COLLEGE OF MARIN
ACADEMIC SENATE
Minutes: April 9, 2009
12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Student Service Building, Conference Rooms A & B
Senators Present: : Derek Wilson, Michael Dougan, , Robert Kennedy, Sara
McKinnon, , Arthur Lutz, JoEtta Scott, Radica Portello, Erik Dunmire, Blaze
Woodlief, Ron Gaiz, Joe Mueller, Yolanda Bellisimo, Erika Harkins
Senators Absent: Meg Pasquel, Patrick Kelly
Guests Rinetta Early, Chris Schultz
I. Approval and Adoption of the Agenda. Approved
II. Reading and Approval of the Minutes of March 26, 2009. Approved as amended.
III. Officers’ Reports:
President (Yolanda Bellisimo): As an addition to her written report (attached), Sen.
Bellisimo said she had received a call from President White this morning informing
her that the Professional Affairs Committee has approved a list of disciplines
without full-time hires and the District has approved hiring full-time faculty in the
areas of astrophysics, anthropology and non-credit ESL. Advertisements will be
published in a matter of days.
Vice-President (Derek Wilson): Sen. Wilson warned of a possible computer virus
and suggested targeted email deletions for protection.
IV. Committee Reports
Curriculum (Derek Wilson): Last week the committee reviewed requirements for a
liberal arts degree. Erik Dunmire presented plans for the physical sciences degree. Four
courses were approved. Sen. Dunmire also raised the issue of Carnegie Units, and said it
is possible, though unfair, for students to be given hours of work for which they do not
earn units.
Governance Committees
Budget (Derek Wilson): The committee has changed its name to Resource Allocation
Committee, pending approval of the GRC. Sen. Wilson said program review will be used, in
part, to make requests, which will then go to the deans. Sen. Bellisimo said that’s not going to
happen. Sen. Wilson said that had been presented to the committee by administration officials
Sen. Bellisimo said confusion exists over using the budget form for all three types of reviews. In
the program review template drop-down menus will be installed for chairs to respond to program
reviews written in their division. In the past few years, deans had been told to take program
review templates and make comments, but they did not do it. Items fell through the cracks.
Sen. Wilson expressed great frustration. Sen. Bellisimo said it all stems from mixing up
administrative, student services and classified program reviews.
V. Consent Agenda:
a) $500 expenditure for secretary in June: approved.
b) Expenditures for production of Senate Annual Report: held until next week
pending research into the cost.
c) Travel and Registration for Plenary and Summer Curriculum Institute
(McKinnon & Schultz): approved.
d) BP 5015 and AP 5015 Residence Determination: approved.
VI. Action Items
1) To Approve AP 4250 Probation (held from 3/26 for question on expulsion, which turns
out to be dealt with in a different policy): passed.
2) AP 4231 Change of Grade: passed.
3) To Approve Blue Print MOU: Sen. Bellisimo said some questions had come up when our
draft was taken to the chairs’ meeting. She said we need to make it more clear that
departments have ownership of their blueprints. The phrase “College-Wide Master
Schedule” will be used for clarity.
Guest Chris Schultz said the document misrepresents the role of the curriculum
committee. He said the proposal seems to miss that it’s the administration that assigns
what courses are going to be taught and when.
Sen. Kennedy said our check-and-balance task is the make sure the college is providing
what it should provide for our students.
Sen. Scott said counselors want language that talks about the overriding point of view
that courses are required for degrees get included. She would also like counselors to be
able to review the College-Wide Master Schedule as one step towards its adoption.
Sen. Lutz said the district must be committed to “honoring recommendations that come
from this process.”
Various other changes were discussed. A vote will be postponed until chairs have been
able to review the revised document.
e) To Approve Physical Science Degree (Eric Dunmire): Passed after some technical
discussion. Includes an amendment that, if dictated by the chancellor’s office, an
alternative version can be substituted.
VII. Discussion
a) Campus-Wide Blue Print (Kennedy/Scott): Sen. Scott said we’ve all seen problems
faced by GE students who don’t’ find classes available at various times so they can take
them when they need to. We should make better use of time periods such as the critical
late-afternoon slot (3-to-5 p.m., or 4-to-6 p.m.) that lead into the evening curriculum.
She said current scheduling is not need-based, stems from the departments, has no
overview and underutilizes facilities. Also, it does not focus on the use of pathways.
Sen. Kennedy said it’s incumbent on every area for us to start thinking in terms of
outcomes.
Sen. Bellisimo said the Blue Print should include feedback to departments on
whether their courses are meeting the scheduling needs of students. She will rewrite it
with Sen. Wilson and Chris Schultz and bring it back to the Senate when done.
VIII. Public Comment: Lori Ordin presented a petition for a referendum to ask faculty to
consider departmental representation in future Academic Senate elections. Sen. Bellisimo said
she would send the referendum out as soon as the impending election is completed (in late
April). She said she would also get a legal opinion on whether an amendment to the Senate
Constitution, which this would require, can be instituted in this fashion. Either way, she said it
won’t affect the outcome of the next election.
