Mesa Community College Faculty Senate

Approved Minutes

15 and 22 September 2005*

 

Attendance for 15 September Meeting

Member

Telephone

Representing / Office

Present

Absent

Phil Carrillo

654-7710

At-Large

X

 

Harold Cranswick

461-7245

Zone 5

X

 

Lyn Dutson

461-7165

President

X

 

Allen Galliart

461-7007

Active Retirees Rep

 

X

Donna Gaudet

461-7929

At-Large

X

 

James Giles

654-7718

Zone 8

X

 

Mehrzad Khorsandi

461-7257

At-Large

X

 

Bruce Peterson

654-7722

Zone 1

X

 

Greg Pratt

461-7755

At-Large

X

 

Sonia Esposito

654-7816

At-Large

 

X

John Seims

654-7768

President Elect

X

 

Mona Scott

461-7155

At-Large

X

 

Ann Stine

461-7546

Zone 6

X

 

Margie Lyscas

461-7825

Zone 4

X

 

Debbie Bitter

461-7262

Zone 7

 

X

Mary Aldridge

461-7361

Zone 3, Secretary

X

 

Sally Kroelinger

461-7134

At-Large

X

 

Phillip Waclawski

461-7468

Zone 2, Treasurer

X

 

 

Attendance for 22 September Meeting

Member

Telephone

Representing / Office

Present

Absent

Phil Carrillo

654-7710

At-Large

 

X

Harold Cranswick

461-7245

Zone 5

X

 

Lyn Dutson

461-7165

President

X

 

Allen Galliart

461-7007

Active Retirees Rep

 

X

Donna Gaudet

461-7929

At-Large

 

X

James Giles

654-7718

Zone 8

X

 

Mehrzad Khorsandi

461-7257

At-Large

X

 

Bruce Peterson

654-7722

Zone 1

 

X

Greg Pratt

461-7755

At-Large

 

X

Sonia Esposito

654-7816

At-Large

 

X

John Seims

654-7768

President Elect

X

 

Mona Scott

461-7155

At-Large

X

 

Ann Stine

461-7546

Zone 6

X

 

Margie Lyscas

461-7825

Zone 4

 

X

Debbie Bitter

461-7262

Zone 7

X

 

Mary Aldridge

461-7361

Zone 3, Secretary

X

 

Sally Kroelinger

461-7134

At-Large

X

 

Phillip Waclawski

461-7468

Zone 2, Treasurer

X

 

 

*Because of special guests on 15 September, Faculty Senate met again on 22 September to finish established agenda.  These minutes combine both meetings with call to order and adjournment times represented chronologically..

Guests

Dr. Gail Mee, Vice President of Academic Affairs,  Linda Collins, Department Chair of Business Administration, and Jonathan Baney, Distance Education at MCC

 

I.          General

A.        Call to order: 3:01p.m.; 3:30p.m.       

            B.        Approval of Agenda

C.        Approval of Senate Minutes: Approved with 2 abstentions.

 

II.        Guests: Discussion of Distance Education and “Virtual Campus”

A.    VP Mee acknowledged her conversations with Lyn Dutson and John Seims. 

B.     She categorized this semester as one of planning.  As such there are several      committees in place to focus on various elements of the campus and curriculum

1.      Facilities Planning:  there are groups in place to plan for bond related building in the following areas:

a.       Math and Science

b.      Humanities and Communication

c.       Performing and Visual Arts

d.      Red Mountain

2.      International Education: VP Mee hopes to identify a strategic plan for IE and bring its disparate elements together.  A committee has been formed to      establish outcomes for IE.

C.     VP Mee recognized other areas for consideration: New Allied Health Programs and    Four Year Degrees.

D.    Virtual Campus/MCC online:  VP Mee stressed that this is still very much in the          planning phase.  However, she did point to the HLC’s Observations and Summary         Consultative Advice concerning Distance Learning.  Both she and Linda Collins stressed that many of the pieces MCC needs for a “virtual campus” are already         present.

