COLLEGE OF MARIN
ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING MINUTES
For October, 2009
12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Student Service Building, Conference Rooms A & B
Senators Present: Yolanda Bellisimo, Michael Dougan, Ron Gaiz, Robert Kennedy, Arthur Lutz,
Joetta Scott, Erika Harkins, Sara McKinnon, , Derek Wilson, Eric Dunmire, Blaze Woodlief,
Radica Portello, ,
Senators Absent: Christine Li, Joe Mueller, Meg Pasquel
Guests: Rinetta Early
Minutes
I. Approval and Adoption of the Agenda: adopted
II. Reading and Approval of the Minutes of October 8, 2009: action postponed one week
III. Officers’ Reports
President (Yolanda Bellisimo): Written. Attached.
Senator Bellisimo said she is serving on a 10-person screening committee charged with selecting
one of four architectural designs for the Gateway Complex at the northeast corner of the
campus. Senator Lutz alleged that “many” of the faculty don’t believe the Gateway should be
built and that Senator Bellisimo’s participation in the committee “is giving (those who do)
credibility.” Senator Wilson asked that Senator Lutz bring in a petition illustrating how many
faculty members oppose the complex.
Senator Bellisimo said the Gateway won’t be built at all unless there are remaining funds from
Measure C after other planned projects have been paid for. She said to not have a member of
the faculty on the committee would be “sheer suicide” because our needs would not be
considered. Senator McKinnon said many faculty do support the Gateway because so many
existing buildings are in problematic condition.
Senator Lutz also challenged President Bellisimo’s written challenge to the Board of Trustees,
also delivered in person, in which she argues that our board has failed in the college in its
inattention to fundraising, which she said should be a top priority for that body. He said settling
the contract with UPM should be their top priority. Vice President Wilson said capital
development and fund-raising are “the most common top priority for every other board” and
that the “fact that they sit on their buts and don’t do anything positive is half the reason that we
don’t have a contract.”
Vice President (Derek Wilson): He continued the discussion on the board’s failure to fundraise, and – along with President Bellisimo – concluded that it’s time for the board to complete
its own program review, now that the faculty and administration, among others, have done
theirs. He said we should put together examples of program reviews put together by boards
elsewhere and present those to them.
IV. Committee Reports
Academic Standards (Rinetta Early): The proposed petition to repeat substandard work will be completed by
next week.
.
Curriculum (Chris Schultz): The class-size issue has been discussed with the UDWC and “it will be interesting
to se how that conversation continues.” Also, the committee has identified 10-year-old courses that need to
have their descriptions updated, and the five-year-old courses will come next week.
Community Education (Erika Harkins): Because of a Banner problem, some teachers who were supposed to
have their paychecks deposited automatically into their bank accounts did not get paid last week. “Apparently
Banner doesn’t have that capacity.”
Governance Committees: Facilities (Eric Dunmire): Next Monday’s topic is going to be determining the charge
of the committee. Senator Wilson asked that the committee evaluate facilities in terms of what is the appropriate
number of students, maximum, that should be placed into each classroom. Also, disabled parking has to be
more thoughtfully planned and “putting signs out saying there’s going to be a problem isn’t the solution.”
V: Consent Agenda
a) McKinnon Fees/Expenses for State Senate Plenary: Consent granted.
VI: Action Items: None
VII: Discussion
a) Facilities Committee Update (Dunmire): Delivered earlier in meeting.
b) Setting Priority Levels for:
1) Career and Technical Education
2) Basic Skills and ESL
3) Cultural Enrichment
Letters will go out to department chairs and other explaining what we are doing here, and
requesting goals or multiple goals of every department.
c) Memo to President & VPSL Regarding Class Maximums: A draft has been sent to Ira
Lansing at UPM. He replied on Oct. 12 that a joint letter should be sent to President White
requesting a sidebar negation on the matter. Senators concurred that an agreement with
UPM should be reached first.
d) Syllabus Template (Schultz & Portello): Postponed due to lack of time.
VII: New Business: Senator Scott said she doesn’t know of anyone in the Counseling
Department, including her, who received a ballot in the on-going Senate Constitutional
referendum in time to cast their votes (hers came just this morning, one day too late). President
Bellisimo explained that the mailing list had been run off of Banner (a first), and that problems
had been identified, including the lack of ballots to counselors and some other faculty members.
In addition, at least 28 duplicate ballots had been sent out because some instructors were listed
separately by Banner on both the credit and non-credit rosters.
Senator Gaiz, who wrote the proposed amendment, said he believed the election should be
nullified because it would be tainted, regardless of the turnout. Others agreed without dissent.
Senate Secretary Dougan, in that role, declared the elections to be null and ordered the ballots
to be destroyed (while still in their envelopes) immediately after the meeting. He said another
election will not be held until the problems with Banner have been identified and corrected. It is
hoped that can happen within two weeks or so. Then the Constitutional amendment will be put
to the vote once more, with the new ballots and envelopes carrying a special mark so old ballots
don’t accidentally get mixed in during the final count.
IX: Public Requests to Address the Senate on Non-Agenda Items: None
X: Adjournment: 2:00 p.m.
For questions or information concerning the Academic Senate minutes, please contact: Michael
Dougan: michael.dougan@marin.edu, X7336.