ACADEMIC SENATE
Minutes
August 31, 2005
I. Call to Order:
David Bezayiff called the meeting to order at 4:06 PM.
II. Roll Call:
Present: Kathryn Benander, David Bezayiff, Stewart Hathaway, Bill Henry, Jeff Keele, Young Kim, Darryl Nelson, Richard Osborne, Chris Piersol, Joel Wiens
Absent: Karen Cardell, Health Careers representative, Mary Jo Jordan, Carol Wilkins, Dave Kavern
III. Approval of Agenda
M: Bill Henry as modified
S: K. Benander
C: Unanimous
IV. Review of Minutes of May 16, 2005
M: K. Benander
S: B. Henry
C: Unanimous
V. Reports:
1. Senate President (Bezayiff)
Welcome to the first meeting.
PC Foundation and Sierra View Foundation have announced that a person has volunteered to be the grant writer, part-time. J. Keele will tell us more about this at the next meeting.
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2. Curriculum
Biology P105 & P106 instituted an Intermediate Algebra prerequisite so the course could be transferable to UC schools.
Microbiology instituted a Chemistry P106 prerequisite.
A small group of people will be looking at criteria of why courses fulfill certain categories (such as B1 and so forth.)
Sara French-Unser was elected as chair-elect.
3. CCA Report
CCA leadership is in the process of rewriting bylaws which are very old. They have also been working on scheduling and events of the district convocation.
4. Foundation Report (Keele)
Reported earlier by D. Bezayiff
VI. Old Business:
1. None
VII. New Business
1. Porterville College Budget Issue: BRTF Recommendations
The BRTF be reviewing again the FTES numbers than first reported by the district to the state.
2. Set Academic Senate Calendar for Fall Term 2005
The Senate agreed to Wednesday meetings at 4:00 PM.
Meetings will be the first and third Wednesdays of the month.
This avoids the constant rescheduling of meetings due to CLC meetings.
3. District-wide Convocation on September 9th
B. Henry was pleased to report over 50 faculty are going.
4. Calendar
The district would like PC and BC calendars to match so that students and faculty involved in courses (traditional, online, or satellite) shared among district colleges begin and end at the same time.
The calendar looks acceptable.
M: K. Benander moved to accept.
S: R. Osborne
C: Unanimous
5. Enrollment Issues
Enrollment management committee is formed. One purpose of the committee is to pursue how Porterville College can increase FTES.
6. Committee Assignments
Senate president or liaison should attend the curriculum committee.
D. Dale will sit on scholarship committee.
C. Britton is teaching a class during the Academic Senate meetings this semester, so he will be replaced by B. Henry.
Social science will be choosing a scholarship committee member from their division.
Health careers need to elect someone to Senate.
Reminder: Senators are part of the President’s cabinet.
7. Mission Statement of the Kern Community College District
Read and send comments back to D. Bezayiff. Share with divisions.
8. Inappropriate Teaching Environment in the Science/Math Building.
Due to lack of adequate air-conditioning in the Science/Math building many students and teachers are complaining about the temperature. Students report, “I’m dyin’ in here.” or “Why can’t they cool it off.” A number of rooms in the building do not get below 80 degrees and the air becomes stagnant. Many times the doors are opened to cool off the rooms and get air moving, however opening doors of some rooms assures that other rooms will not be cooled.
It was explained that the administration decided on a 78 degree room environment. But the air-conditioner does not put out cool air as other units do, but warm 78 degree air according to the thermostat. Thus some of the rooms never reach an appropriate temperature. Professors have expressed frustration that an appropriate learning environment is not achieved due to present policy.
Senate President D. Bezayiff will speak with Vice-President Steve Schultz about the matter.
IX. Adjournment at 4:57 PM
M: B. Henry
S: K. Benander
Respectfully Submitted
Joel Wiens