COLLEGE OF MARIN
ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING MINUTES
For April 1, 2010
12:45 p.m. – 2:03 p.m.
Student Service Building, Conference Rooms A & B
Senators Present: Erika Harkins, Michael Dougan, Yolanda Bellisimo, Meg Pasquel, Joetta
Scott, Ron Gaiz, Blaze Woodlief, Christine Li, Rinetta Early, Arthur Lutz, Sara McKinnon, Derek
Wilson, Joe Mueller, Eric Dunmire
Senators Absent: Radica Portello
Guests: John Sutherland
I. Approval and Adoption of the Agenda: adopted
II. Reading and Approval of the Minutes of March 25, 2010: approved as amended
III. Officers’ Reports
President (Yolanda Bellisimo): Written. Attached.
Vice-President (Derek Wilson): We should get a breakdown on Banner expenses by item.
President Bellisimo will take the request to PRAC and they will forward it to the Director of Fiscal
Services. Vice-President Wilson also recommended that any Curriculum Committee members
who work over the summer to review courses as requested by the administration should be
volunteers, and should be paid from reassigned time resources. Senator Bellisimo asked Senator
McKinnon to get that recommendation from the Curriculum Committee and bring it back to the
Senate, which will forward it to the school vice president.
Treasurer (Ron Gaiz): Written. Attached.
IV: Committee Reports
Curriculum Committee (Sara McKinnon): We’ve been working on course approvals. Senator
Bellisimo said programs not normally offered in the spring should be placed in the back of the
queue.
Community Education (Erika Harkins): Problems with Banner enrolment are getting worse, and
hurting the college and our reputation. Three people were double-charged last week, one of
them three times.
Facilities (Erik Dunmire): We went through Program Review. Hope to move recommendations
forward to PRAC in two weeks.
Equipment (Arthur Lutz): We reviewed the rubric, but have questions about whether it
accurately represented the needs of departments.
V: Consent Agenda: No items.
VI: Action Items
a) BP 7210 Academic Employees: Approved
b) AP 7218 Department Chair Elections: Senator Gaiz said this issue is a matter of
negotiation between the District and UPM. The Senate agreed, and decided to replace this
with a statement that elections not governed by the Brown Act should follow a published
protocol and a secret ballot. The item will return to the agenda for discussion, and will be
raised with UPM in a memo.
VII: Discussion
a) AP 7120 Employment Recruitment as Amended: When the District requires screening
committees to forward two or more recommendations, they then pick whomever they
want without regard to committee preferences. The committee should be free to forward
only one candidate if that seems appropriate, and the administration can respond with a
yes or a no. Senator Lutz added that under general provisions, where the policy talks
about protected categories, we should include “after genetic information” along with items
like political beliefs or activities. Senator Bellisimo said the clause will be passed to the
legal department for approval.
b) AP 5011 Admissions and Concurrent Enrolment of High School Students, AP 5075 Credit
Course Adds and Drops: Moved to action item agenda next week.
c) Questions Regarding Academic Complex: Moved to action item agenda next week.
d) Environmental Action Club proposal: Club leaders Sharon Jones and Sheryl Jones said
recommended on behalf of the organization that environmental literacy be better
integrated into the COM curriculum. This can be done by integrating environmental
concepts into projects already in place by encouraging environmental community work,
and by helping students participate in environmental research. Senator Bellisimo said this
could be taken up at the Program Review level. Senator Mueller, club advisor, said he will
move to have the matter included in the next Flex workshop schedule.
VIII: New Business (None)
IX: Public Requests to Address the Senate on Non-Agenda Items (John Sutherland): The
Senate is asked to reaffirm its commitment to requiring a clear letter of explanation from
the administration before the English 98 and lab merger issues are able to become
resolved.
X: Adjournment: 2:08 p.m.
For questions or information concerning the Academic Senate minutes, please contact: Michael
Dougan: michael.dougan@marin.edu, X7336.