College Senate: Minutes
Date: 1-19-10
Location: Giles 107
Minutes Approved: _X__Yes
___No (Changes: )
Visit the College Senate website at http://www1.cpcc.edu/senate/ for the College Senate minutes, SharePoints
(items for open discussion), and information about NCCCFA, Senate bylaws, Senate membership, committees,
forms, etc.
President Brenda Armentrout called the meeting to order and introduced the two guest speakers:
1. David Kim (IT Services): David reviewed the new process of reporting both Never Attends and the date
when a student stops attending class. The process of reporting Ws in final grades did not work. Therefore,
the solution is this easy process:
Go to WebAdvisor  click on Faculty  click on Last Date of Attendance (a new link)  select the current
semester  select the course to reveal the list of students  enter the date of last attendance OR select the
box beneath Never Attend  click Submit.
If a student returns to class, faculty can go back and change or remove a date and click Submit again.
Online attendance must be completed through the 10% date, but Financial Aid needs information past the
10% report date. Faculty members are asked to go online and complete this process for any student when
he/she stops attending. This is a temporary “fix” that may become permanent once it is used.
2. Stephen Lancaster (Financial Aid): Stephen discussed the importance of using attendance reporting.
Students earn financial-aid funds by attending class. If a student attends through the 10% date, funding is
requested on behalf of the student from the Department of Education and funds are activated to cover
educational costs incurred by the student. If a student Never Attends in one class, funding is reduced and
the student owes money to the College. The student also must maintain satisfactory academic progress.
This is evaluated when grades are posted at the end of each term. As far as Financial Aid is concerned, W’s
and F’s are the same grade and have the same punitive effect on a student’s financial aid eligibility. If a
student needs to totally withdraw from all of their courses during the term they must attend up to the 60%
point of the class to earn the funding they are given or they will have to repay any unearned funding awarded
them to the Department of Education and/or College.
President’s Report (Brenda Armentrout): Brenda reviewed/updated the following items:
1.
Revised Classroom Observation form (Debbie Bouton): The pilot project for the proposed form will take
place this semester. Dr. Bouton will provide feedback about the pilot before summer break.
2.
Revised Student Opinion Survey: Fall 2009 surveys are now available for review. It appears that some
students get together and criticize instructors, using the same language, and the college needs to find a way
for all students to participate in completing the surveys. As it is now, typically students who either really like
or hate the instructor take the time to respond. Brenda will be on the committee to review its use and asked
that people should contact her if they are interested in serving on the committee.
3.
E-learning Task Force – update: This committee is currently looking at distance classes to make
recommendations for providing quality classes. The committee will make its report to Richard Zollinger in
April.
4.
Online Course Information vs. Course Syllabi – update: It has been an ongoing issue to make online
syllabi easier to use. The current thinking is to provide more of a course description that provides course
objectives, basic assignments, grading, etc., and then have instructors provide their own detailed syllabi to
the sections they teach. Hopefully, this system will be in place by fall 2010.
5.
Tuition Refund – Cashier’s Office (resolved): The cashier’s office has stopped sending students to chairs
and/or instructors about refunds. Students are supposed to go to division directors. Brenda asked that
instructors let her know if any students come to them asking about refunds.
6.
Student withdrawal period (extend from 1/3 to midterm?): The question has been raised about whether
the withdrawal date should be extended to midterm in order to give a truer picture of students’ performance.
ACTION: Brenda asked senators to collect ideas/feedback from their colleagues to bring to Senate.
7.
Open Drop/add period (longer period needed?): The question is whether the current two-day drop-add
period should be extended before requiring students to obtain the instructor’s signature to allow registration
for an opening in a class. There are valid reasons on both sides of this issue. ACTION: Brenda asked
senators to get opinions from their colleagues about this issue and bring them to Senate.
8.
