Notes - February 5th, 2007
The De Anza Academic Senate
Approved Notes for the meeting of
February 5th, 2007
Senators and Officers present: Bambhania, Capitolo, Chenoweth, Cole, Coleman, Cordero,
Dolen, Gallegos, Glapion, Hearn, Jensen-Sullivan, Kessler, Kramer, Lathers, Lizardi-Folley,
Lee-Klawender, Maynard, Miller, Osborne, Otake, Raffaelli, Setziol, Winters, and Zill
Senators and Officers absent: Goodwin, Joplin, and Schaffer,
DASB: Yvonne Luo
Classified Senate: Olivia Patlan
Administrative Liaison: Christina Espinosa-Pieb
Guests: Brian Murphy, Hassan Bourgoub, Phil Green, and Marilyn Patton
[NOTE: Item numbers are reflective of agenda numbers in the order they
are actually taken up at the meeting.]
The meeting was called to order at 2:32 a quorum being present.
I. Approval of Agenda and Notes: The agenda was approved as distributed with the postponement
of "Institutional Preparedness" as Item VI and the renaming of Item VI as Course Materials Policy. Hearn also noted that item VIII would begin immediately upon the arrival of Brian
Murphy due to his schedule. The notes of January 29th were approved with minor corrections.
II. Needs and Confirmations:
Marcy Betlach and Julie Pesano were confirmed for service on the Library Advisory
Subcommittee. The proposed Women's Softball Search and Selection Committee was sent
back to the department owing to its size and with a reminder that a new list must
have a majority of faculty on it.
III. Academic Senate Budget – Quarterly Update: Hearn and Setziol presented the update,
introducing a new format combining the college B budget account with the private dues
account. Several other innovations were also introduced. Reaction was muted with
some requests for additional information such as projected revenue.
IV. Instructional Testing Update: Hearn presented some options for a temporary
restaffing of this position. In all cases, a six consecutive week per quarter assignment
is a maximum regardless of the number of hours per week. Concern was especially stated
by both Hearn and Christina Espinosa-Pieb about the type of person who might be enticed
into taking the position. Having two people split the position is a possibility but
would not change the six consecutive week per quarter aspect. In discussion, Article
19 and part time faculty were mentioned as possible candidates. Also mentioned was
the possibility of combining this work with some other work to create a full time
position at some point. A question was raised about having the position be a part
of student services or distance learning.
One condition for getting the position at any level is for the Senate to produce guidelines
for use of Instructional Testing primarily aimed at avoiding abuses. Another is keeping
data to determine the magnitude of need with certainty.
V. District Senate President Compensation: The item focused primarily on whether
compensation should come in the form of a stipend or released time. Points for both
were well received.
VIII. Democracy and Sustainability Networks: Brian Murphy presented an opportunity
for De Anza to become the first community college to participate in an important international
network of colleges and universities. This network is largely the result of two gatherings
resulting in the creation of two declarations, one called the Talloires Declaration
(so named because of the location of the gathering) and the other called the Declaration
on Higher Education and Democratic Culture: Citizenship, Human Rights and Civic Responsibility.
Despite their titles, both declarations emphasize environmental sustainability as
well as democracy and civic and social responsibility. Murphy emphasized the impressive
and worldwide nature of the signers of the declarations and asked the group to consider
taking a vote on supporting the college's involvement. Hearn assured Murphy that
the group would do just that at its February 12th meeting.
Back to V. District Senate President Compensation: After further discussion, it
was the sense of the Senate that released time is preferable to a stipend but that
assuring some kind of compensation is more important than the form in which it comes.
VI. Course Materials Policy: Hearn distributed a new draft policy. The group concentrated
on aspects said by Hearn to remain controversial. These were the ideas of 1) self
published textbooks primarily versus solely and exclusively available in the District
and 2) the suggestion that faculty members receiving a profit from textbooks recuse
themselves from curriculum development where the textbook(s) might shape the curriculum
or become listed on curriculum materials as being suitable for the course.
Hearn told the group that the FA representatives expressed concern about the ambiguity
inherent in the word primarily and that the Foothill Senate representatives were unequivocally
opposed to any reference to curriculum development. After considerable discussion,
it became the sense of the Senate that the inclusion of the curriculum reference was
not a high priority but that the concept of primarily was a fairly high priority with
the group not clearly favoring
VII. Curriculum Update – Courses to be Deleted: Khanna went through a brief history
about the events leading up to this, the last chance for departments to retain courses
targeted for deletion two years ago. Approximately 59 courses are pending deletion
at this point. Final action is slated for March 6th with people who want to change
their minds being given a February 28th date as the deadline for submission of materials.
X: Tenure Review Committees (Faculty Contract Article 6A): As requested at the January
29th meeting, several divisions reported on the likelihood that faculty would volunteer
for at large service on tenure review committees if that service was extended to include
phase one. In the main the response was positive, especially if the first year duties
were limited. Hearn mentioned that Foothill was prepared in the short term to help
populate at large slots if we needed that. Hearn will report to the next FA-Senates
Liaison Group meeting.
IX. Facilities Master Plan Update: Hearn began with the statement of an overarching
concern and principle. No one should be asked to approve something significant during
the meeting at which it is presented. Marilyn Patton and Phil Green, faculty representatives
on the Facilities Committee shared with the group that they are led to believe that
they are not on the committee to provide content.
There were some specific questions about the draft Facilities Master Plan. For example,
newly constructed entrances and exits are neither explained nor clearly shown and
the new Performing Arts Building shows up in pictures but is not mentioned in words.
It was MSC (Cordero/Raffaelli) to extend the time of the meeting 10 minutes. While
admitting he had not yet had the time for a careful reading, Setziol cited a concern
that visual aesthetics were not in the Plan and didn't seem to be on the radar of
those making facilities decisions. Several people were concerned by a lack of mention
of environmental sustainability.
XI. Good of the Order: - If you are interested in suggesting contents for "healthy
vending machines", contact Mary Sullivan.
- Food services (main cafeteria portion) will shut down for a time unspecified
at the meeting. The espresso stand will stock additional items to pick up a bit of
the slack and the outside food stands will continue to operate. It was mentioned
that Foothill has added temporary outside vendors and that, if De Anza was to consider
the same, that faculty would like to provide input. Hearn suggested the Campus Center
Advisory Board would be the best venue for such input.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:37