Minutes: October 5, 2007
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Present: S. Baricska, D. Cresap, C. Dale, T. Danford, F. DeCaria (presiding), D. Ferrell, D. Folger, C. Eastham, D. Goeddel, D. Hans, K. Herrington, S. Hupp, L. Ingram, R. Lucki, R. Malek, M. Marlin, C. Morris, C. Riter, C. Rogerson, D. Ryan, S. Rychlicki, P. Sharma, V. Slider, J. Tully, J. VanFossen, T. Vavra, G. Winland, D. Yadrick
Excused: S. Beck, R. Berry, T. Craig, M. Goldstein, C. Kefauver, J. Keyser, J. Mida, C. Teaff, T. Ramsey, M. Watson
Absent: K.
Atkins, C. Cornforth, S. Gress, M. Grubor, L. Miller,
K. O’Brien, M. O’Brien, R. Pusz, J. Remias, S. Stokes, C.
Tyska
The meeting was called to order by President Frank DeCaria at 1:00 pm in the IP video rooms on three campuses.
Minutes of the September meeting were approved as posted on the Senate web page.(T. Danford/ K. Herrington)
Completion of Committee Assignments:
Decaria will turn in finalized copy of committee assignments
A concern was voiced about Faculty Evaluation and Review Committee: 2 people currently serving, at least 2 more recommended. Option was opened to volunteers: T. Danford and C. Morris. Linda Dudash will be notified.
Decaria then asked for further questions about committee assignments. None were asked.
Building issues:
DeCaria did address administration and was told S. Woodburn will handle it directly – faculty. must notify him directly about specific concerns, an Woodburn did send an email requesting such concerns.
Committee
Reports
Assessment Committee:
D. Folger reported it has been meeting, getting ready for focus visit. Reports have been sent to all faculty. Please read and let committee know about any new information to be added. M. Koon has scheduled meeting for October 19 for program coordinators at 1:00 and faculty at 2:00; division meetings will follow. Everyone should be up to speed so that faculty will know what has been going on in process. Peer reviews are completed for faculty assessment reviews; comments may be vague because rubrics were not available at time of faculty completion. In September Spring semester assessments were due; please turn in if not done already.
Budget Committee:
T.
Vavra reported that the committee met October 3. Three new people were oriented and they looked
at items other than personal services – which does not include salary. They will not know about salary until Bandi
puts together a report for the board.
There was a problem with capital requests: 100,000s of dollars were
allocated but approximately $500,000 was not spent and now cannot be
touched. It has gone into reserve
funds. $100,00
for IT purchases that did not happen and now approval must be granted from
board. All faculty
should have received an email message from chairs. Committee will look at requests and
prioritize. Money must be spent by May
or it may not be encumbered by the end of the fiscal year or it will become
part of reserve funds. Letters of
approval will be in by December.
Bandi reported on extra funds from last year’s budget due to extra students and state allocations; funds will vary depending on enrollment this year, WVNCC was only college given permission to expand tuition by full 4% because of compact. WVNCC is still behind Southern more than a million in funding; we have more students and fewer employees, so state is looking at this.
Decaria called for questions.
Curriculum Committee:
Herrington reported a proposal to have Math 92-93 removed as prerequisite for accounting and OFAD 108 to change from 3-2 credit hours, adding keyboarding as prerequisite. Last day of this month is deadline for agenda in November, please submit changes early so catalogue will be correct.
Merit Policy Review
Committee:
Ingram reported that everyone should have received copy of merit pay procedure. Changes will be made based on recommendation about review of folders of the prior year; concerns will be sent to Dr. Olshinsky. Changes will be made and brought to assembly for comments/concerns; finally, all recommendatiosn will go back to committee, and final recommendations. sent to Dr. Olshinky for approval
Significant changes:
- Merit pay will be included in base pay.
- No new point changes: level 1 = 6, level 2 = 12, level 3 – 18.
- Documents must be typed on current merit forms - all changes/additions indicated clearly on copy.
- Activities list- no point values have changed, but some clean up has occurred to make it more credible – limits added so that one activity couldn’t be counted for more
- Danford noted that between #16 and #17, the new addition needs number and value;
- Concern with current #18; faculty expressed concern about procedure for certificate of attendance. Vavra noted that many math conferences provide certificates of attendance. Other faculty noted that conferences in other discipline do not give such certificates. Ingram related that committee was concerned about credibility of claims of attendance. Suggestions for documentation: travel request/reimbursement forms, payment of registration by college. Decided #18 needed more description for the requirements for proof of attendance.
- Malek noted that some activities did not fit into categories already established. Herrington suggested adding a #30 for other activities.
