Senate discusses two-fer trustee policy

Faculty Senate invited new trustee Blakely Fernandez of District 7 to speak at special called meeting Feb. 10, but that's not going to happen.

She has said board policy prohibits her from speaking without another trustee present.

English Instructor Jane Focht-Hansen tried corresponding with trustees Gary Beitzel of District 8, Roberto Zárate of District 5 and board Chair Denver McClendon of District 2 to accompany Fernandez, but both said they would be out-of-town.

Zarate added, in an e-mail Jan. 29, "It is beyond my role and responsibility to meet with either staff and faculty. This protocol is to maintain an objective viewpoint when making decisions."

This prompted senate members during Wednesday's meeting to question whether some trustees care about making informed decisions.

They hope to reschedule with Fernandez but may not be able to until she becomes a candidate for re-election, Focht-Hansen said.

As a candidate, she would be free to appear alone, unlike appearing as a trustee.

Faculty Senate President Jeff Hunt brought up the memorandum of commitment written by Chancellor Bruce Leslie and announced that along with the Super Senate, all of the college presidents refused to sign the draft.

Members agreed the Jan. 20 memo seemed unnecessary and offensive when the chancellor referred to student success as if this idea stemmed solely from the Accreditation Review Committee's report.

"It's what we do," math Professor Carlos Corona said. "It's our mission."

A special guest at the meeting, President Robert Zeigler explained what he knew of the admissions and records backend operations moving to the Albertsons building at 8300 Pat Booker Road.

He said district officials will process paperwork more efficiently and work well with Banner, software consolidate college processes.

He assured faculty that no one in admissions and records would lose their jobs and that over time, the cost savings would be in attrition.

Reference Librarian Celita DeArmond questioned, "If everything's online, why move bodies?" English Chair Alex Bernal asked, "Whose plan is it?"

Most questions went unanswered because the president didn't know all the details of the plan. But he said he believed the plan was originated by former Vice Chancellor James McLaughlin and was now being overseen by Tom Cleary, vice chancellor for planning and technology, and Adelina Silva, vice chancellor for student success, along with the vice presidents of student affairs.

In other business, radio-television-film Professor John Onderdonk brought up a situation in which a terminated faculty member had multiple student grievances filed against him while teaching on a one-year terminal contract.

Onderdonk and other members questioned district policy in which faculty members are dismissed but given an additional year to teach.

Business Chair Val Calvert said, "It's cheaper to pay them for a year than a lawsuit."

Onderdonk said, "Who's really suffering? The students. It doesn't help a program to have a crappy instructor."

This is one of the issues the senate may take up with Linda Boyer-Owens, vice chancellor of human resources.

The senate went into executive session for about 20 minutes with Zeigler.