REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Meeting of the Academic Senate
February 4, 2011, 1 p.m.
• Eureka: 7351 Tompkins Hill Road, AD 201 (Board Room)
• Del Norte: 883 West Washington Boulevard, Crescent City, Room E3
• Mendocino Coast: 1211 Del Mar Drive, Ft. Bragg, Room 106 B
Members Present: David Holper, Mark Winter, Rebecca Ashbach, Trish Blair (meeting substitute for
Allen Keppner), Bob Brown, Kady Dunleavy, Jennifer Gardner, Dave Gonsalves,
Utpal Goswami, Jeff Hogue, Philip Mancus, Kerry Mayer, Pat Padilla, Mike
Richards, Chris Romero, Justine Shaw, Gary Sokolow, Kevin Yokoyama.
Members Absent: Allen Keppner, Ruth Rhodes.
1. Call to Order: Copresident David Holper called the meeting to order at 1:00.
2. Introductions and Public Comments: Copresident David Holper welcomed all members and
guests, and he announced that Trish Blair is the meeting substitute for Allen Keppner and Kevin
Yokoyama will be the senator from Math/Science/Engineering for the remainder of the semester.
Dave called for public comments; no public comments were offered.
3. Approve the January 21 Meeting Minutes: Jeff Hogue moved to approve the minutes, seconded
by Mike Richards. Kevin Yokoyama requested that the minutes be amended to have the
following statement added to agenda item 6.3.1: “A survey done of community colleges similar
to ours indicated that we should have had two full-time faculty members with a hundred percent
reassigned time for at least a year to accomplish the work required to meet the ACCJC
recommendations.” With the added statement, the minutes were approved as submitted.
4. Action Items
4.1
January 28 Curriculum Committee Recommendations: In Chair Peter Blakemore’s
absence, committee member Gary Sokolow presented the recommendations, and he
answered questions. On motion by Kady Dunleavy, seconded by Kerry Mayer, the
recommendations were unanimously approved by the following roll call vote: Blair – y,
Brown – y, Dunleavy – y, Gardner – y, Gonsalves – y, Hogue – y, Mancus – y, Mayer – y,
Padilla – y, Richards – y, Romero – y, Shaw – y, Sokolow – y, Yokoyama – y.
4.2 January 28 Faculty Qualifications Committee Recommendation: Chair Michelle Haggerty
presented the recommendation, and she provided background information. On motion by
Gary Sokolow, seconded by Chris Romero, the recommendation was unanimously
approved by the following roll call vote: Blair – y, Brown – y, Dunleavy – y, Gardner – y,
Gonsalves – y, Hogue – y, Mancus – y, Mayer – y, Padilla – y, Richards – y, Romero – y,
Shaw – y, Sokolow – y, Yokoyama – y.
4.3 January 28 Faculty Development Round Two Recommendations: Chair Kerry Mayer
presented the recommendations, and she answered questions. On motion by Kady
Dunleavy, seconded by Bob Brown, the recommendations were approved by the following
roll call vote: Blair – abstained, Brown – y, Dunleavy – y, Gardner – y, Gonsalves – y,
Hogue – y, Mancus – y, Mayer – y, Padilla – y, Richards – y, Romero – y, Shaw –
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February 4, 2011
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4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
abstained, Sokolow – y, Yokoyama – y. Kerry informed the Senate that since there are still
funds available, there will be one more call for proposals this semester.
Senate Resolution Regarding Resolution Process Draft 2/4/11: Copresident Winter
presented the draft resolution, and he corrected item number 4.3 to read 4.c. Mark also
clarified that Senate-approved resolutions are forwarded to the Board as information only;
the Board does not take action on Senate resolutions. On motion by Gary Sokolow,
seconded by Jeff Hogue, the resolution was unanimously approved by the following roll
call vote: Blair – y, Brown – y, Dunleavy – y, Gardner – y, Gonsalves – y, Hogue – y,
Mancus – y, Mayer – y, Padilla – y, Richards – y, Romero – y, Shaw – y, Sokolow – y,
Yokoyama – y.
Senate Resolution Regarding Faculty Development Draft 2/4/11: Copresident Winter
presented the draft resolution, and he gave the background of how it was developed. On
motion by Kady Dunleavy, seconded by Bob Brown, the resolution was unanimously
approved by the following roll call vote: Blair – y, Brown – y, Dunleavy – y, Gardner – y,
Gonsalves – y, Hogue – y, Mancus – y, Mayer – y, Padilla – y, Richards – y, Romero – y,
Shaw – y, Sokolow – y, Yokoyama – y.
Senate Resolution Regarding Institutional Research Draft 2/4/11: Copresident Winter
presented the draft resolution, and he explained that it came from meetings with ACCJC
teams and accreditation consultants who said that the college needs to keep supporting the
Institutional Research initiative. On motion by Kerry Mayer, seconded by Gary Sokolow,
the resolution was unanimously approved by the following roll call vote: Blair – y, Brown
– y, Dunleavy – y, Gardner – y, Gonsalves – y, Hogue – y, Mancus – y, Mayer – y, Padilla
– y, Richards – y, Romero – y, Shaw – y, Sokolow – y, Yokoyama – y.
