MINUTES
Date & Time: August 29, 2013 12:31 PM
Location: JUL Meeting Room, Virginia Beach Campus
Senators Attending:
2013-2014 Designated Senators
Monica McFerrin, Chair, Humanities; Mark Greer, Vice-Chair, Natural Sciences; Mike Adams, Secretary,
Adjunct; Steve DeLong, Engineering, Math & Industrial Technologies; Ellyn Hodgis, Health Professions (College
Faculty Senate Chair); Tom Geary, Humanities; Lou Tinaro, Information Technology & Business (College Faculty
Senate Treasurer); Gary Noah, Information Technology & Business; Kathy Buhrer, Natural Sciences;
2013-2014 Alternate Senators
Thomas Richards, Adjunct; Shelley Long, Adjunct ,Information Technology and Business; John Gallo,
Engineering, Math & Industrial Technologies; Susanne Rauch, Humanities; Tim Konhaus, Social Sciences &
Public Services; Cheryl Nabati, TCC Library
Senators Not in Attendance:
Anne Mach, Health Professions; Rick Dienst, Social Sciences & Public Services
Open Positions:
1 Social Sciences & Public Services
1 Counseling (Campus Representative)
College Representative(s):
Sandra Dunn, counseling
Visitors/Guests:
Noor Razzar, Adjunct
I.
II.
III.
Call to order:
A. Call to Order/Introductions of New Senators
Review/ Approval of the April 25, 2013 Minutes:
A. The minutes were accepted as published
Campus Report from Summer Provost Leadership Team Meeting :
A. Major Issues:
1. Fall 2013 Enrollment: VB campus down from same time last year.. New Student Orientations:
Fewer students signing up.
2. Facilities Status Update:
a. VB Student Center: Anticipating an October grand opening. Gives campus time to make sure the
inside of the building is better prepared for an opening.
b. Bayside Renovation: Demolition to begin November 1. Reconstruction to begin February 2014 and
continue through May 2015. G134 and G135 have been given back to Student Services as
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c.
d.
e.
f.
classrooms. Students will be given space to congregate on the first floor or Bayside until renovation
starts/Student Center opens. Deciding among four contractors.
Office Relocations to Lynnhaven (August 1 – August 15): Some persons will have offices that
were in Bayside relocated to Lynnhaven building. Carpeting and IT connections should be completed
soon. Writing Center expected to open next week (2-7 Sept).
Pedestrian Walkway (August 1 – November 30): Somewhat delayed, but lost some parking in
front of the G building due to this construction. Security to assist handicapped individuals.
Pedestrian Walkway to RHPC???
Blackwater Entrances (September 1 – December 31): Same as last reports. Will work on one
entrance at a time.
B. Miscellaneous & From the Floor:
1. Main Entrance and Hotel construction: In addition to the City of Virginia Beach announcement last
semester in regards to a “NEW” main entrance into TCC from Princess Anne Blvd, it was announced
that there will be construction of a new hotel in the empty space across from the 7-Eleven on Princess
Anne Blvd.
2. Course Pre-requisites The course pre-requisites for all TCC courses were dropped from SIS this
summer. The VCCS “hard” pre-requisites were re-implemented; however, the “local” endorsed prerequisites are more difficult to restore.
a. It is strongly recommended that course pre-requisites be the responsibility of the faculty that teach
the course, not by administrators that do not know course content.
b. It was pointed that due to this situation, course enrollment is affected and could be a partial reason
for the lower enrollment when students are “blocked” out by the “hard” pre-requisites.”
IV.
Old Business
A. Faculty Evaluation Plan
1. Ellyn Hodgis presented an update on the committees work to date. The feedback blog open to all college
full-time faculty closes Friday, August 30th. It was pointed out that one of the “links” to the feedback
site was causing problems, but it was remains available through Blackboard.
2. At present, out of 375 eligible full-time faculty, there have been approximately 50 “hits” on the link.
3. This will go to the College Faculty Senate next week, and be provided to the college full-time faculty for
vote for the period of 9 through 13 September.
4. There was discussion on the VCCS Plan versus the VCCS Checklist, and how the TCC model should be
presented to the faculty for vote.
a. Should the ballot be worded “For” or “Against” the TCC Model; or “For the TCC Model” or
“Against the VCCS model.
5. Discussion to be taken to the College Senate.
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V.
New Business
A. Faculty Evaluation Plan
1. Open Senate Seats: There currently exists one open Senate seat in Social Sciences and Public Services
Division, as well as an open seat in the Counseling Division.
a. These are to be taken to the respective division for volunteer representation or division vote where
necessary.
2. Posting Draft Minutes: it was proposed that the “Draft” copy of the minutes be posted on the
Governance web site each month. These would then be replaced after the following Senate meeting with
the “Approved” version.
a. This was unanimously approved.
3. Adjunct Office Space: There has been a loss of Adjunct Office space in the Bayside Bldg, and they
have asked the Senate for advice. This is needed for appropriate class preparation and Office Hours for
the students.
a. The senators were asked to go to their respective divisions and find out what facilities each has for their
adjunct faculty. This data will be turned over to the Standing Adjunct Committee, and this will be
reviewed for the college adjunct population. It was pointed out that adjunct in new construction buildings
have space designated.
VI.
Next College Senate Meeting- September 5, 2013, 2:00 PM – Chesapeake Campus
Room 4111 (in New Academic Building)
VII.
Next VB Senate Meeting-Thursday September 26, 2013, 12:30 PM - Location TBA
VIII.
XV. Close: the meeting closed at 1:26 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael B. Adams
Secretary, Virginia Beach Campus Faculty Senate
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Motion from the Virginia Beach Campus Faculty Senate
It has come to the attention of the Senate that during the past several months hard prerequisites (those
potentially preventing online enrollment) based on the VCCS Master File have been put in place in many
courses at TCC, without meaningful consultation with the faculty who teach those courses.
This has thwarted the intent of faculty members who have worked diligently to put in place local prerequisites
appropriate to circumstances at TCC. This is a curricular matter that is a bedrock right and responsibility of
teaching faculty. An additional result of this change has been to interfere with the registration process of
students who meet local prerequisites, when those differ from the VCCS prerequisites. This is an especially
urgent problem considering the state of the College’s enrollment over the last several semesters.
As representatives of both the teaching and professional faculty at the College, we ask that there be an
immediate review of these changes by a group whose membership has faculty members as its majority. In
addition, we ask for a change in both procedure and/or policy that returns faculty to their traditional role of
approving any new prerequisites and any changes to those prerequisites already in place.
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