CHAPARRAL

What I did on my Summer Vacation

“Did you know what you were getting yourself into?”  Laurie Kolpas

Thank You, Peggy

     My Senate presidential duties began on June 14, 2005.  Peggy Renner was ready to pass the baton in a very soothing and professional way.  She had prepared a Senate president notebook for me, delineating my responsibilities month-by-month.  She also arranged a data base of all resolutions on the Senate computer.  Moreover, all files she had produced as Senate president were arranged in appropriately named folders on the computer.  We met numerous times so that all my questions and concerns could be answered.  And, she was always available by phone for my frequent panic attacks.  Luckily, Peggy will be on Senate Executive this year as past president, so I can benefit from her wisdom.  That is a very soothing thought.

Summer Camp in San Jose

     Toward the end of June, I spent three days at the annual State Academic Senate Leadership Conference, this year held at the Dolce Hayes Mansion in San Jose. Don’t worry, I got along quite well with all the other boys and girls, and served as a model representative of our GCC family. The conference is intended to help new leadership learn the role of local senates in the academic and professional matters of their colleges, as delineated in AB 1725, and exercised by the Mutual Gains Document.  Additionally, the conference held breakout sessions on such topics as: How to Run a Senate Meeting, Robert’s Rules of Order,  Conflict Resolution, Student Learning Outcomes, Accreditation, Budget, Relationships between the Union and the Senate, and Distance Education.  I had the opportunity to meet with our State Academic Senate leaders, and discuss important issues with them.  One of the most valuable outcomes of the conference was the contacts I made with other local senate leaders; I now have an intellectual and emotional support network.  I also left with the realization that our Senate has a great deal more support from our administration through our collegial governance structure, and a great deal more power than is the case at most other community colleges.

When the Cat’s Away, the Mice Will Play

     A large part of my Senate work this summer had to do with administrative decisions made while most of us were away for the summer.  A job announcement for a new Library Dean was made, with a position “demoted” to Associate Dean of Library and Information Services; many affected by this decision were concerned about the change in position, and therefore much debate ensued.  Similarly, there was much discussion about a new Associate Dean of Allied Health, including an interim replacement; I was engaged in the ongoing debate.  And, a “last minute” change in the Senate’s representative for the hiring committee for the Associate Dean of Continuing Education had me scrambling to find a new Senate representative.  ITS intended to install software on each of our computers this summer, enabling them to remotely fix many computer problems and upgrade computers en masse.  However, a Senate-initiated debate regarding the appropriateness of the software and its potential misuse led to a postponement of the installation. The Senate will now be deeply involved in the decision-making process to find appropriate software.

The Importance of Being Politically Correct

     Many decisions were made during the summer regarding Senate appointments to hiring committees and governance committees.  I endeavored to make politically correct decisions, and worked with the Guild to make certain our appointments worked in concert with one another.  I also worked earnestly (it’s important to be earnest) to fill the chairs of Program Review and Student Learning Outcomes (a Senate task force); Student Learning Outcomes are a major focus of the new accreditation standards.  Alice Mecom consented to chair Student Learning Outcomes, and in August went for SLO training at UC Berkeley.  Even after much searching and cajoling, by the start of the new academic year no one consented to chair Program Review, an extremely vital committee. Pete Witt agreed to continue as chair this fall, with the position re-advertised in October. I also had stimulating discussions with members of various divisions regarding the Senate’s role in deciding equivalencies to minimum qualifications.  Because Linda Winters, our budget representative, had become an associate dean, I had to find a new Senate budget representative.  In typical fashion, Joe Denhart, known for service to the college above and beyond the call of duty, stepped up to the plate.  Linda Winters, our outgoing budget representative, gave me significant help in preparing a Powerpoint presentation on the Senate’s role in the budget process. I made my presentation to the Board of Trustees on August 22.  Many issues involving minimum qualifications, equivalencies, and program placement were forwarded to Mike Wheeler (1^st Vice President), our expert on those matters.  It is reassuring to have a dedicated expert such as Mike on Senate Executive. 

A Special Friend in Administration

     I’d like to offer special thanks to Steve White, Vice President of Instruction.  Steve met with me once a week all summer; our meetings will continue during the academic year.  We discussed academic and professional issues, and he educated me on matters in which I felt my depth of knowledge was particularly shallow.  I also used Steve as a sounding board for ideas I had for improving our academic programs.  In open, honest, sometimes heated discussions we covered a wide range of curricular and academic program issues.  I look forward to our future meetings.

Academic Senate Dreaming, on Such a Summer’s Day

     Given the strong leadership, intelligence, and political savvy of my predecessors, I periodically questioned my ability to fill their shoes adequately.  Anxiety dreams were common over the summer: unruly Senate meetings, missing agendas, suffering the slings and arrows of equivalencies and FSAs, making politically incorrect decisions—and being corrected by Bill Maher.  But Arlene Guillen’s (the Senate’s and Guild’s indispensable administrative assistant) unwavering support and sound advice helped me to gain my confidence.  Soon, I was writing my first welcome back letter for Institute Day, preparing my first Senate Executive agenda, working on Institute Day speeches, and seriously considering ways in which I would run Senate meetings. All of this accomplished in only 100 hours of work over a two-month period.

Developing a Philosophy of Running the Senate

     My philosophy of running the Senate derives from who I am.  I like to follow my strong moral compass.  My style is fewer words and more action.  I believe that “less is more”—that if you juggle too many things at once, none of them get done well.  I feel that all of us should do our share of the work.  I believe in starting on time, and finishing on time.  I feel that life is too short for petty bickering.  I believe that we should value one another.  I think that no one has ownership of the truth; through compromise we can find a common ground.  And, I believe that power comes not from authority exercised, but from respect earned.  Therefore, I hope for a Senate that is collegial, hard working (while protecting its mental and physical health), relevant, efficient, and most of all, respected.

Some of This Year’s Major Challenges

     This year’s most important challenge is to choose a new college president.  As Dr. Davitt said on Institute Day, we can basically expect all candidates to know the rules and regulations governing community colleges.  What we need to find is a new college president whose personal characteristics are compatible with our own—a humanistic president who values each and every employee, and who most of all believes in shared governance as a means of making decisions.  Among our other important challenges are: Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), a major component of our next accreditation; a non-contractual grievance policy to handle conflicts between faculty-faculty and faculty-administrator; and suggestions for attracting an ethnically diverse faculty, one that reflects our own student population.  None of these challenges can be tackled by just the Senate alone; we need everyone’s expertise and energy.

A Plea

     As I said in my Institute Day letter:  “Ask not what your senate can do for you, but what you can do for your senate.”  Turn your concerns into positive actions.  Come increase our joy while lessening our burden.  We have much to accomplish that affects us all.&

back to top