REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Meeting of the Academic Senate
April 20, 2012, 1 p.m.
• Eureka: 7351 Tompkins Hill Road, AD 201 (Board Room)
• Del Norte: 883 West Washington Boulevard, Crescent City, Rooms E3 and E4
• Mendocino Coast: 1211 Del Mar Drive, Ft. Bragg, Room 106 B
Members Present: Mark Winter, Mike Richards, Dave Bazard, Bob Brown, Steve Brown, Solomon
DeCamp, Ryan Emenaker, Jennifer Gardner, Dave Gonsalves, Allen Keppner,
Philip Mancus, Susan Nordlof, Sandra Rowan, Connie Wolfsen (meeting
substitute for Kady Dunleavy), Kevin Yokoyama.
Members Absent: Kady Dunleavy, Chris Gaines, Utpal Goswami, Cindy Hooper, Gary Sokolow.
Also Present: President/Superintendent Elect Kathryn Lehner
1. Call to Order: Copresident Mark Winter called the meeting to order at 1:01.
2. Introductions and Public Comments: Copresident Mark Winter welcomed all members and
guests, and he introduced Connie Wolfsen as the meeting substitute for Kady Dunleavy. Mark
called for public comments; no public comments were forwarded.
3. Approve the April 6 Meeting Minutes: On motion by Kevin Yokoyama, seconded by Dave
Bazard, the minutes were approved as written.
4. Action Items
4.1 Approve Senate Copresidents Ad Hoc Nomination Committee Recommendation: Ad Hoc
Committee member Steve Brown reviewed the nomination process, and he presented the
recommendation that Mike Richards and Bob Brown serve as the 2012-2013 copresidents.
Dave Bazard moved to approve the recommendation, seconded by Susan Nordlof.
Copresident Winter called for additional nominations from the floor. No additional
nominations were forwarded, and the motion to approve the recommended slate carried
unanimously by the following roll call vote: Bazard – y, Brown, B. – y, Brown, S. – y,
Emenaker – y, Gardner – y, Gonsalves – y, Keppner – y, Mancus – y, Nordlof – y, Wolfsen
– y, Yokoyama – y. Mark congratulated Mike and Bob as next year’s Senate copresidents,
and he thanked them for being willing to serve.
4.2 Approve Curriculum Committee April 13 Recommendations: Committee member Allen
Keppner presented the recommendations, and he answered questions. Kevin Yokoyama
moved to approve, seconded by Dave Bazard. Bob Brown amended the motion to add HE
1, which was approved by the Curriculum Committee on April 13, to the Summary of
Changes. The amendment was seconded by Steve Brown and was unanimously approved
by the following roll call vote: Bazard – y, Brown, B. – y, Brown, S. – y, Emenaker – y,
Gardner – y, Gonsalves – y, Keppner – y, Mancus – y, Nordlof – y, Wolfsen – y,
Yokoyama – y. The main motion then carried unanimously by the following roll call vote:
Bazard – y, Brown, B. – y, Brown, S. – y, Emenaker – y, Gardner – y, Gonsalves – y,
Keppner – y, Mancus – y, Nordlof – y, Wolfsen – y, Yokoyama – y.
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April 20, 2012
Page 2
4.3 Approve Emeritus Status Recommendations: Copresident Winter presented the
recommendations, and he highlighted the criteria established in BP 344 for the status. On
motion by Steve Brown, seconded by Bob Brown, the recommendations were approved by
the following roll call vote: Bazard – y, Brown, B. – y, Brown, S. – y, Emenaker – y,
Gardner – y, Gonsalves – y, Keppner – abstained, Mancus – y, Nordlof – y, Wolfsen – y,
Yokoyama – y. Mark informed the Senate that the recommendations will be forwarded to
the Board of Trustees for approval.
