Executive Summary

Executive Summary,

Harbor College Academic Senate

Regular Meeting,

1:00, Thursday, October 1, 2009

SS/A 219 

ASO Report

          The five students in attendance raised several concerns, particularly the hiring of a student affairs assistant to be paid from ASO funds without ASO approval for the budgeting of the position or or the signature of the ASO president on the contract.  Dr. Spink pointed out that no technical violations of procedure were involved.  Ms. J. Smith expressed her appreciation for the students bringing the matter to Senate, pointing out that this was not, however, a matter with which the Senate is empowered to deal directly, and that, if there are legitimate concerns at stake, they should be referred to CPC or carried forward through formal district channels.

OPEN FORUM ON FACULTY HIRING PRIORITIES

          The session was turned over to Dr. Joiner as FHPC chair.  She distributed and explained the proposed rubric by which hiring proposals will be prioritized.  Ms. Lane suggested a clearer incorporation of the relevance of outcomes assessments.  Ms. J. Smith suggested that the form provide space for qualitative rather than quantitative input.  There was some discussion of the distinction between ranking priorities on the one hand and, on the other, deciding how far down that list the funding will go in any budget year.

COMMENTS ON DISTRIBUTED REPORTS/NOTICES/COMMITTEE MINUTES

          Curriculum

          Ms. Fasteau noticed the proposed recommendation on its assessment subcomittee for action by the Senate at its next meeting.

          SLO Assessments

          Ms. Lane reported on the statewide outcomes assesments conference she and Dr. Reigadas had attended and suggested a solution for the problem of providing program-level outcomes assessments for the nearly 150 programs at Harbor College.  The solution would be to group programs for outcomes assessments into a much smaller number of "pathways" - perhaps as few as thirty for the college.  It may also be possible to streamline the list of programs subject to program review, but that is a different issue - although, to the extent streamlining program categories for outcomes assessment may lead to streamlining program categories for program review, it furnishes an example of outcomes assessments resulting in larger changes.

Approval of Minutes

          The minutes of the meeting of September 17, 2009, were approved as previously e-mailed, with a correction in the passage on committee assignments, to read:

            Unanimous consent to William Heffern and Paul Grady for the Staffing Committee, and William Heffern for the Staff Development Committee.