Chancellor poses Solomon dilemma to faculty

Chancellor Bruce Leslie wants faculty to choose between a raise for 2010–11 and a hike in tuition for students, Faculty Senate President Jeff Hunt told senate members Wednesday.

This came from a Wednesday morning breakfast Leslie had with Mary Ellen Jacobs, Faculty Senate president of Palo Alto College, and Teanna Staggs, biology chair and chair of the District Council of Chairs.

Hunt said Leslie brought up college administration, faculty and staff concerning whether or not they will get raise but said nothing about district officials being affected.

District employees have not received a raise since September 2008, although trustees approved a 2 percent temporary salary "adjustment" that began Jan. 1 and ends Aug. 31.

Political science Professor Christy Woodward-Kaupert said Hunt should ask district if they, too, are not going to get their raise.

English Chair Alexander Bernal said he would like to note that this is a false dilemma because district officials already think tuition will increase by 5 percent for students.

History and humanities Chair Jonathan Lee said faculty were not asked this question for 2009-10 and tuition was increased for students while faculty and staff did not get a raise.

Hunt said it was his understanding Gov. Rick Perry mandated all colleges to raise tuition by 5 percent. (He did not).

"We do not appreciate being in competition with our students whom we love," Bernal said. "To make this kind of false dilemma, positioning faculty against the students is not a nice thing to do."

Hunt said putting this in front of Faculty Senate is a lose-lose situation, and Leslie knows it.

"This is another way of punishing the faculty," Hunt said.

The senate brought up ways district could cut back on spending, such as having fewer districtwide committees and more people teaching, having administration teach classes or decreasing administration by one vice chancellor.

Senators discussed this further in an executive session, after which Hunt reported their reaction was laughter.

"It was a ridiculous ultimatum; we voted for the raise," Hunt told The Ranger.

In other business, Hunt reported on recommendations by the Advising Committee on improving advising students.

The committee consists of Hunt; Staggs; Ellen Marshall, chair of early childhood studies; Stella Lovato, chair of allied health; and unit assistants.

They presented a model to college President Robert Zeigler Feb. 25.

Dr. Jessica Howard, vice president of academic affairs, appointed this committee to give ideas on advising students. They mapped a process from the point a student walks in the door to the minute the student registers, Hunt said Thursday in a phone interview.

It took the advising team four meetings in a span of two months to figure out a plan, Hunt said Thursday.

At the senate meeting, Hunt explained that for many students, the process is confusing and they have to jump through too many hoops to register. The team looked for a simple model that allows chairs of departments to advise students.

When they brought it to Howard, they were told counseling and Robert Vela, vice president of student affairs, were also working on a model and to wait to see what counseling's model was like.

"Counselors and Dr. Vela have never worked on a model," Hunt said.

Hunt believes it is time for the college to be held accountable and if that means faculty start advising students, it should be done.

Issues that have been raised, because of limited advising is, students only receiving mandatory advisement when they first enroll at this college and students not having a degree plan by their sophomore year.

They do not know if their model has been approved, but advising training sessions for faculty are its way.

"I think the teaching faculty are tired of waiting for the counselors to improve their system. It's time to take some action," he told The Ranger Thursday.

In the meeting, Hunt was asked to talk to the district's legal affairs office and to find out if faculty are legally liable for inaccurate advice.

Also, senators voted to recommend an update of the 1994 college guidelines for textbook adoption as presented by Lee. The guidelines said textbooks selected for adoption must be approved by a majority of the tenure-track faculty who teach the courses or by a department committee.

Selection of textbooks is determined by the department including cost, delivery and goals.

A goal for textbooks adoption should be a minimum of two years, four consecutive fall and spring semesters.

All textbooks selected must be approved by faculty. Intent to change textbooks or to adopt a new edition of a current text must be submitted with sufficient time to give students time to shop around.

Non-tenure-track faculty must select from those textbooks adopted by the tenure-track faculty or adopted through the department process.

Supplementary material and optional readings, which are additional cost for students, have to follow the same guidelines as textbooks.

Adopted textbooks, supplementary materials and optional reading material must be ordered through the department office according to department guidelines.

Faculty Senate members also were confused on a proposal they heard coming from Robert Aguero, vice chancellor for academic success, on hiring interns to teach at Alamo Colleges. No one could provide a definition of intern.

On issue concerning the chancellor questioning the Faculty Senate's honesty at a Super Senate meeting Feb. 22, Hunt said, "I think everyone, including the board, is disappointed in the chancellor and Dr. (Thomas) Cleary (vice chancellor of planning, performance and information systems) for bringing up past history. The colleges and board have been slowly moving forward since October.

"I think we should all really question the motivation by the chancellor and vice chancellor for bringing up this issue at this time. What exactly is their agenda?"