Los Angeles Mission College
Department of Life Sciences
Minutes
Friday, December 11, 2015 @ 10:00 am (CMS 221)
Present: Steve Brown, Angela Echeverri, Par Mohammadian, Mike Reynolds (via email)
New Business
1. Update – Dual Enrollment with BioTech Sylmar HS / New: San Fernando HS (Par)
Mark Hobbs from CTE will inform us when the high schools are ready. Par will attend a
meeting to discuss the potential offering of Health Occupation courses at San Fernando
HS in January 2016.
2. Update - CNA/HHA/HOC (Par)
The application for approval to hire CNA/HHA faculty have been mailed to the
Department of Public Health. A response is anticipated in January 2016.
3. Update - Reading Apprenticeship & Dates in January for the RA workshops (Par)
There will be an RA STEM workshop on January 13, 2016, at 9:00 am at LAMC. Par
encouraged everyone to sign up via Eventbrite.
4. Update: PLO revisions – General Studies & Liberal Arts in Natural Sciences (Par)
The department will meet in mid-January to focus only on the PLOs. The date will be
sent out soon by Par.
5. KickStarter team visit in December 2015 (Par)
Par encouraged everyone to attend. She will email the agenda as soon as it is finalized.
6. Update: Contract for Steris Autoclaves (Steve)
Because the cost of the contract will be over $5000 per year the contract requires special
approval. Steve suggested we consider signing up with a non-STERIS service, which is
less expensive. Also, Steve will ask Pong to get information on the repair from other
companies.
7. Update: Moving Anthropology course SLOs to the Social Sciences Dept. & New Faculty
Application (Steve)
Completed.
8. Update: Web-based APA workshops offered by the library (Steve)
Par will meet with Sheila next week to discuss the details. Also, Steve will inform the
faculty that the APA is the format, which we will use for scientific writing in our
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department.
9. Update: Scheduling of non-STEM courses at CMS - issues related to parking and
availability of rooms for workshops or meetings with students (Mike)
Issue was raised in Council of instruction - no decision has been made.
Workshops and labs: It was also discussed that only CMS labs 106 (BIO) and 104
(PHYSIO) and not 102 (ANATOMY) and 002 (MICRO) should be used to offer
workshops.
10. BIO3 lab related: DNA Lab; final lab exam (Steve)
It was discussed and approved to move the final lab exam before the final week.
The BIO3 labs and their orders will be revised in summer.
11. BIO3 Prep room: Labels for cabinets and drawers, BIO3 budget spent only on BIO3 lab
not museum; Technicians’ hours posted on the prep lab doors (Mike)
Nadine does not want to post her hours - she is checking with the union.
12. Update – Approval of Human Biology course (Mike)
There is no update on the approval of the Human Biology Course.
13. Update: Invitation to attend the department meeting to all Life Science faculty including
the adjuncts (Steve, Mike)
Beginning in the Spring we will invite adjuncts to department meetings.
Next meeting: TBD
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14. Update: BIO3 Faculty Inquiry Group - FIG (Diane)
Tabled until Winter 2016.
15. Certificates in Life Sciences. (Mike)
Tabled until the new CTE Dean is hired.
16. Nadine would like to prepare a proposal for items that she needs for the garden that can
be presented to the Foundation. Minutes 8/27/15: She will complete the proposal by
winter 2016.
17. Progress - Offering Biology 40 vs Biology 110 to allow students to complete core biology
courses. Minutes 8/27/15: Steve will create the BIO110 COR by 10/16/15 (Steve).
Steve has not had time to do this and plans to complete this COR by the end of January.
18. Update - Rearranging Bio 6 and Bio 7 curricula; Bio 6 as a prerequisite for Bio 7. (Steve,
Diane)
Minutes 8/27/15: This project will be completed during the Winter break by January 31,
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2016.
19. Progress - Bio 3 curriculum: examine COR in light of what is actually being taught
Minutes 8/27/15: Complete during the Winter break by January 31, 2016 (Steve)
20. Update - Review of the AS program requirements in Biology and Health Sciences (in lieu
of new UC transfer requirements); some required/elective courses archived (Mike)
Minutes 8/27/15: This project will be completed during the Winter break by January 31,
2016.
21. Update - Life Science program review (All) start in January
To include new faculty position and Allied Health program coordinator
22. Update - Items to procure: platform for floor shaker. (Steve)
Steve will follow up with Mike Fenton in January per his request.
23. Update: Organization of the College website (Steve)
Steve to meet with Nick in January to organize the disciplines.
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