2005‑2006 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

Second Meeting of the 2005‑2006

Faculty Senate

September 1, 2005

3:30 p.m. Room KSC‑212

Minutes

1.   Call to Order:

a.   Members Present:  Reyes Medrano, Jim Patterson, Jeff Lace, Kevin Arps, Paul Cornell, Chris Scinto, Tom Powell, Walt Thielen, Lynn McClellan.  Marianne Roccaforte substituted for Jim Rubin.

b.   Guests:  Sue Van Boven

2.   Minutes of the Previous Meeting: Minutes from the first meeting of the 2005‑2006 Faculty Senate were not available for review.

3.   Committee Reports: None.

4.   Officer Reports:

a.   President Reyes Medrano:

(1)   President Medrano reported that he will be planning to meet with Dr. Kickels at least twice a month or more as needed.  The meetings are intended to communicate all faculty concerns to President Kickels.  Pres. Medrano assured the Senate that he will represent all concerns that faculty wish to take to Pres. Kickels, that he will support the concept of faculty governance in that faculty, as well as all employee groups, should have meaningful input in decisions effecting the college.  Pres. Medrano also noted that Pres. Kickels is the co‑chair of the United Ways' efforts to help community colleges in New Orleans after the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

(2)   President Medrano also reported on the districtwide Faculty Executive Council (FEC).  One of the FEC's main concerns was that a particular board member has made it very clear that he is targeting Chancellor Rufus Glasper.  The FEC is discussing a strategy to deal with this issue. 

b.   President‑Elect Jim Patterson:

(1)   President Elect Patterson is exploring ways the PVCC Faculty Association can help with the Hurricane Katrina recovery in Louisiana.

(2)   President Elect Patterson asked all senators to make a special effort to reach out to new faculty members and to recruit them as members of the Faculty Association.  His goal for membership is to recruit 100% of all faculty members.

(3)   President Elect Patterson reported that he has been investigating complaints about the new healthcare provider.  There have been complaints about the prescription service and deductibles being charged for chiropractic care when none had been charged previously.

c.   Treasurer Jeff Lace:

(1)   Treasurer Jeff Lace submitted the following Treasurer=s Report for filing and audit:

d.   Secretary Jim Rubin:

(1)   Secretary Jim Rubin was absent.  David Rubí substituted for him and had no report.

5.   Old Business:

a.   Assignment of Faculty to College Committtees:

(1)   President Medrano brought the issue of the current practice of assigning faculty to committees.  One of the major items discussed was PVCC=s practice, implemented only a few years ago, of requiring all residential faculty to take three committee assignments at a minimum.  President Medrano made the following points:

(a)  Other MCCCD colleges do not have a similar requirement;

(b)  there is no requirement for a minimum amount of committee assignments in the RFP;

(c)  this requirement was obviously and solely a PVCC initiative at some point in our history;

(d)  considering that the Higher Learning Commission will probably state that PVCC has too many committeesBand compared to other MCCCD colleges, we doBand need to reduce the number of committees;

(e)  and, considering that President Medrano feels that the PVCC faculty is professional and dedicated and that faculty members will sign up for committees without any requirement because of their high sense of duty and responsibility.  President Medrano felt that we need to restructure the way we make faculty committee assignments, in particular eliminating the three-committee requirement for faculty.

(2)   David Rubí made a motion that the College review the current structure of faculty committees and eliminate the three-committee requirement for full-time faculty.  This motion was seconded by Chris Scinto.

(a)  Discussion of the motion consisted of making sure that all present understood that the motion would serve to eliminate the three-committee requirement and to start proceedings to review PVCC=s committee structure, particularly with the aim of reducing the number of PVCC committees, in line with the HLC=s expected recommendation.

(b)  Motion passed unanimously on a hand vote.

b.   Staffing Committee:

(1)   President Medrano reported that the PVCC division chair had been discussing the way PVCC determines the distribution of new faculty positions, particularly the role of the Staffing Committee.  The division chairs have decided to recommend the elimination of the Staffing Committee, the duties and responsibilities thereof to become the duties and responsibilities of the joint division chairs.  Pres. Medrano pointed out that this initiative came solely from the division chairs, but in a conversation with Pres. Kickels, she also questioned the need for a Staffing Committee, indicating that there was not a similar committee at her previous campuses.  Pres. Medrano requested that all Faculty Senators poll their respective divisions about their viewpoint on this.

c.   Dual Enrollment:

(1)   Sue Van Boven (guest) informed the Faculty Senate that Dual Enrollment is going to come to PVCC.  She pointed out that PVCC is the only MCCCD college that does not have a dual enrollment program and that is causing us problems with our relationship with the Cave Creek Unified School District, as they are trying to partner with us to help start our North Campus, but also partnering with Río Salado Community College for their dual enrollment needs.  She pointed out that a large group of potential PVCC North students are not being reached by PVCC, but rather by Río, which could potentially effect future North Campus enrollments.  Reyes Medrano and Sue Van Boven reminded the Senate that we had already developed a written plan for dual enrollment, which they will reintroduce to the administration at the earliest opportunity.

d.   Parking:

(1)   As the campus grows in population, this is becoming a bigger issue.  The Faculty Senate will invite Scott Meek to a future meeting to discuss this issue.