West Valley College Academic Senate

Unapproved Minutes

Tuesday, May 13, 2003

Academic Senate Office, Ext. #2075

 

 1.0.  Call to Order

            The meeting was called to order at 2:10 p.m. by President King.

 

 1.1   Roll Call

 

Senators

   A

   P

Senators

   A

   P

 

Berlani      (Ext. 2563)   Science

    

   X

King        (Ext. 2547)  Pres

 

   X

 

Brueckner  (Ext. 2472)  FineArts

   

   X

Kopernik (Ext.2578) Lib/TechCtr

 

   X

Buendia-Bangle(Ext.2476)StudSer

 

   X

Lock      (Ext. 2442) Pres-Elect

 

   X

Carey       (Ext. 2419) AtLge/Bus

 

   X

Mingione (Ext. 2075)  AF/Bus

 

   X

Cisneros   (Ext. 4014) English

 

   X

Sarlo        (Ext. 2526)  PE

 

   X

Ellis        (Ext. 2568)  Math

 

   X

Schock     (Ext. 2447)  Business

 

   X

*Hasty (Ext. 2521)Proxy/Soc Sci

  

   X

Smith      (Ext. 4082)  LangArts

 

   X

Javan       (Ext. 2498)  AAS

 

   X

*Thelin   (Ext. 2147) SocSci

 

   X

Other:

 

 

 Guests:  M.Fox, H.Robles

 

 

            * See Item 6.1

 

1.2    Approval of the WVCAS Minutes

            The minutes for the April 29, 2003, meeting of the West Valley College Academic Senate were approved with a correction to Roll Call, with the addition of Senator Sarlo as present (M/S/U – Kopernik/Buendia-Bangle).

 

1.3    Approval of the DAS Minutes

            The minutes for the April 29, 2003, meeting of the District Academic Senate were approved with a correction to Roll Call, with the addition of Senator Sarlo as present (M/S/U – Buendia-Bangle/Smith).

 

1.4    Order of the Agenda  

         The Senators agreed (M/S/U – Buendia-Bangle/Kopernik) to reorder the agenda as needed to accommodate guests and change Item 7.2 (Evaluation/Best Practices) from Old to New Business.

             

2.0    Oral Communication From the Public  

            There was no oral communication from the public at today's meeting.

 

 3.0   Focus on West Valley’s Future: A Conversation with Marchelle

            President Fox reflected on the events of the past semester.  She stated that how things progress is dependent on the May revise of the Governor’s budget, which is due out on Wednesday, May 14th. The initial budget cut proposed by the Governor for the community college system is disproportionate to other educational systems, and a proposal to reduce the system’s cut to $75 million has been made.  Experts anticipate that the cuts will be less than the Governor proposed originally and probably more than the $75 million.

 

            The Board of Trustees has rescinded the lay-off notices and concessions will have to be made by the collective bargaining agents in negotiations.  The Board has agreed to look at all available resources for funds: the District’s reserves, the Land Corporation funds, the retiree benefit fund, and any other funds that may be available.  Although this will resolve the budget shortfall for this year, the use of those resources has implications for the future, particularly since the 2004/05 forecast is an unknown.  The college community will necessarily have to review existing programs and decide if the college can continue to conduct business as usual.  President Fox opined that some programs will have to be discontinued. It is imperative that the Academic Senate’s Program Discontinuance Policy be in place.

 

            She acknowledged that this semester has been exhausting and debilitating for all.  It is imperative that the colleges have a strong, well-informed infrastructure – i.e., the Academic Senate, the Classified Senate, the College Council – each group has to be strong and take responsibility for its actions. It is important to have the facts and the opportunity for dialogue.  President Fox committed to keep everyone informed.  As things develop over the summer, she will send out a letter to all in June/July and July/August, as is her practice.  Administrative decisions will have to be made, and the College Council will continue to meet over the summer, as will DBAC and the District Council.  She expressed concern that the Academic Senate is not in operation during the summer, and emphasized the need for the Senate to direct its President.   

