Highline Community College

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

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Highline Community College
Faculty Senate Meeting
Oct. 3, 2002

^{Present: Jean Harris, Rod Fowers, Han Lim, Sharon Hashimoto, Gloria Rose Koepping, Rebecca Sliger, Phil Droke, Arline Garcia, Jeff Wagnitz, John Pfeffer, Glen Avantaggio}

^{Minutes recorded by G. Avantaggio}

^{1. Board Policies. At the last meeting copies of policies being considered by the Board of Trustees were provided as a courtesy from the Board. No Senate required. G. Koepping asked where to express concerns about the sex offender notification policy. P. Droke directed those comments to Laura Sanders}

^{2. AAS-T Degree. Last meeting we were informed about a new degree for technical students, the AAS-T, designed to help students transfer directly to selected 4-year programs. This is part of a state-wide change on the Comm.Coll. system, and also part of a longer term plan to develop a BA for technology in the state. Senate needs to consider the guidelines for the granting of such a degree at Highline. Jeff Wagnitz agreed to provide the state guidelines at the next meeting. R. Sliger: Highline may want to offer a different name for this degree-the word “transfer” suggests that the degree consists primarily of transferable credit and this may not be the case.}

^{3. Residency Requirement. The current residency requirement for a degree at Highline may need to be reconsidered for a number of reasons. G. Avantaggio offered two:1) The population is mobile, some segments such as the military extremely so. We will have students who have earned college-level, fully transferable credits elsewhere and need only minimal course work to complete a 90 credit degree. Assuming the distribution requirements of the Highline degree have been met we are placing an unnecessary obstacle in the path of such a student if we require them to complete additional credits solely to meet a residency requirement. 2) The “Highline Degrees” does not have a character or content significantly different from that offered by other institutions-the other CCs in WA for example. We are not claiming to have offered a “uniquely Highline” experience to the student, therefore we have no grounds to require it from them.}

^{J. Wagnitz reported that there may be accreditation guidelines for residency and promised to provide them. [They were sent by email on Oct2, 2002].}

^{Members agreed to continue discussion on this issue at the next meeting.}

^{4. Senator-at-Large -position needs to be filled. Nomination committee of J. Pfeffer and G. Koepping will begin recruiting. P. Droke will send general notice to Faculty List.}

^{5. Scholastic Achievement Committee - understating there to be a vacancy on this committee, Senate accepts the nomination of Eric Scott.}

^{6. Grading Consistency - Questions have been raised in the past concerning college-wide consistency in grading policy. Some issues that may need to be addressed: To what degree is consistency in grading required? What would consistency in grading when comparing different departments? Can we maintain standards of student assessment without developing a universal grading policy and guidelines? If one can “pass” a class with a 0.7, but cannot graduate with less than a 2.0 CGPA, then what does “pass” mean here? Members agreed to invite discussion from interested faculty members.}