Ventura College Academic Senate
Minutes
Thursday 18 October 2012      MCW-312

I.	Call to Order
This meeting was called to order at 1:33 p.m. The following senators were present:
Enfield, Amanda—English and Learning Resources
Guillen, Guadalupe—Student Services
Haines, Robbie—Senate Secretary
Hendricks, Bill—Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities
Horigan, Andrea—Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities
Lange, Cari—Senate Vice President
Mitchell, Nancy—Career and Technical Education
Morris, Terry—PE/Athletics, Communication Studies, Foreign Languages, and ESL
Muñoz, Paula—Student Services
Parker, Jennifer—Career and Technical Education
Pauley, Mark—Senate Treasurer, Curriculum Co-chair
Rose, Malia—Mathematics and Sciences
Sezzi, Peter—Senate President
Walker, Jaclyn—English and Learning Resources
The following guests were present:
Cruz, Margie—Executive Secretary, ASVC
Marchioni, Rachel—Administrative Assistant, Title V Grant
Royer, Susan—VC Bookstore Manager
Scott, Kathy—Dean, Institutional Effectiveness
Valenzuela, A.J.—Student Trustee

II.	Public Comments
No public comments were made.

III.	Acknowledgement of Guests
a.	Susan Royer, VC Bookstore Manager
Royer presented information about the procedure and importance of timely adoption of textbooks by faculty. A discussion of various elements of the process ensued, which included significant information from Royer regarding the overall costs to students who buy returnable vs. non-returnable books/materials. Royer additionally provided a rationale for the early adoption deadline.

b.	Kathy Scott, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness
Scott introduced Marchioni as the person who is collecting SLO data. Scott explained objectives of the U.S. Dept. of Education Title V HSI Grant, noting that those objectives must be measurable. This grant supplies funds for SI leaders, which Scott reported have been hugely successful in the past. The need for tutors was discussed, as was better communication with tutoring candidates so they know more about tutoring opportunities. The funding and training of tutors and SIs was discussed. Scott reported that a qualitative researcher will be hired by the grant to evaluate students’ opinions of the success of this program, and that a grant director will also be hired. 

IV.	Approval of Minutes, 4 October 2012
Haines motioned to approve these minutes, Rose seconded. Discussion was initiated, in which Muñoz requested the following correction: she had provided information regarding Propositions 30 and 32, she had informed, not lobbied the Council, regarding those propositions. The motion, with the requested corrections, carried 12–0–2; Sandoval and Horigan abstained. 

V.	Study Sessions
a.	Updating of Faculty Websites Hosted on VC Servers
The utility of faculty websites and timely updating of all faculty websites was discussed. Consensus was reached that faculty websites should be updated; if a faculty website has not been updated recently, the faculty member should be contacted and asked to update it or it should be removed. The concern is that having many faculty websites that are not updated on a regular basis makes the college look unprofessional or ossified. It was noted that there is a benefit for having freely accessible faculty websites (as opposed to having faculty post only through our Learning Management System [LMS] or within our District Portal) as faculty websites are accessible to all whereas the LMS or the Portal only provide access to students currently enrolled in a given section. The definition of “web-enhanced” was discussed with respect to posting documents online, Pearson Publishing’s “Mastering” series, “flipping” the classroom, etc. ADA requirements were discussed, as were financial issues relating to students who may not have reasonable access to a computer. 

VI.	Action Items
a.	Determination of Senate Election Dates and Elections Committee
The 15 October deadline for Senate nominations was extended to 31 October because nobody had been nominated to date. Details of Senate postions’ responsibilities were discussed. Hendricks and Horigan agreed to serve as the election committee. It was agreed that the election would take place 8–14 November, and that the election committee would count the votes on 15 November. Sezzi committed to stuffing mailboxes a second time with a call for nominations on salmon-colored paper. Lange motioned to approve these procedures, Guilen seconded. The motion carried unanimously. 

b.	VCCCD Integrated Planning Manual (Second Reading)
Sandford motioned to approve this document, Pauley seconded. The motion carried 13–0–1 with Muñoz abstaining. 

c.	Revised VC ISLOs/ISUOs (Second Reading)
Horrigan motion to approve this document, Pauley seconded. The motion carried unanimously. 

d.	VC ISLO Rubrics on Communication & Scientific/Quantitative Reasoning (First Reading)
The five-year plan for SLO rotation was discussed. Categories on rubrics were also discussed, focusing on standardizing terminology, point valuations and number of evaluation components. Pauley motioned to move this document to second reading, Parker seconded. The motion carried unanimously. 

e.	Resolution on the Importance and Value of Shared Governance (First Reading)
Mitchell motioned to move this document to second reading, Haines seconded. The motion carried unanimously. 

f.	BP/AP 4255 – Disqualification and Dismissal (First Reading)
Sezzi informed senators that this document was not yet ready for Senate review.

g.	AP 4260 – Pre- and Co- Requisites (First Reading)
Sezzi informed senators that this document was not yet ready for Senate review. 

h.	BP/AP 5010 – Admissions & Concurrent Enrollment (First Reading)
Most of this document appeared to be simple updating and handling of legal issues; the only substantive issue appeared to be concurrent enrollment of high school students. Value of concurrent enrollment of high school students discussed in the context of funding, our agreement with El Camino High School. Since those students have low enrollment priorities, the problem of high school students displacing college-age students is actually a very small one, especially when compared to how big of an issue this was a few years ago. Motion to move this document to second reading Parker, Guillen, unanimous. Sezzi was asked to find out why the wording in several sections said what it did and he also agreed to bring numbers on how many concurrently enrolled (a.k.a. “special admits”) we currently have at VC.

i.	AP 5055 – Enrollment Priorities (First Reading)
Sezzi informed senators that this document was not yet ready for Senate review.

VII.	President’s Report
a.	Board of Trustees meeting report
Sezzi reported that there was nothing to report.

b.	Administrative Council report
Sezzi reported that there was nothing to report. 

c.	DCAP, DCHR, DCAS reports
DCAP: Nothing significant was reported. DCHR: Our recommended changes to hiring committees are currently on hold, as the other campus Senates have not yet discussed the matter. Another of our recommendations was adopted, however: Deans, Department Chairs, and Administrative Assistants will now be notified when a candidate does not accept a work offer (i.e., a part-time rejects a section). DCAS: The District may be considering moving the District Office to a location on either the VC or OC campuses. Also, if Prop 30 fails, the District Office will lose several (perhaps up to 7) employees; Sue Johnson is broaching the concept of changing the way the allocation model distributes dollars to the District Office in order to alleviate this eventuality. Sezzi noted that if this proposal is presented at DCAS, he will ask Johnson to come to our Senate to explain the position.

d.	Open Forum reports
Lange reported that the state has reduced the threshold defining a “mid-size” college, so even with cuts we will remain a mid-size college. If Proposition 30 fails, our required full-time obligation number (FON) will be suspended; in that case, our district will be over by 31 faculty positions, probably 5 at VC alone. President Calote has already identified 4 positions that will not be replaced after retirement. Sezzi reported that a revised VC Mission Statement was discussed.

VIII.	Senate Subcommittee reports
a.	Curriculum Committee report
Nothing significant was reported.

b.	SLOOC report
Nothing significant was reported.

c.	Other Senate Committees
Nothing significant was reported.

IX.	Campus Committee reports
Nothing significant was reported.

X.	Adjournment
This meeting adjourned at 3:34 p.m.