New faculty job description may go before board

The Alamo Colleges board of trustees may review an updated job description for full-time faculty at its regular meeting May 23 in Room 101 of Killen Center, 201 W. Sheridan.

A faculty evaluation team, co-chaired by Dawn Elmore-McCrary, English professor and Faculty Senate chair, and Dr. Ana “Cha” Guzman, president of Palo Alto College, was tasked with creating a description to submit to the board.

The committee first met March 7.

The board decided to delay action on a district tenure policy until the administration makes changes to faculty evaluations, and the job description is a preliminary step in that process.

A policy on tenure was overlooked in 2002 when the district updated other policies. Since then, tenure has been treated as a procedure, varying by college.

In a phone interview today, Elmore-McCrary said the team is working on a final draft to submit to Chancellor Bruce Leslie Saturday.

She said Leslie previously asked for it by Friday, but she asked for an extension because of final exams this week.

In an interview at the board retreat Saturday at Northeast Lakeview College, Dr. Jo-Carol Fabianke, interim vice chancellor for academic success and an evaluation team member, said the team may send a final draft of the description to college presidents and vice chancellors for review at their meeting Monday before it goes to the board.

Elmore-McCrary said if the team does not submit a draft before the May 23 regular board meeting, they will submit it to be included on the agenda for the board’s regular meeting July 24. The board will not meet in June.

Elmore-McCrary said she does not know when the description would take effect if the board approves it. “That’s up to the board,” she said.

It would replace a job description last updated July 2010, which lists 13 duties and responsibilities.

A draft of the description sent to faculty with a survey through Class Climate lists eight duty categories for full-time faculty.

Feedback from a survey sent to full-time faculty April 25 regarding the description showed most faculty members were satisfied with these categories.

Of 403 faculty members who responded to the survey, 236 said they were satisfied with the categories, 138 said they were somewhat satisfied and wished to see the categories modified and 29 said they were dissatisfied.

Dr. David Wood, director of institutional research, planning and research at this college, said 838 full-time faculty members were sent the survey. Adjuncts did not participate.

Other team members are mortuary science Professor Mary Mena; Darrell Stafford, English professor at Northwest Vista College; Jessica Cooper, early childhood professor at St. Philip's College; Frank Maldonado, math chair at Northeast Lakeview College; Dr. Jimmie Bruce, vice president of academic affairs at Northwest Vista; Dr. Federico Zaragoza, vice chancellor of economic and workforce development; and Chancellor Bruce Leslie.