 

            Open discussion ensued, and President Fox advised that an interim session is not planned at this time.  The funds to implement such a session are not available and there are working condition issues that need to be negotiated.  Based on the class reductions, President Fox was asked how the college can expect to fulfill its fiscal responsibility.  She advised that the district is 1,000 FTES over CAP this year.  This information is being analyzed so that she can direct the Performance Goals Committee on releasing zero capped classes. She is also investigating what is required based on different WSCH/FTE goals. WVC can work to a higher WSCH ratio than MC.  MC has a higher ratio of Vocational Education programs to Transfer programs and does not have as many classrooms available that hold a large number of students.  How this is to be balanced is critical and figures into the ratio for the district.  Marchelle also noted that the college receives fewer dollars per student from the state than other community colleges such as Foothill or SJCC due to the high tax base established in 1978, when only students from within the district could attend the college. 

 

            There was a brief discussion on the bond issue, program cuts, and the future vision of the college.  It was opined that the core of the college needs to be protected, particularly during difficult times. President Fox stated that the college community must work as a group to look at phasing out programs, retraining, downsizing through attrition, etc.  We need to look at other models and consider restructure.  Core departments such as English, Math, and Reading – basic skills that permeate all programs on campus - will remain no matter what takes place.  Not every college, however, has the same mix of programs. A forward-looking college thinks about how to best meet the needs of the students, be more cost effective, as well as consider the balance of curriculum.  A high cost program may fill a critical need in the community and other less costly programs may not be as necessary.  Those decisions will require input from all.  The most important criteria to be maintained is quality. 

 

            Discussion veered to process and President Fox reported that she conferred with the Vice Presidents to develop the criteria used to make reductions because some of the Division Chairs were reluctant to make those decisions. President King indicated that knowledgeable people advise that when there is a budget shortfall, the process must not start with pink slipping tenure track faculty.  The Board was asked to take a leap of faith from the beginning, which was the correct approach.  The results of the Board’s actions have been disastrous.  What happened this year should not happen again.  If we find ourselves in a deeper crisis, any proposed cuts should be made in consultation with the Senate.  President Fox advised that she was given direction by the Board to bring in a balanced budget and indicate where layoffs will take place.  Cuts in administration and classified staff would not cover the deficit.  She stated that this has been a very painful process for her as well.  It remains to be seen if the Board’s leap of faith is justified and whether or not the Governor’s budget puts us in an untenable position.

 

            The Senators thanked President Fox for coming and she offered to return at any time.           

 

            The order of the agenda was suspended and moved to Item 6.1 to accommodate Harriett Robles.

 

 

 

6.0    Reports

6.1    Review Board Agenda/District Council  -  Harriett presented a report to the District Council on the California Partnership for Achieving Student Success Initiative (Cal-PASS) and it was suggested that each Senate review the proposal.  This initiative is funded through the State Chancellor’s Office and collects, analyzes and shares student data in order to track performance and improve success from elementary school through university.  Cal-PASS is a simple and practical approach that helps educators increase student success. Harriett explained that, in the past, the technology to protect confidentiality was not available. Now, a student can be tracked from elementary school through high school, to the community college level and/or the university level without identifying the student. All the district has to do is agree to be a partner with other educational institutions and update the data once a year.  Then it can be determined what courses students have taken, how they did, how they do at this college, and how they are doing as they move forward.  This is an excellent opportunity to track and address student outcomes.  Harriett noted that in 2004, the high school exit exam will be offered. Although the validity of the test is questionable, it could prove to be a powerful tool to use for tracking students and to determine what the colleges can do to meet the students’ needs.

 

            It was suggested that Cal-PASS be reviewed in Spring 2004 to determine its progress and how its data will be applied.

 

            Linda thanked Harriett for her report and suggested that any immediate questions or concerns be addressed directly to Harriett. The order of the agenda was resumed.  Senator Thelin left the meeting at this time and Joe Hasty sat in as his proxy.

 

4.0    Announcements and Recognition

            1. Results of Election for At-Large Academic Senator – Linda congratulated Alma Kopernik on her election as At-Large Senator.  Her term begins this June and ends May 31, 2005. 

         2.  Faculty Recognition Program’s Excellence Awards – The following faculty were nominated for Excellence Awards under the indicated categories. Those nominees with an asterisk were the recipients of the award in their category.  Congratulations to all who were recognized for their many contributions to West Valley College.

