February 1st, 2006

 

 

Attended by:  Phil Droke, Glen Avantaggio, Katie Gulliford, Igor Glozman, Gloria Rose Koepping, Dee Skinner, Aaron Warnock, Buzz Wheeler, Rod Fowers, Darryl Brice, Arline Garcia, Tony Wilson, John Lindsay, Keith Paton, Gwen Spencer, and Jeff Wagnitz. 

 

Meeting began at 3:00 p.m. in room 411 of the Library.

 

Minutes were approved from the last three Senate meetings; November 2nd 2005 , November 30th  2005, and January 18th,  2006.

 

Old Business

 

Chair Phil Droke had us revisit the topic of the PR and R committee’s existence by asking for additional feedback from each division’s Senators.

 

The Social Science and Business divisions said to “get rid of it.”

The Sciences said they did “not want to lose it and give it to the Administration.”  It should be a smaller committee of 2-3 people and take more of a mediation, not arbitration role.

The Humanities division wanted to “keep it.”

The Health, PE, and Education division was a “Mixed bag.”  They had no strong feelings one way or another.

 

Phil Droke asked for volunteers to sit down and figure out what the committee is supposed to do, what kind of complaints it might have, what the scope might be, and who can make complaints against whom about what?  Tony Wilson and Gloria Rose Koepping volunteered and will report back at the next Senate meeting.

 

Senators were concerned that the committee not just deal with people who are not getting along or be a committee with no authority.  They want to “make up something that we need.”   An additional suggestion was to define the committee by what it doesn’t do.

 

 

The Pure and Applied Science Division request for the Senate to alter the Science Distribution Language for the A.A. was revisited.  It was determined that the Division controls what constitutes a Lab (L) class and that all Science courses that incorporate a lab experience that the college offers, meet the 5 credit requirement the Division wants.  There is only one pair of courses that relays lab credit and the prerequisites for that class are also lab classes.  At this point the Senate saw no need to change the language of the Science Distribution Language for the A.A.  The Pure and Applied Science Division Senators wanted to take the issue back to their Division, so a final decision was tabled till the February 15th Senate meeting. 

 

New Business

 

Gwen Spencer, Director of Advising and Educational Planning, then gave us an update about the new procedure for giving out entry codes that she will be instituting next week, February 6th, 2005.

 

“Annually, the Educational Planning and Advising Center staff distribute more than 4000 entry codes.  Beginning Spring Quarter, EPAC is launching a new entry code procedure that should serve students better and streamline our process. 

 

Here’s the plan.  Students will complete an entry code request form, submit documentation that they have met the pre-requisite (generally test scores or transcripts form another college or university) and provide a picture I.D.  Students who complete their requests by 11:30 a.m. can receive their entry code at 12 noon in person or via an email message.  Students making requests after 11:30 a.m. and before 3:30 p.m. will receive their entry code at 4 p.m.  All students who come after 4 p.m. will meet with the advisor working that evening.  If student do not want to wait until the distribution times, they may request an entry code from the academic department or instructor (which they are always welcome to do) or wait in line at EPAC.  Security for entry codes will continue to be provided at our current level. 

 

Here’s the rationale.  It is our belief that this new process respects student’s time commitments, maintains academic integrity for the process and allows advisors to focus on their primary professional role-academic advising.”

 

Gwen also let us know that the percentage of Probation I and Probation II student has gone up 25%.  We continue to have between 19-25 students that are suspended. 

 

Gwen said that they are exploring a mandatory orientation for students to help student retention in response to this problem.  There might be an “Orientation Light” online and an in person 1 hour “Orientation Medium,” and a 3 hour “Orientation Heavy or Extreme)” with Financial Aid and Career Assessment components.

 

 

Chair Phil Droke handed out the FACTC Focus 2005 and asked for suggestions of themes for next years issue of FACTC Focus.  Someone suggested that “Retention” might be a good theme.   

 

Meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m.

Next meeting is February 15th, 2006.

 

Minutes submitted by Gloria Rose Koepping, Faculty Senate Secretary