Safe College (Issue - Security Contract vs. CPCC employees): The Safe College Committee
recommends hiring CPCC employees rather than the current contract security. A resolution was made that
CPCC should replace contract security with in-house security. Discussion ensued on both sides and the
motion was withdrawn since it had not been seconded. Questions were asked about the reason the college
went to contract service, whether it had proved to be cost effective, the role security plays at the college, and
the expectations of security officers. After several reports of ineffective security responses, a motion was
made that the Faculty Welfare, Student Welfare, and Professional Staff Welfare Committees make a
joint proposal about the concern for the safety of employees and students. The motion was
seconded and passed unanimously. The joint proposal from these committee chairs will be emailed to all
senators prior to the February meeting.
9.
SACS update: Cathey Ross will provide an update at the February Senate meeting.
10. Core Four update (March meeting – Elvira Johnson, Ruth Hedgpeth, Debbie Bouton): Elvira Johnson,
Sally Whitten (Ruth Hedgpeth named in error), and Debbie Bouton will provide an update at the March
Senate meeting.
11. Curriculum educational resources & student academic success (tutoring for
reading/writing/math/speech/computer/foreign languages/sciences, technical areas) library services,
computer labs, testing center, etc.): Brenda is looking for input from faculty on the resources needed for
success in the classroom and requested that any suggestions/ideas be sent to her.
12. College Service Excellence Training – User Evaluation/Feedback: This four-hour training session
includes information on how to set up email and how to answer the telephone. A proposal was made that
this training be delivered online rather than in person, to be completed in no more than one hour.
The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
13. Bookstore buy-back schedule (resolved): The bookstore had been advertising book buy-back too early in
the semester, encouraging students to sell books before taking final exams. The bookstore will stop the early
announcements.
14. Division travel money (campus to campus): There has been some disparity between divisions’ policies on
reimbursing employees who drive between campuses. Richard Zollinger will address this issue and ensure
funding is available to all divisions.
15. Chair responsibilities – reassigned time formula: No change is in sight for this issue.
Committee Reports:
1. President-elect (Gary Gilbody): (See Faculty Welfare report.)
2. Academic Policies (Tracie Clark): Tracie reported that the committee is concerned about students who were
suspended or expelled from the college being withdrawn from classes and assigned a “W” grade by the care
team. The committee does not agree with this practice and will bring a recommendation to a future meeting. The
committee is also reviewing the set of requirements that exist for veterans who want to take online classes and is
discussing the need for requirements for online classes across the college. They also are working on revisions to
the Grade Appeal process/form and Tracie asked that senators send her any comments or recommendations.
They would like to know of other colleges that have a sound grade-appeal policy.
3. Credentials (Phil Briggs): Phil reported that the committee has received applications for titles from several
faculty members and asked that senators mention to faculty that the application for titles is on the College Senate
website. Also, the committee is looking at updating the Senate Constitution and asked chairs to review their
areas and send comments/recommendations for changes to Phil. For changes to occur, two-thirds of all faculty
and professional staff must approve them; the proposed changes will be part of the Senate election for Presidentelect in April.
4. Curriculum (Pat West): Pat provided the following handout of requests/changes considered by the committee at
their November-December meetings:
Requests reviewed and approved:
1. Certificate Requests:
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Criminal Justice Technology Certificate with a focus on the Essential Elements of the Criminal
Justice System (C55180-C3),
Criminal Justice Technology Certificate, Essentials of Police Operations (C55180-C4),
Criminal Justice Technology Certificate, Courts and the Law (C55180-C5),
Criminal Justice Technology Certificate, Corrections (C55180-C6),
Criminal Justice Technology Certificate, Criminal Justice and Special Populations (C55180-C7)
Criminal Justice Technology Certificate, Crime Scene and Criminal Investigations
Revisions to thirteen current Simulation and Game Development certificates.
Simulation and Game Development Certificate with a Specialization in SG Character Development
Simulation and Game Development Certificate with a Specialization in SG 3D Animation
Simulation and Game Development Certificate with a Specialization in SGD Management
Simulation and Game Development Certificate with a Specialization in Physically-Based Modeling
2. Program of Study Changes:
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Heavy Equipment and Transport Technology (A60240), to add RCT 231, Race Car TIG Welding as
an either / or option for WLD 112, Basic Welding Processes.
