Faculty Senate Meeting
June 10, 2002
Minutes

Attendees: Greg Poston, Pat Markham, Ben Matus, Tracy Marshall, Lee Poehls, Ken Tow, Aniruddh Hathi, Jean Norwood, Bob Larsen, Gwenn Kelly, Stephen Range, Roy Rost, Mike Torres, Brandon Thomas, Steve Betros, Rick Porter, George Reamy, David Junek, Garry Sigler, Ronald Neuman, Mark Spivey, Frank Gentry, Ruth Gray, Sherry Pierce, Dale Bullock, Trish Hendrix, Terry Holmberg, Barbara Lease, Tinker Clift, Debi Cisneros, Richard Wheet.

Mentoring- Terry Holmberg
Requested the Senators discuss with their departments about this mentoring program. If it is not needed we will not do it.

Guests: Elton Stuckly (Interim President) and Dennis Meyers (Interim Dean of Instruction)
Elton thanked the Faculty Senate for the invitation to this meeting. Elton was unsure as to when the new president will be in place (maybe September or October). He has been reviewing budgets; all 9-month contracts will be at 85%. The next couple of months will be hectic and said that he knew he would be unable to do two jobs, so he has turned over to Dennis Meyers the (Interim Dean of Instruction) which is now Vice President of Student Learning, to fill in for the legislative session, and the SACS accreditation which is coming up. 

Elton also informed the faculty senate that it is very important to get faculty credentials done. With over 200 faculty having just 3 or 4 to work out is not bad. There have been complaints about HR losing credentials. HR is working on a new form so that will be signed when information is turned into them.

In November the overload policy was changed after the fact and some faculty was expecting to receive overload but didn't. Dennis Meyers was asked by Elton to come up with the funds to pay those that did not receive funds.

The college will not sitting still for the next couple months. Looking at enrollment: all the campuses were up except for Waco. Harlingen is about to surpass Waco in enrollment. It is not just up to faculty to recruit. That is why we have marketing and recruitment. Elton will be monitoring the department’s schedules for those who are under loaded and they will be asked to go out recruiting. Fall and Spring will be important for recruitment. 

Q: Will there be funds for faculty to go out recruitment?
A: Monies are very tight; Reserves are very small.

 
Changes will be coming down in the next 2 or 3 weeks. Still working on those changes and once all is ironed out will do a presentation to the DC’s. The faculty is the backbone and the other departments are the support. I believe that the Faculty do an outstanding job. He had no idea that there were divisions that were working 4 day work weeks. Instruction is not doing that on schedules. Divisions will be working 5 day work weeks. Faculty working 4 days is hurting the students since the enrollment is down.

Q: Was there a complaint about Student support?
A: Yes. It doesn’t matter if you work 4; 10 hour days, or 8 hour; 5 days as long as the area is covered. 

Q: Are they being productive those 2 hours a day?
A: Don’t know.
Looking at past Saturday registrations 6 or 7 faculty were present and and not one student registered. An informal poll of the Senators showed only one person had a student. College Preview was down but it was not advertised. Elton would hate to see Harlingen pass us in enrollment. There was a student that did not know we offered Continuing Ed until the week before they started; (no advertising). MCC has a wonderful continuing education catalog. 

Q: Has anyone talked about summer semester starting before HS is out?
A: Was a concern when we went to semesters. It has hurt.

Q: How do the other Community Colleges mesh the summer semesters?
A: We are not like the Community Colleges, here students want to get their education as fast as they can and go to work. We still have to run 16 week semester to offer the classes that they need.
Need input; the school calendar is set for the next 2 or 3 years but it is something that we can look into.

Q: Are all campuses on semesters (12 weeks or 16)?
A: Harlingen more like Community College, they offer more academics a lot of 12 weeks (academic) classes. 

Q: Is there a way of coming up with an articulation agreement with high schools so that senior can come to TSTC in May before they actually graduate?
A: That is something that we can look into.

Q: What about advertising through the regional recruiters for Austin, Dallas, and Houston?
A: Have no contacts with Dallas or Houston. 

Q: Why do the regional recruiters have no idea of the admissions process?
A: They do not have training.

Q: What about a Billboard on 35?
A: That is Marketing & recruitment jobs.

Q: Some instructors poll students in class at beginning of the semester and ask them “What brought you to TSTC?” 98 % of those polled say they grew up in Waco and knew about TSTC,. Those outside of Waco say it was by word of mouth. 
A: Need to work on that. Elton also said that they will be working on an advising process for the next year. The faculty are not bill collectors. This campus will see some changes but it may take 6 months or a year to correct. 

Q: Do you have a problem with an Instructor coming up and talking to you?
A: Out of the last 10 deans I was the one that stayed in that position the longest. I tried to address too many problems myself. I believe in the chain of command, if can’t get it resolved then I encourage you to come to me. Cluster directors now will have accountability. Major issues I need to know about them. 

Q: Regarding enrollment and budgeting with a ten student cutoff?
A: The co-board made it a break even rule. It was approved by the board of regents. The state is the one subsidizing the students, and the State wants us accountable. The majority of the budget is faculty salaries.

Statement from Senator: We know that you were in the position the longest as Dean of Instruction and I am glad that you are back. We know that it is a hard job. 

Statement from Elton: TSTC is not a typical type of place. I appreciate the statement.

Presidents Council Report (Richard Wheet)

• 
  SACS report from Joe Green; he was not there.
• NTS department; laser printers colleague asked that the service request should be done online at wajtc.tstc.edu/pnts
• Jay Teakell talked about the streets
• Discussed the Master Plan
• Requisition  deadline
• Online requisitions training in September but does not apply to instructional departments.
• HR; there will be doing online hiring
• Tony Herbert discussed the COP responsible for funding ? Carliss Hyde came in and it was agreed that there should be further changes.
• Charles Reed distributed COP 4.30.  Everything that the faculty senate requested be changed was changed
• Dr. Ellis forming IT committee to solve some of the issues on campus
• Administrative credentials 66% of problems was due to HR errors
• Camp TSTC last week in August (Marshall)
• SGA; on campus food hours, book prices, desks (replacing)
• 85% -75% contracts: all 9-month contracts next year will be.85%
• Contracts: they are working on contracts.
• Early registration; see how many go through after 5pm.
• Shelly Sheffield will be on maternity leave, Do not bother here during this time.

COP 7.30

Copy and is on the web. Asked for input, negotiate to 18 hours.
Elton spoke on this matter; he felt at the time after looking at the budget I would do it. It would cost us 1.8 million to do this, but we do not have the dollars there for 15-24. He encouraged the faculty senate to read the rest of this, there is some areas that can be changed. Elton would like it finalized and voted on by the fall semester. Compromise may be 18. Get academic and technical to the same level. The minimum can be dropped in certain cases. Fair compromise; there is no longer a difference between academic and technical. If there are problems, let the faculty senate know and we can keep track for documentation. There is power in numbers. The faculty senate has a big input on things that happened. Segura is impressed by the faculty senate. 

George Reamy
George asked Mark Spivey to lunch to iron out their differences.

New Business
Bob Larsen is on the Risk Management committee reported that the accident rate is 3.8%.

Meeting adjourned.