Cosumnes River College
Academic Senate
Regular Meeting
April 11, 2008
Orchard Room
Senators Present : Maha Myren, Marjorie Duffy, Collette Cole, Debra Welkley,
Georgine Hodgkinson, Ralph Hendrix, Norv Wellsfry, Margaret Woodcock, Darlene
Mathias, Travis Parker, Teresa Aldredge, Constance Carter, Michelle Barkley, BJ
Snowden
Guest: David Weinshilboum
Call to order at 12:36 pm
Announcements:
Lon Davenport has a CRC River Cats tailgate party tonight. 70 will attend, 4 tickets are still available.
Jamey met with Francisco Rodriguez this morning about the VPI impressions groups.
Francisco was receptive to the comments. Jamey felt there was consensus and it was positive process. Some at the senate meeting expressed concern that the Thursday afternoon time for the meeting was a particularly difficult time to meet.
The union art gallery is featuring CRC faculty for 2 nd
Saturday, 2126 K Street,
Sacramento.
Agenda Approved without changes.
Minutes for March 14, 2008 were approved without changes.
Updates
Basic Skills: The group met again last week and examined the action plan. There was good constituency participation. There is at least $88,000 to spend by June 30.
Instructional assistants, coordination elements and other expenses are included, but since the plan is a flexible document, additional proposals can be added as they are created.
The official 2007-08 plan is due essentially after the money is already spent. The group is moving forward with the 2008-09 plan as well. English professor David Weinshilbloum is on the group and reported some of the work on aligning curriculum and matching textbooks across sections is moving forward, but that the group is aware of the academic freedom rules and that the implementation of basic skills initiatives will still be left for each department to consider.

Textbook Costs Task Force Survey Results : Norv Wellsfry reports the group did a survey about textbook issues. A handout with CRC results and District results were provided. Faculty responded at a 39% level. CRC results show textbooks are very important to our faculty, and textbook guidelines on department common adoptions are important, and the ability to customize textbooks is not particularly important. Most faculty acknowledge that the textbooks are a primary source of content. Library textbooks are also considered important. There is a district police that textbooks should be adopted for a minimum of two semesters, but most faculty are unaware of this rule.
Likewise, faculty acknowledge that 40% of faculty ‘sometimes’ meet textbook deadlines, which can result in higher textbook costs to students when textbooks are ordered later.
The textbook task force is considering other textbook options, which include open-source textbooks from a statewide consortium. This would mean textbooks could be stored on line, placed in Desire2Learn sites as a method to reduce costs. The Task Force is considering some strategies, which include having faculty get information about how much the text costs before they select it. Having textbooks in the library will be important. Only adopting textbooks that will be used is also good. A preliminary report to the Board of Trustees will be made in June.
Accreditation : Norv Wellsfry reports the four primary standards committees are all formed, and have met for the first time. The first action plans are being developed. A survey will be out in the Fall, when the research and writing of the draft self study will be done. Spring, 2009 will be used for compiling the individual standards reports into a completed draft self study for campus wide review. One of the first steps proceeding this semester involves taking a district prepared mapping document and determining if our committees, constituencies, and staff agree the document accurately depicts which duties are primary, secondary or shared between the individual colleges and the district.
Statewide Academic Senate Plenary Session : Jamey Nye provided a handout about upcoming issues at next week’s plenary session including Compressed Calendar and the statewide budget.
G.E. Patterns in SOCRATES : Handout1: G.E. issues in SOCRATES. Handout 2:
Articulation officers’ responsibilities. Counselor Teresa Aldredge explained how the
SOCRATES/GE Patterns system has created challenges for CRC counselors because of differences in the new numbering system. CRC counselors expressed concern that this year’s catalog will be confusing to students and that next year’s catalog information would be more student-centered if clarifying language was added to G.E. information..
Two proposals are suggested for improvement which include 1) Adding complete G.E.
Area descriptions next to generic codes [1A, 2B, IGETCE C.3] or at minimum, adding appropriate page numbers to the location of code keys in the catalog and 2) aligning the order of the areas according to the Board Regulations and Title 5 instead of current
LRCCD SOCRATES list orders. ACTION : In the Fall, 2008, the senate, the counseling department and the VPI should discuss and resolve the catalog listing/not listing of additional GE information so that students, counselors and all staff have the best information possible.

Program Planning Council : The PPC met for the 2 nd
time last week to determine which proposed program areas would need additional discussion and information. In the meantime, programs that were not disputed were told they could proceed with courses and programs in SOCRATES.
Adding classified staff to faculty hiring committees: There is a process now at CRC, and new language will be proposed by Jamey soon to clarify the steps. At the district level, language Jamey wrote on the issue of appointment of the equity representative to a hiring committee was approved.
CRC Foundation Annual Fund/Fundraiser : The faculty has an opportunity to encourage more participation in monthly salary donations to the CRC Annual Fund.
Jamey’s personal hope would be a do a faculty fundraiser walk/jogathon with pledges per mile to help the foundation in October, 2008. The faculty could also designate which initiatives/proposals they want to help with that money, apart from any unrestricted donation.
Future Agenda Items:
Workload Creep Comments Council of Chairs (BJ Snowden)
Meeting Adjourned at 2:10 p.m.