5. Discussion Items
5.1
Senate Resolution Regarding Assessment Proposal 4/20/12: Copresident Winter presented
the proposal and the background of how it was drafted and vetted, and he explained that is
intended to serve as a public statement of Senate support for assessment efforts. Following
discussion that included a suggested revision, Mark asked senators to distribute it to their
constituents for feedback and be prepared to address the draft as an action item on May 4.
5.2 Academic Senate Bylaws Revision Proposal 4/20/12: Copresident Richards presented the
proposed revisions, and he explained that they address the current division structure and a
request made by the Curriculum Committee chair. No additional revisions were suggested,
and the proposed revisions will be forwarded for Senate approval on May 4.
5.3 Academic Standards and Policies Committee Recommendations – BP/AP 4235 Credit by
Examination: Committee Chair Connie Wolfsen presented the proposals, and she gave the
background of the committee’s process in drafting the recommendations. Connie clarified
that the proposed procedure addresses external examinations only plus the Tech Prep high
school articulation process that is currently in place. Following Senate discussion that
included clarification that no developmental courses are included in the high school
articulation process, senators were asked to distribute the drafts to their constituents and
forward feedback to the May 4 Senate meeting.
6. Special Discussion: President/Superintendent Elect Kathryn Lehner. Copresident Winter
welcomed President Elect Kathryn Lehner when she joined the meeting, and upon her request,
senators introduced themselves. Kathy gave the background of her leadership style and
approach, which she described as collaborative and includes constituent voices that enable her to
forward recommendations to the Board of Trustees that are in the best interest of the college.
6.1 Accreditation: In addressing CR’s show cause accreditation status, President Elect Kathryn
Lehner reported that the local community has a number of questions and concerns. Kathy
also reported that she has been in communication with the Chancellor’s Office regarding
next steps, and they want to support CR in meeting the accreditation standards. With the
short term goal of convincing the ACCJC that we are making significant changes, a good
step was hiring a new president, and a second step would be to appoint a special trustee,
which the district is currently attempting to address. The third step is to demonstrate that
the work required by the ACCJC is being accomplished and will be sustained. Kathy
emphasized the need to show progress right up to the Commission’s January meeting and
that the work needs to continue throughout the summer so assessments are completed by
fall. Senators’ questions and discussion with Kathy included: (1) the suggestion that the
CRFO contract be cleaned up and include assessment; (2) the need to address an ongoing
commitment for an assessment coordinator; (3) the need to include associate faculty in the
assessment structure; (4) concerns with the budget and the need to systematically evaluate
programs for viability; and (5) the drop in faculty numbers as a result of retirements,
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April 20, 2012
Page 3
meeting the Faculty Obligation Number and the 50% Law, and how to sustain quality
programs and support student success with fewer faculty. Copresident Winter thanked
Kathy for her discussion with the Senate, and he welcomed her as the new president
beginning May 14.
7. Reports
7.1 Accreditation Update: Accreditation Oversight Committee (AOC) Co-chair Dave Bazard
presented an update on the status of recent AOC discussions and work that included: (1)
An ad hoc committee of the AOC is addressing the scope and responsibilities of a
reconstituted Assessment Committee, and they are working on solidifying the Assessment
Coordinator position; (2) Recommendations for revisions to the program review process to
better link assessment, planning, and resource requests to the Strategic Plan, Education
Master Plan, and student and program learning outcomes have been forwarded to the
Program Review Committee; (3) AOC discussions have focused on the goal of establishing
a feedback loop to support continual improvement that leads to educational outcomes. A
consultant has agreed to work with the AOC on an integrated planning narrative that
describes how the process works; (4) In order to ensure that syllabi are complete, the AOC
is working on a template that will be distributed to faculty; (5) A work group is working on
a hiring plan, which is required by the state, and a consultant will assist them in drafting the
plan; and (6) A professional development work group is working on a comprehensive
program that will include all faculty and staff.
