Monday, December 2, 2013 Cougar Conference Room

Attendees: President Tony Thompson, Vice President David Layne, Secretary Linda West,

Jennifer Altenhofel, Kanoe Bandy, Eric Bérubé, Paul Blake, Adam Bledsoe, Kamala Carlson, Joe’ll Chaidez, Chris Chung-Wee, Bill Devine, Geoffrey Dyer, Sharyn Eveland, Tori Furman, Greg Golling,

Gary Graupman, Jessica Grimes, Daniel Hall, Vicki Herder, Brian Jean, Craig Johnson, Julián Martinez, Michelle Oja, Ruby Payne, Joseph Polizzotto, Denise Romero, Jeff Ross, Sonja Swenson, Susan Vaughan

The meeting was called to order at 12:16 p.m.

Public Commentary

None

Review of November 4, 2013 Senate Minutes

A motion was made by Jeff Ross and seconded by Michelle Oja to approve the minutes as presented. The motion carried.

New Faculty Position Requests  – Tony Thompson

Tony Thompson reported the new faculty position ranking sheets and presentations were submitted to Dr. Maloney. She expressed her respect for the position of the Senate and stated our recommendations will carry a heavy weight. She will be consulting with Mark Williams regarding the final hiring decision. Tony stated we will probably be informed of the decision in January.

IT Update         Adrian Agundez

Adrian Agundez reported a 5-Year Technology Master Plan was completed and includes a schedule for updating classroom computers and equipment. He stated he has received a commitment from Dr.

Maloney for an allocation of $100,000 a year to fund upgrades. Adrian stated that as we continue to grow, that amount will need to be increased.

Upcoming IT projects include:

• A Banner upgrade is scheduled for December 13th through the 15th. Banner will not be available during that
• New HDMI projectors will be installed in the G area classrooms during the winter
• Serban Sound & Communications will be on campus during the winter break to correct issues in the Technical Arts

A question was asked regarding IT service hours and Adrian stated service was available until 7 p.m. on Monday through Thursday.

Jennifer Altenhofel expressed her concern regarding inoperable computers in T15. Although she reported the problem at the beginning of the semester, the computers have not been repaired. Another reported issue is that automatic updates on laptops are scheduled at times when students are working. Adrian stated he would look into the issues.

Accreditation Update – Eric Bérubé

The accreditation site visit is scheduled for the Fall 2015 semester. Eric Bérubé reported that the writing of the self-study is on schedule. He said he was surprised to learn that the college will be evaluated under the new 2014 accreditation standards, which haven’t been published. The accrediting commission requested a copy of our SLO status report. Vicki Herder reported that the information contained in the report is two years old and that we’ve made a lot of progress in the past two years.

Curriculum & General Education Committee Update – David Layne

David Layne reported the committee is continuing to work on getting pieces of the TMC through the approval process. In addition, the committee is still wrestling with proposed changes to ENGL 1500.

Engineering Program Update – Paul Blake

Paul Blake reported the TC Engineering Program will start in the Fall 2014 semester with one or two course offerings and continue to add one or two courses each year. The program relies heavily on existing math, physics, and chemistry courses. Program specific courses are currently working their way through the curriculum approval process. The program will allow students to complete lower division course requirements before transferring to 4-year schools. The program links closely with CSU, Bakersfield’s engineering program and currently proposed CA C-ID Model Curriculum guidelines.

Strategic Planning Committee Update                – David Layne

David Layne reported that the consulting group retained to assist in developing the Educational Master Plan would be visiting the campus on Thursday and Friday of this week. The campus-wide instructor hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

Assignment of “Incomplete” Grades – English, Math, Reading                – Tony Thompson

Tony Thompson reported on the problems associated with the assignment of Incomplete (I) grades in sequential courses such as English, Math, and Reading. Continuing students typically enroll in subsequent semesters before grades are entered in the current semester. Once grades are entered, students who do not meet course prerequisites are dropped from the appropriate course. Incomplete grades can present a problem, since they allow a student to delay completing the prerequisite course. According to the Taft College Catalog, the “I” may be made up no later than one semester following the end of the term in which the instructor assigned it, unless a petition for a time extension is granted. (Summer semester does not count.) Tony reminded those in attendance that faculty has the prerogative of requiring the incomplete work be completed in a shorter period of time. He requested those in Math and English to require students to complete work no later than the last day to withdraw in the following

semester. This practice will allow those students who do not meet prerequisites to be withdrawn from the appropriate course prior to the drop deadline.

Meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

The next meeting is scheduled during the Spring 2014 In-Service session.

Respectfully submitted by

Linda West, Academic Senate Secretary

Minutes-12-02-13

Taft College

Monday, December 2, 2013

12:10-1:00

Cougar Room

Public Commentary
Approval of Minutes – November 4, 2013

Agenda
1. New Faculty position requests – 2 minutes – (Tony Thompson)

2. IT update – 10 minutes – (Adrian Agundez)

3. Accreditation update — 5 minutes – (Eric Berube)

4. Curriculum & General Education Committee update – 5 minutes – (David Layne)

5. Strategic Planning Committee update – 5 minutes (David Layne)

6. Assignment of “Incomplete” grades – English, Math, Reading – 15 minutes – (Tony Thompson)

President’s Report –
Other

Next meeting – TBA – January In-Service

Agenda-12-02-13

Monday, November 4, 2013 Cougar Conference Room

Attendees: President Tony Thompson, Vice President David Layne, Secretary Linda West, Jennifer Altenhofel, Nancy Artiga, Kanoe Bandy, Wendy Berry, Paul Blake, Adam Bledsoe, Kamala Carlson, Joe’ll Chaidez, Candace Duran, John Eigenauer, Sharyn Eveland, Shelly Getty, Lourdes Gonzalez, Gary Graupman, Jessica Grimes, Greg Golling, Daniel Hall, Danielle Harris,

Vicki Herder, Brian Jean, Diane Jones, Kelly Kulzer Reyes, Michelle Oja, Ruby Payne, Harold Pease, Robin Polski, David Reynolds, Joy Reynolds, Denise Romero, Sonja Swenson

The meeting was called to order at 12:12 p.m.

Review of October 7, 2013 Senate Minutes

The minutes were approved as presented with one correction.

Division Chair Presentations for Faculty Positions

The following division chairs or designees presented the rationale for new faculty positions:

Social Science

Harold Pease – Sociology and Criminal Justice Administration

Math/Science

Greg Golling – Physical Science and Math Kanoe Bandy – Kinesiology

Liberal Arts

Sonja Swenson – Studio Arts Kamala Carlson – English

Applied Technology

Kanoe Bandy – Industrial Health & Safety

Presentation materials for each position are attached to the minutes.

Tony asked faculty to place position ranking sheets in an envelope and submit them by Friday, November 8th. Tony and David Layne will meet the following Tuesday to compile the results.

Tony stated Dr. Maloney did not know how many new faculty positions we would be able to fill. She is currently waiting on results of the Full-time Faculty Obligation Number.

A request was made to make the process of filling the positions more transparent. Sonja Swenson, member of the Budget Subcommittee, indicated she would be sharing budget numbers with the Senate membership.

Meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

The next meeting is scheduled for 12:10-1:00 p.m. on Monday, December 2nd.

Respectfully submitted by

Linda West, Academic Senate Secretary

Minutes-11-04-13

Taft College

Monday, November 4, 2013

12:10-1:00 – Cougar Room

Call to Order
Public Commentary
Agenda

1. Approval of Minutes, October 7, 2013
2. New Faculty position presentations

Social Sciences
Sociology – Harold Pease – 12:15 – 12:20
Criminal Justice Administration – 12:20 – 12:25

Math/Science

Physical Science – Greg Golling – 12:25 – 12:30
Math – Greg Golling – 12:30 – 12:35
Kinesiology – Kanoe Bandy to present @12:45

Liberal Arts

Studio Arts – Sonja Swenson – 12:35 – 12:40
English – Kamala Carlson – 12:40 – 12:45

