I. General
A. Call to Order
Janice Reilly called the meeting to order at 2:40 p.m.
Members Present: Diana Abel, Carmela Arnoldt, Karen Chalmers, Joanna Chamberlain, Bill Farrar, Amy Goff, Alan Haffa, Rosemary Kesler, Sharon Luczu, Jane Marks, Saundra Minckley, Brian Murphy, Ricardo Provencio, Jim Reed, Janice Reilly, Laura Ruiz-Scott, Karen Schmidt, Dennis Shaw, Gail Shay, Linda Smith, Vernon Smith and Barry Vaughan.
Carrie Taylor took the minutes.
B. Approval of Agenda
The agenda was approved as written.
C. Approval of September 25, 2001, Minutes
The September 25, 2001, minutes were approved as written.
D. Treasurer’s Report – September 2001 and Year-To-Date
Dennis Shaw reviewed the reports for Council.
E. Committee Reports
1. Meet and Confer
Council was informed that the Faculty Meet and Confer Team had met the previous week to divide the workload on this year’s issues. Linda Larson stated that the Faculty Meet and Confer Team has a tentatively scheduled lunch meeting with the Board Team on November 16, 2001. Linda Larson informed Council that the presentation to the Governing Board for faculty salary, professional growth and other monetary proposals was scheduled for Thursday, November 6, 2001. The meeting would be held in the Governing Board Room at 6:30pm. The proposals were due to be sent to the Board on October 22, 2001. Linda said that the proposal would be in the same format as last year’s proposal. She asked for assistance with arguments for the Ph.D.+24 proposal. Council discussed the need for faculty to attend the presentation to show support for the Meet and Confer Team. Linda Larson was asked to review last year’s proposal.
2. Professional Growth
Linda Larson reminded Council of the sabbatical reception on October 23, 2001. She said that all faculty were invited and suggested that those who were preparing sabbatical applications come to meet the faculty who were returning sabbaticals. Council was informed that the Chair of the Faculty Professional Growth Committee recommended the unallocated $100,000 for Professional Growth this year be split with sixty percent going into the travel budget and forty percent going into the summer projects budget. Council will be asked to vote on this at the next meeting.
Council agreed to discuss the Information Item – FPG/MCLI Distinction at this point. Faculty from one campus raised a concern that the professional growth applications and website had MCLI on them. Their concern was that Professional Growth was being taken over by MCLI and control of Professional Growth was being taken away from faculty. All council representatives were asked to poll their faculty to see if there was concern elsewhere in the District. The point was made that MCLI was not controlling Faculty Professional Growth. A suggestion was made to pull the MCLI logo off of the web page and the applications so as not to give an impression that Professional Growth was now under MCLI. Linda Larson distributed a handout outlining the service that MCLI has provided for Faculty Professional Growth. Council discussed various concerns and options for resolving this issue. The issue will be brought back to the next meeting as new business.
3. EBAC
Council was told that Regi Munro had conveyed Council’s message to EBAC and clarification was needed. Council learned that the Governing Board now covers two thirds of the cost of benefits. Council was asked to clarify what it meant by one hundred percent in regards to the benefit discussion from the last meeting. Council agreed that it meant the Governing Board should cover one hundred percent of any increase in benefits, i.e. no more out of pocket expenses for employees. Council reviewed the handouts of the recent history of EBAC. Council discussed the salary presentation to the Governing Board on November 6th. Council members were asked to discuss this issue with faculty on their campuses. Council learned that EBAC supports the present tiered system of benefits.
4. FAC
Council was informed that FAC was currently meeting. One FAC representative had taken the hiring report from the FEC Retreat in an attempt to get FAC to move up the budgeting process.
5. Legislative
Council was told that an ad for a lobbyist was drafted and will be placed in the Arizona Capitol Times. Council learned about contacts that had been made with legislators regarding various issues.
6. Intellectual Property Rights
Council was reminded of a recent MEMO sent to them regarding the meeting with the Intellectual Property Rights Committee. The faculty at the meeting held the position that faculty issues should be placed in the RFP via the Meet and Confer process.
7. Common Pages
Council was informed that recommendations for changes to the Common Pages were due November 16, 2001. A suggestion was given for campuses to form committees to review the common pages for any issues that need addressing. Joanna Chamberlain stated that she could meet with campus representatives regarding the Common Pages. One issue was the “W” Grade. Council was asked to review carefully the portions of the Common Pages that deal with academic standards. Another suggestion was to look carefully at any administrative regulations that deal with scholastic standards as well.
II. Old Business
Council discussed how meetings have been run recently, and that the procedures outlined in the FEC Constitution and in Robert’s Rules of Order need to be followed. Council reviewed the FEC Constitution.
A. Benefits/Insurance
Council learned that information was still being gathered to bring to Council.
B. Peerpoint!
Carmela Arnoldt stated that the deadline for the December Peerpoint would be November 15, 2001. Carmela reviewed the topics of the articles for the next issue of Peerpoint! She asked for volunteers interested in the issues to write articles so that all of the articles will not come from one person or campus. Council was told that the Peerpoint is now on the Faculty Association web page for anyone to read so timeliness of articles is an important consideration.
C. SB 1295
Council was told that Phil Randolph is developing retirement proposals for the Governing Board. The Governing Board has not yet approved the benefits allowed in the new SB 1295 law. It was not known if the retirement proposals would address the SB 1295 benefits. Council was informed that the new benefits from SB 1295 would not take effect until January 2002. A concern was raised in regards to the forty-nine percent program. Council was reminded of the MEMO about the event “Where have all the teachers gone?” at which the Chancellor would speak.
