Academic Affairs Cluster

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OF CPC

M I N U T E S

August 13, 2008

2:30 p.m.

President’s Conference Room

ATTENDANCE

PRESENT

Administration

Dr. David Humphreys, Bobby McNeel, Luis Rosas, Dr. Linda Spink

Faculty

Nabeel Barakat, Carmen Carrillo, King Carter, Sally Fasteau, Ellen Joiner, Jonathon Lee, Evelyn Lum, Lauren McKenzie, Rod Oakes, Joyce Parker, Dr. Stanley Sandell, June Smith, Jim Stanbery, Mark Wood, Bradley Young

CALL TO ORDER

Luis Rosas called the meeting to order at 2:40 p.m. in the President’s Conference Room.

I. ADOPTION OF AGENDA

The agenda was accepted with one addition: Lauren McKenzie was added to address the committee on the state of the budget.

Mr. McKenzie addressed members of the committee by reminding them that the college is looking at a $1.2 million reduction in expenditures for the coming year and the District would like to see a plan on how we intend to accomplish this. The college was to give a presentation at the District on August 27 but this has now been postponed and a new date has not been set. Mr. McKenzie went on to say that, if possible, we want to keep our FTES base at around 7,000 because we move through a model that is FTES driven. The only saving grace is if we don’t make the base this year, we are given one year to make it up. Luis Rosas noted that the committee’s job is to provide a plan that is realistic; and if it shows enough impact on the budget, it may postpone the college’s repayment to the District for last year.

II. ADOPTION OF MINUTES

The minutes for the meeting of August 6, 2008 were accepted as presented with one correction: changing the word ‘affects’ to ‘effects’ in the sentence …..one of the most significant affects because of the strength of the hourly program under Item III. Budget and Academic Planning.

III. REVIEW OF EFFICIENCY ASSESSMENTS FROM ALL DIVISIONS

Jim Stanbery announced that the committee appears to have submissions from all or nearly all divisions and noted that this was the most complete set of submissions of this type that he recollects ever having received at one time. Mr. Stanbery went on to make the suggestion to go more or less by the Humanities Division sample that was sent out to everybody. It begins with a statement of the principles for efficiency assessment that are being used, it then gives the numbers for the offerings that the division is making, and then it draws some conclusions at the end. Mr. Stanbery went one to say that he does not believe that it is the place of this committee to either schedule classes or cut classes. It is the committee’s purpose to adopt instructional priorities to be merged into the priorities of the other clusters by CPC with the Budget committee and Division Council to implement the resulting decisions. Due to oppressive circumstances, such as the force of time, some division chairs understandably felt they had to go ahead and start making these cancellations unilaterally. There is no criticism in that. We have a number of weeks still before we have to finalize on the spring schedule and we can smooth out whatever procedural imperfections have been involved in the fall for the spring.

It was recommended that a brief review of what is being submitted be given by each of the division representatives. Under Item IV of the agenda, Mr. Stanbery proposed that the committee adopt a set of general principles and then authorize the Vice President and Deans of Academic Affairs to incorporate these in a position summary to be given to CPC. Mr. Stanbery concluded his remarks by stating that he did not think that any one cluster should walk the plank before the other clusters have been heard from. Rather than announcing cuts that this cluster is going to make in any case, we should hear what the other clusters are bringing to the table before we make any official announcement at CPC of what we have done.

June Smith made the recommendation that the committee concentrate not only on the numbers and the classes that divisions are saying they are going to cut but the rationale for making those cuts.

Presentations from the divisions were made in the following order: Mark Wood, Chairman, Humanities and Fine Arts; Nabeel Barakat, Chairman, Physical Education, Health and Wellness; Carmen Carrillo, Chairperson, Communications; Lauren McKenzie, Chairman, Math and Physical Science; Brad Young, Chairman, Social and Behavioral Sciences; Evelyn Lum, Chairperson, Health Sciences; Jonathon Lee, Chairperson, Library; Dr. Stanley Sandell, Chairman, Business; Joyce Parker, Chairperson, Science and Family and Consumer Studies; King Carter, Director of the PACE program; Sally Fasteau, Learning Assistance Center Director.

Brad Young raised a procedural question regarding the decision of a division not to proceed with the hiring of a full-time tenure track faculty member. Mr. Stanbery noted that these kinds of decisions must reflect college-wide priorities. June Smith emphasized that no position has been forfeited although a position that has been authorized is not immediately filled.

IV. ADOPTION OF GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF CURRENT OFFERINGS FOR PRESENTATION TO CPC AUGUST 14

Jim Stanbery suggested that the general principles the committee adopts be the ones that are spelled out at the start of the Humanities Division presentation “that our lower priority classes are those that are low enrollment, multiple sectioned, GE courses; low enrollment, multiple sectioned program courses; low enrollment, elective, non-program related courses; low enrollment, program courses (change to a rotating schedule).” This is an excellent summary of what most of the Chairs and Program Directors have used in their calculations. Dr. Humphreys requested that we also emphasize that we are trying for efficiency that doesn’t erode the base. Dr. Spink asked that the committee consider examining the moderately enrolled sections (15-20 students) for frequency of offerings and numbers of sections. Dr. Humphreys added that we need to make sure that over the course of two years, divisions offer their core courses so that anyone taking a degree in day or evening can be expected to complete all of the courses they need to make.

V. ITEMS FROM THE FLOOR

No items from the floor.

VI. ADJOURNMENT