Ventura College Academic Senate
Minutes
Thursday, October 30, 2014
2:00-­‐3:30pm
Multidiscipline Center West  (MCW)  –  312  

I. Call to Order at 2:02p.m.  The following senators were present: 

Senator	Division Represented	Initials	Present	Absent	
Algiers, Kammy	Mathematics & Sciences	KA	X		
Carrasco-Nungaray, Marian	Student Services	MCN	X		
Coffey, Colleen M.	Senate Secretary	CMC	X		
Forde, Richard	Career & Technical Education	RF	X		
Hendricks, Bill	Social Sciences & Humanities	BH	X		
Kim, Henny	English & Learning Resources	HK	X		
Kolesnik, Alex	Mathematics & Sciences	AK	X		
Martin, Amanda	English & Learning Resources	AM	X		
McCain, Mike	Mathematics & Sciences	MM		X	
Morris, Terry or Anglin, Gary	Athletics, Kinesiology & Health	TM / GA			
Horigan, Andrea for Mules, Ron	Social Sciences & Humanities	RM	X		
Reyes, Tony	ASVC External Affairs Director 	TR	X		
Sezzi, Peter H.	Senate President	PHS	X		
Sha, Saliha	Mathematics & Sciences	SS		X	
Wendt, Patty or Paula Munoz	Student Services	PW / PM	PW 		
Zacharias, Mary	Career & Technical Education	MZ	X		

Guests Present: Jaclyn Walker (English)

II. Public  Comments   
	a.  Sandy Melton (Nursing): Nursing is down 3 full time faculty due to retirements.  They have made 4 offers but all declined because of low salary.  Another candidate was selected but turned it down due to the fact that her nursing experience did not count.  They are asking for another step increase for this candidate that gives her credit for her experience.  President is making a presentation to the Board about this on 11/11.  They are out of compliance with accreditation and Board of Nursing for ratio of faculty to students.  “They are in crisis.”  Says they just can’t hire anyone; they make offers and candidates turn them down because of law salary.

	b.  Kammy Algiers: Comment about the Equity Forum.  She was disappointed that so few teaching faculty were there.  The attendance breakdown was as follows:

Counseling = 11 Full-time; 2 Part-time
F/T Faculty = 16
P/T Faculty = 2
 
Classified= 36
 
Management=6
 
Supervisors/Managers=4
 
Outside Attendees=4

She says she was just very disappointed by this turnout.   She wants to make people aware of this so that they can bring it up to others and try to change this culture of not participating.

	c. Norbet Tan and Anne King here from the VC Foundation to show us the new promotional video that Dina Pielaet has produced for the campus.

	d. Dave Keebler: He says at the next meeting we will be looking at a proposal for a Bachelor’s Degree at the CC level; we will be able to discuss it at our next meeting.  Time by which we need to make a decision is incredibly short: we got notice earlier this week that we need to tell the state by 11/12 if we are interested.  State will not release RFP (RFP pool) until colleges express interest.  But funding model is not available until March.  Dave says we’ll talk about it next week.

III. Acknowledgement  of  Guests  
	a. Jamillah  Moore  –  Chancellor  (2:15pm  –  Time  certain)   Dr. Moore  begins by saying that VC hosting the BOT meeting 11/11.  Opening of Veterans’ Center is set for that night as well.  Opens the floor to questions from senators.  AH asks about Department Chairs numerous requests to HR to come to a department meeting.  Says this is an issue that has gone around without resolution.  She says faculty feel like they are being run around. Dr. Moore says she will certainly take that back to Michael.  She says the “emergency hire” process was one of her first priorities and they are currently working on that to cover 248 openings in the class schedule district-wide.  AK speaks up and says both Michael and Gary have been difficult to get on campus; though they did come and present on flex day.  AK acknowledges that emergency hire is a huge issue.  KA adds to AK’s comment: she says it would be very helpful to have these things like HR’s flex day activity more consistently—presentations like that are very helpful in keeping faculty informed. 

