West Campus Faculty Senate Minutes

October 9, 2003

PRESENT:  Tom Byrnes (presiding), George Dow, Susie Forehand, Fran Frierson, Noelle Geiger, Ali Notash for Nasser Hedayat, Shannon Hellard, Jean Henderson, Gloria Hines, Jim Johnson, Dan Kimble, Maryke Lee, Graeme Lindbeck, Terry Long, Stan Melnick, Diane Orsini, Marilyn Santos, June Mair for Susan Stone, Mary Sugeir, Russell Takashima

GUESTS:  Mary Ann Gagen, Teresa Johnson, Susan Matthews, Louise Pitts

CALL TO ORDER:  President Tom Byrnes called the meeting to order at 1:16 p.m.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:  Except for some minor typographical errors, the minutes were approved as submitted.

PROVOST’S REPORT: 

• David Hosman has been assigned, for one year, to lead the design of the Faculty Resource Center.  This will include staffing, location, and equipment needs.  Angelique Smith will be assisting him.
• Smart classrooms planned for this campus are the following:  three in Building 9, the science auditorium, and the nursing auditorium.  Collegis will work with the deans to standardize for maximum efficiency.  There will be a contact number for faculty to ask questions.  Dr. Gastenveld stated that there is enough money in the budget to staff the emergency contact number collegewide.  Bill White has recommended two full-time and 2 part-time staff members per campus to give adequate and timely service.
• Equipment Lists for 03/04 have been submitted and are being reviewed at this time.  Additionally, the West Campus requested $100,000.00 for the Math Lab, LRC, and general purpose classrooms.
• Dr. Gastenveld asked that as many people as possible get involved in the LRC reorganization and the Faculty Resource Center design in order to adequately meet the needs of the faculty.

CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION MEETING:  An important discussion on the need for proportional representation among campuses will take place at the Constitutional Revision meeting on Tuesday, October 14 from 1-3pm in 6-202; President Byrnes encouraged as many faculty as possible to attend.

MOVEMENT ON 6-6-0-0:  President Byrnes will present the following recommendation at the Faculty Association Board meeting next week.  “Faculty should have the option of taking a 6-6-0-0 every year as long as the departmental dean agrees that it will not significantly hinder the department’s learning outcomes.  Valencia’s policy or procedure should state that faculty will be guaranteed the option of a 6-6-0-0 contract at least once every three years.”

George Dow suggested that the Faculty Association Board be included in the distribution of the Board of Trustees agenda prior to the Board of Trustees meetings.  Louise Pitts, Special Assistant for the Learning Centered Initiative, will try to get that facilitated through her office.

PARKING UPDATE:  The Faculty Association Board will vote, at their next meeting, on increasing the dollar amount for parking fines.  Gloria Hines asked if anyone knew where the parking fine money goes after collected.  President Byrnes will investigate.

WEST CAMPUS SENATE ELECTIONS:  Election forms will go out at the end of this month.  A volunteer is still needed for the secretary position.  Terry Long has recruited the following individuals for the at-large position on the Faculty Association Board.  They are George Dow, Terry Long, Lisa Macon, Brian Macon, Susan Matthews, Steve Muller, Lana Powell, and Mary Sugeir.

TIMETABLE ON FACULTY COMPENSATION:  Maryke Lee and Michael Shugg are preparing a memo to be distributed collegewide regarding faculty compensation.  The president has agreed to lift the December deadline to the Board of Trustees, allowing for further discussion.  Everyone was reminded that the final decision will go to the Faculty Association Board for a vote before being sent to the District Board of Trustees. 

DISCUSSION ON FACULTY COMPENSATION STRUCTURE:  Faculty members were reminded that the goal of the study was to address low starting salaries for new faculty.  The McConnell proposal is a draft, not a proposal approved by the Faculty Compensation Task Force. 

President Byrnes stated that he would like to see faculty paid for professional development activities and that equity in funding be made available to all faculty.

DEPARTMENT REPORTS: 

• Gloria Hines reported that the “Counselor Council” has developed and received approval for new job descriptions.  Copies of the new job descriptions were distributed.
• West Campus has hired an International Counselor who will start October 31, 2003.

SUMMER SCHEDULE:  An evaluation process was discussed regarding changes in the summer schedule.  Graeme Lindbeck made a motion to request that the Faculty Association Board insist on the collection of data regarding the summer schedule and how the new schedule is having an effect on learning.  The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Stan Melnick made a motion that the Schedule and Calendaring Committee make its decisions in a timeframe that allows for all councils to make comments on the ramifications of the new proposed calendar, including the learning centeredness of proposed changes.  The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

ADJOURNMENT:

Meeting adjourned at 2:57 p.m.

The next meeting will be November 13 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 1-151.