College Council Minutes: Nov

COLLEGE COUNCIL COLLEGE OF THE DESERT MINUTES – SPECIAL STUDY SESSION Tuesday, September 12, 2006, 11:00-2:00 pm MAL Community Room

Members in Attendance: David Acquistapace, Gari Browning, David Bugay, Marjorie Cary, Juliann Hector, Pam LiCalsi, Mary Lisi, John Loera, Jerry Patton, Diane Ramirez, Florante Roa, Terry Schukart, Maria Sheehan, Dee Wood. Recorder: Revae Reynolds Meeting was called to order at 11:12 a.m.

INTRODUCTION (Dr. Sheehan)

Dr. Sheehan opened the meeting by inviting participants to introduce themselves and offer their expectations for College Council this year. Common themes emerged including effective and open communication.

Dr. Sheehan then asked the group to offer suggestions as to how College Council will determine in May that it achieved its goals. It was suggested that productive communication requires two-way open dialogue, and a two-way listening process, with participants willing to consider alternative perspectives. The tone one uses is important. It was suggested that posting information on the portal makes information available to anyone who is interested. Moreover, a portal page dedicated to College Council should be developed more fully. It was noted that good communication requires a “safe environment” for disagreements to be presented.

How is “improved communication” measured? Some goals are measurable, some are observable. A survey could be administered mid-year to measure members’ perceptions regarding the level of effective communication. Reviewing College Council’s interactions and accomplishments over the last couple of years could give the group an idea of what worked and what didn’t. It was suggested that, at the end of College Council meetings, each member could share what was “clear” and what was still “muddy.” Some members asked what College Council has the power to do, what it can influence, and what is beyond or outside College Council’s purview.

PROPOSED COUNCIL GOALS 2006-2007 (All)

Dr. Sheehan introduced the notion of having one document dedicated to describing the college decision-making process and its committees. This document is identified as the Committee Handbook. There was consensus to promote Goal #3 (Complete the Governance & Decision-Making Manual (Committee Handbook)) to the #1 position.

The first goal on the list of proposed goals is “Complete the Development of Board Policies and Administrative Procedures for Board Approval.” It was noted that the Council made great progress on this objective last year. It was suggested that the success came from Bill Kelley’s process that was truly two-way. He also shepherded the project and presented policies in small groupings which were easier to digest and address. Dr.

D:\Docs\2018-04-10\065aca6b362014284df37d0151106a3f.doc Page 1 of 5 Sheehan will ask Mr. Kelley to oversee a similar process for the development of the Administrative Procedures.

Goal 2 is “Review Reports on Student Success and Evaluate Strategies and Recommend Interventions: A. State Outcome Indicators; B. SPECC Outcomes.” General discussion was had regarding the abilities of our students and our charge to help them complete the “gate-keeper” courses of math and English. It was suggested that, when the college hires new instructors, it should emphasize those who have training or specialization in the teaching of basic skills. Mini-courses on specific topics can be offered to instructors on campus. There was consensus that proposing and considering strategies to address student success remain a goal for College Council. It was suggested that College Council could benefit from a report of the college’s institutional statistics by our Research Office (with respect to our student enrollment in basic skills courses).

Goal 4 is “Review and Recommend for Board Approval the Strategic Educational Master Planning Process.” The college is currently using the planning process which was approved by the Board of Trustees in August 2004. This Committee is projecting that a draft of the new planning process will be ready for review by January 2007. Dr. McIntire gave a Flex presentation about the progress of this committee (SEMPPC) which Mr. Acquistapace thought would be helpful also for the Academic Senate to hear. A first draft of the new process should come to College Council in approximately February 2007. Board approval could happen by next summer.

Goals 5 is “Utilize Findings in Student Equity Plan to Recommend Strategies for Improvement.” Dr. Ramirez gave a brief summary of this report, required by the State, which quantifies College of the Desert’s progress, over the past ten years, on a wide variety of student equity issues. The report is posted on the portal and provides statistics which we can compare to cohort statistics from PFE and the HSI grant. There are existing documents which identify weaknesses and offer suggestions to address them.

After brief discussion, it was agreed to add a 6th goal: Improve Communication Among Members of the Council and College-Wide. (The updated list of goals is attached.)

