COLLEGE OF MARIN
ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING MINUTES
FOR Nov. 5, 2009
12:45 p.m. – 2:05 p.m.
Student Service Building, Conference Rooms A & B
Senators Present: Yolanda Bellisimo, Michael Dougan, Joetta Scott, Ron Gaiz, Robert Kennedy,
Arthur Lutz, Sara McKinnon, Radica Portello, Derek Wilson, Blaze Woodlief,
Senators Absent: Joe Mueller, Meg Pasquel, Eric Dunmire, Erika Harkins
Guests: Chris Schultz, Jim Garaghty
Minutes
I. Approval and Adoption of the Agenda: adopted
II. Reading and Approval of the Minutes of Oct. 29, 2009: approved
III. Officers’ Reports
President (Yolanda Bellisimo): Written. Attached.
Treasurer (Ron Gaiz): Attached.
IV. Committee Reports
Governance Committees Senator Scott’s Access and Success Committee met and will reconvene
in three weeks. They went over a template for student services programs and will return to it to
examine revisions one more time.
V: Consent Agenda:
a) ALP 4101 Independent Study: Consent given, though policy was amended to limit the
units of independent study to fill core requirements for graduation.
VI: Action Items:
a) To Approve Recommendation that:
Faculty Provide a Syllabus for Each Course
Faculty use Senate-Recommended Syllabus Template
Senator Lutz offered an amendment to change the language to read, in part, that the
Senate “suggest that the faculty consider providing a syllabus for each course” as well as
using the template. A vote was held, and the amendment defeated.
Senator Wilson offered an amendment to change only the second part to read that “faculty
consider using” the Senate-recommended syllabus template. It was passed, with Senator
Lutz voting no.
The action item was approved as amended. Senator Lutz voted against the approval.
VII. Discussion
a) Update on SLOs and Program Review Time Line (McKinnon): Any course outlines with outof-date SLOs will be updated by May. We need to start to look at creating degree and
certificate SLOs. It was suggested to the deans that we begin that process before spring Flex
time. The Senate gave Senator McKinnon a hearty round of applause in appreciation for the
“unbelievable amount of work” that she has put into this project.
b) Status of Electronic Version of Course Outline of Record (Schultz): After some final
deliberation with the Curriculum Committee, we’ll move forward to create a database. It will
include at least 1,162 classes, and it will be necessary to develop the same form for them or
the work will take years. The Senate engaged in a detailed discussion on the technology to be
used (i.e. optical character readers).
C) Communicating Emergency Information to Faculty/Staff (Wilson): Held over to next meeting.
VIII: New Business: Senator Dougan updated the group on the delayed referendum on a
new constitutional amendment. (The original was cancelled due to inadvertent irregularities
in the balloting process.) He said Senator Bellisimo is working on creating a reliable and
comprehensive electronic mailing list, and Senator Wilson is creating paper with special
watermarks to be used for the next round of ballots. (These will ensure that ballots from the
last election don’t get mixed in with the new batch.)
IX. Public Requests to Address the Senate on Non-Agenda Items: Student Jim
Geraghty expressed disapproval of the UMP PAC’s last-minute mailer endorsing two
candidates in last week’s board of trustee elections.
ADJOURNMENT: 2:00 p.m.
For questions or information concerning the Academic Senate minutes, please contact: Michael
Dougan: michael.dougan@marin.edu, X7336.