7.2 Ad Hoc Committee to Address Feasibility of Eureka College Hour: Copresident Richards
informed the Senate that a request was forwarded by the AOC to consider reinstating a
college hour on the Eureka campus to establish a common meeting time. Mike reported
that the request was presented to the Senate Executive Committee, and there was support to
form an ad hoc committee to study the feasibility of a college hour. To be effective, the
committee will need broad representation that includes all stakeholders, and Mike asked
that senators inform their constituents and forward the names of faculty interested in
participating to the copresidents. With accreditation work being the current priority, it is
anticipated that the committee will begin its work in the fall.
7.3 Enrollment Management Committee Update: Enrollment Management Committee (EMC)
Co-chair Bruce Wagner presented the recommended 2012-2013 TLU Allocation
Framework that was forwarded to the Cabinet, and he answered questions. Bruce clarified
that the allocation process has changed from previous years and that the current course
schedule prioritizes student learning and education outcomes and helps students move
through the curriculum efficiently to meet their goals. Basic skills courses were addressed
separately as were the TLU’s for the Math and Writing Labs. Del Norte and Mendocino
Coast were given an overall number of TLU’s that will allow them to develop their own
schedules, and faculty reassigned time was considered. Bruce answered questions that
included how the summer schedule was developed and how the EMC addressed the CSU
and UC guidelines for GE transfer courses. Senators commended Bruce for his work on
the EMC this year and for his leadership in response to changing budgetary realities.
7.4 Assessment Update: Assessment Coordinator Justine Shaw presented an update that
included the progress that has been made in achieving assessment goals; the migration of
plans, outcomes and reports from Public Folders and MyCR to the new assessment
software; and the scheduling of activities to support assessment work. Justine emphasized
that it is critical to document assessment discussions and results, and she asked faculty to
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April 20, 2012
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7.5
7.6
7.7
7.8
submit all reports to Institutional Research Director Angelina Hill. Assessment Friday
activities and scheduled drop-in sessions will continue, and Justine urged more faculty to
attend to show evidence that there is district-wide participation in assessment dialog. In
addition, Justine encouraged all faculty to attend the Assessment Summit that has been
scheduled for May 15, 16, and 17, and she reported that a summit announcement and
finalized schedule will be distributed next week.
College Update: Due to Interim President Utpal Goswami’s absence, this report was not
presented.
50% Law Compliance Update: Copresident Winter informed the Senate that he requested
an update on the district’s current status regarding meeting the 50% Law, and he was told
that the status had already been reported to the Board. In researching the Board minutes,
Mark found a reference to a Business Office report stating that the district was right at the
50% threshold, but no figures were provided.
ASCR Update: Solomon DeCamp reported that the ASCR student elections were just held,
and the end of the year awards dinner is being planned. Today is the last day to submit
nominations for student leadership awards, and the recipients will be recognized at the
awards dinner.
College Council April 9 Meeting: Copresidents Winter and Richards reported that there
was no substantial information to report from the meeting.
8. Announcements and Open Forum
8.1 Reminder – 2012-2013 Senate Representation: Copresident Winter reminded senators
whose terms are completed this year to inform their divisions and forward the names of
next year’s representatives to the Senate Office.
8.2 August 25 Academic Senate Retreat: Copresident Richards announced that the Senate
Retreat is scheduled for Saturday, August 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The retreat has been
tentatively scheduled in Room 111 of the Eureka Downtown Site, and an email with more
information will be distributed in August.
8.3 Eureka Faculty and Associate Faculty of the Year Support for Nominees and Voting
Process: Copresident Richards encouraged senators and constituents to submit support for
the nominees by the Tuesday, April 24 deadline. Following the deadline, an email will be
forwarded to Eureka senators with instructions on the voting process.
9. Adjournment: On motion by Allen Keppner, seconded by Bob Brown, the meeting was
adjourned at 3:40.
Respectfully submitted by Sally Frazier, Administrative Secretary to the Academic Senate.
Next Meeting:
Friday, May 4, 2012, 1 p.m.