative, and a member
from the ASCC Military Recruiting Task Force, discussed a statement written by ASCC
about non-discrimination that ensures that our students are exposed to an environment
that is open and understanding to all walks of life. Joe stated that the purpose of today’s
presentation is to ask the College Council to take a stand and preserve the Chabot
College Non-Discrimination Policy. Dr. Carlson stated this issue has conflicted many on
campus, and it will need to be resolved by the Board of Trustees. Before any decision
gets made the College needs to gather additional information. Dr. Carlson will gather
information that will be provided to the College Council for further discussion at a later
meeting.
The policy approved by Congress is “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy”. The Supreme Court
will be hearing this and will reach resolution. Jane Church said Chabot allows vendors
and visitors on campus who have differing views like the Giddeon Bible Company who
distribute bibles. Tom Fuller felt it is the civilian oversight that has made the policy, and
that the Congress, Supreme Court, and the judicial system have the right to change a
policy, not a member of the Armed Forces.
Kathleen Kaser has seen military recruiters outside the Bookstore use aggressive tactics
to seek students. She is only commenting on the methods of their recruitment, and not
on the discrimination. According to Melinda Matsuda, the current vendor policy restricts
recruiters to the tables they signed up for. The Office of Student Life has received
complaints about recruiters going beyond the vendor tables. Policy limits vendors to
maintain their business to their assigned tables, which is separate from the
discrimination issue. Carol Baumann stated student harassment is a problem because
recruiters are entering the Library where students are studying. Students visit the Library
because it is a safe area to study. Carol witnessed recruiters looking over students’
shoulders while studying. Carol asked for clarification on managing these disruptive
recruiters. Melinda wants the vendor contract wording changed limiting vendors to
assigned areas.
Dr. Carlson felt an informed discussion needs to take place, one inclusive of people’s
opinions and not derived from a heated moment. Dr. Carlson charged the Council to
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provide information so a thoughtful discussion could occur where policies could be
reviewed and we could see how the issue and policy were created. He will do research
and bring back an informational packet to the Council at a later meeting. The Council will
not make the policy decision because it has to be made by the Board of Trustees.
Students will have to take it to the Board as an agenda item.
Alex Clark wants to hear from your own words the students, addressed asking if we had
a draft and the recruitment drive or numbers are down, would the students’ position be
any different, or is this on the discrimination matter alone. Would the students think
differently should the matter be different? They are only looking at the student body and
they feel a percentage of our student body is being discriminated. Alex Clark reported
that the military was one of the first groups to desegregate before the Civil Rights’
movement. He doesn’t feel they are out to get gays or lesbians. He thinks that a
discussion at the level of College Council is the right approach. Dr. Carlson felt we need
to focus on the employers/venders on campus and employers who do discriminate in the
way they employ by the way they discriminate. He will define it to these two questions.
Philosophically we come from various places and that won’t convince one another to
solve the issue on one afternoon. There is an issue about policy, and we should talk
about the policy and see what we want to do on the two policy issues. The invitation is
open until the middle of next week to set up a time with Karen and bring by materials for
discussion or resources we want to see review, and he will cull through those, and see if
they should be distributed for further discussion, and he will at the end of next week
distribute by the end of next week. It will be brought back for further discussion on May
20th. Irene Plunkett commended the students for bringing the issue to the College
Council as they have put a lot of research and thought into the matter. Dr. Carlson felt
the issue was too serious to handle in one afternoon. He thanked the students for
coming and encouraged them to attend any future meetings as they are open meetings.
3)
Early Decision MEGA Day (Saturday, May 7th): Jane Church said MEGA Day is a
special day for students from local high schools who have an opportunity to register for
classes at the early decision day. Students will now come here and will be connected to
a college experience, with a packed day where students are separate from their parents
and will have their own orientation. At the conference, parents will go through similar
steps their children will go through. Faculty will talk with students on various subjects.
They will sit down in various labs on campus like Building 3900, computers in the
Library, and we hope to get them registered before they leave. This is a coming together
of the campus and Student Services. Judy Young, Financial Aid, Melinda Matsuda, and
Counseling staff have worked hard preparing for the day. Gerald’s group, Debbie’s
group, Tom Clark, Sally Jahnke, Marge Maloney, Financial Aid, and A&R will attend.
Jane thanked everyone for embracing the idea as it’s innovative. It’s not an open event,
but an ongoing activity from working with the high schools for many years. For years, a
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designated counselor served as a liaison to high school students who would visit
students on site. In order for students to be considered early decision students, they
needed to complete the matriculation process early. For students to participate in Mega
Day they must have applied by March 11th. They have been assessed in their high
schools, and have gone through an orientation at their high schools. 600 students
applied on line by the deadline, and some have applied from other states. 400 have
gone through assessment. We expect 200 to 300 students to attend. Dr. Carlson
thanked Jane, Melinda, Judy and staff for their efforts in putting this event on. The 18-21
group is a group that had really been low in numbers and right out of high school will
help the college with their enrollments.
4)
Financial Aid Night (Thursday, May 19th): Chancellor Drummond has declared May as
financial aid awareness month and has proclaimed that all 109 community colleges are
required to have a financial aid festival. We have CalGrants with a March 2nd deadline of
the following year but they have extended the deadline to September 2nd for Cal Grant A
& B (students from low/middle-income families) who are vocationally-oriented. We will
offer 30 workshops and provide personal assistance.
5)
Emergency Preparedness and “Together We Prepare” Video: Sergeant Mac Wright
tabled this item for the May 20th, 2005 meeting.
6)
Other Business.
a)
Staff Development: In response to comments made at the April 29th, 2005
Council meeting, Chad Glen addressed a misunderstanding. Some
controversy sprouted out from his comments and questions to Staff
Development, and I couldn’t find the notes he wrote up. If there are questions
I can clear up, I would like to do that. Chad stated he was not meaning to be
disrespectful of Staff Development. He asked a question that most staff are
thinking. Dr. Carlson stated: “Most of us who meet in this room regularly have
reached a relationship where we can be frank with each other. We solve
problems and there is blunt discussion about those problems, and if there is
an issue we talk through it. It’s important that the leadership of this campus
understand there is open dialog, criticism, and being asked to explain
yourself. No one should be immune. It’s not appropriate if a person is asking
honest and heartfelt questions about how something works and does not
need to be reamed about how something is ask. And, so try and keep your
senses about what happens in here and respect that people will have honest
and open questions and if you are asked to be accountable, that is the way
we have an open dialog. The issue needs to say where the issue is raised
and not transported to other ways.”
Next Meeting: Friday, May 20th, 2005, 2-3:30 p.m., Room 3902.
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