Los Angeles Mission College
Department of Life Sciences
Minutes
Friday, March 14 9:00 AM
Present: Steve Brown, Angela Echeverri, Par Mohammadian, Mike Reynolds
Old Business
1) The following requests were entered in the online system; however, they have not been resolved by the facilities department:
Shower Issue –drainage; bubbled floor in the labs (by Par)
Brace equipment to walls in CMS 002 & 104; clocks in the classrooms CMS 004, 005 & 105 behind the screens; possibility of having coat hooks in the hallway between the prep-room and the lab
Anatomy & Microbiology labs; swapping refrigerators in the Anatomy and Microbiology labs CMS
102 & 002 (by Steve)
Bookcases bolted to the walls in the offices (by Angela)
Lack of cold water in the physiology lab (by Pong)
Completed: Evacuation plan (by Mike)
Mike to meet with Danny V to address these issues listed above.
2) a. vacuum pump for gel dryer – Steve to follow up with Pong; use the pump from the old BIO3 lab b. platform for floor shaker – Cost (VWR): $1238; Approved to proceed to order the platform; Steve to initiate the process c. transmitted white light for GelDoc system – To be removed from the agenda - by Steve
3) New prerequisites effective Fall 2014:
Mike to ask Dianna in detail of entering the new prerequisites in the system before the fall registration (~April 7) begins.
New Business
1. Department Goals and New Courses or Programs
Two goals were discussed: 1) Draft a Biology TMC taking the BIO40 and BIO 110 situation into consideration (more see under 8), and 2) Expand the current course offerings and consider other possible GE transferrable lower division courses (with lab), such as Human Biology, Botany,
Zoology, Marine Biology, Environmental Sciences, and Human Diseases. Discussion to be continued at the next meetings.
2. Discussion on new Biology 3 final exam
The following changes were approved: 1) To remove the last question on the individual exam – the plant and animal cells, 2) Use random numbers on the individual exam instead of transferring the actual numbers from the group exam, 3) Prepare 7 group exams and 5 different versions of the individual exams, and 4) Steve to coordinate with Nadine on the distribution of the exams.
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3. Department meeting with adjuncts – Friday, May 30, 9-11 AM
To be discussed at the next meeting.
4. Review of the SLO/PLO schedule
To be discussed at the next meeting.
5. Teaching assignments for Fall 2014
Temporary teaching assignments (may be changed if new BIO faculty is hired):
Steve: BIO6 MW 10:30 am – 3:20 pm; BIO7 TT 8:55 am – 1:40 pm
Angela: Same as Spring 2014
Par: TT Anatomy 8:55 am – 1:40 pm; Hybrid BIO3 Sat 8:30-11:40 am & 1:00-4:00 pm
Mike: BIO3 TT 7:15 am – 12:00 pm; Physiology MW TBD
6. Criteria for Faculty Hiring
Steve to inform us of the criteria for ranking new faculty as soon as it is revised.
7. TAACCCT Grant – Allied Health – What is our role?
Mike to email Michael Allen and Cathy Brinkman to inform them that Life Science Dept. is interested in developing Allied Health / Medical Assisting program with appropriate faculty compensation and additional FTEF allocations. A meeting may be arranged if interested.
8. Archive Biology 40 and Biology 110
Mike and Steve to meet with UCLA Life Science Coordinator to discuss the required courses and review the course outlines of BIO110 and BIO 6.
9. Transfer Model Curriculum (TMC) Degree
See #1
10 . Biology 6 and & Lab Manual
Mike to share his syllabus and teaching philosophy with Steve. Mike and Steve review the lab manual and Steve to decide by May.
11. Outreach Program in Allied Health / Science ??
Angela to contact Cathy B to identify our role in the requested outreach.
Additional items discussed:
-Angela to request IT to install the printer (currently located in CMS 221) in the BIO3 lab.
-Summer schedule undetermined.
-Mike to discuss with Said P and Mike F the possibility of offering a CHEM 51 by the STEM program to accommodate the Anatomy students who require CHEM 51 by the fall 2014 semester to be eligible to enroll in physiology course.
-Possibility of changing the current textbook to “Core” by Simon for BIO3 courses.
Next meeting: Friday, April 4 th 2014 at 9:00 AM
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