Applied Technology

Kinesiology (from Math/Science) – Kanoe Bandy – 12:45 – 12:50
Industrial Health & Safety – Kanoe Bandy – 12:50 – 12:55
Business – Kanoe Bandy – 12:55- 1:00

Adjournment
Next meeting, Monday, December 2, 2013

Agenda-11-04-13

Monday, October 7, 2013 Cougar Conference Room

Attendees: President Tony Thompson, Vice President David Layne, Secretary Linda West, Paul Blake, Adam Bledsoe, Kamala Carlson, Bill Devine, Sharyn Eveland, Tori Furman, Shelley Getty,

Lourdes GonzalezGreg Golling, Gary Graupman, Dan Hall, Danielle Harris, Vicki Herder, Brian Jean, Craig Johnson, Diane Jones, Kelly Kulzer Reyes, Julián Martinez, Michelle Oja, Ruby Payne,

Joseph Polizzotto, Robin Polski, Juana Rangel-Escobedo, Joy Reynolds, Jeff Ross, Becky Roth, Sonja Swenson, Susan Vaughan

The meeting was called to order at 12:15 p.m.

Public Commentary

 None

Review of May 6, 2013 Senate Minutes

 A motion was made by Jeff Ross and seconded by Kelly Kulzer Reyes to approve the minutes as presented. The motion carried.

Welcome to New Faculty – Tony Thompson

 Tony welcomed the new faculty in attendance to the first meeting of the Academic Senate of the 2013- 2014 academic year.

Taft College Foundation – Sheri Horn-Bunk

 Sheri Horn-Bunk, the director of the Taft College Foundation, shared some highlights of the last four years of fundraising efforts.

• The foundation has reached out to over 5000 TC alumni and raised about $50,000 as a
• Fourteen permanent $1,000 Osher scholarships for second TC students have been
• Raising the Barn Casino Night raised approximately $150,000 for the TIL
• STEM Corporate Circle Partners have contributed over $350,000 for K-Career
• The Beck-Rowe family donated $200,000 for the purchase of lights and a scoreboard for the soccer field at Taft Union High School, which the Taft College Soccer teams use for their practices and
• Harry Smith donated $104,000 in honor of his Aunt Opal Smith’s 104th
• The fourth annual Rib-Eye Cook-Out will be held October 17th and tickets are still

Sheri reported on existing Foundation funding sources that are available to faculty. Requests for funds  of less than $1,000 can be approved by the Foundation Director. The Mini-Grants program is available to fund requests of $1,000 – $5,000 and is reviewed and approved by the Director and Executive Board.

Large funding requests of over $5,000 require the approval of the full Foundation Board. The fund request application is located under the Foundation link on the Taft College website.

Sheri also reported on the West Kern Petroleum Summit taking place on campus on October 18th. Local legislators, educators, and industry leaders will be presenting on the status of the petroleum industry in the area. A tent will be erected in the parking lot to house the event. The event is currently sold-out, but faculty and students will be able to watch the event in the Cougar Room.

Mark Williams, Vice-President of Instruction

 Mark Williams reported on his transition to the California Community College. He stated that “California does things crazy, but the Academic Senate does it right.”

Tony Thompson asked how the Instructional Office was functioning with the change in personnel. Mark stated that the office was almost at a full staffing level and was functioning amazingly well.

Mark reported that Agnes Eguaras accepted the vacant Dean position and would be starting on October 14th. He said that she was coming to us with deep grants knowledge and a good attitude.

Mark stated that his favorite thing about the college was the people. He said the curriculum was awesome and we have a good data collection system in place, but we still have some work to do.

Mark shared some of his short and long-term goals for the college. He has plans to develop and enhance the tutoring and supplemental instruction programs. He hopes to improve the data collection and analysis processes. He’s also interested in providing funding for travel and conference expenses, training, and speaker fees to support professional development opportunities.

Curriculum and General Education Committee Update – David Layne

 The Senate paid for Dave to attend the Curriculum Institute in Anaheim in July. Dave stated the conference was beneficial.