 

Publication or Presentation Excellence    Service to the College Excellence

Kelly Carey           *                                                          Pat Andrews  *

Randy Fujishin                                                   Michael Herauf

                                                                                          Wanda Wong

Associate Faculty Teaching Excellence            

Wai Chee Yee      *                                            Teaching Excellence

                                                                                          Kelly Carey

                                                                                          Wade Ellis

Service to the Community Excellence               Christy Peters   *

Linda Gibson

Betty Weiss   *

        

         3.  Faculty Receiving Tenure:  The following faculty members will be recognized at the May 15th Board meeting for attaining tenure.  Congratulations for this outstanding achievement!

 

              Gregory Allen                   (Mathematics)

                  Stan Benkoski                   (Mathematics)

                  Wendy Bowers-Gachesa   (Nutrition Sciences)

                  Bradford Chin                   (Mathematics)

                  Rebecca Cisneros              (English)

                  Chris Clark                        (Articulation Officer/General Counselor)

                  Kristina Gaiero                  (Health Care Technologies)

                  Maria Garcia-Sheper         (Puente/General Counselor)

                  Clementina Golaw             (English)

                  Heidi Janes                        (Physical Education)

                  Lisa Kaaz                          (Lab Faculty Specialist)

                  Becky (Elizabeth) Perelli   (Coordinator of Health Services)

                

         4.  President King announced that Ian Walton of Mission College was elected the Vice President of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) Spring Plenary Session.  Jane Patton of Mission College was elected the Area B representative for the ASCCC.  Linda expressed her hope that more of West Valley College’s faculty will become active at the state level. For further information about the opportunities for participation in State Academic Senate activities, see the web page of the California State AcademicSenate.      (http://www.academicsenate.cc.ca.us). 

 

5.0    Administrative Business/Actions/Appointments

5.1    Curriculum Committee:  Ratification of Curriculum Committee Chair – The Senators unanimously ratified the election of Jim Wilczak as the Curriculum Committee Chair (M/S/U – Ellis/Hasty).

5.2    Committee Appointments – Linda advised that Joan Sarlo has served on the Equivalency Committee for a number of years.  Traditionally, the Senate Vice President serves in that role and a replacement for Joan will need to be elected in the Fall.  Joan advised that the committee is planning to meet in June to revisit the structure of the committee and set guidelines. 

 

6.0    Reports (Continued)

6.1    Review Board Agenda – * Linda reported that the Board of Trustees will officially recognize newly tenured faculty on May 15, 2003.  Faculty are urged to attend the meeting to indicate their support for the faculty and the Board.   

         * A list of Proposed Budget Priorities for Fiscal Year 2003/04 prepared by the Board of Trustees was distributed to the Senate members.  It was noted that there were guidelines in place for reducing the budget, but they were not adequately followed.  The principles involved in that process should have been used instead of issuing pink slips.  A discussion ensued the budget.  It was agreed that the budget is very complex and in order to work with this budget, details are required.  Decisions that will need to be made next year should be made with specific kinds of data, and the budget is not set up to provide the necessary data.  The effectiveness of the budget building process was questionable. It was suggested that a task force be formed to look at all aspects of the budget.  In discussing budget reductions, it was noted that Silicon Valley 2000 shows trends and provides information that should be considered during the budget reduction process, as does the E&FMP.  It would be wise to consider and incorporate the information available in these documents before the Program Discontinuance Policy is applied.

6.2    College Council – No report.

6.3    ACE Issues/Liaison – No report

6.4    Report on Associate Faculty Concerns: Senator Mingione advised that he attended a meeting of Associate Faculty (AF) at Mission College that was called by the Associate Faculty representatives on ACE.  He also attended a CPFA meeting, and learned that there are efforts at the state level to deal with equity issues.  He reported that many AF feel that the administration and the full-time faculty members have no concerns for Associate Faculty.  It is his view that the Academic Senate should acknowledge Associate Faculty and address their value and equity for their work.  He presented the following resolution for the Senate’s consideration (M/S – Mingione/Ellis):

 