Guidelines for Assessment Activities Proposal 2/4/11: Copresident Holper presented the
Guidelines, and he explained that similar policies have been drafted at other community
colleges to outline what assessment will and will not be used for. On motion by Chris
Romero, seconded by Jeff Hogue, the Guidelines were unanimously approved by the
following roll call vote: Blair – y, Brown – y, Dunleavy – y, Gardner – y, Gonsalves – y,
Hogue – y, Mancus – y, Mayer – y, Padilla – y, Richards – y, Romero – y, Shaw – y,
Sokolow – y, Yokoyama – y.
5. Discussion Items
5.1
Course Level Assessment Reporting Form and the Development of a Five-Year Student
Learning Outcomes Planning and Tracking Form: Assessment Coordinator Justine Shaw
presented the Course Level Assessment Reporting Form, and she asked for Senate review
and feedback. With the college needing to reach assessment proficiency by 2012, Justine
reported that a draft of a three-year plan, which will be reviewed by the Assessment
Committee at their next meeting, is posted on the website. The Five-Year Student
Learning Outcomes Planning and Tracking Form was drafted to assist faculty in tracking
program level outcomes on a five-year cycle, and a course level learning outcomes form is
also being addressed. Justine is hoping to coordinate an assessment retreat where faculty
can work on the planning documents together, and assessment workshops are being
scheduled in which faculty will have assistance in creating student learning outcomes.
With the goal of integrating assessment into the institutional culture, Justine has added
information and resources to the website, which she encouraged faculty to access. In order
to meet the ACCJC’s assessment recommendations and make assessment part of the
college’s culture, Justine emphasized the value of developing good planning documents
and then following the plan. In acknowledging the need for good data sources and
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February 4, 2011
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5.2
5.3
institutional support for assessment, senators underscored the need for a strong Institutional
Research Department and administrative support for staff development.
Faculty Prioritization Process: Copresident Holper reported that the draft Faculty
Prioritization Process was used by the Faculty Prioritization Committee on Saturday,
January 22, and a prioritized list of faculty positions was generated. However, as indicated
by President Marsee’s memo, the president overrode several of the committee’s
recommendations. Kady Dunleavy informed the Senate that since the memo was
distributed, the President has rescinded his decision regarding the nursing position, and the
position will now go out for hire. Regarding grant funded positions, Utpal Goswami
reported he is working with Dave and Mark to draft a separate process for prioritizing
grant-to-district funded positions. After using the draft process on January 22, Dave
reported that the Faculty Prioritization Committee made suggested revisions to improve the
process, and he highlighted those revisions for the Senate. The revised process proposal
will now go back to College Council for approval and will be used for the next round of
position prioritizations.
Construction Technology House: Copresident Holper referred senators to a recent Senate
Update that is now posted on the Senate’s website that outlines information on the
Construction Technology Program and the importance to the historically unique program of
the student built house. After President Marsee’s comments at the January Board of
Trustees meeting that the program was losing money and a house would no longer be built,
a meeting was convened with Dr. Goswami, the three Construction Technology (CT)
faculty, Business and Technology Dean Mike Peterson, and Kerry Mayer as a Senate
representative to begin addressing the issues. The CT faculty have been asked to draft and
submit a proposal for getting the program financially back on track, and Dave reported that
while the program may undergo some modifications, he is hopeful that the review process
will have positive results.
6. Reports
6.1
6.2
Academic Standards and Policies Committee (ASPC)
6.1.1 BP/AP 4020, Program and Curriculum Development, Revision 12/10/10: Chair
Marla Gleave explained that the current revisions were made to previously
approved Senate proposals, which were forwarded to College Council and then to
the AMD group for review. The AMD group made suggested revisions, and the
proposals were sent back to ASPC for further review. Marla highlighted ASPC’s
suggested revisions, and she presented the background and reasons for each one.
The proposals will now go back to College Council for further consideration.
6.1.2 AP 4022, Local Approval of Courses, Revision 12/10/10: Chair Marla Gleave
presented the proposal and explained that it is based on the state calling for a
separate administrative procedure for the local approval of courses, a process that
was previously addressed in the policy outlining program and curriculum
development. ASPC recommends a title change to align the AP with the League
recommendations, and the committee made a number of suggested revisions to the
AMD group’s draft. The proposal will now be forwarded to College Council for
further consideration.
Multicultural and Diversity Committee: Chair Justine Shaw reported that the committee is
addressing both short and long term goals. Short term goals include facilitating the process
for establishing a district ESOL program, advocating for a Multicultural and Diversity
Center in the new building, and planning a diversity event this semester. Long term goals
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February 4, 2011
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6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.7
include: (1) establishing fully functional Multicultural and Diversity Centers at each
campus with resources and regularly scheduled diversity trainings available for all students,
faculty and staff; (2) coordinating multicultural and diversity events; and (3) recruiting new
committee members who will support new initiatives.
