MONROE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
FACULTY SENATE
April 22, 2004
PRESENT: G. Anderson, T. Archie, P. Bishop, W. Brewer, F. Burger, S. Cable, S. Callan, L. Chrzan-Williams (Vice-President), D. Cox (President), K. Doyle, C. Gilbert, E. Grissing, M. Harris, A. Hughes, K. Humphrey, J. Kaufman,
T. Keys, E. Laidlaw, A. Leopard, M. Marino, J. McCauley, M. McKinzie, P. Peterson, S. Ruckert, P. Sarantis L. Silvers,
J. Smith, E. Stewart, M. Timmons, T. Tugel (Secretary), H. Wheeler, W. Willard, H. Wynn-Preische
ABSENT: I. Benz, M. Bower, D. Brown, T. Digiacomo, J. Ekis, K. Farrell, M. Filozof, R. Kuempel, D. Leach,
M. Mendez-Rizzo, S. Murphy, M. Pastorella, G. Toth
STUDENT REP: C. O’Brien
GUESTS: C. Adams, K. Canfield, D. Cecero, S. Dwyer, A. Felicetti, J. Glocker, A. Perry, F. Rinehart, C. Rogalski, R. Stewart, D. Swanger
Meeting called to order: 3:36pm
1. Guest Speakers: Carol Adams, Chet Rogalski, Frank Rinehart and Dustin Swanger
Each dean was invited to share with the Senate recent events and efforts in their respective divisions.
·Carol Adams Dean of Interdisciplinary Programs (ESOL and Foreign Languages, Academic Support Services, including the Writing Centers and Interdisciplinary Programs Learning Centers on Brighton and Damon Campuses and the School to College Alliances, where 3500 students are enrolled in the Dual Credit Program, Transitional Studies and Writing Across the Curriculum).
Interdisciplinary Programs’ focus is student centered and includes a talented group of faculty and staff committed to student success. Highlights include this spring’s Foreign Film Festival and Voices, a publication of ESOL student essays. The Transitional Studies offers foundation courses in reading, writing and math for approximately 300 Program students and provides service courses for an additional 2500 students currently enrolled in various college programs. Curriculum proposals under development include revisions in American Sign Language courses, Chinese and the new TRS required reading course for those students who place in a certain score range on the Accuplacer Placement Test. Academic support programs include Learning Centers and Writing Centers, funded by both the college and the Student Support Services and Perkins’ grants. Interdisciplinary programs continue to build partnerships with specific academic programs across the College. Currently, twelve academic departments partner with more than twenty-six school districts to offer MCC academic courses for dual credit.
·Chet Rogalski: Dean of Liberal Arts (Anthropology/History/Political Science/Sociology, English/Philosophy, Honors Program, Mathematics, Psychology, Visual and Performing Arts)
In the past five years, student enrollment within the division has increased 40%. Initiatives include the English/Philosophy Department’s Children’s Literature Conference, their sponsorship of Poetry Month in April, and “Skunk Hour”, which provides faculty the opportunity to share their writings with the College community. Mathematics continues its highly successful summer Statistics conference, “Beyond the Formula,” which draws approximately 150 local and international participants. The Holocaust/Genocide Studies Project maintains a strong presence within the Psychology and Anthropology/History/Political Science/Sociology departments. VAPA’s speech contest in memory of Otis Young showcases students' poise and talent in this area. The event is held in early May. Goals include the development of new academic programs and course offerings as well as hiring faculty to fill three tenure track positions within Mathematics and one each in English, Political Science and History.
· Frank Rinehart: Dean of Science, Health and Business (Biology, Business Administration/Economics, Chemistry/Geosciences, Engineering Science/Physics, Health/Physical Education, Health Professions, Nursing)
Although the division encompasses a diverse group of departments, all have experienced recent increases in student enrollment, whether due to their support of general education or the community’s demand for increased health care professionals. Accordingly, this has placed physical and financial demands on the College to provide required laboratory space within the sciences. We are unable to expand health career programs to match demand because the cost of educating a student in a health related program is three times that of other academic programs. With external funding, additional full-time temporary faculty positions have been added, enabling an increase in the number of students admitted to the Nursing program. Additionally, the admission criteria have been revised to reflect more predictive outcomes and retention of students accepted into Nursing. We have just determined that external funding exists to expand the Radiologic Tech program starting with an additional fourteen students in Fall 2004. Business Administration has completed its program assessment and program review with positive outcomes. There are curriculum changes in the Geosciences include that involve changing the designation of three courses from geology courses (GEO) to geography (GEG). The most prominent of these is the Weather and Climate course. GEG 104 will still count as a SUNY natural science elective.