“Whereas, The Associate Faculty have endured hardships by being on the front line of the budget cuts, and

 

Whereas, The cancelled Associate Faculty classes will disrupt our students’ educational and skill training goals, and

 

Whereas, The Associate Faculty do not receive their value for their services and do not receive equal benefits for their work, and

 

Whereas, The Associate Faculty have no tenure track based on their contributions, nor do they receive compensation for their participation in the West Valley College community,

 

Therefore, Be It Resolved, That the West Valley College Academic Senate recommends to the College community leadership (the District and West Valley College administrations and ACE) that parity be established for the Associate Faculty for work equity and professional equity, and that the District become first in the Bay 10 area to establish equity for Associate Faculty as defined by guidelines set by the State Academic Senate.”

 

Discussion ensued, and it was reported that ACE is currently discussing pay equity for Associate Faculty and the State Academic Senate is working on the issue of professional equity.  Equity can include guaranteed interviews.  Linda explained that the hiring process is mutually agreed upon by the District Academic Senate and the District. As salary increases for Associate Faculty, responsibilities would increase accordingly, and the Academic Senate is responsible for defining those responsibilities.  Senator Mingione stated that this resolution advises the district that the Senate recognizes the value, worth, and contribution of Associate Faculty to the college and the district. As discussion continued, Senators expressed and acknowledged their concerns and appreciation for Associate Faculty.   Linda advised that the state guidelines suggest that a pay equity goal be defined and work to achieve that goal.  ACE has defined the goal for Associate Faculty salaries as 80%; they are currently at 64%.  The above resolution was accepted as a first reading and will be discussed further for a second reading in the Fall.   

 

The Senators continued discussion, with emphasis on acknowledging Senator Mingione’s contributions to his department, to the college, and to the Academic Senate.  The following motion was passed unanimously (M/S/U – Carey/Ellis):

 

“The West Valley College Academic Senate wishes to thank the Associate Faculty for all their valuable work and their contributions to the College community over the years and affirms its commitment to help Associate Faculty achieve work and professional equity.”

 

 7.0   Old Business

 

 7.1   Continue Discussion on Budget Cuts & Concerns

            This item was addressed under Item 3.0.

 

8.0    New Business

 

7.2    Evaluation/Best Practices:  Academic Senate

            President King provided the Senators with a list of suggestions based primarily on recommendations made at the State Academic Senate and on her evaluation of the Senate’s current effectiveness.  

 

8.1    Lab Consolidation Task Force

            The Senators received a copy of the Lab Reconfiguration Task Force’s Report to the College Council.  The charge of the task force was to provide College Council with recommendations that will maximize opportunities for student learning and create efficiencies in operations for the 2003/04 academic year. 

 

8.2    Global Education Task Force Report

            This item is postponed until Fall.

 

9.0    President’s Report:  Postponed

10.0   Future Agenda items – No new items were presented.

 

11.0   Correspondence, Publications, and Announcements

         Correspondence - None

         Publications/Minutes

         1.   The April 28, 2003, issue of FA NEWS  from Foothill-DeAnza Faculty Association.

            2.   The agenda for the May 14, 2003, meeting of DBAC and the minutes for April 30th.

            3.   The agenda for the May 8, 2003, meeting of the WVC College Council and the meeting summary for May 1, 2003.

            4.   The Notice of Meeting Cancellation for the May 15, 2003, meeting of the MWV Land Corporation Board of Directors.

            5.   The Process and Criteria for Reduction in Faculty Service for WVMCCD prepared by President Fox and Interim President Samuels.

            6.   the minutes for the April 14th and April 28, 2003, meetings of the Division Chair Council.

            7.   The agenda for the May 15, 2003, meeting of the Board of Trustees.

            8.   The agenda packet for the May 7, 2003, meeting of the WVC Curriculum Committee.

         Announcements/Conferences

         1.   The Academic Senate for California Community College will hold its Faculty Leadership Institute in San Diego, June 25-28, 2003.  The Curriculum Institute will be held in July.

 

12.0   Adjournment

         The meeting was adjourned at  4:40 p.m. (M/S/U – Berlani/Ellis).These minutes are respectfully submitted by Grace Hazán, Academic Senate Secretary.