50% Law – Update on the District’s Compliance Status: This report was rescheduled for
the March 4 Senate meeting.
Accreditation Update: Utpal Goswami reported that the Board approved the contract to
hire Ed Buckley as an accreditation consultant, and Ed is scheduled to be on the Eureka
campus February 10 and 11. Utpal discussed the proposed timeline for the Self-Study, and
he reported that the goal is to have a first draft ready for district review by March 21 and a
final draft sent to the ACCJC in June. Utpal emphasized that the key to meeting the
accreditation standards is how well the college is addressing the planning agenda; people
need to be assigned to get the work done by March 21. In addition to planning agendas, a
critical issue is how the Visiting Team assesses the health of the college environment
during their fall visit, an issue that Utpal asked everyone to continue to address.
Copresident Winter reminded senators that while the college’s previous recommendation
was for Standard IV, the current recommendation is cited in Standard I, and the college
needs to resolve both. Examples of recent progress made in addressing the
recommendations include (1) the January 17, 2011 Open Letter to the District on
Accreditation, which was signed by President Marsee, two Board members and the two
Senate copresidents; (2) Karen Reiss’s agreement to step in as co-chair of Standard I; (3)
improvements in how district procedures were followed, and (4) the participation of faculty
in an accreditation workshop session.
ASCR Update: Rebecca Ashbach reported that the Student Senate has new members,
including representatives from Del Norte and Mendocino Coast campuses. Bobby Shearer
is the new ASCR Diversity Coordinator, and he will be coordinating the Hands Across
California efforts at CR. Bobby will be distributing information on the event, and
Copresident Holper encouraged faculty to inform students of the project.
College Council Update: Copresident Holper reported that (1) College Council approved
the Board Policy and Administrative Procedure on accreditation, and the proposals will be
forwarded for Board review. (2) Feedback from the recent flex activity that was held to
address the Mission, Vision, Values statements will be considered by the Mission, Vision,
Values Ad Hoc Committee, and revised drafts will be forwarded to College Council for
approval. (3) On the recommendation of the Self-Study Mock Visiting Team, College
Council agreed to postpone the revision of the district’s Strategic Plan for one year.
Board of Trustees February 1 Meeting: Copresident Winter reported that, due to a conflict
with Dave’s teaching schedule, Mark was the Senate representative at the February Board
meeting. Mark informed the Senate that the following three items were reported out of
closed session: (1) Citing budget concerns, no sabbatical leaves were approved; (2) The
Board affirmed the CRFO/district settlement on the PERB charges; and (3) The Board
approved the Senate’s recommendations for the probationary, tenure-track faculty. Items
approved on the consent calendar included: (1) the Mendocino Coast Educational Master
Plan to move forward, (2) a contract for the College Brain Trust, and (3) Danny Walker
was approved for the full-time tenure-track welding position. Under financial
considerations, the Board discussed the current working draft of next year’s budget based
on the governor’s recommendations, and they discussed, but did not resolve, whether larger
cuts to next year’s budget should be considered. The Board appointed Ahn Fielding as the
interim HR director, Maggie Lynch as the chief negotiator for CRFO, and Ahn Fielding as
the chief negotiator for CSEA.
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February 4, 2011
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7. Announcements and Open Forum
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
Kognito Training: Trish Blair announced that a web interactive training for dealing with
emotionally and psychologically at risk students is scheduled for February 11, from 11:00
to 12:30 in LRC 107. This session, which will be offered again, can accommodate up to
twelve people and will focus on information for faculty. Trish encouraged interested
faculty to email her for more information and to sign up for the training.
March 4 Agenda Item: Vice President of Instruction Utpal Goswami requested that a
Budget Planning Committee report be included on the March 4 Senate agenda.
Support for Students from Tea Garden Apartment Fire: Copresident Holper announced
that four CR students who were living at the Tea Garden Apartments in Arcata lost
everything in a recent fire. The CR Bookstore has offered to replace their books, Keith
Snow-Flamer arranged accommodations for them in the dorms for a week, and a fund has
been established to provide them with money to replace lost personal items. Contributions
to the fund can be submitted to Sharrie King in the Business Office be 5 p.m. on Monday,
February 7. The donations will be used to purchase Target gift cards for the students, and
Dave encouraged faculty to contribute and help support the efforts.
Portugal Award Deadline: Copresident Holper announced that the deadline to submit
2011-2012 Portugal Award proposals is today before midnight.
8. Adjournment: On motion by Kerry Mayer, seconded by Gary Sokolow, the meeting was
adjourned at 2:56.
Respectfully submitted by Sally Frazier, Administrative Secretary to the Academic Senate.
Next Meeting:
Friday, March 4, 2011