Notes - October 9th, 2006

De Anza Academic Senate

Approved Notes for the meeting of

October 9th, 2006

Senators and Officers present: Bambhania, Bresnan, Capitolo, Chenoweth, Cole,  Coleman, Cordero, Dolen, Gallegos, Goodwin, Hearn, Hertler, Jensen-Sullivan, Joplin, Kang, Kessler, Khanna, Lathers, Lee-Klawender,  Maynard,  Mowrey, Osborne,  Raffaelli, Schaffer, Setziol, Winters, and Zill

Senators and Officers absent: Glapion, Kramer,  and Miller

DASB: Celeste Enriquez

Classified Senate:

Administrative Liaison:

Guests: Randy Bryant and Cynthia Kaufman

[NOTE: Item numbers are reflective of agenda numbers in the order they are actually taken up at the meeting.]

The meeting was called to order at 2:34 a quorum being present.

I.    Approval of Agenda and Notes: The agenda was approved with the deletion of the previously announced "State Senate Resolutions" item and the addition of an "Instructional Testing Update" item.

The notes of the meeting of October 2nd were approved as distributed with minor corrections.

II.   Needs and Confirmations: Chenoweth announced a need for two faculty to serve on the ETAC (Educational Technology Advisory Committee) and two faculty to serve on the Campus Center Committee.

Laurel Torres and Margo Raff were confirmed for service on the Mary Sullivan Tenure Review Committee   and Monica Sheirich and Mary Bennett were confirmed for service on the Maria Delas Tenure Review Committee.  Consideration of the Mike Apio Tenure Review Committee       was suspended as Hearn will determine whether or not an at large faculty representative can be added even though Apio is only in Phase One of review and, if that is not appropriate, whether or a not a different administrator can be appointed in pursuit of a more ethnically and gender balanced committee.

III.  Senate Orientation Format and Date: After a brief discussion, the group informally voted to hold a special session October 23rd from 4:30 to approximately 6:00 p.m.  Hearn also said that the previously announced agenda of both orientation and vision/goal setting might have to be simplified to concentrate on orientation due to time constraints.

IV.  Proposed Academic Senate Budget: Hearn distributed a document titled "Academic Senate Budget (proposed) For Fiscal Year 06-07".

She explained which expenditures were proposed from the group's B Budget account and which from the private dues account.  In answer to a question about the amount going to the State Academic Senate, the officers iterated a long list of valuable items and services provided by that group.  A concern was expressed about the proposed budget's smaller 2007 ending balance than the 2006 beginning balance.  The answer was twofold:  One, that the 2006 beginning balance was unusually high due to the increase from $3 to $5 in the monthly dues and Two,  that several of the expenditures proposed were very conservatively stated,  meaning that the items were very likely to cost considerably less than proposed.

V.  Instructional Testing Update: Hearn announced that a short term commitment to fund an Instructional Testing function on campus has been made by Judy Miner with funds to come from her contingency fund.  It is likely that, for the time being, the service will be provided by two, three, or four temporary employees rather than one person.  A classroom or classrooms will be utilized.  It was emphasized in discussion that the only appropriate use of the facility was for individual students unable to attend regularly scheduled exams rather than large numbers of students from the same class regardless of the nature of the class.

VI. Curriculum Update: Khanna introduced the group to new on line features of the curriculum process regarding information and forms.  For the time being, faculty can submit curriculum proposals via the new on line version or the previous version consisting of paper copies and electronic submission.  In both cases, some aspects still require signatures on forms as always.  Khanna also alerted the group to a new deadline of November 8th for general education courses proposed for Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) status

VII.  Discussion with PBT representatives: A discussion was held aimed at reinforcing and  enabling the role of faculty on the various Planning and Budgeting Teams.  Several people stressed the importance of getting sufficient time for deliberation to avoid the appearance and de facto occurrence of "rubber stamping".  Also high in priority for the participants was a stronger role for the faculty co chairs of these committees.

VIII. Good of the Order: Senators are encouraged to join the Environmental Sustainability Subcommittee.  That group's meetings are Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. with the next meeting announced for Wednesday, October 11th.

-     Hearn offered extra copies of the Fall 2006 Academic Senate Newsletter to those having said that they had not received a copy.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.

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