D. Lobbyist
No further discussion took place on this item.
E. Aramark Food Service
A survey of Aramark’s food service is being taken at one campus. Council was told that one campus now has a gourmet chef who cooks the food and that person is now going to a second campus. The gourmet chef would like to speak to the two Faculty Senates regarding concerns and has offered free meals on one campus to make amends.
III. New Business
A. High School Students/Developmental Courses
Council was told that the high school students who were taking developmental courses at one campus should not be in the classes. The situation is being reviewed on that campus.
B. Membership
Janice Reilly reminded Council that the November 15th membership deadline is quickly approaching.
C. Book Store Issue
Council was reminded of the question and discussion regarding the bookstore at the last Council meeting. Council discussed the problems at several campuses with the bookstore such as: under ordering books, not ordering books until the last minute due to used book quotas, recommendations by the bookstore for class materials deemed not needed by the instructor of the class, and the paper intensive process used by the bookstores rather than an on-line process. Council discussed an off-site bookstore by one of the campuses. Council also discussed the problem with contracting with one company to run all of the bookstores, thus eliminating competition and raising prices for students. A concern was voiced that Council was not consulted before the contract was written. Council was told that the issue would be researched and a written motion will be brought to the next meeting.
D. Instructional Council Issue
Council reviewed the discussion of Council’s last meeting. Council was told that a similar situation had occurred in the past week where a chair of an instructional council had been asked by Human Resources to approve a candidate for a position who did not have the minimum qualifications. The chair then consulted the entire membership of the instructional council who did not approve of the candidate because that person had not met the minimum qualifications for the position. A motion was written stating, “Instructional Councils may change or waive minimum hiring qualifications only with a two thirds majority vote of discipline specific members.” Council agreed to vote on the motion at its next meeting. Council agreed to the idea that the entire membership of an instructional council should be consulted rather than only the chair. Concerns were voiced that the hiring process involving instructional councils might have been circumvented. Council learned that in 1982, permission was given to instructional councils to set minimum qualifications for positions in their particular field. There was a question if the language to do this was in the Residential Faculty Policies (RFP). If not, the language should be placed in the RFP. Rosemary Kesler volunteered to research this question and bring back an answer to Council. Council discussed the motion further.
IV. Information
A. FAC/EBAC Stipends
Council discussed the idea of giving stipends to the EBAC and FAC representatives since those two committees involve large time commitments. Rosemary Kesler, a former EBAC representative, stated that she thought six hours of reassigned time per person per year would be fair compensation for the EBAC representatives. It was stated that more information was need from the FAC representatives on their time commitment to FAC. Dennis Shaw volunteered to write a motion to bring to Council next time.
B. Men’s Basketball Scrimmage
Council learned that a men’s basketball scrimmage had been scheduled in part during class hours that would take basketball players out of classes. It was stated that this scheduled activity had violated the athletic policies of not scheduling athletic events that would be in conflict with academic classes. A concern was raised that the athletic directors did not enforce the aforementioned policies, and it was suggested that Council do something to let the athletic directors know that violating those policies is unacceptable. Council was told that the athletic directors knew about the all day event a long time in advance and did nothing about it. Some instructors informed the athletic directors that the basketball players would not be excused if they missed class in order to participate in the basketball scrimmage. A motion will be written and brought back for Council to vote on at its next meeting.
C. FPG/MCLI Distinction
There was no further discussion on this item.
D. OYO
This item was tabled until the next Council meeting.
E. State AAUP
Jim Reed brought forth a concern from a GCC Faculty Senate member regarding Council’s decision to suspend its membership in the State AAUP. Council listened to and noted the faculty member’s concern. Council briefly discussed past interaction with the State AAUP.
V. Significant Happenings/Presidents’ Reports
CGCC
All is well.
EMCC
All is well.
GWCC
The United Way drive is underway at GWCC. The interviews for
the candidates for the
college president position will be held on November 9, 2001.
GCC
The climate study will be finished in a couple of weeks. The
climate study group is
calling everyone to ensure that all information has been received.
GCC was the only school to have a special eighteen-hour accountability
rule where faculty had to do extra work without pay. The rule was
eliminated. Council was advised that any campus that has a rule for
special accountability hours without pay could eliminate those hours because
such a rule does not exist in the RFP. The Read Fest at GCC will
bring hundreds of elementary school students to GCC. The Faculty
Senate donated $500 for popcorn for the Read Fest.
MCC
The Red Mountain campus is up and running.
PC
The Chancellor will announce his choice for PC President on October
10, 2001. PC
faculty held the first Friday Feast and the event was well attended.
The faculty discussed holding a Friday Feast once a month. The PC
faculty is formulating the plans for a meditation peace garden on campus.
PVCC
PVCC is undergoing administrative reorganization with the new College
President and
Dean of Instruction in place. Input from representatives from
all of the employee groups on campus is being incorporated into the reorganization.
RIO
The first week of October, Rio faculty participated in three days of
training on diversity,
TQM overview, customer service, customer astonishment, organizational
change and learning. Over the last two days, Rio had an excellent
college-wide meeting with the Bennetts from the Oregon Intercultural Institute
as the keynote speakers. The Bennetts are also scheduled to come
to the All Faculty Convocation in January. The United Way drive is
underway at Rio.
SCC
All is well.
SMCC
The new SMCC President is starting a two-year review for reorganization
at SMCC.
VI. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 5:15pm.
* * The next Council meeting is October 23, 2001. * *