Harper College Faculty Senate

Professional … pragmatic … principled … progressive

 

Harper College Faculty Senate

Summary Minutes for October 21, 2004

(Approved November 18, 2004)

 

Executive Board:  Michael Harkins, President; Paul Guymon, Vice President; Jim Edstrom, Secretary; Dan Loprieno, Treasurer; Sue Overland, Grievance Officer; Julie Fleenor, Past President

 

Actions Taken

  1. That the Senate send a resolution of support for a fair and equitable contract to the City Colleges faculty and a check for $250.00 (unanimously approved)

 

I.                   Call to Order at 12:22 P.M.

 

II.  President’s Report

Michael reported that he has been meeting with the Vice Presidents from time to time on various issues.  It was recently noted, for example, that the deadline for handing in promotion materials had been set on a Sunday.  The deadline was moved to the following Monday.

 

Michael has appointed three faculty with the status of full Professor to serve on a committee dealing with the professor emeritus issue:  Mike Vijuk, Linda Nelson, and Cathy Albergo.

 

He has also discussed faculty concerns with the President’s Council regarding:

·                    The $5,000.00 bonus recently awarded to the President upon completion of the new construction.

·                    Sabbaticals issues and e-mails from the Board President on that subject.  Michael has asked the Board President to communicate with him as Faculty Senate President on such topics in the future.  The issue of under what authority those communications were sent was discussed.

 

Michael noted that Cathy Brod will be talking with the Executive Committee concerning the Papandrea scholarship and the Senate’s role with regard to that award.  The resulting information will be brought to the full Senate.

 

The new Senate offices are just about ready.  They will be housed in A302.

 

III. Officers’ Reports

Jim gave the Secretary’s report.  The appointments to shared governance committees are almost complete.

 

Dan gave the Treasurer’s report.

 

IV. Consent Agenda

The minutes from the Senate meetings of September 16th and October 7th were examined, and two minor changes were made.  Andrew Wilson moved that the minutes be approved as amended; Liz Minicz seconded.  The minutes were approved.

 

V.  Informational

·                    Michael reported that he had spoken at length with Jim Nichols during the recent meetings dealing with the Higher Learning Commission.  It was noted that letters are being sent out to faculty inviting them to serve on subcommittees for the process.  There was some discussion of the logistics of program assessment.  Identifying general education outcomes will be a huge (but doable) task.

·                    Senate goals will be discussed at the next meeting.

·                    Michael suggested that the Senate at some point in the future may want to investigate the possibility of establishing a Senate foundation.

 

VI. Old Business

The dean evaluations were discussed.  A draft of the proposed form was handed out, and potential tabulation methods were discussed.  All the deans will be evaluated.  Everyone should look at the forms and send any feedback to Paul Holdaway within the next week.  The Senators will be the ones collected the completed forms, and the results will go to the respective Vice Presidents and to each dean.

 

It was noted that there will soon be four new unions consisting respectively of 3-hour faculty, 6-hour faculty, counselors, and librarians.  The implications for chairs and coordinators remain to be seen.

 

VII.           New Business

 

The City Colleges strike of faculty continues.  Dan Stanford moved that the Senate send a resolution of support for a fair and equitable contract to the City Colleges faculty and a check for $250.00; Caryn Levington seconded.  The motion was approved unanimously.

 

 

VIII.        Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Jim Edstrom