Bristol
Community College
Faculty
& Professional Staff Senate Meeting
Minutes
of Monday, October 24, 2016
Room
J211 3:15pm
Senators in attendance: R. Worthington, C. Almeida, J. Corven, D.
Behuniak, D. Quenga, G. Hamel, R. Rebelo, H. Tinberg, J. Boulay, J. Jodoin, K.
Fassbender, D. Avedikian, K. Plante, D. St. George, M. Hyde, L. Neubert, M.
Geary, J. Barry, J. Pelletier, K. Hiller, J. Constantine, J. Emond, J. Jodoin-Krauzyk
Absences: J. Dekkers-Mitchell, A. Marden, K.
Woldegiorgis
Excused Absences: S. Ferreira, J. Bjornson, M. K.
Roberts
Two guests attended this meeting.
Meeting
called to order: 3:17
pm
Minutes: Minutes from October 11 were reviewed and
approved with a modification to note Jenn facilitated the meeting and Deb took
minutes.
Division
Reports
·
Division 1: The English Department has
had conversations with the Testing Center about having the student placement
test typed rather than handwritten. Questions were raised as to whether the
student writing could be saved in the event the re-tested.
·
Division 2: Gen Ed discussion; OER
resources for students; certificate of achievement in Native American Studies
(to CWCC) online for teachers in FR; look at process of who is consulted
·
Division 3:
·
Division 4: Anna Strachoff, who passed
away in March, has a scholarship fund in progress. There is currently $4k
available, but need $15k is needed for a Foundation endowment. Patty Schryver is
arranging a wine giveaway with a minimum $20 donation; contact Patricia.Schryver@bristolcc.edu
for more information.
·
Division 5: Adrienne Foster is
collecting information on Gen Ed from Division 5. The division is looking at
the price of textbooks and the required bundle code. There are 2 science labs
remaining in the E building after the opening of the J building.
Update
on Strategic Goal
A.
Collaboration
·
Senate
input on All-Academic Meeting Agendas: VP Sethares has offered
the opportunity to the Senate; Howard and Jenn solicited topics from Senate for
their meeting with him.
·
Representative
to Academic Vice-President’s Council: VP Sethares should
discuss process soon; previously Executive Committee members of the Senate were
invited to attend, but this change would have a consistent Senate representative
at the table.
o
Questions were raised about the process
for sharing information, what the draft position will look like, how reassigned
time would work for professional staff, and what role he or she might play in
the larger picture.
B.
Academic Support and Retention
·
The Joint Task Force on Academic Support
and Retention will officially begin their work.
o
In the August 2016, President Sbrega
convened a group to respond to Senate’s Task Force on Academic Support and
Retention report and recommendations; however, it was not conveyed it was
beginning of task force.
o
Representation of various stakeholders
o
Charge? Plan spring summit of retention
·
Spring
Summit on Support and Retention:
o
The Spring Professional Day in March
will focus on this theme and it will be an opportunity to see what data is
collected from various sectors, what this data tells us, and how things are
followed through. Planners and participants will need to think outside the box
(not solely presentations), and include active workshops and brainstorming.
o
Senators are asked to send ideas to
Howard for consideration when the group convenes. The following suggestions
were discussed.
§ Should
focus on practical solutions (e.g., classroom level, campus level); how students
can feel more at home, more connected, more invested.
§ Start
by asking program coordinators, directors, advisors about concerns heard from
students upon entering program. Have participants come up with possible
solutions then implement during following academic year. Share results and
progress at All Academic meetings.
§ Target
students who are entering college, floundering students, etc.
§ What
are best practices? Why are we not engaging in them? What programs are working?
Why are they working?
§ Could
we foster a community similar to programs like Nursing for larger programs such
as General Studies?
§ How
could MapWorks be used toward this end? How could the student voice be
incorporated?
§ When
students matriculate, are we transparent with them about expectation?
§ How
can various areas begin to collaborate?
§ Could
the Alumni Association participate in this effort? Could alumni serve as role
models for students and have frank discussions with them?
§ How
do faulty metrics impact success (e.g., 150% time used to measure community
college success)?
C.
Whole Student Initiative
·
Charge of the Joint Task Force on
Student Need will be to acquire and aggregate current data on the economic
challenges facing our students that affect academic performance. Specifically,
how do economic pressures impact work and school balance?
o
Next Steps: Solicit volunteers; promote
to VP Sethares and President Sbrega
o
Consider attrition rates of those in programs
and those who are not.
o
Consider what stakeholders should be
represented. While many groups are looking at these problems, there currently
is not a faculty voice. The last Senate meeting highlighted some other
committees that are exploring student need.
D.
Curricular Alignment and Integration
·
Because AVP Ucci’s proposal is related
to the Senate’s goal of curricular alignment across campuses, a recommendation was
made to combine alignment task force with Joint Task Force on Curriculum
Development Process; the charge for this new task force will need to be
revisited.
·
Currently, there is not consistency
across divisions in curriculum process; established transparent processes are
needed.
·
There is also disconnect between CWCC
and BHE; changes from BHE can create a program different than what was approved
by CWCC.
Other
Meeting
Adjourned: 4:19 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Boulay, BCC Faculty & Professional Staff Secretary