· Dustin Swanger: Associate Vice President/Dean of Workforce Development and Technical Education
(Applied Technologies, Engineering Technologies, Hospitality, Office and Computer Programs, Workforce Development and Training, and Public Safety)
Self supporting areas include Workforce Development and the Public Safety Training Facility. Programs within Technical Education are also experiencing growth and curricular revisions are occurring within the manufacturing programs. The Automotive Technology’s Toyota program has been recognized as one of the nation’s top programs. Community colleges train over 80% of the primary responders to catastrophic events, and the development of the Homeland Security Management Institute at MCC has established the College as one of the leaders in this are. Campus laboratory facilities are utilized for MCC’s summer technology camp, offered in conjunction with YMCA programs for 7th and 8th grade students. This six-week program has 130 participants and receives positive feedback from campers, often requesting more time be spent in the laboratory. Academic Initiatives include a Networking Certificate and Call Center programs, as well as efforts to retain non-traditional students in technology curriculum. Reports of lay-offs in the community tend to bring negative perceptions but the Rochester area is beginning to turn around economically. Many people within the community are dedicated to economic development and MCC’s is working with them to recruit and develop businesses within the Rochester area.
·The following questions were asked by the Senate:
Why would a class in high demand be cancelled, especially when the course section has students wait listed?
F. Rinehart replied class cancellations are done with great reluctance and typically occur when the section cannot be staffed. He also noted the numbers of students listed on wait lists for some courses are inflated, since students will put their names on multiple course sections.
When a course is offered for the first time, what enrollment number must be reached to prevent its cancellation?
If there are choices as to which courses will run and which will be cancelled, those with higher enrollment are generally kept. However, one must keep in mind new courses have an “incubation period” and may need to be offered even when enrollment numbers are lower than desired. There is never a firm number that determines if a class if offered or cancelled. It is best to consider the big picture and offer courses that meet the needs of the highest number of students (F. Rinehart).
2. Announcements (D. Cox)
Names of individuals have been forwarded to J. Glocker for the ad hoc committee studying the issue of civility on campus. Names are still needed for a second ad-hoc committee which will follow-up the Senate’s 2001 report on the promotion process.
3. Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the March 24, 2004 meeting were approved.
4. Action Items
The following curriculum proposals were approved unanimously:
PR3Fall: Electrical Apprentice Certificate
PR5Fall: Liberal Arts and Sciences: Nutrition Advisement Sequence
PR6F: Health Studies AS
PR8F: Apprentice Training Automotive AAS
PD2F: Business Administration AAS-E-Business
5. Standing Committee Reports
Academic Policies (E. Laidlaw):
In attempts to reduce the Senate’s wasted efforts in proposing academic calendars, the committee now receives and reviews a two-year academic calendar proposed by the administration. The committee continues to struggle with the current calendar guideline that specifies a “break” in instruction of at least one day in October (Columbus Day) when possible, and another “break” in November (Thanksgiving). The committee proposes a revision in this guideline to read “Have at least one break in instruction during the Fall Semester”. A vote on this revision will be an action item at the May Senate meeting.
Curriculum (H. Wheeler):
The committee has given final approval to nine new courses, 18 course revisions, 4 course deactivations, 4 program revisions and 1 program deactivation. Currently, there are 21 proposals posted for faculty review.
NEG (S. Cable):
An election for MCC’s representative to the Faculty Council of Community Colleges will be held in May. Louis Silvers has been nominated and Senate by-laws require an election regardless of the number of candidates running for the position. Faculty are encouraged to show support for this position by voting May 4 (DCC) or May 5 (Brighton).
There are 18 anticipated vacancies for Senate seats at the end of August 2004. Twelve are the result of expiration of Senate terms, 6 will result from mid-term resignations. The following departments have yet to submit candidate names: Anthropology/History/Political Science/Sociology, Athletics, Biology, English/Philosophy, Health Professions, Instructional Technologies and Nursing.
NEG continues their work on criteria for Faculty Senate membership.
Planning (T. Keys):
No report
Professional Development (W. Brewer):
The committee has completed their reviews of the applications for Leaves for Professional Development and has forwarded their recommendations to the administration. Nominations for the Wesley T. Hanson Award for Teaching Excellence and the MCC Award for Professional Service Excellence are are being reviewed and recommendations for these should be announced within the next several weeks.
The program for the Senate’s Professional Development workshop is being finalized. The workshop will take place the afternoon of June 11 in the Campus Center’s Monroe A and B.
SCAA (J. McCauley):
Open hearings for the Associate Dean of Technical Education have been completed and the committee’s recommendations have been forwarded to the administration. The committee oversaw the election of chairs for five departments. All chair elections were uncontested.
6. Old Business
There was no old business.
7. New Business
There was no new business.
Meeting adjourned at 4:34 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna Cox Terri Tugel
President Secretary
Minutes approved at the May 20, 2004 Faculty Senate meeting.
Faculty Senate
Faculty Senate Office
05/24/2004 |