PHS asks about plans to hire additional Vice Chancellors of Academic Affairs. Dr. Moore says there has been a goal and a recommendation from ACCJC, but we simply do not have the funds.  It is on “the list” but not done.  They have also asked for a study of how to staff in conformance with other college’s organizational structure.  This will come before the BOT.

MCN asks about the need to grow.  She asks about the marketing plans to grow our campuses. Dr. Moore says there are district-wide monies to pursue marketing (at district level) but they need input from individual campuses about what they want to see.  

AK asks about understaffing in so many areas.  He asks if it is wise to continue to trying to grow when we are so understaffed, or to go slower and staff first. Dr. Moore replies that we need to grow in order to receive our dollars from the state.  She says they are particular mindful of the Classified Staff numbers—bringing back 10 and 11-month positions to 12 months.

PHS asks about greatest challenges for this district. Dr. Moore says how we deal with Prop 30 dollars going away.  She says that’s an $8-9m hole; how we address the health care issue (faculty vs. classified); SEIU wants district to deliver same to classified as to faculty; how to deal with STRS deficit; says it’s really about sustainment in critical areas; other future budgetary challenges.

MCN says she likes the idea of asking data from other colleges as for best practices re: staffing.  PHS asks MCN for clarification.  MCN says that historically federal and state governments have provided funding for underrepresented populations—they have fantastic programs aimed at retention; but VC does not have these dollars. Dr. Moore says her “speculation” is that this was a district that prided itself on being so fiscally conservative that while we have savings etc., we have a deficit in terms of serving at risk populations; seeking & managing grants, etc.  She says now we’re playing catch-up in these areas.  

Jaclyn Walker asks Dr. Moore about funding for Vice Chancellor position. Dr. Moore says they can only fill the position if they have the funds and right now they do not.  So it is on the “wish list”.  She says right now at the district office there is no one assigned to the campuses.  A Vice Chancellor would be the designee in this.  But she says the BOT has acknowledged this, and the ACCJC has said we need a “Chief Instructional Officer”.  But resources do not permit it right now.  She says in the interim, they have been piecing this together with consultants, reassigned time, etc.  PHS clarifies the distribution of state monies and explains how this figures into hiring. Dr. Moore reiterates the way in which this outside study will help rethink how the district is staffed.  

MCN brings up centralization vs. decentralization and the issues raised by this. Dr. Moore says we are still undecided a bit in this regard.  MCN would like to see models of both from this outside study.   

IV. Approval  of  minutes  
a. October  16,  2014 –postponed to next week 11/6 meeting.  

V. Study  Sessions  
a. College  Hour –HK asks about the wisdom of cutting out a block when we need to grow enrollment.  PHS asks if we were to move a block on T/Th to make way for this which block would have the least effect on our FTES?  CMC brings up that she believes there are two different issues at stake here: one, a space in the schedule to facilitate student-centered events and committee meetings on campus; second, the issue of getting all faculty to participate in campus committees.  In her opinion, removing a block of classes to make way for committee meetings is not appropriate until we address the issue of getting full-time faculty to participate on committees as they are required to do by contract.  Senators discuss this further.  PHS winds up discussion by concluding that we must first address issue of faculty involvement and engagement; but that we should keep college hour for a discussion on the table to be taken up again.  

Further discussion ensues about where this initiative should come from in terms of getting all full-time faculty to participate on campus.  MCN says this should be faculty’s own initiative.  PHS wants to see Department Chairs take a much more active role in assigning faculty to committees.  AM says she would like to see what other campuses are doing and get input from best practices.  PHS says he will do some research and we’ll come back to this.  CMC remarks that “regular and effective contact” is not just about distant ed; it’s about meeting with your colleagues regularly as well.  

