FACULTY SENATE
HIGHLINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Present:
Gloria Rose Koepping
Rod Fowers
Glen Avantaggio Vice Chair
Phil Droke, Chair
Dee Skinner
Katie Gulliford
Alicja Baker
Jeff Wagnitz
Debby Bacharach
Gloria Spencer
Barbara Clinton
Phil Droke, Chair, opened the meeting of the Faculty Senate
Topics:
1. Location of Graduation Ceremony.
Gloria Rose Koepping asked if the graduation ceremony could be held on the Highline campus this year, with the new buildings and lovely new landscaping in view for graduates, their families and friends to view. Also asked was could we have a separate ceremony for transfer students and also, possibly another for graduates of occupational programs? Phil Droke pointed out that the Fire Marshall will object to having a ceremony in the gymnasium as too many attendees crowded into the gymnasium could contribute to very unsafe conditions, should a fire break out. Jeff Wagnitz clarified that the Executive Committee chooses where the graduation ceremonies will be located and that next year, the ceremony will be off campus, in the interests of safety.
2. Honors Program
Barbara Clinton attended faculty senate to share with members information about the honors program and the way it works. She said that currently, there are 150 active students in the program and that this is an especially attractive option for students wishing to transfer to a four year university. She would like the faculty to be actively involved in helping students to choose an honors option. Students at Highline can take 15 credits in honors option to apply towards honors option at the UW. We are the only community college in the state with this type of program. She counseled against making the option too easy for students but rather make the program one of value to the students. She also suggested that faculty find out directly from the UW Honors College what their assignments and content are about. Students must have a 3.5 GPA to do the honors option. Students with less than a 3.5 GPA could also use the option as extra credit.
3. Catalog Changes
Jeff Wagnitz passed out a handout on catalog changes, with Phil Droke asking if the senate wanted to take part in this process. Jeff suggested perhaps a sub-committee be formed that could work on language changes in the printed materials. Phil Droke stress issues such as academic honesty being included in the catalog, as well as in all syllabi. The deadline for any changes is in mid-February.
Jeff Wagnitz also stressed that certain information must be included in syllabi and goes into a handbook that Human Resources maintains. The Faculty Resources Center tries to keep this material present in its offices, too.
4. Distribution Requirements uses.
The faculty discussed the fact that when students complete a substantial part of their AA and then go to another college or university they can’t always use some courses as part of their distribution requirements in the new school. The burden is on the student to prove that Highline had certain distribution requirements and this is often a reciprocity issue between schools.
Rod Fowers asked if the legislature was thinking of separating out community colleges from technical colleges in terms of course requirements. The answer was that the state wants to make colleges and technical schools blend together better, for the sake of students and transfer students. A faculty member mentioned that this information should be part of our college’s information at our web site, especially for transfer students.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy Johnson-Wise, Faculty Secretary