TO:  Dr. Robin Calote, President
FROM: Peter Sezzi, Academic Senate President
	Becky Hull, Staffing Priorities Subcommittee Chair

SUBJECT:  Prioritized Growth Faculty Positions for Academic Year 2008-2009

Our committee of 11 faculty members met this morning and heard 10 presentations for 13 Growth positions.  Our first position (Chemistry) is a Non-Prioritized top position to ensure that this current hiring process is completed and the position is filled.  

NON-PRIORITIZED Top Position:  Chemistry   (position currently completing hiring process)

The following  SPC recommendations are in PRIORITY order.  After our first round of balloting, there were clearly 3 positions at the top.  A second round of balloting resulted in the next 3 positions.  

PRIORITY  RANK ORDER:

BIOLOGY – Anatomy/Physiology

ART – 3D, Ceramics/Sculpture

LEARNING DISABILITIES SPECIALIST

GeoSciences – Geology

English

Reading

The committee’s rationale for the positions listed above is located on the next page.  Thank you for meeting with us and openly discussing our work.  The committee understands the difficult position Ventura College (and the District) face given the recent budget issues that we have been handed.  

We look forward to working with you in addressing faculty staffing needs this year and in the future and eagerly await the results of your District-level meetings regarding this subject.

Sincerely,

Peter Sezzi, Academic Senate President
Becky Hull, Staffing Priorities Subcommittee Chair   

RATIONALE:

Biology – Anatomy and Physiololgy
•	High efficiency is only due to the one fulltime faculty taking on additional load
•	Gateway courses to Nursing Program
•	Classes usually filled prior to end of early registration period
•	Extremely difficult to find parttime faculty
•	Anatomy and Physiology section have high efficiency as noted on 525 Report

Art - 3D Ceramics and Sculpture
•	Currently no fulltimer to lead this area
•	Difficult to maintain this aspect of Art Program with only parttimers
•	Looking to fill 2 needs with one hire (Ceramics and Sculpture)
•	Classes fill quickly
•	Have lost classes due to budget cuts not demand

Learning Disabilities Specialist (Learning Skills Course Instructor)
•	Services by LDS not available in timely manner due to lack of staffing
•	Routinely LD students are receiving delayed evaluations of assessment  which impedes ability to progress academically
•	11 of 17 courses currently taught by parttimers
•	LDS has to meet State-wide Chancellor’s Office qualifications beyond Minimum Quals
•	Given our college’s modest “college effort” ($$) compared to our sister colleges, VC still serves more students 
•	LS classes generate almost double the amount of FTES than our sister colleges

GeoSciences – Geology
•	All parttime faculty are teaching maximum load
•	Schedule is constrained by limited availability of qualified parttime staff
•	3:1 parttime to fulltime ratio serving more than 1,000 students at high efficiency

English 
•	For Summer/Fall’08 sessions there were close to 1,100 students who placed in 
English 2, 3, 4A-B who were unable to take classes due to unavailable seats
•	Lower levels need attention as they are building blocks to English 1A which is the new AA degree requirement beginning Fall’09

Reading
•	Reading is a needed skill  across the curriculum
•	It is an unenforced prerequisite for lower level  English comp classes 
•	Key element in the success of the Basic Skills Initiative due to changing student population
•	High efficiency despite limited course offerings