VI. Consent Items*  --MCN moves to table all 3.  PHS asks if she wants them as consent or as action items at next meeting.  She says SS has not even reviewed these and she does not know when they will have opportunity to review these.  He motions to have them all remain as consent items for next meeting; MZ seconds.  Vote 13-0-1 (AH abstains). MCN then distributes handouts to senators about upcoming Transfer Center events.
a. BP/AP  4050  –  Articulation   
b. BP/AP  5110  –  Counseling     
c. BP/AP  5120  –  Transfer  Center  

VII. Action  Items   
a. Approval  of  faculty  membership  of  College  and  District  committees –PHS hands out a supplemental agenda packet with list of people serving on committees.  Motion to approve the faculty listed for these committees by PW; second by AK.  Vote: unanimous.  
PHS working with President on development of 3SP and Equity as participatory governance committees.

b. Ventura  College  Academic  Senate  Goals  for  2014-­‐2015  (Second  Reading)—Motion to approve by KA; second by MZ.  Discussion: MCN says she appreciates how the goals have been combined for senators but she thinks more discussion is in order.  She says that she feels that meetings are rushed; that we need to take more time at our senate meetings.  MZ says we either need longer meetings or more frequent meetings.  PHS says message he got was “shorter meetings” “less meetings”.  He says he’s trying to do the best that he can.  Vote: unanimous.
   
c. Faculty  Staffing  Priorities  Committee  Rubric  (First  Reading)**   --on the last page of the supplemental agenda packet.  PHS says Corey Wendt had brought up some very helpful input on this.  PHS says he wants this taken back to the divisions to get input; we have time to review and revise this before the 1st SPC meeting on Friday afternoon 11/14.  So this will not be voted on at this time but brought back to senate to give time for revisions/input.  PHS will send out to all faculty tomorrow.

d. Distance  Education  Handbook  (First  Reading) –DE Committee has drafted this and has approved it.  PHS says any references to individuals’ names should be removed and leave only positions identified.  RF motions to move to 2nd reading (with changes as to listed individual names); AK seconds; vote: unanimous.
  
e. Resolution  Recognizing  Toyota’s  Support  of  VC’s  Automotive  Technology  Program  (First  Reading)  --AK motions for 1st and 2nd; KA seconds.  Discussion about necessity of supporting Toyota and our fellow full-time faculty in Auto Tech.  Vote: unanimous.

VIII. President’s  Report –nothing to report.  

IX. Senate  Subcommittee  reports  
a. Elections  Committee  report  --Report from AM and PW.  AM says ballots will be distributed on Friday; votes will be tallied on Thurs a.m. and they will announce at 11/6 senate meeting.  PW raises issue of whether PT faculty can vote.  Per Constitution, only full-time vote unless full-time agree to extend vote (via Constitution change) to part time faculty.  

b. Curriculum  Committee  report  --meeting last Tuesday (barely had quorum); another meeting next Tuesday 11/4.

c. Other  Senate  Committees  reports   --none.

X. Campus  Committee  reports  --MCN from counseling.  This coming Thurs 11/6 will be university/college fair.  She gave senators a handout about this.  She asks senators to wear university/college sweatshirt.  Also brings up the free university tours for students.  Says we need to develop an honor’s program (as UCLA suggested).  She asks faculty to promote the free tours.

KA 11/14 from 11-1 there will be another Equity Forum.  She says the data will be sent out in advance.

AH talks about the online initiative.  She says the RFP went out on Monday.  She says this is going to close in a very short time.  VC’s first [pilot] courses using the new platform will roll out in summer; beginning in fall VC’s courses will be available on the new platform to all users.  PHS asks about which courses.  AH says they put up 5 (they have to be GE and IGETSE).  KA says she could teach a BIO course for this if necessary.  

a. Campus Committees reports   

XI. Announcements  for  the  Good  of  the  Order  --MZ says we need to look at committee membership.  In their department; 1/3 of the positions are open; 1/3 are tenure track/probationary; 1/3 are full-time.

a. Instructional Calendar/Compressed  Calendar –PHS says these are negotiated items.  He says if we want any input we must speak to the Union.  About the compressed calendar, Steve Hall asked PHS to serve on a committee (not as senate president), but as of yet, nothing has happened and no committee meetings have taken place.    

XII. Requests for Future  Agenda  Items  --none. 

XIII. Adjournment at 3:47.