COLLEGE OF MARIN
ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING MINUTES
FOR August 20, 2009
12:45 p.m. – 2:00 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, Patrick Kelly, Joe Mueller
Senators Absent: Eric Dunmire
Minutes
I. Approval and Adoption of the Agenda: adopted
II. Reading and Approval of the Minutes of May 14, 2009: adopted
III. Officers’ Reports
President (Yolanda Belissimo) : In writing. Attached. Also, a faculty member recently
reported problems stemming from the practice of purging class wait lists on the day classes
start. So people can register for the class after that date, to the potential detriment of the waitlisted students. Senator Wilson said Banner is “the new built-in excuse” for such systemic
prolblems, which also occur in cross-listed classes that become over-enrolled. President
Belissimo said she would ask Nick Chang to change the system so that enrolment in a class is
frozen at the moment the wait list if purged.
Vice-President (Derek Wilson): No report.
Treasurer (Ron Gaiz): A full report has been emailed to senators. Generally speaking,
reimbursements for summer expenses incurred by some senators have been made, the
Academic Senate has a total of $12 019.78 in its accounts and “we’re up to snuff.”
IV. Committee Reports
Academic Standards (Rinetta Early): No update is yet available on the request to lower TOFL scores.
.
Curriculum: The committee has not yet met.
Community Education (Erika Harkins): Following a general observation regarding shrinking stomachs among
certain male Senate members, Senator Harkins reported that College of Marin has a new interim Director of
Community Education in Janice Austin. Also, she said that by winter Community Education students should be
able to register directly with Banner, which will be in an improvement. Meanwhile, classes this semester don’t
begin until the first or second week of September. Teachers are complaining about that. They don’t understand
why it is so and they want it changed so that their classes begin simultaneously with the credit classes. Senator
Bellisimo said Senator Harkins, with our support, should take this problem first to Nick Chang and then to the
College Council.
Governance Committees (Yolanda Bellisimo): The committees haven’t met so far. IPC and the Budget
Committee will be merging into one, creating our “last chance to make the budget situation work.” It will be
called the Planning and Resource Allocation Committee. Nothing in the duties of either committee will be
altered, other than that they will be merged.
V: Consent Agenda
a)
To Accept Senate Resignation – Sara McKinnon: Senator McKinnon has moved from
part-time to full-time employment status, rendering her ineligible for her seat
representing part-time instructors. Nominations will be accepted for a replacement prior
to the Aug. 27 meeting, when the matter of a replacement will be set on the consent
agenda.
b)
To Accept Referendum Results: The referendum to alter the Senate Constitution to
provide for elections by departments was defeated. Those results were accepted formally.
c)
Committee Appointments: Patrick Kelly was appointed to the Planning and Resource
Allocation Committee. President Belissimo will send notes to current committee members
asking if they wish to retain their positions.
d) Wording Correction for Course Repetition Policy (Rinetta Early): Title V says we can’t mix W
grades with substandard gradces when making decisions regarding course repetition. The
po9licy will now seprate them out so that students can have seven attempts to repat one
coure (3 for W grades and 3 for substandard grades, neither including the first attempt).
Counselors don’t like this policy, and believe the numbers should be reduced from three to
two attempts in each category. The issue will be taken back to them, then a changed policy
will be presented to the Aug. 27 meeting.
e)
Student Secretarial Support for 09/10: Approved.
VI: Action Items: None
VII: Discussion
a) Referendum on 2/3 Vote for Amendments (Ron Gaiz): During the unsuccessful referendum to
make Senate representation a departmental matter, a supporter of the measure was asked
what would happen when new departments were formed. She reportedly replied that
whenever that happened, a new amendment would be passed to accommodate the change.
Senator Gaiz said he doesn’t want to see a situation exist, as it currently does, where the
constitution can be changed easily on a month-to-month basis. (As of now, a simple majority
is all that is required for a constitutional amendment to pass). He proposes a referendum to
alter the constitution to require a 2/3 vote for all future amendments. He said he has
obtained the required number of signatures (15) in a petition to place the issue on a faculty
ballot. It will read, in part: “This constitution shall be amended by a two-third majority of the
faculty voting in an election for said purpose.” That represents a minor change in wording
from the original petition (“shall” replacing “may”). Senator Gaiz is obtaining the consent of
those who signed for this change.
b) MOU Blueprint: Senator Scott thanked President Bellisimo and the Academic Senate for
giving counselors the opportunity ti have input and to work with the language on this. She
said the Senate had “done a good job of being inclusive of people who are directlyh affected
by the MOU.” President Bellisimo responded by expressing hope that the counselors
understand how much the Senate appreciates their efforts and how important they are to the
process. She said counselors have been stressing for years how important it is that
departments create class schedules that serve the needs of the students. Senators Scott and
Bellisimo also expressed their gratitude for research conducted by Senator Kennedy that has
already resulted in more classes being scheduled in the afternoon slots. Senator4 Scott said
that “students are liking them.” Senator Pasqual said more tweaking is required to address
the needs of student athletes, who encounter conflicts between classes and scheduled team
practices. Several senators noted that the MOU will actually make life easier for some of the
faculty and deans who first opposed them. Scheduling and canceling of classes will be done
using a comprehensible formula with plenty of faculty as well as reliable data. Approval of
the Blueprint/Master Schedule MOU will be placed on the Aug. 27 agenda as an action item.
c) Resolution 4.01 CCC GE AP: Placed on the Aug. 27 schedule for action.
d) Lab Merger Update (Meg Pasqual): It’s a divisive issue, pitting the college skills faculty
against the English department. The administration should just make it happen “and stop
making enemies of us>”
e) Bolinas Lab Update (Joe Mueller): Notes incomplete due to technical difficulties.
In other business:
Senator Kennedy reported that he had attended a meeting of the athletic department, and
been powerfully impressed by the new emphasis on academic achievement embraced by
departmental leaders.
Senator Kelly resigned from his seat. Nominations for his replacement will be accepted. The
matter will be placed on the Aug. 27 consent agenda.
ADJOURNMENT: 2:00 p.m.
For questions or information concerning the Academic Senate minutes, please contact: Michael
Dougan: michael.dougan@marin.edu, X7336.