CORRECTION: Librarian John Deosdade was misquoted in the story below.
Deosdade actually said computers discarded by the library at Northwest Vista College were transferred to this college after communication between staff members at this college and Northwest Vista.
Faculty concerns throughout the college dominated discussion at Wednesday’s Faculty Senate meeting with college president, Dr. Robert Zeigler.
Library renovations were a touchy subject.
Zeigler said half of the third floor is complete, and “the other half is on the way.”
The lobby will be complete though “not as extensive as the original plan, but it will be nice and changed to match the rest of the library.”
Librarian Celita DeArmond was not too happy with that response. She said when someone agrees to do something, it needs to get done.
Zeigler responded that there was about $15-20 million for the renovations, but “we have money for one floor,” and at the moment, the plan is to do the rest as more money becomes available.
“We may well be able to get money to add on and complete it phase by phase,” he said.
DeArmond countered, “The library is the heart of the campus” and should be renovated because the community voted on a bond to do so.
She said the library should be a place where people want to go, and at the moment, only one floor is seeing any notion of new life.
People will not vote for another bond now that the college is not doing what they said they would with the 2005 bond money, she added.
Zeigler said after renovating three buildings, the bond money was gone.
“Chemistry-geology was honestly a sick building,” he said, and the extensive renovations required took funds away from working on the library.
However, faculty members said if no one ever tries to negotiate lower prices, the district will forever be paying top dollar.
DeArmond said there are also shelves that need to be fixed or replaced and because of that, many books were unavailable.
Zeigler said the college is working on getting the older shelves refurbished.
The question read: “We’re either freezing or hotter than hell, can you explain that?”
Zeigler said, “I don’t know. In Room 612 (of Moody) it was 60 degrees. We’re trying to get that fixed.”
From freezing classrooms, the talk moved to freezing salaries.
Zeigler said there were changes to contracts, but it was a human resources decision.
This year’s faculty contracts show only salary grade and level but not the actual salary as in past years.
The HR department decided to redo those to not show a salary, but employees are still required to sign and return them.
Some members were concerned that their contracts were from August to August instead of from August to May and wanted that changed before they signed it.
Also noted was the fact that some of the contracts did not note if a faculty member had achieved tenure.
Since Bruce Leslie became chancellor in November 2006, there have been changes in the way Zeigler works as president of the college.
“The fact is that the colleges were free to make their own decisions, but now there is a different kind of system,” he said.
Zeigler said Leslie talks to each president individually and seeks input on many occasions.
They have “fairly candid conversations,” and he does not have an issue conversing with him or when meeting with him.
Duties have changed, too, he said. “Presidents are expected to do more now, and there are expectations of results” when it comes to student success.
In working with Leslie, Zeigler said, “There’s nothing I necessarily resent.”
Librarian John Deosdade questioned the Academic Council’s process of voting.
He said he thinks it’s a problem that there is not much time or notification before meetings on what the council will be discussing and voting on, which gives members little time to make an informed decision.
Deosdade suggested agenda items introduced as new business should be tabled for voting until the next meeting. Zeigler agreed to Deosdade’s solution.
On the subject of unwanted furniture, Zeigler said mover positions have been eliminated and all “big moves will be contracted out.”
Central receiving’s current location at 7990 Pat Booker Road is overcrowded and so are this college’s temporary storage facilites.
Faculty Senate President Jeff Hunt joked that the college should have a yard sale to raise money for technology, which the district is also short on.
Zeigler reiterated his statement from the Oct. 22 forum. “We’re responsible for allocating the money we get, but we need more,” he said.
Zeigler said he asked the deans to work with their departments and discuss needs so they can be ready “in case money does become available.”
Deosdade said he was surprised to find out in a phone call between a librarian here and one at Northwest Vista, that that college had a computer surplus.
He said this college picked up 45 computers from Northwest Vista because apparently after the warranty expires, the computers are thrown into storage, and new ones are brought.
Zeigler said that was news to him, but Northwest Vista could have more money because there are fewer tenure-track faculty members and it’s a new school; therefore, less is spent on renovations.
Hunt continued reading questions submitted from faculty, including the advertising for departments and projects versus for the district as a whole.
Zeigler said, “We’re limited compared to five years ago. We are making a better effort internally and externally.”
He also said that the district is hiring someone for a social media position to work on internal and department ads.
The idea “has been on the books for a long time,” he said. “It was something we needed to do.”
Hunt noted that while on hold on a telephone call to the college, the phone recording only recognizes the district as a whole.
Zeigler said that the college can package the idea of placing more information in both the phone recordings and television ads.
One faculty member reported problems when calling this college.
She said when she called this college, she was asked, “How may I direct your call to St. Philip’s College?”
She said when she confirmed that she was calling this college, the operators explained that they were told to direct calls to any of the five colleges.
New students may be confused when registering for classes or trying to get information if they do not recognized the college they are looking for or are directed to a program at the incorrect campus.
This is another item Zeigler was unaware of but said he would look into.
