CHAPARRAL

     First, I would like to thank each of you who responded to our request for donations to the Academic Senate. Then I would like to ask those who have not yet contrib­uted to consider doing so. An explanation is in order.

     Contributions to the Senate have not increased in the years that I have been here, and that is more than a decade. Five dollars is all that the Senate has asked and a small number of us make contributions of that amount by payroll deduction. Others offer a check of that amount, more or less, but the sum total is rather small. At the same time, our salaries have increased over the last decade and the cost of doing business has also risen. Thus it should not surprise us that the cost of the Senate's business has also increased.

So you ask, what does the Senate need money to do?

    The budget of the Academic Senate is small compared to that of the Guild, but the work of the Senate is just as significant. The Senate is responsible for or shares responsibility with Academic Affairs for curriculum development including prerequisites, degree requirements, grading policies, educational program development, standards or policies regarding student preparation and success, college governance structures as these relate to faculty roles, faculty involvement in accreditation, policies for faculty professional development, processes of program review, processes for institutional planning and budget development, and other academic and professional matters as are mutually agreed to by the Senate and the administration.

     Yes, Glendale Community College has autonomy in the existing system to make decisions for itself on many of these issues, but each of these issues has significance at the state level. The most powerful example is accreditation. Our accrediting agency has just changed the guidelines that will be used in accreditation. No, the new rules will not apply to our case in the next accreditation, but eventually they will apply. I cannot hope here to share the details of what the new standards will mean. But the Senate will have to keep pace and to the Senate will fall the tasks of redefining the guidelines. To keep abreast of the discussions, the Senate needs to join in the conversation happening at the state level. That means at­tending conferences and participating in committee work beyond our campus. The ASCCC is conducting several breakout sessions on this topic at the conference scheduled for the end of October through early November. We need to send senators to engage in that discussion.

     I have other examples of issues on the agenda at the ASCCC meeting that are important for us to know about. At the fall meeting there will be discussion of the replacement of elected division chairs with appointed area deans. While we do not anticipate this happening at GCC, it is important to see that it has happened elsewhere, even though the local faculty really believed that they were in control of the decision when they were not. Several breakout sessions will address the crises that have developed surrounding technology as the need for software and hardware increases even as the budget does not. Issues of financial aid, leadership development and the need to mobilize students and faculty in the face of budget cuts are also on the agenda. The graduation requirement of  "information competency" will also be addressed.

     It is also important that we take advantage of the various institutes that the ASCCC offers. The Leadership Institute offers invaluable training in the work of senates and governance systems. The work of the ASCCC has been helpful in developing discussion of our budget process. We have also been key players in other institutes or conferences, taking our experience to share with other campuses. Last summer some of our colleagues shared the work we have done on our campus developing ways of meeting information competency standards. We have showcased the work our Curriculum and Instruction Committee has done in marshalling courses through the approval process.

     While the ASCCC conferences are crucial for keeping GCC attuned to what is happening at the state level, it is not the only conference that we need to attend. FACCC has a powerful program scheduled for early October. The Senate needs to join in Lobby Day. We should attend conferences that are examining the state Master Plan. The one on the table at this time makes big changes that could be very important to the community colleges of California.

     In addition to the tasks that the Senate is legally responsible for doing, the GCC Senate has taken on other work. The Senate is very proud of the Parker and our Distinguished Faculty awards, but those awards incur costs.

     We contribute to the cost of publishing the Chaparral. Our office expenses are covered by contributions you make. We sponsor the holiday party, and although we do ask you to pay for the lunch, the costs of the event are not completely covered by what we charge. We contribute to the cost of the end-of-the-year party.

     We are also proud to sponsor two scholarships that are granted to students who meet the highest standards of academic excellence. The Senate has raised the amounts awarded to reflect the rising costs of education in the 21st century.

     All of this work costs money. We ask for you to consider making or increasing your contribution to the Senate so that we can continue to improve the work we do for all of us. &

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“The budget of the Academic Senate is small compared to that of the Guild, but the work of the Senate is just as significant.”