BTF Meeting, May 11, 2004
Meeting began at 9 AM.
Attending: Bernice Speer, Steve Bostic, David Froehlich, Les Albin,
Sarah Strong, Jackie Jarzem, Yvonne Estes, D’Maris Allen-Mierl,
Linnea Fletcher, Steve Ziser, Sal Tavormina, Terry Shaw, Steve
Muzos, Steve Ziser, Trish Phelps, Betsy Maxim, Ed Meyertholen,
David Dufeau, Hal Alsup, Meg Flemming, Bonny Mayes, Aniko
Szabo-Hill, Steve Kinslow, Mark McCaffery
1. BIOL 2316 Genetics.
Linnea gave a brief review of her experience teaching the Genetics
course. The book currently used for the course covers way too much
material. Linnea went through the text and culled the material. She
also redid the PowerPoint presentations that accompanied the text.
The test bank is “awfully bad.” She also had the students do a poster
session which the students seemed to really enjoy.
Many students want to take Genetics at ACC, many more than the
one section we offer can accommodate moves into the new lab at
EVC. The new lab has the needed equipment. Linnea and BITC will
have the new lab from 3-10. The lab can also be used for 1406 or
other classes the department needs.
Students in the course needed to make every class to understand
genetics because of the complexity of the subject. A third needed
intensive tutoring by Linnea to make it through (UT has an extra
section of Genetics on Fridays just for such tutoring). Another third
had conflicts with work or family and could not make it to every class.
For these students Linnea put everything on her website e.g. the
PowerPoints and homeworks. This group did well.
Linnea would like to offer the course on-line at least once a year for
this special population. In addition, we filled our section easily and
could have filled an additional two sections but we could not get
classroom sections to offer it. Distance Learning has offered us
sections from their stock if we offer the course OPC/PCM. The book
is also set up to use blackboard already so this could be done easily.
Passed unanimously.
2. Dr. Kinslow on SACS.
Dr. Kinslow came to the meeting to address the department’s
concerns and answer our questions about SACS.
The administration has not made a final decision on Biology but
does need to address the SACS consultant’s concerns. The
consultant is head of the SACS consulting network and it is a very
good move to have her go over our files but ACC will not blindly
follow her recommendations.
Dr. Kinslow realizes it can be distressing and somewhat insulting to
have one’s credentials questioned. SACS has become extremely
focused on credentials and we must answer their concerns. ACC will
have to hire fewer faculty “by exception” The college will work with
instructors to bring their credentials into line with current SACS
requirements. No full-time faculty will lose their jobs.
Bernice reviewed the results of the survey of colleges reviewed by
SACS in December. No school contacted required 18 hours in human
anatomy to teach anatomy. Many just required a Master’s in Biology.
Dr. Kinslow was appreciative of Biology’s efforts to research the
criteria used by other colleges reviewed by SACS last December. He
was asked why the department rather than the college had to gather
evidence to defend its faculty. Dr. Kinslow feels it is better for faculty
in the field, who will know what questions to ask, rather than
administrators whose specialty is not in Biology to make the
arguments.
One of the problems with SACS reviews is the malleability of the
visiting team’s judgments. One member of a team can declare a
faculty member in full compliance with SACS guidelines while another
team member insists the instructor is not. The team members then
discuss it and come to a consensus. Some teams will have a much
broader interpretation of credentials than other teams. There is not a
lot of consistency. Nor are their reports the final word. One school
reviewed by SACS was told to adhere to the 18 hours of Human
Anatomy criterion, but was able to change the team’s decision after
several weeks of discussion and by documenting that other schools
did not have this requirement. It takes years to effect changes at
SACS so there is not enough time to get SACS to rethink it
credentialing criteria before the next visit. The visiting teams are
composed of faculty members from other SACS schools and from a
variety of disciplines. We don’t get to choose. The team that visited
ACC did not have a biologist on the team.
The department expressed frustration with the lack of
communication between the ACC SACS group and the faculty.
Instructors were told to submit questions for SACS to Carrie Sowell or
Lynn Beaman and they would ask SACS and get an answer. Several
faculty members have submitted questions several weeks ago and
have still not received replies. Several faculty who have contacted
SACS directly, bypassing ACC’s procedure, have gotten responses
within days.
3. Common Course Objectives
BIOL 2305/2102
Sarah presented the CCOs for Human Physiology. No one sent
Sarah comments from the previous draft. The core labs are in
process.
Accepted unanimously.
BIOL 2404 Intro to A&P
Bernice presented a draft of the BIOL 2404 CCOs to the
department. She will make some
4. Student Request for On-line Anatomy & Physiology Labs
Bernice received an email from a student requesting that the
department offer 2304, 2305 and 2420 on-line. The student cannot
attend class because of work and family issues, but wants to get into
the Nursing program. ACC would also leave labs open in the evening
and on the weekends so students can come in to do labs when they
have time or offer labs on-line. On-line sections would allow her to
complete all her prerequisites for Nursing without attending traditional
classes. This email also went to the Board and the department needs
to compose a response.
Leaving the labs open and unattended would create a safety and
security liability. Unsupervised labs would also violate federal law.
Additionally, in Micro some labs require a 48 hour incubation period
which means the labs cannot just be walk-ins or done on-line. The
department does not have the money to pay for lab assistants to be
on duty to cover the labs every night and weekends.
Weekend classes are a possibility. The classes would have to be
held at RVS since it is the only campus where both A&P and Micro
are taught and that is open on the weekends. This would also be
contingent on finding faculty willing to teach the courses an d
receiving money to develop and support the classes. The department
would be willing to run classes with labs on weekends to meet such
special needs as this student’s, but only if the department gets more
money for the needed faculty, lab assistants and supplies.
The department discussed possibilities for on-line classes with labs.
The vote was unanimously to oppose offering on-line A&P and labs
(BIOL 2304/2101, 2305/2102, 2404. 2420 & 2421)
5. Spring 2005
The depart must have the Spring 2005 schedule submitted by the
end of the month. PIN wants to rearrange its lab schedule to
accommodate 2305/2102, 2402 and the new 2404 class labs. Since
these courses will be taught at RVS TTh, Bernice requested that PIN
and CYP teach them on MW to allow students a broad selection of
days and times.
6. Miscellaneous
Three temporary full-timers have been appointed for next year to
help offer more Physiology and A&P II sections. There should also
be a new permanent full-time instructor in the fall and potentially 5other full-time instructors hired next year. The department has
requested a total of 10 new full-timers to meet staffing needs.
The department needs proctors for the assessment tests over the
summer. The tests will start in June. CE courses covering chemistry
and biology have been set up to prepare students for the assessment
tests.
A couple weeks ago the dept offered Eagle Day at PIN. Students
set up replicas of eagle’s nest, hummingbird nests and other displays.
As part of the day, Yvonne got an eagle kite and flew it. Four turkey
vultures came by and flew around PIN investigating the kite.
Sarah would like approval to add the stand-alone Physioex lab cd
for her OPC A&P II classes to the approved book list. Passed
unanimously.
A portfolio workshop will be offered in August and probably another
one in the fall, possibly November.
Meg has placed the order for new microscopes for RVS. The
microscopes for CYP have also been ordered as have the dissecting
scopes for RVS, RGC, PIN and NRG. The department thanked
Jackie Jarzem for her efforts on the budget committee that got us the
money for this equipment.
Meeting ended 10:45