Budget Committee Update – Sonja Swenson

 The District budget has been released by Brock McMurray. Sonja has a copy of the budget and has asked for a copy to be placed in the library.

Brock stated that Trustees want to maintain a reserve of 13%, although the law requires a reserve of 5%.

Governance Council Agenda Items – Tony Thompson

 Tony was asked by Dr. Maloney to contribute items for the Governance Council Agenda. It you have any agenda items, please forward them to Tony.

Other

 Kelly Kulzer Reyes reported that Quest for Success hired Nancy Artiga as a temporary, part-time counselor serving students at the basic skills level. The position was written into the initial grant. The position will be posted.

The next meeting will be held on Monday, November 4th. Presentations in support of new faculty positions will take place at the meeting.

Meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted by

Linda West

Minutes-10-07-13

Taft College

Monday, October 7, 2013

12:10 – 1:00 – Cougar Room

Call to Order
Public Commentary
Approval of Minutes, May 6, 2013

Agenda

1. Welcome to our new faculty
2. Sheri Horn-Bunk, Foundation Director – 15 minutes
a. Petroleum Summit –October 18th
b. Avenues for faculty to obtain Foundation funds
3. Mark Williams, Vice-President of Instruction – 15 minutes
4. Curriculum and General Education Committee update –
5. Budget Committee Update –
6. Governance Council Agenda Items – Tony Thompson – 5 minutes

Other
President’s Report

Next meeting – Monday, November 4, 2013

Agenda-10-07-13

Monday, May 6, 2013 Cougar Conference Room

Attendees: President Tony Thompson, Vice President David Layne, Secretary Linda West,  Jennifer Altenhofel, Kanoe Bandy, Dave Berry, Wendy Berry, Eric Bérubé, Paul Blake, Darcy Bogle, Kamala Carlson, Chris Chung-Wee, Bill Devine, Candace Duran, John Eigenauer, Sharyn Eveland, Tori Furman, Greg Golling, Gary Graupman, Jessica Grimes, Dan Hall, Brian Jean, Craig Johnson, Diane Jones, Kelly Kulzer Reyes, Tim Markowitz, Julián Martinez, Mike Mayfield, Michelle Oja, Harold Pease, Joseph Polizzotto, Robin Polski, Juana Rangel-Escobido, David Reynolds, Jeff Ross, Becky Roth, Sonja Swenson

The meeting was called to order at 12:14 p.m.

Public Commentary

None

Review of April 1, 2013 Senate Minutes

A motion was made by Michelle Oja and seconded by Jennifer Altenhofel to approve the minutes as presented. The motion carried.

Budget Subcommittee Report – David Layne

David Layne reported that we’ve received some good news from the state regarding funding. Although it isn’t confirmed, it appears we may be looking at a more than a 1% COLA increase and there may be some back funding.

Kanoe Bandy asked if there was discussion regarding the reinstatement of programs that were lost as a result of budget cuts. Dave stated that requests for reinstatement of programs should be included in the program review process.

Curriculum Committee Report – David Layne

David Layne reported that the curriculum approval process is moving forward, although getting action from the Chancellor’s Office is a slow process. Dave also reported he would be attending the Curriculum Institute in July.

Dr. Maloney’s Letter of Response to Senate Letter – Tony Thompson

Tony Thompson read Dr. Maloney’s letter written in response to the letter from the Senate expressing concern regarding the lack of shared governance exhibited in recent decisions made by the Administration. Examples cited were: the decision to hire a police officer and the decision to reorganize the reporting relationship of the TIL and Childcare programs.

In the letter, Dr. Maloney stated that many expressed concern about safety on the Taft College campus after the shooting incident on the Taft Union High School Campus and requested the administration take action. According to Dr. Maloney, the Board of Trustees expressed a need to respond to the concerns. As a result, the District contract with the Taft Police Department to maintain a presence on campus. Dr. Maloney stated the need to engage in dialog and shared governance as a campus safety plan is developed and implemented.

