Faculty Senate Minutes for March 29, 2013
The Faculty Senate met for a second time on Thursday, March 29.
Mission Statement: The draft of the mission statement was presented. Several members felt the section which outlined the responsibilities of the senate needed to be more specific. It was returned to committee for further work. Go here to read the complete minutes from the meeting, which includes a discussion of AQIP, By-Laws, an Adjunct Affairs Committee,
AQIP: Patrick Rossol-Allison, Director of Institutional Research, presented the senate with an update on the accreditation process and the need for senate participation in AQIP (Academic Quality Improvement Program from the Higher Learning Commission). JCCC is required to keep three AQIP action plans on file at all times. Currently, all of the AQIP approved projects have been completed, and the college is redefining its process for find and executing new projects under Andy’s direction. Within the next two weeks, the president’s council, in coordination with the steering committee, will select “outstanding opportunities for improvement” and solicit ideas for projects.
By-laws: A committee was created to develop a draft of the by-laws. It will be a long process, but five members (including David Davis) will get started.
Potential Adjunct Affairs Committee: Someone proposed the reformation of an adjunct affairs committee. Many senators felt strongly that it was the job of the entire senate to advocate for the needs of adjuncts. In addition, some proposed that the senate take an active role in raising the issue of the number of adjuncts and their work conditions, etc., particularly if the administration continues not to replace full-time faculty who retire or otherwise leave their position. Specifically, the question of the Affordable Healthcare Act and its impact on adjuncts was discussed. Ron Palcic, a faculty association representative and a senator reported that a task force was convened to study the impact of healthcare on all faculty. It met for the first time last week. He will continue to apprise us of their findings. Finally, the senate concluded that an adjunct committee would probably be a part of the larger body of committees that the faculty senate hopes to oversee, but more time was needed to know what that group of committees would be.
Future issues for the senate to discuss are:
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Need to identify campus wide committees for possible Faculty Senate representation
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Need to establish Faculty Senate communication channels (i.e. listserve, blog, etc.)
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Mechanism for audience members to address the Senate
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Establishing a permanent meeting time for next year