DRAFT COMMITTEE HANDBOOK (All)

A template was distributed, “Annotated Template for Directives Establishing Committees and Councils” which provides suggested guidelines. It was agreed that our current Committee Handbook would be benefited by such detail, but for now we will focus on completing the basic information as to membership and purpose of each of our committees.

Some members believed that further explanation was required preceding the “Planning/Decision-Making Process” section. Pam LiCalsi will review the Handbook and possibly suggest verbiage for this section. It was noted that, as suggested changes are communicated via email to Revae, the sender should also copy the College Council distribution list. It was suggested that the date on which consensus was reached should appear at the end of each section of the Committee Handbook. It was also suggested that the Committee Handbook will list the titles (or positions) of committee members, not names, as the individuals will change with time. The chairs of these committees can post

D:\Docs\2018-04-10\065aca6b362014284df37d0151106a3f.doc Page 2 of 5 the names of their committee members on the portal. More research is required to determine the various deadline dates for calendar development each year. Developing a multi-year calendar could be helpful.

A review of the list of committees yielded some changes which are reflected in the attached update. The Academic Senate President knows of no changes to the Senate committees with the possible exception of combining two committees into one meeting time: Education Policies and Practices AND Professional Standards and Ethics committees because there is a lot of overlap. Some names of our committees were shortened. One Presidential Committee was added: Athletic Gender Equity Committee (a Title IX requirement). Also added: Food Service Advisory Committee. An additional category was added: Community Advisory Committees. Update attached.

As a closing exercise, each member of Council was asked to share their perception of today’s meeting by noting what was “clear” to them today and what was still “muddy:”

Clear: College Council goals, good communication is important, distinction made between Presidential Committees and Other Committees.

Muddy: Structure of Committee Handbook, how to balance the creation of a “safe” (confidential) discussion environment vis-à-vis members’ responsibility to inform their respective constituency groups, how to accomplish and measure improved communication, how to track goal accomplishment, and what is in the decision-making realm of College Council.

Future Agenda

Review College Council Mission Statement Receive report from Office of Institutional Research (basic skills enrollment)

Next Meeting Monday, September 18, 2006 2:30-4:30 pm in MAL Community Room

Meeting was adjourned at 2:08 p.m.

D:\Docs\2018-04-10\065aca6b362014284df37d0151106a3f.doc Page 3 of 5 College Council Goals 2006-2007 (September 12, 2006)

1. Complete the Governance & Decision-Making Manual (Committee Handbook)

2. Complete the Development of Board Policies and Administrative Procedures for Board Approval

3. Review Reports on Student Success and Evaluate Strategies and Recommend Interventions

4. Review and Recommend for Board Approval the Strategic Educational Master Planning Process

5. Utilize Findings in Student Equity Plan to Recommend Strategies for Improvement

6. Improve Communication Among Members of the Council and College-Wide

D:\Docs\2018-04-10\065aca6b362014284df37d0151106a3f.doc Page 4 of 5 COLLEGE OF THE DESERT INDEX OF COMMITTEES (09/12/06)

ACADEMIC SENATE COMMITTEES Executive Committee Curriculum Committee Educational Policies & Practices Committee Educational Technology Committee Faculty Development Committee Professional Standards and Ethics Committee

PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEES (All report to College Council annually. Any recommendations have the potential of being referred to College Council for review and consensus.) Academic Calendar Committee Athletic Gender Equity Committee Budget Committee College Council College Staff Development Committee CORE Committee (Datatel) Council of Presidents Diversity Council Learning & Assessment Committee President’s Cabinet President’s Health & Welfare Committee Safety Committee

STANDING/OTHER COMMITTEES Bookstore Advisory Committee Classification Review Committee Council of Classified Supervisors Deans’ Council Facilities Master Planning Committee – Measure B Management Personnel Committee (Leadership) Market Basket Committee Matriculation Committee Professional Growth Committee (Classified) Strategic Educational Master Planning Process Committee (Ad Hoc) Transfer Advisory Committee

COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEES Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee Disabled Students Programs & Services (DSPS) Advisory Committee Eastern Valley Advisory Committee EOPS/CARE Advisory Committee …others to be added…

D:\Docs\2018-04-10\065aca6b362014284df37d0151106a3f.doc Page 5 of 5