Recommendation: Add new number and point value entitled “Other” that requires prior VP approval that may not be listed under other sections of
- Ryan noted that #28 requires a transcript and asked if faculty could submit unofficial transcript?
- Vavra said that promotion cannot be done without official transcript.
L. Ingram will take recommendations back to committee.
PEIA request – Teaff asked D. Folger to report that the suggestion for a wellness program made at the wellness session at beginning of the semester was taken to administration. Approximately 30 people were interested in a wellness program/ pedometer; it’s with M. Koon now and administration wanted committees and meetings for possible funding.
Placement of Students
in Classes after beginning of semester:
T. Vavra addressed the problem, though perhaps not in all programs but for those in core courses, students can be enrolled Friday of first week and show up first class of second week. He suggested making nonattendance report have some meaning, so students should have to have permission to get into class. He can provide data from own courses to prove nonsuccess with students who add late.
Discussion covered whether or not add/drop week should be done away with or whether or not students should be required to gain permission from instructor.
Some faculty noted that students are requesting adding the class in the 4th or 5th week; this may have to do with particular student situations regarding financial aid.
DeCaria asked if faculty had the right to deny addition in 4th week?
Faculty do have the option, but Vavra would like that requirement in first week, especially because most come wanting to be placed in developmental courses and the first day covers much material.
S. Rychlicki suggested that if students come in to register for class Friday we can’t refuse them so an official change would be made in current policy. Herrington suggested a faculty signature for first week, perhaps after the first class of the semester.
C. Dale noted that with the addition of signature requirement there would be no need to add/drop week at all.
P. Sharma shared that she requested N. Glenn not add students without consent for online courses because students didn’t show up for orientation.
Danford inquired how many faculty would just sign in students in the first week making the change unnecessary.
Rychlicki suggested that students need signature after a particular class has met for the first session, but Vavra said that there would be difficulty in controlling situation because registration would have to check for every class.
Goeddel noted that a signature may force students to register on time, and Cresap said it may cut down on the crowd in front of student services the first day.
Herrington recommended that once classes officially begin for semester then the signature would be required.
Motion: A faculty signature is required for enrollment in or adding courses after the official beginning day (Saturday) of classes for every semester . (Vavra/Dale)
Decaria will take motion to J. Fike
faculty salary scale 2008-2009:
Vavra reported that last year’s presentation of salary scale was fully funded; this year trying to push everyone onto the salary scale line. Information from business office needed to see who is where on the line. The scale can catch up to those who are frozen, and the cost for doing this is provided. If faculty are above the scale they still get the yearly increment.
Vavra called attention to the merit document’s 2nd page where it is stated that merit pay and salary scale increment can be given the same year.
Olshinky suggested that salary becomes completely merit.
Vavra said that if a 2 part raise of both scale increments and merit is implemented, then salary compared only on salary scale. Bandi seems to thinks this is a good way to go about it. Administration currently not sure how much merit money is in pool or what’s available for salary scale.
The process is ready to be implemented for next year as long as president accepts proposal.
Vavra said that the pool of money should be determined before requests for merit are completed.
Vavra reported that merit never goes away and equity will be maintained in the Faculty Salary Schedule.. Vavra said that Bandi wants to keep a history of faculty advancement
Goeddel asked whether or not we should state that the split will be always 60/40.
Vavra said they have to fund salary scale first, and merit comes after. Money figures will come in March
Rychlicki asked that if in the future we see salary increases through the legislature that involve 5% increases across the board would percent increases to go the salary schedule. Legislative increases could be used to build in the opportunity to raise steps in scale and she recommend that anything of that nature builds the base schedule.
Vavra said that the president might support this, but the state will probably not deviate from their current procedure of increasing budgets.
Rychlicki noted that current procedure doesn’t allow for it and we would like it to.
Motion: A change should be implemented in the starting salary at each rank at a minimum of $1,000 and then see what new scale looks like (vavra/danford)
VP selection
committee
Danford said that the committee includes L. Bandi, M. Koon, C. Kefauver, J. Fike, S. Gress and T. Danford. They currently have 28 applicants, and are reading the resumes. Committee will meet Monday Oct. 15th at noon to select people for phone interviews. Danford has read almost all and there are at least a dozen good, qualified candidates.
Board of Governors: no meeting due to lack of quorum. Danford reported they are down 2-3 community board members, making a quorum difficult, and there weren’t many action items.
ACF – Decaria
reported for Goldstein who submitted proposals read last meeting and they were endorsed
in
Safety meetings will be conducted on campuses by S. Woodburn.
Decaria called for new business.
Motion
for adjournment by Dale, seconded by Cresap.
Respectfully submitted,
Crystal Harbert
Faculty
Assembly Secretary