IX: Adjournment: 2:0O PM
For questions or information concerning the Academic Senate minutes, please
contact: Michael Dougan, michael.dougan@marin.edu, X7336
Attachments
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
April 9, 2009
1.
Bernard Osher Foundation Grants
I’ve included a letter from Paul Lanning, the president of the Foundation for California
Community Colleges about the Bernard Osher gift that was announced a year ago. The
guy is a bit wordy but his letter gives you an idea of how much money has been raised in
matching funds through community college foundations in California to date.
2.
Summer Projects
I plan to spend some time this summer on Senate office catch-up tasks. I’ll create a
syllabus template and put together some examples from other schools for us to review in
the fall. I will also gather data from Senate documents for the self study. I think we have
a lot of past work that will help support our upcoming WASC report.
If there is
anything else – besides general file cleaning and office organizing that you think we
should tackle this summer, let me know.
3.
Recovering Cancelled Units Process
I met with Nick Chang and we discussed the process for recovering cancelled units.
Nick will review the process we designed and we will take it to IPC at their next meeting.
Letter from Paul Lanning:
As we enjoy the hope and renewal that are symbolic of spring time, I’d like to share with you the progress that has been
made on the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment over the past several months. Much has happened
since the fateful day in May 2008 when The Bernard Osher Foundation demonstrated its generous support of California
Community Colleges by making the largest-ever philanthropic commitment to a community college system in our nation’s
history. Since then, many positive occurrences have taken place – all signs of hope and progress in our efforts to enhance
support for the world’s largest higher education system.
The excitement and momentum building over the last nine months has come during a dark and unsettling time for our
nation’s economy. The ongoing recession and the resulting challenges our nation has endured have had a significant
impact on higher education endowments and fundraising efforts, creating a difficult time in which to launch an
unprecedented statewide campaign to raise $50 million for student scholarships. However, I want to assure you that the
Foundation for California Community Colleges – along with all California Community Colleges – continue to make progress
toward this goal.
So far, more than $2.5 million has been raised, with numerous pledges made by colleges that will increase this amount by
hundreds of thousands of dollars over the coming months. And despite the troubling economy, the initial gift of $25 million
has increased in size through modest interest earnings. We are confident its growth will be even more significant in future
years as the economy recovers and our investment strategies are solidified.
California Community College students, however, will not have to wait for the economy to improve to benefit from this
tremendous gift. The up-front gift of $25 million from the Osher Foundation will begin supporting student scholarships this
fall, when the Foundation for California Community Colleges will send the first scholarship payments to colleges throughout
the state for disbursement to our system’s neediest students, at a time when they need it most.
Over the past several months, the Foundation for California Community Colleges has spearheaded the statewide efforts of
the campaign to raise $50 million as a system, providing information, resources and materials to help colleges in their
efforts to be a part of this monumental effort. As we’ve embarked on a journey that we as a system have never before
experienced, there has been much information to process and many questions to answer. The thoughtful and insightful
questions posed by California Community Colleges have helped us continually shape and refine the resources we provide
as part of this campaign, and we are eager to continue this dialogue over the next two years to ensure its success.
California’s Community Colleges are doing a tremendous job in securing funds for their college foundations and the
Endowment, especially in light of the current economic turmoil we’re facing. Nearly 20 community colleges have already
invested or are in the process of transferring gifts into the endowment, and many others are making significant progress
toward their fundraising goals, hoping to soon take advantage of the 50 percent match promised by The Osher Foundation
through June 2011. Congratulations to those institutions that have made such advancement in a difficult year.
What’s more, the enthusiasm and collaborative spirit shown by many of the local college foundations for this campaign has
been both inspiring and the cause of very positive change within our system. Without each of the California Community
Colleges and their foundations playing such an important role in this process, this campaign could not happen.
As the California Community Colleges continue on the path toward increased support for the system’s more than 2.7
million students, it is up to all of us to ensure success and permanently reduce the financial barriers many students face.
For California Community Colleges and foundations, the task at hand is a continuation of attracting support that will
directly impact students. For our supporters, alumni and friends, the responsibility is to demonstrate that California’s
Community College students – the workforce of tomorrow – truly deserve support and investment. As for the Foundation
for California Community Colleges, we will continue to be a resource to the colleges, the California Community College
Chancellor's Office, and our supporters and partners to ensure that collectively, we make a real difference in the lives of
students.
If you have any questions or comments about the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment, don’t hesitate to
contact us at endowment@foundationccc.org, or visit www.SupportTheEndowment.org for more information.
Thank you for your continued commitment to the California Community Colleges.
Sincerely,
Paul I. Lanning, Ed.D.
President and CEO
Foundation for California Community Colleges