West Campus Faculty Senate Minutes

February 12, 2004

PRESENT:  Maryke Lee (presiding), Gene Adams, Jennifer Britton, Tom Brynes, George Dow, Randy Grosch, Shannon Hellard, Jean Henderson, Gloria Hines, Terry Johnsen, Jim Johnson, Dan Kimble, Graeme Lindbeck, Terry Long, Brian Macon, Sue Matthews, Stan Melnick, Boris Nguyen, Lana Powell, Pamela Sandy, Marilyn Santos, Susan Stone, Mary Sugeir, Russell Takashima

GUESTS:  Steve Kaplan, Renee Simpson

CALL TO ORDER:  President Maryke Lee called the meeting to order at 1:15 p.m.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:  Minutes approved as submitted.

PROVOST’S REPORT:

• Renovations in the PEC and Buildings 3 and 5 should start this summer.  The PEC will include an all purpose room seating approximately 300, a larger weight room and an aerobics room.  The renovations in the PEC will take approximately a year.  Faculty asked how graduation and collegwide meetings will be handled in the future. 
• Next fiscal year Valencia will have less Federal Work Study dollars and that they expect that trend to continue over the next several years (a decrease of approximately $300,000.00).  Joyce Romano will convene a committee to determine the best way to distribute the funds that will be available.
• The budget process will be handled differently this year.  If you have specific needs, please let your dean know as soon as possible.  West Campus will be looking closely at the Health Related programs, LRC and Engineering departments because of the increase in student numbers with no budget increase over the past several years.
• A Reassign Time Committee will be looking at the existing procedures and trying to make it more equitable college-wide.  The college is hoping to increase Reassign Time from $160,000 to $300,000 in the next budget year.  Once the committee has formulated their recommendations it will go to the Learning Leaders Team and Faculty Senates for review in April.
• The LRC redesign in continuing and you should see many changes by mid-May.  The third floor will include the Teaching and Learning Center and the librarian’s offices.  An LRC committee will make recommendations on the future leadership.
• There has been a request for video games, without sound, in the cafeteria.  Please let your dean know your comments.
• Faculty discussed their dissatisfaction with the cafeteria.  Dr. Gastenveld will find out when the existing contract is up for renewal.

OLD BUSINESS: 

Committee Appointments:  Mimi Sanderlin was appointed as faculty representative for the Curriculum Committee.  Joan Alexander, Terry Long and Steven Muller volunteered for the Educational Technology Committee.  If you are interested in the Endowed Chair Selection Committee (only tenured faculty) or the Learning Day Planning Committee please contact Michael Shugg or Sue Matthews.

NEW BUSINESS:

Administrative Withdrawals:  George Dow discussed the difficulties faculty have with Administrative Withdrawals that happen at the end of each semester.  Renee Simpson and Steve Kaplan discussed the existing procedures and Renee stated that she will change the process so that students don’t go directly to each faculty member but meet with someone at the Atlas Outpost.  Shannon Hellard requested that faculty receive a copy of the e-mail that students receive when they are being administratively withdrawn.  Renee and Steve will keep Maryke posted about subsequent progress on this issue.

Online Journal:  President Lee asked for input as whether the Faculty Senate would like to send a letter of support for this Strategic Budget Initiative.  Motion was made and approved that the West Campus Faculty Senate would send a letter of support for the online journal to the Strategic Budget Committee.

West Campus Work Request Form:  Tom Byrnes discussed the need for faculty to fill out this form and the difficulties it causes when faculty are in the classroom.  Motion was made and approved that faculty request a phone number that they can call at the maintenance office for all facility needs.  Shannon Hellard requested that Helen Yeager be invited to an upcoming Faculty Senate meeting.

REPORTS FROM DEPARTMENT SENATORS:

·        Gloria Hines reported that they have a new full-time counselor at the Osceola Campus and one on the West Campus.

·        Boris Nguyen discussed the foam substance on the ground around Building 7 and asked why the spraying wasn’t done on the weekends to avoid disturbing classes.

·        Sue Matthews said that Michael Shugg had distributed, to the Faculty Association Board, a manual for Tenure Review Committee members and why the manual was distributed without faculty involvement.  George Dow will get more information at the next Board meeting and report at the next Faculty Senate meeting.

·        Stan Melnick discussed the need for coordinating all clocks on campus.  Motion was made and approved that Faculty Senate recommends that the college purchase atomic clocks to replace all existing clocks on campus.

ADJOURNMENT:

Maryke Lee adjourned the meeting at 2:48 p.m.

The next meeting will be March 11 at 1:15 p.m. in Room 1-151.