Ventura College Academic Senate
Thursday, November 20, 2008

NOTE: This was a joint meeting of the 
Ventura College Academic Senate & the
Subcommittee on Faculty Professional Development

I.	Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 1:35 pm.
The following Council members were present:  Terry Morris, Kammy Algiers, Angelica Gonzales, Mark Pauley, Lisa Andersen, Nancy Mitchell, Robbie Haines, Jennifer Garcia, Ann Bittl, Warren Lew (Treasurer), Deborah Pollack (Vice-President), Peter Sezzi (President).
The following members of the Faculty Professional Development Subcommittee were present: Peter Yi, Andrea Adlman, Ted Prell (Co-Chair), Gigi Fiumerodo (Co-Chair), Sumita Lall, Michelle Beard, Albert Chen.
II.	Approval of minutes
The Senate Council approved the Nov. 6  minutes as amended. Pauley motioned, Mitchell seconded; Garica abstained.
III.	Study Session
a.	Immediately after the approval of the minutes the Council in combination with the Senate’s Subcommittee on Faculty Professional Development engaged in a robust and vigorous discussion on matters related to Ventura College faculty and professional development. Those assembled discussed ideas and opportunities available for faculty continued professional development, including student behavioral issues/classroom management, teacher’s rights in the classroom, CurricuNet training, Faculty webpage development, Arts & Lectures series, individual conference attendance, writing/reading across the curriculum, plagiarism, creation of a faculty lounge area, high school connections, networking with discipline faculty at our sister colleges, writing/developing/validating student tests/exams, student performance.
i.	After lengthy deliberation the Council agreed that it would be prudent to use a portion of the Faculty Professional Development Subcommittee’s remaining one-time funds to host the Ventura College Faculty Development Series. These one-time funds must be used by the end of this academic year. The remainder of these funds shall continue to be used for individual faculty professional development and distributed in a manner as best determined by the Subcommittee. The inaugural Ventura College Faculty Development Series shall commence in Spring 2009 and shall include no fewer than three (3) events (two (2) minor and one (1) larger event) to be held on Thursdays Feb. 19, March 12 and April 16 at 1:30 pm. The February and April series events shall be held on Senate meeting dates. The March event shall be the larger event. All events shall include refreshments and either in-house or scheduled guest speakers. If these events prove successful, the intent shall be to institute this series as an on-going feature each academic year.
ii.	Those assembled also discussed the contractually-obligated $100 per full-time faculty member ongoing professional development funds. After extensive discussion, the Senate Executive Committee agreed to draft proposal(s) for Council review at a later date for methods that might encourage a pooled use of these funds that might lead to greater professional development opportunities. 
IV.	President’s Report
a.	Administrative Council report. Sezzi had nothing to report.
b.	Board of Trustees Meeting report. Sezzi noted that the Board meeting occurred at Mooprark College this past Tuesday evening. He reported to the Board of Trusttees the Senate motion on the Office of College Bilingual Services. Sezzi also recounted that the Board of Trustees of late has become increasingly cautious about financial obligations even to the point to enquring about the costs that new curriculum might incur. 
c.	Statewide Academic Senate Fall Plenary Session report. Sezzi noted that he had not yet received a list of the approved, failed and withdrawn resolutions deliberated at the Fall Plenary. 
V.	Reports
a.	Sabbatical Leave Committee report. Pollack reported that the Sabbatical Leave Committee has heard three faculty presentations. Chair Robert Arce has forwarded the Committee’s recommendations to the District Sabbatical Leave Committee. At a future Senate meeting Arce shall present the Committee’s recommendations before the Council. 
b.	Staffing Priorities Subcommittee report. The Subcommittee has had its initial meeting and has developed its rubric/criteria for evaluating requests for faculty growth positions. Becky Hull shall be the Chair of this Subcommittee. The Subcommittee shall meet again today following the Council meeting.
VI.	Information Items
a.	All Faculty Email groups. Sezzi asked that at a future meeting the Council provide him direction on what it considers his appropriate use of all faculty email groups.
VII.	Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 3:05 pm.