The semester is winding down, and I would like to take this opportunity to update you on the most significant actions taken by the Senate.

GOVERNANCE

Considerable energy of the Senate went into addressing the technical assistance visit in January and the subsequent report.  After the report came out in early March, the Senate held an electorate meeting to discuss the report and its recommendations.  The results of that meeting were transmitted to the Senate, which in turn passed a motion in which the Senate “affirms its desire to promote a campus climate of mutual respect and trust and calls on the district to invite this semester an external facilitator.”  Since then, Dr. Levy and I have consulted and agreed on a team of facilitators (one with background in academic senate matters and the other in administrative matters) and will take the proposal to Campus Executive.  The precise format and timing of the facilitation will have to be worked out, but the initial estimate is that the process can begin shortly and will involve multiple meetings between the various

constituency organizations.

     Another recommendation of the technical assistance report was that the college should adopt a policy that specifies the roles of the Board of Trustees and the various constituency organizations with respect to policymaking.  Such a policy was in fact in the works in Campus Executive, but ironically was delayed until we could consult with the technical assistance team about some of the technicalities of the law that governs this area.  The good news is that the Senate incorporated the advice of the team and sent a recommendation to Campus Executive for this policy.

     As we all know now, Dr. Levy will be leaving the college for a new job in Texas next year.  The Senate addressed the succession process by a motion that called for collegial consultation with the Board of Trustees on the choice and the process of the selection of an interim president, chosen from candidates experienced with Glendale College, for the term of at least one academic year.

     On another front, it became apparent that there are some ambiguities in Administrative

Regulation 2125 that, among other things, governs the election and confirmation of division chairs.  In particular, the confirmation section of the regulation is vague about who has the right to vote and what constitutes a majority.  The Senate revision takes the language from the election section on those issues and applies it to the confirmation.

CURRICULUMISSUES

     In response to a request from the Aviation and Technology division, the Senate approved the
creation of the Environmental Technologies discipline so that courses for solar power technicians may be offered.  This is the third discipline added this year, along with Engineering and
Interdisciplinary Studies. 

     The Senate also approved a change in the graduation requirement in Physical Education. 

Previously, students who were 21 and older were exempt, but the Chancellor’s Office has ruled that this amounts to age discrimination.  The Senate therefore voted to extend the requirement to all ages.  (Other exemptions for nursing students and those with medical excuses are still in effect.)

     At two Board of Trustees meetings this year, Ed Karpp presented data generated by the Accountability Reporting for the Community Colleges project that showed that the college has relatively low success with students who complete basic skills courses going on to complete degree-applicable courses (in the same subject.)  The Senate accordingly asked the Foundational Skills committee to send it a report on the college’s plan to improve the student rate of success in this area.  The committee has indicated that they will be forwarding a plan to the Senate next fall.

Task Forces

     A number of task forces have been created as well.  The Senate established a joint task force with the Los Angeles City College Academic Senate to devise an instructional services agreement vis-à-vis LACC’s new VanDeKamp campus.  The task force attended a public presentation at LACC about the new campus at the end of April.  At the presentation, LACC indicated that they are not presently financially able to begin programs there and that the L.A. Community College district will administer programs for a five-year period.  Those programs will include career advancement, technology preparation, and workforce readiness.  They also announced that a charter high school would be phased in there over the next four years.  We are in the process of coordinating the first joint meeting between the two Senate representatives. 

     In response to a request from the Graduation Requirements committee, the Senate created a task force on graduation requirements.  The task force will look at our GCC graduation requirements and rates and how we compare with other colleges in these areas.  The task force is also likely to review the philosophy of awarding degrees, as expressed in our current requirements.

     The Senate also voted to revise the tenure-track hiring process.  The motion provides that hiring committees may send forward one or more candidates to the final interview, that the chair of the hiring committee will be included in the final interviews of the recommended candidate(s), and that in the event that the final hiring committee does not choose the forwarded candidates, it will consult with the hiring committee to ascertain whether the committee desires to send forward any additional candidates.  Campus Executive adopted this proposal with some minor modifications.

Student Equity

     The Senate voted to approve the Student Equity committee mission statement.  According to the statement the committee has four primary goals: 
 

· Develop curriculum that reflects the true diversity of intellectual pursuits and/or reflects the interests of our constituent populations;
 

· Recruit, mentor, and
provide ongoing support to diverse faculty and staff who excel in their fields of expertise;
 

· Recruit, mentor and provide ongoing support to students from the diverse constituents of the college (and document access and success of these populations).
 

· Assess and guarantee access to physical and technology resources given the needs of the college’s diverse
constituents.

(The complete mission statement can be found on the Senate web site: http://www.glendale.edu/senate/)

Next Year’s Senate and Senate Executive

     The Senate elected three senators-at-large in April:  Tina Andersen-Wahlberg, Greg Perkins, and myself.  We instituted an online election that resulted in increased turnout of full-time faculty but a decline in part-time faculty turnout.  Be assured that the Senate is very concerned about this decline and will endeavor next year to better alert part-time faculty of the election process.

     The Senate will elect all new officers in May, except the president (I have one more year left on my term.)  This means that a president-elect will be chosen and after one year will serve as president from 2010 to 2012.  This provides a year of observation and preparation for the president-elect, instead of being thrust into the job a month after the election.

What’s Next?

     Some thirteen motions are pending before the Senate at the end of the year.  Revisions or

deletions to policies or regulations regarding adjunct hiring, controversial issues, and the role of the Senate are proposed.  Other topics of action include changed procedures for administrative withdrawals, new faculty orientation, the disciplines’ list, the adjunct web site, student learning outcomes, academic rank, a new academic home for the child development discipline, and distance education.  You can check out the Senate web site for more information via the agendas and minutes.

     As you can see, it’s been a busy and productive semester, and we will no doubt hit the ground running in September.  Have a great and restful summer from the Senate! &

back to top