COLUMBIA COLLEGE ACADEMIC SENATE SPECIAL FHP MINUTES
October 10, 2014
Council Committee Members:
Present: Ted Hamilton, Anne Cavagnaro, Gene Womble, Kathy Schultz, Raelene Juarez, Wendy Griffiths-Bender
Senate Members:
Present: Adrienne Seegers, Craig Johnston, Erin Naegle, Karin Rodts, Kirsten Miller, Maryl Landess, Matthew Fox,
Micha Miller, Nathan Rien, Rod Harris, Tina Trolier
Guests:
Present: Brian Sinclair
I.
CALL TO ORDER: President-Ted Hamilton
The meeting was called to order at 2:33pm
II.
ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS: Faculty Hiring Proposals in alphabetical order
A. BIOLOGY Instructor (Full-Time Replacement)
B. BIOLOGY/HHP Instructor (Replacement)
Micha Miller spoke on both proposals listed above, Raelene Juarez and Nate Rien also
shared key points:
 There is a one year temporary person who is leaving at the end of the year and will
not be returning
 Most adjuncts are at maximum hours
 The nursing program has been beneficial to the college as a whole
 Currently funding a joint position for HHP/Biology
o This position also provides workout plans for adaptive PE
C. CAL WORKS Coordinator Counselor (New)
Matthew Fox spoke on behalf of this proposal and stated the following points:
 A combination counselor/coordinator position
 Currently the position is filled half time through Cal Works and halftime through an
adjunct position
o Only 20 hours a week are available for Cal Works
o Documentation and meeting with students far surpasses the 20 hours
available currently
 This position works both with the Calaveras and the Tuolumne county Social
Services Department
 A new position would allow more focus on job placement both on and off campus
 This is a categorically funded position
o Money cannot be spent elsewhere
o Grant is there and available to the district
 There is a large counseling component associated with Cal Works
D. CHILD DEVELOPMENT Instructor (Replacement)
Adrienne Seegers spoke on behalf of this proposal and shared the following points:
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Have made a commitment to the community to continue to have a thriving child
development program
There is job security in this area
o Demand for the program is high
o AATCA is staffed at about 65% from Columbia College
The program is poised to grow
New courses have been added
o Certificate program
o AS degree
o AST
Slow steady growth in FTEs over the last three years
Transitional Kindergarten has been legislated and funded to some degree in
California
o Started to be rolled out locally
o Universal preschool wherein children will be able to start schooling a year
earlier (age 4)
No one is in this position at the moment
o Person is currently in an interim Dean position
Position is for the 2015/2016 school year
E. ENGLISH Instructor (New)
Craig Johnston spoke on behalf of this proposal and stated the following points:
 English department has lost multiple adjuncts
 Finding qualified candidates has been tough
 English has had a steady increase
 Some students have to wait up to two years to be able to take certain English classes
for transfer
o Other colleges offer these classes every year
 Just looking at the last few years we could potentially fill 4-5 sections in English
 Classes being canceled because of no faculty to teach it rather than low enrollment
issues
F. FIRE TECHNOLOGY Instructor (New)
Raelene Juarez spoke on behalf on this proposal and stated the following points:
 Difficult to find an instructor, most are currently in the profession and do not have
the time to instruct
 Department is pulling in great numbers
o Demand in Fire Science is high
o Marketing to students
 Many students are seeking degrees as well
 Could easily fill another academy with all the interested students
 It is a signature program for Columbia College
 Employability is there
 Students are continuing with general education after academy more in the last
two/three years than before
G. GENERAL COUNSELOR (New)
Kirsten Miller spoke on behalf of this proposal and stated the following points:
 Position is funded with SSSP monies
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Access to services and counselors much better here than at MJC, showing growth in
this department
4000+ students with only 3 Full-time general counselors
All adjuncts are at their hourly max and one has been hired at MJC
H. HHP Instructor (New)
Raelene Juarez and Nate Rien spoke on behalf of this proposal and shared the following
points:
 This position is looking to support the new transfer degree as well as the athletic
program
 Looking for someone that can coach one sport if not more
 Students in sports have Ed plans with 12 units a semester adding to the SSSP
 GPAs could raise in the future
 Both Raelene and Nate are working to the bare bones
o No ability to coach and do the adaptive PE
o Adaptive PE classes support DSPS funding
 Positions need more support
 12 adjuncts this semester and could still easily fill two full time positions
I. HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT Instructor (3 New)
Gene Womble spoke on behalf of these proposals and made the following points:
 American Culinary Federation that certifies us and could easily state that we need to
hire more instructors
 8 adjuncts currently in department
 Two culinary and one pastry are proposed, a candidate that could do both would be
welcomed
 The facilities that we have on campus could support the new staff
 Eventually the facilities plan was to expand the departments facilities
J. MATH Instructor (New)
Maryl Landess spoke on behalf of this proposal and made the following points:
 Classes are large
 Waitlist are consistently long
 Everyone needs to take math classes for degrees
o Some even need to take several math classes
 With the move to the Sequoia building there is plenty of room to expand the
department
o Expanded the number of offerings
o Expanded the high demand class offerings
 Minimum math requirements have been raised
K. MENTAL HEALTH Coordinator Counselor (New)
Kathy Schultz spoke on behalf of this proposal and raised the following points:
 The instance of mental health issues that are causing students to be unsuccessful
and/or drop out is increasing at an alarming rate
L. MUSIC/DRAMA Instructor (Replacement)
Rod Harris spoke on behalf of this proposal and shared the following points:
 Used to be three full time faculty in this department and now it is down to one
 Adjunct cannot do what a full time can
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A drama/music person would fill a huge need
o Could coordinate so many things interdepartmentally
o One drama performance could give art direction, dance direction, as well as
orchestra and music
There is a need to fill 4 or 5 empty positions that have dwindled over the years
No longer have drama or dance
Strong need for performing arts
High school students always asking what we have to offer here at Columbia
Performing arts helps to connect us with the community
M. PHYSICS Instructor (Replacement)
Erin Naegle and Micha Miller both spoke on behalf of this proposal and stated the following
points:
 Solid Enrollment in physics classes
 Huge room for growth here
 Amazing astronomy equipment that isn’t being utilized
 Physics classes that could be offered but are not due to lack of instructors
 Have not offered a non-major physics class in years
 Need positions to support what is needed for the transfer degrees
 Only a single adjunct available
o Has been hired on full time somewhere else
N. PSYCHOLOGY Instructor (Replacement)
Tina Trolier spoke on behalf of this proposal and shared the following points:
 Psychology department has grown quite a bit over the last few years
 Added multiple classes
 AA transfer degree going very well
 Adjuncts all working other jobs as well
o Adjuncts very stretched thin covering classes
o Adjunct pool is relatively small
o Most adjuncts can only teach specific classes
 Department hasn’t been able to offer Psych2 or 20 in years
o Psych20 is transferrable
O. WELDING Instructor (New)
Micha Miller, Adrienne Seegers, and Kathy Schultz spoke on behalf of this proposal and
shared the following points:
 The recent bond measure payed for a beautiful new building
 There are considerable opportunities in welding right now
 There is no full time faculty in this area
 1 or 2 adjunct only in this department currently
 Little can be done here without a full time faculty member
III.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting adjourned at 4:20pm