 

Both VP Mee and Linda Collins noted that since the late 1990s, the college strategic   plan has indicated MCC’s desire to offer online degrees.  When the college began             to plan for its self-study in preparation for the NCA/HLC, it was also decided to    ask for accreditation for a higher learning degree granting institution.  However,     HLC became more stringent in its requirements for distance learning degrees, so            MCC decided to wait and take the advice of the HLC team.  The subcommittee    that was formed for the self-study continues the work of identifying needs and      structures for an online degree granting program/institution.  This committee      consists of: Linda Collins, Ed Lipinski, Donna Gaudet, Jenny Grover, Valerie     Mitchell, and Jonathan Baney.

 

VP Mee pointed to page 6 of the HLC Summary Consultative Advice and indicated   that this is a “charge” to the continuing committee.  Its members are responsible       for constructing a plan; they will look at degree programs, at what steps will come            next, at faculty and training needs, at testing needs, at student support needs and         structure, and at budget support needs. 

 

The goal is to have an institutional charge written by Summer 2006 and a visit from     the HLC team in 2006/07.

 

VP Mee, Linda Collins, and Jonathan Baney identified areas that are currently             receiving attention:

1.      Vision for the Campus: This will be a comprehensive campus with a full array of    services; there will be a need for additional student support services.  Just         as we currently hire faculty for specific campuses—Southern and Dobson      or Red Mountain—faculty may be hired specifically for the distance           campus.  Hiring will still be at the departmental level.  VP Mee reiterated   that this is in the idea phase.

2.      Costs: Someone at Dean level is needed to oversee the distance campus.  The new             student system will, in theory, allow more and easier access.

3.      Curriculum: We must figure out programs before we can address curricular             issues.  We don’t want to “duplicate” courses.  There must also be clearer        delineation between hybrid and online courses.  Issues relating to class          loading must also be addressed.

4.      Student Support: The current help desk was not created to support students.  A     new student support system will need to be in place.  Retention in online             courses is low; we must study what contributes to this.  

           

III.       Treasurer’s Report – Phil Waclawski

            A.        Budget Report: We will only gain $13.00 from the class action suit.

            B.        Membership Update: Phill distributed membership forms.

 

IV.       Old Business

A.        Topics of Concern for Senate: Concerns discussed at this meeting include recent                                        staffing during the summer and message connected to staffing list                                                  submitted recently.  There appears to be a lack of dialogue or “shared                                      governance” in matters of hiring and staffing.    Senate members are                                        encouraged to send questions concerning staffing to Harold and Karen as                                       President Christensen will be at the next DCA meeting.

B.        Distinguished Faculty Award Procedures Approval – Please read before this          meeting: Tabled until next meeting.

           

V.        New Business

             A. Health Benefits feedback: Reggie Munroe: We must encourage people to give                                                 feedback on health benefits and experiences thus far.

 

VI.       Information

            A.        Laura Knaperek: Visiting on October 10th:: Will discuss at next meeting.

            B.        Learning Spaces Conference at Estrella Mountain on September 16th.

 

VII.     President’s Report:

            Doug Shumway, faculty sponsor for student government, asked if a representative from                           student government could sit in on Senate meetings.  Senate members decided                              that this was not appropriate; however, Senate will invite a member of student                                 government to visit and share ideas with members.

 

VIII.    President Elect’s Report

 

IX.       Committee Reports

            A.        Survey: Committee—and Senate—must address the follow up to the survey.  The                                                 survey can be used to effect institutional change.

            B.        Distinguished Faculty Award: The social has been postponed.

            C.        College Technology Group: This will be an independent group.  It is different                                            from I-Tech; the CTG will have a narrow focus.  Harold Cranswick made                                       a motion “to support the College Technology Group and its mission and                                            its purpose.”  Senate expressed unanimous support.  The members of the                                      group will now approach other groups to obtain representatives.

            D.        Governing Board Presentation Team

            E.         Distance Learning Committee Report: Linda Collins sought clarification of the                                          DEC role.  She promised better communication between the committee                                          and the Senate. 

 

X.        Department Chair Association Liaison Report

 

XI.       Zone and At-Large Senate Report

 

XII.     Adjournment: 5:20p.m; 4:32p.m.