COLLEGE OF MARIN
ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING MINUTES
FOR August 27, 2009
12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Student Service Building, Conference Rooms A & B
Senators Present: Yolanda Bellisimo, Michael Dougan, Joetta Scott, Ron Gaiz, Erika Harkins,
Robert Kennedy, Arthur Lutz, Sara McKinnon (reseated in full-time position), Meg Pasquel,
Radica Portello, Derek Wilson, Blaze Woodlief, Meg Pasquel
Senators Absent: Eric Dunmire, Joe Mueller
Guests: Rinetta Early
Minutes
I. Approval and Adoption of the Agenda: adopted
II. Reading and Approval of the Minutes of May 14, 2009: adopted (as amended)
III. Officers’ Reports
President (Yolanda Bellisimo): The following answers to questions raised at last week’s
meeting were provided:
Can banner delete wait lists and freeze ads at the same time, preventing considerable confusion on the first
day of class? Version No. 8, about to come out, is result of California community colleges complaining about
things like this; they call it the California Solution. We wanted it so that if somebody drops class the Banner
program would automatically backfill from the wait list. That should be in place by Fall 2010; for spring we
will work around it by capping the class as it hits the total number enrolled. If anybody drops it will be capped
at wherever the drops are, then we will add people from the wait list ourselves.
Why do community education classes start after Labor Day, to the consternation of some community ed
teachers? To avoid conflict or competition with credit classes. All California community colleges do this. It is a
standard practice.
How can we handle the issue of repeatability of art classes (considering that Level 1 art students are able to
signup multiple times, preventing other students from getting in on those classes)? Nick Chang is trying to
devise a way so that this won’t happen at Level 1. He’ll take the matter to the Curriculum Committee.
Curriculum Chair Chris Schultz is aware of the problem.
What’s up with the lab merger? Why can’t we just do it already? Susan Andrien is going to draft a schedule to
come out early this semester for English and English skills students to share the labs. Everyone can react to it
and make changes. The final version will be instituted next fall.
Where are plans to move the LC110 lab? This is all about going digital. As it’s being configured, VCR tapes
and CDs will no longer be needed; the instructor can call up the video material from a central server in
Bakersfield (using MyCom).
And the ongoing issue of the Bolinas Lab? Senators Bellisimo and Mueller will be meeting with President
White to discuss the possibility of the coalition with the Academy of Sciences. She told the board recently that
group that wanted to do renovate and share the lab has disappeared. She has asked for second appraisal of the
property, and will be bringing that back to board next month with a proposed resolution. It looks like she’s
going to try to sell the property. The senators will try to circumvent the sale of the lab by presenting a “Plan B”
that keeps it in COM possession.
At the last supervisors meeting, three board members wanted to take $3 million out of the school’s bond money
and spend it to repair the pool, the track and the bleachers. The only way they can do that is to take money away
from the Gateway project, which now has $17 million and needs $22 million (obtained in the form of savings
form other areas of spending). That violates cooperative effort we made to spend the money. Other board
members say they will stand by what the community – including the faculty and staff – wanted. The
community makes heavy use of the facilities needing repair, and a community drive would be an appropriate
way to raise the funds for that. This board does not do fundraising like boards of most institution do.
Vice-President (Derek Wilson): No report.
Treasurer (Ron Gaiz): No report.
IV. Committee Reports
Academic Standards (Rinetta Early): The minimum TOFL score for admission to CSU is 500. Several
schools have higher requirements, such as the Long Beach journalism program with a threshold of 600. Because
the lowering of TOFL scores at COM was originally placed before the Senate by an administrator who has since
resigned, Senators decided that the issue will not be pursued.
Curriculum (Derek Wilson): The committee meets today. We’ll be seeking direction from senators on the
repeatability issue that we’ve been discussing since 2003. We’re talking about the fine art programs. What
would senators like to do regarding repeatability? Senator Bellisimo said we can do a survey of other colleges to
determine what their standards are. Senator Wilson will ask Chris Schulz to do that, and to put the survey out on
a teachers’ listserve.
Community Education (Erika Harkins): We have a new director and it’s like having breath of fresh air. She
is somebody who is working with everybody; we are all working together...
Governance Committees (Yolanda Bellisimo): No report. None of them have met so far
V: Consent Agenda
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
To Accept Senate Resignation – Patrick Kelly: Approved.
Nominee for Full-time Position on Senate: Sara McKinnon was nominated and approved.
Nominee for Part-time Position on the Senate: Christine Li was nominated and
approved.
Retirement Give Expenditure: The Senate approved President Bellisimo request for funds to
purchase a retirement gift – a decorative key chain – for recent retiree David Rollison.
AP & BP 5220 Non-Resident Tuition: Approved.
AP & BP 5035 Withholding of Student Records: Approved.
AP & BP 5052 Open Enrollment: Approved.
VI: Action Items
a) To Approve the Blueprint/Master Schedule MOU: Passed.
b) To Approve Resolution 4.01 CCC GE AP List: Rinetta Early said the social science and
English departments need more time to work on this. It will go on the Sept. 10 agenda as
an action item.
VII: Discussion
a) CB21 Coding: A problem in MIS data codes relating to the sequence in classes in math, English and
ESL codes can lead the state to conclude that that students are not improving in those areas. In May,
the noncredit rubrics were started in order to correct this, and they will be completed in midSeptember. Last year the rubrics were redone in English and match. We expect to recode the
English, math and ESL courses and to notify the state of that change.
b) COR Status of On Line Version: Senator Bellisimo said the Curriculum Committee should be
directed to use the online document for Course Outline of Records, and that all courses should be
submitted in an on-line form. This was moved and seconded, and will be placed on next week’s
agenda as an action item.
c) Syllabus Template: Discussion postponed until next week.
d) MOU Program Review Revisions: Nick Chang made changes over the summer. He wanted to make
sure that chairs and deans were required to read the program review23s, and to check them off and
add comments when appropriate, and that they not be able to make changes in those reviews. That
right belongs to the faculty. Also, it was important to make clear that revitalization and
discontinuance decisions would not be based on these program reviews. Senator Wilson suggested
that the revisions be expanded to include a provision that the college makes available research
resources and expertise that will help insure that the reviews are accurate and complete. An
extensive discussion ensued, with multiple suggestions from several senators. The rewritten
revisions will be in next week’s agenda as an action item.
e) Unit Allocation, Cancellation, Restoration, and Reallocation Process: This was also sent to Nick
Chang, who asked why we were just doing cancellation in this policy. He suggested that it should
include the entire process, and that actions usually taken by vice-presidents and deans could be
achieved by a committee of experts, including counselors and faculty members from different
departments. Furthermore, these actions should be justified by the Blueprint. Several changes were
suggested by senators, including the addition of the words “after notice” in the cancellation section.
The final result was approved and will be placed on next week’s agenda as an action item.
ADJOURNMENT: 2:00 p.m.
For questions or information concerning the Academic Senate minutes, please contact: Michael
Dougan: michael.dougan@marin.edu, X7336.