Jeanie Hardin brought forward the recommendation to formally deactivate the Crime Scene
Investigation and Forensic Science programs due to low enrollment.
Action/Motion: The Council unanimously approved the motion by Jeanie Hardin, second by
Giles Brown, to deactivate the programs as presented. Notification will go to all agencies as needed.
Jeanie Hardin recommended approval of the two new programs that will be offered at the South
Campus Technical Center: Electrical, and Occupational Safety and Health. She reported that curriculum for the Electrical program was developed with input from other colleges and through a local advisory committee. It was thought that notices were required for the relocation of the
Medical Laboratory Technology program and the expansion of the Welding program, but no
SACS Substantive Change process.
Action/Motion: The Council unanimously approved the motion by Jeanie Hardin, second by
Giles Brown, to approve the addition of the two new programs as outlined. The recommendation will be presented to the Board of Trustees for final consideration. Jeanie Hardin will notify all agencies as needed.
Giles Brown asked for approval of the college’s Business Continuity Plan. The plan presented includes elements that are recommended by the state through the recent safety audit.
Action/Motion: The Council unanimously approved the motion by Giles Brown, second by
Lorie Lefevers, to accept the Business Continuity Plan as presented.
Gary Paikowski presented a proposed Information Security plan, which includes storage and access of sensitive data. Members recommended that the proposal also include: procedures for
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handling written documents; process for handling attacks on our system; and identifying which outside agencies (and/or other groups) must be notified in the event of a breach. Employees, including work-study students, will need to acknowledge familiarity with the procedures.
Members recommended that he provide an overview of the purpose and processes during professional development. Dr. McMillen requested that Gary work to integrate/cross-reference current policies with this new plan, and to work with offices who handle sensitive data. The final procedure will be reviewed and approved by Mike Wynne before being included in the
Faculty/Adjunct Faculty Handbook, on the college website, and in the Employee Handbook
(under development).
Related discussion included the need to designate an Information Security Coordinator (CS
Legal), and to expand training and enforce awareness of FERPA.
Action/Motion: Dr. McMillen appointed Gary Paikowski as the Information Security
Coordinator. The Board will receive an update on the Information Security policy as part of the progress report on the campus safety and security audit. Gary will bring a final policy proposal back for consideration within one month.
The Council continued last week’s conversation about having the revised General Catalog available by the time registration opens for the next Fall semester (March or April).The challenge is coordinating all the curriculum changes and related calendar timelines.
Action/Motion: Jeanie Hardin and Gary Paikowski will form a committee to re-define the process for updating the Catalog .
Jeanie Hardin reported that new Texas Success Initiative (TSI) rules would become effective
August 26, 2013, and she proposed several policy changes to address the testing requirements:
•
A new TSI Assessment Test will be available. Jeanie and Testing Coordinator Donna
McKinney recommend discontinuing the THEA, Quick THEA and Compass tests and begin using the new test. The TSI Assessment Test will cost approximately $11 each, plus the cost of administering/monitoring. They recommend setting the test fee at $25.
Many colleges around the state have stated they would be charging $25.
Action/Motion: The Council unanimously approved the motion by Jeanie Hardin to set the TSI
Assessment Test fee at $25. This will be the assessment instrument used after August 26, 2013.
•
WorkKeys, currently required for GC students seeking a Certificate, would be discontinued.
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Action/Motion: The Council unanimously approved the motion by Jeanie Hardin to immediately discontinue the WorkKeys test for Certificate students. (Effective immediately, students entering Fall 2013 will not be required to take this test.)
•
A new state rule requires students to be offered a pre-assessment program or session prior to taking the exam. Students must acknowledge that they understand the importance of the test, how it relates to their selected major, must be familiar with the various parts of the exam, have an opportunity to receive feedback, know what the developmental education options are if they fail the exam, and what resources are available to them. This information will be available to Grayson College students in two ways: as a presentation added to College 101 and/or through a new continuing education workshop being developed by the Center for Workplace Learning.
Action/Motion: The Council unanimously approved the motion by Jeanie Hardin, second by
Roy Renfro, to develop two test prep workshops (one for Math, one for Reading/Writing) through Continuing Education. The fee for each workshop would be $30.
Related discussion included:
•
The need to incorporate Learning Frameworks into degree plans. Work is underway to add it to degree plans; however, it is much more difficult to incorporate into certificate plans. Pell and Veterans funding will not pay for the course unless it is required by the institution.
•
Testing waivers – the institution may not use assessment or results as a way to exclude admission to the college and /or to programs . The new rule included program admissions; however, we are able to use TSI for course pre-requisites.
•
Dr. McMillen shared some statistics on the state’s proposed cutoff scores: Of those students who have to test, 48% will have to go into minimum-level developmental math courses. Only 3% of the higher education population will be eligible to go directly into college-level classes; the rest would have to go to Adult Basic Education. There is a definition about when Continuing Education programs are considered ‘college attendance.’
•
The college will need to explore grants for resources that will help students get into college-level classes (such as test prep ‘boot camps’ and/or prep sessions).
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Roy Renfro announced receipt of a large estate bequest through the Planned Giving program. Details will be forthcoming.
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