The letter goes on to state that she believed the appointment of the Interim Vice President of Finance and the resulting reorganization complied with past practice at the college, but felt the action should have been discussed more thoroughly with all stakeholders. The letter states that she takes the practice of shared governance very seriously. Dr. Maloney told Tony that when the new Vice President of Student Services is hired, stakeholders who have been moved under the V.P. of Instruction will be involved in discussions regarding whether to move their reporting relationship back under the V.P. of Student Services or remain under the V.P. of Instruction.

Senate reaction regarding Dr. Maloney’s response was mixed. Concern was expressed that the response simply justified the decisions that were made without collegial consultation. It was also noted that the response didn’t address budgetary constraints after furloughs were imposed. Some felt the Board may have applied more pressure to address safety concerns than the Senate was aware of; although, it was expressed that there may have been other avenues to address the Board’s safety concerns. Some felt the response demonstrated Dr. Maloney’s ownership of the lack of consultation and expressed her desire to work with the Senate to move forward in a positive direction.

It was suggested that we need to agree on the definition of shared governance and determine how we’re going to achieve it. At one time, decisions impacting the campus were vetted and approved by the Planning Council. That no longer appears to be the case. It was suggested that we need to review the charter of the Governance Council. Another suggestion was to add a standard item to the Senate agenda reporting what is discussed in Governance Council meetings.

IT Update from Adrian – Tony Thompson

Tony reported that no IT update is available at this time. Adrian has updated Dr. Maloney regarding completion of goal targets, but hasn’t reported back to the Senate.

Associate Dean of Instruction Position – Tony Thompson

Val Garcia is scheduled to begin work at Porterville College on June 1st, and the district will be moving forward to fill the associate dean position. Dr. Maloney and Mark Williams will get together and discuss how our needs could best be served by that position and the Student Success Initiative. There is currently no timetable for filling the position. Mark also plans to consult with Division Chairs regarding position duties. Brian Jean suggested that Mark also consult with grant coordinators since we need to determine how the grants are currently being implemented. The grant fiscal year runs from October 1st to September 30th. Brian also suggested we wait until fall to fill the position since the current grant

coordinators can keep things going. Brian cautioned that changing the duties of the position could also change the funding source.

VP of Student Services Position – Tony Thompson

Plans are to advertise for the position on July 1st and fill the vacancy by December 31st.

Other

Tony reminded the membership of the End of Year Dinner coming up later this month. Patti Bench will be honored this year.

Tony asked for volunteers to serve on the Research Analyst screening committee.

Tony announced this is the last Senate meeting for Dave Berry, who has resigned. Terri Smith has been hired as Dave’s replacement.

Diane Jones thanked Tony for his work as Senate president. Meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Linda West

Minutes-05-06-13

 Taft College

 Monday, May 6, 2013

 12:10-1:00 –Cougar Room

 Call to Order

Public Commentary

Approval of Minutes, April 1, 2013

Agenda

1. Budget Subcommittee Report – David Layne – 5 minutes

2. Curriculum Committee Report – David Layne – 5 minutes

3. Maloney’s Letter of Response to our letter – Tony Thompson – 15 minutes

4. IT update from Adrian – Tony Thompson – 5 minutes

5. Associate Dean of Instruction position – Tony Thompson – 5 minutes

6. VP of Student Services position – Tony Thompson – 5 minutes

 Other

President’s Report Next Meeting -TBA

Agenda-05-06-13

Monday, April 1, 2013 Cougar Conference Room

Attendees: President Tony Thompson, Vice President David Layne, Secretary Linda West, Kanoe Bandy, Paul Blake, Darcy Bogle, Kamala Carlson, Joe’ll Chaidez, Bill Devine, Geoffrey Dyer, John Eigenauer

Tori Furman, Lourdes Gonzalez, Gary Graupman, Jessica Grimes, Dan Hall, Vicki Herder, Craig Johnson, Diane Jones, Kelly Kulzer Reyes, Tim Markowitz, Mike Mayfield, Michelle Oja, Ruby Payne,

Joseph Polizzotto, Robin Polski, David Reynolds, Jeff Ross, Sonja Swenson, Susan Vaughn The meeting was called to order at 12:12 p.m.

