COLLEGE OF MARIN
ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING MINUTES
FOR Feb. 12, 2009
12:45 p.m. – 2:03 p.m.
Student Service Building, Conference Rooms A & B
Senators Present: Yolanda Bellisimo, Michael Dougan, Ron Gaiz, Erika
Harkins, Robert Kennedy, Arthur Lutz, Sara McKinnon, , Meg Pasquel, Radica
Portello, Derek Wilson, Blaze Woodlief, Eric Dunmire, Joe Mueller, Joetta
Scott
Senators Absent: Patrick Kelly
Guests: Rinetta Early
Minutes
I. Approval and Adoption of the Agenda: Agenda accepted
II. Reading and Approval of the Minutes of Feb. 5, 2009: Minutes accepted
III. Officers’ Reports
President: In writing. Attached
Vice-President (Derek Wilson): Good news. The program review and
curriculum database are finally on a brand new server in IT. It’s been tested.
It’s fast. Problems with crashing and people not being able to get on should
be history. Attempts will be made to have it put up on the Academic Senate
Web site.
IV. Committee Reports
Academic Standards (Rinetta Early): The committee met Wednesday to
continue discussion on directed study and on elementary and grammar
school age students who want to attend COM. No policy on this matter exists,
although procedures for grammar and home-school students do.
Investigations into the matter continue.
Community Education (Erika Harkins): No report.
Budget Committee (Derek Wilson): Last week’s meeting was cancelled.
Another is set for Feb. 17. Sen. Bellisimo said she had spoken with Pres.
White, who was surprised to hear that the committee has not been meeting
and going over the budget. At Sen. Wilson’s request, she will ask the
Governance Review Council to have each committee member designate an
alternate to ensure that the budget committee can meet. GRC members will
investigate whether that is a Brown Act problem.
Sen. Kennedy said that any report that goes to managers should be available
to us in electronic form. Sen. Bellisimo said she try to make that happen.
V: Consent Agenda (Bellisimo): None
VI: Action Items (Bellisimo): None
VII: Discussion
a) Board Retreat Presentation on Pathways (Kennedy): Sen. Kenney
showed his slide presentation that the board of trustee had seen – and
praised – at a recent retreat. The group suggested that he show the
same to department chairs and the deans. Sen. Bellisimo said the
presentation was part of an effort to develop a culture of making datadrive decision by “getting people to think about what questions need
to be asked about their pathway to make it shine.” Sen. Lutz
suggested that the purpose of the presentation was merely public
relations. Others – including Senators Bellisimo, Kennedy and Wilson –
responded that it is typical of the measurement tools that have
become necessary for resource allocation, especially in light of an
impending (and possibly temporary) surge of students over the next
few semesters. “It protects our programs,” said Sen. Bellisimo.
b) Strategic Initiatives Priorities from IPC (Bellisimo): She
distributed documents titled “EMP Recommendations Priority Listed for
Strategic Initiatives” and “Challenges and Recommendations”
regarding student access and student success. “This is what IPC thinks
we should concentrate on in the next three years,” she said. Once
these measurements of administration success have been reworded
into strategic initiatives, they will go to each administrative unit as the
basis for a program review. Administrators must reveal – in their
areas – what they are going to do, how long it will take to do it, what
the cost will be, and how success levels will be measured. All
administrative units will be held accountable.
c) Statues of Program Reviews and Committee Recommendations
(McKinnon): She said the focus has been on separating long-term
instructional equipment from consumable supplies. The technology
committee is trying to get involved, and has looked at computer and
technical requests and is making an appropriate chart. The staffing
committee is examining staffing requests, which will be ranked and
forwarded to IPC. The Instructional Committee is going to take a little
longer.
d) Budget and Other Committee Issues (Wilson/Kelly): Covered in
Budget Committee discussion earlier.
e) Full Time/Part Time Faculty 75% Ratio (Bellisimo): Postponed
until next week. Will be placed on the Feb. 19 agenda.
ADJOURNMENT: 2:03 p.m.