Minutes of Monday, September 18, 2017

Bristol Community College
Faculty & Professional Staff Senate Meeting
Minutes of Monday, September 18, 2017
Room L 101 3:10 pm

Senators in attendance:   C. Almeida, M. Geary,  L. Delano-Botelho, R.  Weisberger, J. Bjornson,  G. Hamel, K. Hiller,  K. Plante,  S. Alves, D. Avedikian, R. Rak, J. Barry,  D. Behuniak,  J. Boulay, J. Emond,  J. Corven, M. Sipala, K. Woldegiorgis, D. Quenga, L. Neubert,  J. Jodoin-Krauzyk, K. Fassbender

Absences: R. Rebelo, P. Robillard, M. Roberts
Excused Absences: M. Hyde, A. Marden, J. Dekkers
Guests: 8 Guests attended this meeting
Meeting called to order:  3:15 pm  
Minutes:  Minutes from May, 2017 were reviewed, suggested change was to add “academic” to the title of VPC and approved unanimously with aforementioned correction.

Welcome:
J. Boulay welcomed Senators, Guests and BCC President Douglas. 

President Douglas Announcements:

·         At this time, college is seeking to hire new Executive Director of Human Resources

·         President Douglas has identified her 2017 – 2018 goals for the college and shared with the Board of Trustees

·         President Douglas will prioritize the goals for the next Board of Trustees meeting scheduled for October and will then share with the BCC community

·         Identified goals include, but not limited to:  Support teaching and learning; Define shared governance and transparency in such a manner that will facilitate agreement when we have attained that goal; Information sharing and closing the feedback loop

·         BCC has a robust strategic plan. Need is to align strategic Goals with our identified strategic plan

Update on Senate Strategic Goals: These Strategic Goals were unanimously approved.

1.      Student Retention and Success

·         Monitor implementation of recommendations from the Retention Summit

·         Work with College Communications providing input on website design and campus event calendar

·         Work with Outcomes Assessment Fellow, convene a faculty team to create institutional assessment plan of student learning outcomes

·         Work with Academic VPC for input with course cancellation policy and the financial purge

2.      Professional Development and Recognition of Employees

·         Propose greater transparency in the recognition and leadership development of employees of BCC

·         Work toward getting the programs available listed on the BCC website

·         Encourage the publishing of names of employees that have won awards and the reason(s) they have received that particular award

·         Encourage BCC to consider including faculty bios in web redesign

3.      Senate Sustainability 

·         Develop a marketing plan to increase interest and attendance at future Senate meetings

·         Develop ad-hoc Census Committee charge with completing census to occur in 2017 – 2018 academic year

·         Revision of Senate by-laws to meet needs of grooming Senate Leadership

·         Develop the use of technology to meet needs of Senators and constituents on other campuses.

Upcoming PACE (Personal Assessment of the College Environment) Study

·         To occur November 2017

·         Divided into 4 climate factors:  Institutional structure; Supervisory relationships; Teamwork; Student Focus

Academic VPC meeting updates

·         The Financial Purge

o   The challenge this year was the FASFA change.  Need to submit tax documents

o   One strategy for improving; advertising to students to fill out paperwork early for financial aid

o   Senators who would like to have input on this topic should contact Kelli Hiller (faculty liaison to academic VPC) through Microsoft Teams)

·         The Bristol Weekly

o   All campus events will be through BCC Weekly (name change from Bristol Buzz)

o   Looking at possibility of discontinuing the use of @ everybody in BCC email

o   AVPC also looking for feedback on the Bristol Weekly.  Again, contact Kelli Hiller through Microsoft Teams

·         Cancellation of Classes

o   For Spring 2018, BCC will NOT populate those courses that did not running Spring 2017

o   BCC looking to decrease the number of courses by 10%

o   Those classes that will not run are ultimately the decision of the Dean of each Division

o   Senate concerns are that classes necessary for the completion of a degree may be cut

·         Late Grade Policy

o   Some faculty are not submitting their final course grades in a timely manner

o   Questioning the possibility to take punitive actions
(i.e. a letter will be placed in faculty file)

Text Books:

·         Concerns regarding text book orders continue

·         Senate would like to create a text book task force

·         More discussion and information to follow

 By Law Revisions:  Tabled until 10/10 meeting
Senate must vote on by-law revisions in Fall 2017.  Vote scheduled for 11/20/2017.  Revisions may include following areas:

·         Sustainability of the Senate and grooming future leaders of the Senate

·         Changing document language that appears unclear. 

·         Send ideas for potential changes/amendments to Senate Secretary, Lisa Delano-Botelho.

Meeting Adjourned: 4:15 pm
Respectfully Submitted:  Lisa Delano-Botelho, BCC Faculty & Professional Staff Senate Secretary