Faculty Senate Meeting
December 11, 2000
Minutes

Attendees: Richard Wheet, Ed Price, Debi Cisneros, Tinker Clift, Homer Jones, Theresa Holmberg, Bob Larsen, Barbara Lease, Lee Poehls, Ken Tow, Anriuddh Hathi, Susie Watkins, Roy Rost, Kristi Todd, Steve Betros, David Meine, Nancy Gidden, Martin Knudsen, Terry Ehrhardt, David Junek, Garry Sigler, Ronald Neuman, Frank Gentry, Penny Shriver, Ruth Gray.

Richard Wheet, President of the Faculty Senate, called the meeting to order.  Mr. Wheet introduced, James Dunnam, Texas House of Representatives.

James Dunnam spoke briefly on his experience with TSTC and his previous involvement with past administrations. Mr. Dunnam is currently serving on the House’s Criminal Justice Committee as Vice President, the Redistricting Committee and Public Education Committees. His primary goal in the past was to focus on the system and building a coalition of members in the House and Senate to help TSTC. Mr. Dunnam plans, during the current session, to focus on the Waco campus and needs to know what the Waco campus wants.  Mr. Dunnam would like to see more growth in the state with TSTC campuses in El Paso and Laredo. Mr. Dunnam then turned over the meeting for Questions and Answers.

QUESTION:  Why is TSTC funded the same as Community Colleges? They receive money from local tax base, which TSTC doesn't receive

ANSWER: HEAF money takes the place or supplements the monies from the local tax base.

QUESTION:  HEAF money is only 2% of the pie. Will this become any bigger?

ANSWER: He did not know if that percentage would become any larger. Community Colleges received about 6 million while TSTC received 16 million. Enrollment helps facilitate an increase in State funding and that is what the Legislature will be looking at.  The funding formula with Community Colleges is the same with technical courses receiving an additional ten percent.

QUESTION:  Was the release of HEAF funds last year frozen? 

ANSWER: He spoke with his staff in Austin and the staff was told the funds were not frozen.  Money may have been sent to Amarillo but he thought it was separated from these funds through a separate appropriation. He plans to double check to make sure.

QUESTION:  Are we State Employees or considered Faculty?

ANSWER: System classifies you as State Employees. Does the faculty want to change?  He did not know the consequences of changing? He will run with it, but wants to first make sure the faculty wants what they are asking for. It might be a good idea to discuss options. It would be a good idea to lobby the local delegation.

QUESTION:  We changed courses to WECM so that our courses would transfer to four-year colleges.  Some of our students are having difficulty getting these classes to transfer.

ANSWER: Legislation has been passed so that all TSTC courses should be transferring to 4-year colleges; if they are not then we need to find out why?

(Editors note: Jim Dunnam was thinking about academic courses and not WECM courses where there is no requirement for transferring to 4-year colleges only the transfer to other 2-year colleges)

QUESTION:  Why does TSTC have to work during spring and Christmas break when the other colleges do not?

ANSWER: The faculty needs to look at the advantages and disadvantages of being a state employee versus faculty.

QUESTION:  Some faculty would like to continue their education, but with 12-month contracts, they are unable to do so without taking accumulated leave. Some faculty would like to have an option as to their contract period. 

ANSWER: The faculty needs to do the background work and send a bulleted list in a memo of what the faculty would like here in Waco.  You are in a better position to find answers.  He has two full time employees in Waco that can help with questions.  He could have a bills drafted and look at the options. 

QUESTION:  Salary?

ANSWER: System sets salary. There was a $1 million per year enhancement, and if enrollment is up by 17% (as you say) then that money will be there next year.

QUESTION:  How do they feel about technology education in Austin?

ANSWER: He tried to setup a pilot program with Waco ISD, MCC and TSTC.  TSTC would have been able to write the program.  The administration was not excited about the idea and it never got off the ground.

QUESTION:  Students are taking the TAAS test to be able to graduate and then when they come to TSTC have to pass the TASP test.  Several of our students are in remedial classes due to not being able to pass the TASP test.  Is there a way of getting rid of the TASP or using it as the TAAS?

ANSWER:  He is currently reading a book that says that all the things we do in Texas is wrong. 

QUESTION:  What about the faculty load? 

ANSWER: We are in a biennium lag.  There will be significant money next September.

Mr. Dunnam thanked all for asking him to come and that he likes to kept abreast with the needs of TSTC.

Richard Wheet continued with the rest of the agenda.

Faculty Senate Secretary

Nomination of Debi Cisneros as Faculty Senate Secretary.  David Meine moved to vote and it was a unanimous decision to elect Debi Cisneros as Faculty Senate Secretary.

Faculty Senate Newsletter

David Meine wanted to know the purpose of the newsletter. 

Nancy Gidden would like it for a more permanent record of what is going on in the Faculty Senate. 

Richard Wheet asked for a vote.  There were 2 opposed, 6 for, no abstains.  Richard is sending it back to the Communication Chair for discussion.

Faculty Work Load

Minimum reduced from 18 hours to 12 hours. Richard Wheet asked if the Faculty Senate would like to pursue the lower end of 12 hours. Richard also stated that the COP was on hold.

Faculty Compensation Plan

There will be four representatives from Waco going to Harlingen (Richard Wheet, Ed Price, Barbara Lease and Dean Stuckly)in January.  Richard asked that the Faculty Senate give the delegation the authority to make decisions that benefit the Waco campus.  He promises not to lower pay! All decisions will be brought back to the Faculty Senate for approval.  David Meine moved to vote.  All Faculty Senators present approved.

Officers and Committee Chair Reports

Treasurer:  Tinker Clift reported that we still have money.

Communication Chair:  Bob Larsen reported that we still need viable e-mail addresses.

President:  Richard Wheet reported on the current revision of Campus Operating Procedures.  The campus has gone to a semester system and the COPS have not been revised as a body in over 10-15 years.  Copies of the revisions of the COP are available to those interested and may be obtained from the Faculty Senate A current list can be found on the Faculty Senate website.  A list of COPS and notes on revisions was attached to the agenda at the time of the meeting.  Richard briefly went over some of them, such as, the Instruction Administration section of COPS and reported he abstained from voting on these because he had not seen the revisions. Campus administration will be putting these revised COPS on the TSTC website after their final approval.  COP 2.15 Nepotism, HR wanted to be change it so that no relative could work at TSTC.  The President’s Council recommended that the COP be less harsh.

New Business:

Richard Wheet asked for a vote on keeping the meetings at the Food Service Building or the John Connally Technology Center Auditorium. It was unanimous to stay at the FSB.

Ed Price brought up the situation of arresting instructors on campus.  Ed spoke with Dean Stuckly. A memo indicated that the arresting police department would work with TSTC police department, but the arresting police department still had the authority to arrest here on campus.  It was noted that it would be advisable to call and make sure that the Instructor is not in class and that they are taken out in the least noticeable way.

Flex Hours:  Richard Wheet asked if there is any interest in faculty taking flex hours from evening and Saturday classes between breaks instead of during the regular workweek when classes were in session (with mutual agreement between the faculty member and the administration).  He was asked to pursue this.

Richard Wheet asked if there was any interest in faculty taking overwork hours during the breaks in lieu of overtime pay (with mutual agreement between the faculty member and the administration). He was asked to pursue this.