Basic Skills Committee Meeting
October 13, 2015
Minutes - Approved
Attendees: Michelle Iriarte (HPN), Matt Davis (Math), Michael Thompson (AHSS), Rachael TupperEoff (LC-Classified Senate), Hisako Hintz (ESL), Charisma Avant (SSSC), Jane Wolford (LC), Patricia
Shannon (AHSS)
1) Called to order at 12:05
2) Self Introductions
3) Minutes of Sept 22nd meeting. Moved to accept by consensus, with the note that most of the attendees
of that meeting were not present.
4) Review of the annual report submitted to the state, with particular notation of approved projects,
funding, and the questions posed by the state. Several people asked clarifying questions. But, the
general consensus was that the report did a good job at summarizing recent past and projecting
immediate future planning.
5) Considering the language of the charge.
The committee members present did not agree to the charge as edited by Faculty Senate. This charge
suggests that the committee is not involved in a deeper conversation and action about basic skills and
that it does not take an active role in CEMC or PRBC, for example, in advocating for Basic Skills
students and programs and actions that support those students. In the opinion of the committee
members present, we do not simply present findings and assist. The sense of advocacy and
commitment to institutionalization of effective practices is missing. The committee understands the
concern of the Senate, in that the committee itself does not institutionalize anything, nor does it
impose its recommendations on any discipline, division, or the college.
Trish has made the following language changes (shown in italic) as a starting point for the next
meeting discussion.
Charge
Members of the Basic Skills Committee work together to develop, recommend, coordinate and implement
strategies to help Chabot students successfully acquire the basic skills necessary for their future
development. This will include, but is not limited to: serving as a central forum for campus dialog on the
topic of "basic skills", fostering research on and implementation of effective practices, seeking out and
institutionalizing and presenting findings about effective practices developed here at Chabot and
elsewhere; advocating for funding, programs, and services that serve basic skills students, and assisting
in the identification, commitment, and acquisition of necessary resources, both internal and external for
basic skills. program.
Our charge is to:
• Define what constitutes "basic skills" Chabot.
• Consider issues relevant to the assessment and placement of basic skills students.
• Collaborate with administration and various campus units in conducting the college's basic skills selfassessment.
• Coordinate with various campus units on larger college-wide planning goals
• Collaborate with faculty to apply/adapt research-based and effective practices in basic skills to Chabot
classrooms.
6) The committee also reviewed actions it could take this year:
• Identify and support students in basic skills math and English
• Work on ensuring transition funding
• Infuse contextualized learning –revive HOM?
• Sponsor innovative presentations during Flex days or other opportunities
• Make recommendations to PRBC (LC funding)
• Update English course sequence data
• Connect and use the CTL
• Figure out how faculty can access resources (clickers and tablets, e.g.,) for classroom use
(what do we have and how do we use it)?
• And, much of that equipment has marginal usefulness without improving the WI-FI access
across campus
Note: identify a time when Michael Thompson can make a presentation on his innovative pedagogy.