Surgical Technology, to remove ECO 151, Survey of Economics and BUS 137, Management and
replace with MED 121, Medical Terminology.
3. Diploma Requests:
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Revisions to Diplomas under the CTI curriculum:
.NET Software Development, Diploma
SQL Server Administration, Diploma
JAVA Software Development, Diploma
Oracle Administration, Diploma
Cyber Crime & Digital Forensics, Diploma
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New Diploma under the CTI curriculum:
CTI with an Emphasis in Cyber Crime and IS Security
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New Simulation and Game Development Diplomas:
Animation
Design
Modeling
Programming
4. Curriculum Standard Changes:
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Heavy Equipment and Transport Technology, add RCT, Race Car Technology as a pre-fix.
5. Pre-Requisite Requests:
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SOC 213, Sociology of the Family
POL 120, American Government
HIS 111, World Civilizations I
HIS 112, World Civilizations II
ANT 210, General Anthropology
PSY 150, General Psychology
CIS 110, Introduction to Computers.
MEC 250, Statistics and Strengths of Materials
SGD 124, MMO Programming
SGD 126, SG Engine Design
SGD 285, SG Software Engineering
SGD 289, SGD Project
6. New Curriculum: Mechatronics Engineering Technology
5. Educational Resources (Ann Rowell/Erin Payton): Brenda announced that Ann Rowell is leave this semester.
The committee has funds and requests for funding should be forwarded to Erin Payton.
6. Faculty Welfare (Nina Neal/Gary Gilbody): Gary reported that there are many rumors circulating about the
eLearning Task Force and possible recommendations it may make. He assured everyone that the rumors are
not true and asked people to send any concerns to him.
7. Professional Staff Welfare (Adam Brooks/Scarlett Hollingsworth): Scarlett reported that the committee met in
December and provided socials for professional staff at Central and Levine Campuses. There is a lot of interest
in having a professional-staff retreat, probably in the summer. There is also interest in volunteering in the
community (food bank, clothes collection) and creating a fund raiser for College-Senate activities and/or events.
8. Student Welfare (Rudy Johnson/Heather Hamilton): Rudy reported that the committee discussed concerns for
students’ safety when crossing Elizabeth Avenue. Cars are not yielding to pedestrians and the committee is
discussing possible safety enhancements such as caution lights or a flashing signal indicating the need for
drivers to slow down. They will be meeting with Student Council to help in addressing this issue. Brenda
reported that she will also take the concern to the Safe College Committee.
9. Technology (Adam Brooks): Adam reported that the committee met today to discuss the following items:
a. ITS representatives (Ben Dowling and Kristi Stiles) met with the committee to discuss the Technology
Plan; they will let Adam and Senate know of revisions.
b. The eLearning Advisory Committee will make its recommendations in April.
c. There is a new course menu in Blackboard; faculty should call 6111 for eLearning support.
d. They are seeking involvement in podium planning and smart-room plans:
e. A technology-needs survey is being developed and will be shared with Senate; Adam requested that
input on the survey be emailed to him.
f. A recommendation about Google apps will be coming out soon.
g. Their next committee meeting will be Feb. 16.
10. NCCCFA (no chair): no report
11. Part-time Welfare (Kristen Monteith): Kristen stated that the committee is working on getting a free course for
part-time employees and also on establishing a new category for part-time faculty for the Employee Recognition
Awards.
12. “Spirit” (Farhad Javidi): Farhad stated that a suggestion has been made to hold a luncheon for all senators in
May in the new Culinary Arts Building and to ask the Culinary Arts Club to cater it. Also, Dr. Zeiss and Richard
Zollinger have suggested that Senate meet in the new buildings on Central Campus so senators can see the new
and/or renovated facilities.
There being no further business, a motion was made, seconded, and unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting.
ACTION: Please share the information in these minutes with the members of your division/department.
Next Meeting Time: 3rd Tuesday of the month (2:30): February 16, 2010
Location: Giles 107
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Whitt
Secretary