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Faculty Senate Minutes

14 January 1998

Senate Members in Attendance:

Observers: Jack Bermingham; Ed Command; Ruth Windover

I. Call to Order
the meeting was called to order by the Chair, Bob Hirnle at 2:37pm

II. Approval of Agenda:
the agenda was suspended to allow Bruno Cross, a student, give a presentation on how Highline could increase retention rates by making more use of the Highline Student Handbook as class content for College 100/101 classes, which would be required classes for all new or returning students.

III. Approval of Minutes
the minutes of the November 1997 Faculty Senate meeting was approved

IV. Approval of Agenda:
the agenda was approved

V. Announcements
Jack Harton announced that the Faculty Senate now has a web pages where minutes of past senate meetings, agendas for future meetings, listings of senate members and committees. The web address is http://www.highline.edu/ins/facsen/home.htm

VI. Reports

A. Chair - Bob Hirnle:
there was a constitutional forum on November 19, 1997. A committee headed by Phil Sell is being formed to review the constitution and make revisions, and to look at the Policy on Policies. Members for this committee are being solicited from the faculty.

Bob met with the Instructional Council concerningwithdraw policies and academic standards resolutions discussed and passed by the Senate in May, 1997. An apparent problem with these resolutions was that it is possible for a student to graduate while going on academic suspension. Bob met with Michael Grubiak for suggestions for new wording to get around this problem.

Bob spoke to Allan Walton concerning exempt personnel teaching classes and acting as program managers. Bob said this could be a discussion topic for the next faculty contract negotiations. Questions asked could include how long a program exists before the exempt program manager position becomes a faculty position.

B. President - Ed Command:
Ed forbids the falling of any more snow that would close down the school. It is unknown as to whether the weather gods have been notified.

Legislative news: for this legislative session, there are four items in the supplemental budget that could impact community colleges. These items include:
1. operating costs for the K-20 network;
2. funds for technology support;
3. funds for higher community college enrollments;
4. funds for the revolving funds.

As of this time the state government has not picked up on the endowment for Washington State higher education. This endowment would consist of $250 million from the state government to be matched by the private sector. The interest would be used for funding for higher education institutions in the state. According to Dr. Command, the state legislature’s interest in more on transportation concerns than education this session.

In response to a question, Dr. Command stated that Highline was still working on a response to welfare reform enacted by the state, and that in 1996/7, about 1000 Highline students received some form of public assistance.

C. Senators-at-Large:
Alicja Janovich reported that Kraig Schwartz and Robin Buchan were nominated for the Senate curriculum committee. Ruth Windover agreed to be on the discipline committee.

D. HCEA - Ruth Windover:
Ruth reported that on January 19, the WEA was sponsoring a Higher Education Day in Olympia for the Legislature.

E. FACTC:
no report.

F. ASHCC:
no report

VI. Action Items
Motions were made, seconded, and passed that the nominees for the curriculum commitee, Kraig Schwartz and Robin Buchan, be added to the committee. Through the same procedure, Ruth Windover was added to the discipline committee.

VII. Discussion Items
The sole discussion item was on the CO20/20 report, which concerns revisions to the general education requirements at Highline. Jack Bermingham, who initiated this report, provided some history for C020/20 (this refers to Curriculum Odyssey 2020, regarding where the college wants to be teaching in the 2020).

In 1996, a task force consisting of Lonny Kaneko and Carol Tamparo (co-chairs), Gina Erickson, Kathy Oberg, Ed Morris, Michael Campbell, and Jack Harton was given a charge by Jack Bermingham to review the Highline’s general education requirements. This task force, after researching the issue and holding meetings with Highline faculty, passed on its recommendations to Jack Bermingham, who took the report to Instructional Cabinet. Instructional Cabinet formed a subcommittee to review the report, and this subcommittee came up with some recommendations. After some discussion of how the Faculty Senate curriculum committee could have been more involved in this process, Bob Hirnle recommended that the Instructional Cabinet subcommittee recommendations be considered by the Faculty Senate curriculum committee, which in turn would pass on its recommendations to the Faculty Senate executive committee. It was also suggested that a faculty forum be held on this subject.

So that faculty can have access to the CO20/20 report and the Instructional Cabinet subcommittee recommendations, copies will be given to division secretaries for faculty review and copying.

Jack Bermingham will look into how the proposed changes in the general education requirements would affect faculty staffing positions.

Adjourned at 4:13pm

Jack Harton, Faculty Senate Secretary.

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