Public Commentary

None

Review of March 4, 2013 Senate Minutes

A motion was made by Jeff Ross and seconded by Bill Devine to approve the minutes as presented. The motion carried.

Proposed New Teacher Education Degree – Tony Thompson

Tony Thompson spoke on behalf of Becky Roth and Michelle Beasley, who were unable to attend the meeting, regarding a proposed degree that will be coming up for a vote at the Academic Senate Plenary Session in April. The Association of CA Community College Teacher Education Programs (ACCCTEP) has proposed a new discipline within the California Community College System titled: Teacher Education.

The discipline is designed to prepare students to teach in the K-12 system. As currently written, proposed minimum qualifications exclude instructors with a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Vicki Herder stated the rationale behind the omission of the Master’s in ECE from the minimum qualifications was that instructors in the program must understand K-12 standards.

Tony stated that Becky and Michelle are urging a “no” vote on the proposal as currently written. If we vote “yes”, we’re voting to exclude a Master’s in ECE from the minimum qualifications for teaching discipline courses within the program. Tony will attempt to get more information regarding the proposal before voting at the plenary meeting.

Shared Governance with Regard to Recent Developments – Tony Thompson

John Eigenauer inquired about the status of Dr. Maloney’s request that we institute the use of copier codes on campus. It was reported in an Information Technology meeting that Dr. Maloney was exploring the use of copier codes to track paper usage and to possibly justify the implementation of a centralized copy center. Tony reported that he had met with Dr. Maloney and shared with her that the Senate had addressed this issue some time ago and was against the idea of a copy center because of the

inconvenience and additional expense. After speaking with Tony, Dr. Maloney stated the issue was resolved and no further action was necessary.

Craig Johnson expressed concern that decisions impacting the entire campus were being made without being discussed in Governance Council. The reorganization and hiring of a police officer without input from important stakeholders were offered as examples of the lack of shared governance. Both the TIL and childcare programs are being moved under the V.P. of Instruction. A police officer has been hired at an annual cost to the district of $115,000. In the past, similar decisions would have been vetted in the Governance Council. It was stated that the function of the Governance Council has changed over time. According to Tony, Dr. Maloney stated she believed both decisions were within her purview as superintendent/president.

Concern was expressed by the Senate regarding the lack of shared governance demonstrated in the current decision-making process. As a result, a motion was made to select a committee of three to craft a statement concerning shared governance for review by the Academic Senate. The motion was made by John Eigenauer, seconded by Sharyn Eveland, and carried unanimously. Bill Devine, John Eigenauer, and Tony Thompson will craft the statement for Senate review.

Curriculum Committee Update – David Layne

David Layne reported that work is progressing well and many submissions to the state have been approved. It was also reported that the Court Reporting program has received full accreditation.

President’s Report – Tony Thompson

Tony Thompson reported that a governance retreat would be held on Friday, April 26th. A guest speaker from Chaffey College will share innovative approaches to student success implemented on the Chaffey campus.

Other

Diane Jones reported that the issue of class size limits is in process.

Diane also reported that 31% of units are taught by adjuncts. Units taught by adjuncts should be limited to 25% of total units.

Meeting was adjourned at 12:57 p.m.

The next meeting is scheduled for 12:10-1:00 p.m. on Monday, May 6th. Respectfully submitted by

Linda West

Minutes-04-01-133

 Taft College

 Monday, April 1, 2013

 Cougar Room

Call to Order

Public Commentary

Approval of Minutes, March 4, 2013

Agenda

1. Academic Senate vote on proposed new Teacher Education degree – Becky Roth – 10 minutes

2. Shared Governance with regard to recent developments – Tony Thompson – 25 minutes

1. Re-organization
2. Police Officer

3. Curriculum Committee update – David Layne -5 minutes

4. Spring Plenary Session – Tony Thompson – 5 minutes

President’s Report – Governance Council Retreat – Friday, April 26th Other

Next meeting – Monday, May 6, 2013 12:10 – 1:00

Agenda-04-01-13