Monday, July 30, 2012

July BOT meeting, live and direct! (The dreary, Sisyphean era of "student success" lumbers forward)

     Good Lord, they're starting on time! Only trustee Prendergast is absent—although he participated via technology in the earlier special meeting. (Please also read Tere's Board Meeting Highlights.)
     No actions reported from closed session.

     First thing: swearing in James Wright as trustee, who replaces the late Tom Fuentes.
     He swears about the Constitution and such; it's official.
     Wright speaks, introduces his family. Short but sweet speech.

     No resolutions tonight. Some commendations: Chancellor Poertner presents a small group of four concerning the "Sherpa project," which helps students to reach their "summit." It gives recommendations to students: courses to take, etc. An uncommon service; it is being recognized across the country. (Applause.)
     Burnett introduces new managers and administrators. Four shiny new people. They sound pretty impressive, I guess. Dave Anderson included (now head of Emeritus, or something; didn't pay attention). Photo op, applause, repeat.
     Public comments? No one wishes to speak, natch. Summer, man.

Trustee reports:

     Bill Jay: Jim Wright has been here for years. A terrific gentleman, an intellectual, etc. Welcome!
     Frank "Mike" Meldau: also welcomes Wright to the board.
     Marcia Milchiker: yammers about Wright's achievements, qualifications. Addresses Wright: "I'm really big on trustee education, but you already know everything!" said Marcia. Laughter. She attended this and that and on and on.
     Nancy Padberg: no report aside from welcoming Jim Wright. "Ecstatic" to have him.
     James R. Wright: thanks for your kind comments, much appreciated. Attended the bridge re-opening at Saddleback. Applauds Marcia for her comments at that event.
     Dave Lang: wants to echo others' sentiments; wishes Wright all the best.

Chancellor Gary Poertner: he proceeds to the discussion item, namely,

COLLEGE COMPLETION:
     This is the sort of thing that must make administrative work hell, at least for intelligent and straight-forward people. "Student success taskforce," blah blah blah. Nothing too sensible allowed. Everything a bit off, uglified, delogicalized, jargonized, fucked-up. But you can discern some pluses in it, I guess.
     Gary discusses California's master plan for public education and its deserved reputation, a thing of the past. Our dominance is waning, etc. Shows chart comparing countries. We used to be #1. Now Korea is #1 with regard to percentage of pop. that has attained "tertiary" education. ("Tertiary"? Who comes up with this stuff?) Now we're ranked in the middle of the nations that we compete with.
     Babyboomers are retiring. We've educated large numbers of them, but we don't have the people to replace them--teaching, among professional ranks, etc. In 2009, the College Board took on a plan or goal to raise college completion rate by 2020. The path we're on now won't get us there. Pres. Obama has pledged support for a national effort. To meet his goal, each CA college will have to double amount of degrees and certificates awarded by 2020. "Rather ambitious." (Translation: no frickin' way, College Boy.)

     Mentions various entities that have done studies and arrived at similar findings, goals. Everyone's on the same track with regard to goals.
     Returns to the "master plan" (of 1960). Kerr and Co. came up with a three-tiered system. UC would do research: targeting the top 12.5% of high school. CSU, top 33%. CCs: instruction for anyone who would benefit from instruction. Golly, that even includes cats and dogs.
     For many years, no tuition at community colleges. Then we were charged with remedial instruction, workforce training, etc. We can't possibly accomplish all of these missions we've been given. So we're being asked to focus (by legislators).
     Need to address Latino students, the fastest growing group, etc. Tough challenge. Meanwhile, every tier is cutting back. It's all very dicey. Imagine the funding we would have lost were we not on basic aid? About $12 million per year, is what. And we're now taking many of the students who can no longer go elsewhere.
     In 2010, Bill 1143 passed. Requires...adoption of plan to improve student completion. So student success task force was formed (good grief). We've adopted the concept, "student success." Just different terminology. We're all part of the same movement, nationwide. The task force came up with 8 recommendations in a final report. (See Advancing Student Success: Recommendations.) Endorsed by DoE. SB1456. Will finally pass this stuff within next month. It focuses on "student success" and will implement the change. Students will be given priority if they have an educational plan.
     Presentations over coming next months will explain the bloody details. Boils down to orientation, campus student support, incentives, increased transparency, etc.
     The majority of college students are in our (CC) system. The problem is that a large number of students start who never make it over the finish line. We'll work on that specifically. We have 43,000 students: we couldn't possibly hire enough counselors for them all. So technology is an important part of the plan.
     This will be our top priority "for the rest of our careers." (Gulp.)
     Any comments or questions?
     Gary turns it over to O'Connor and Werle.

     Kevin O'Connor presents first four recommendations.

     1. Increase college and career readiness:
     1.1 Collaborate with K-12....develop common standards....etc.
     2. Strengthen support for entering students
     Students will be "required" to do things. Participation in diagnostics, etc. Students sometimes don't use services available to them. Students must declare a program of study early on.
     3. Incentivize successful student behaviors [jargon]
     Give priority to some groups, require students to begin addressing deficiencies.... Provide students opportunity to attend full time.
     4. Align course offerings to meet student needs


     Kathy Werle presents the last 4

     5. Improve the education of basic skills students
     Comprehensive strategy...
     6. Revitalize and re-envision professional development
     More financial support? Sharing best practices, improving basic skills instruction, etc.
     7. Enable efficient statewide leadership and increase coordination among colleges
     System offices and what they can do. Setting goals, etc. Report cards.
     8. Align resources with student success recommendations
   
     Of course, we will only be required to do what will be funded. But funding will be pretty limited. (Golly, this sounds unpromising.)
     Comments? Questions?

Meldau: Glad we're meeting this head on. It will be a difficult row to hoe. There are so many new jobs and careers developing. Students will have motives to change along the way. (He also asks about common standards.) Werle explains that we have experts among us in this regard, etc.
Jay: Have read astounding figures recently--about unemployment, people working below skill levels. Saw this on O'Reilly too. (Yes, some people say he's a bit "bombastic," acknowledges Jay.) I think he said those in Math and Science too have high rates of unemployment. Need more Bachelors degrees.
Wright: thanks Poertner, O'Connor, and Werle for the "excellent presentation." It was indeed pretty good, I think.

[Warning: the rest is pretty routine. I wouldn't bother. Maybe read governance groups reports.]

Consent calendar. A few things pulled: 5.3, 5.4, 5.9 5.11, 5.15

Starts with 5.3: increasing contract for IVC Life Sciences Bldg construction (McCarthy Building Company). Brandye comes up to explain. Bankruptcy involved, I think. Surety process. Lang has question, as does Wright. Item is approved unanimously.
5.4: Construction question. Passes unanimously.
5.9: Lang asks about a particular grant for the nursing program. Grant that allows us to go from 44 to 60 students (nursing?). Passes unanimously.
5.11: payment for absent trustee. Passes unanimously.
5.15: Something about budget transfers. Passes unanimously.

Not
Action items:

6.1: Neudesic LLC for software development. Matter carries unanimously.
6.2: Blackboard contracts. Bramucci explains. He is asked to explain "what Blackboard is." Passes.
6.3: board policy revisions. Lang:  BP3300, exhibit E: would like to see this come back with additional language that speaks to eval of costs associated with gifts the district accepts. (He's thinking of the "bones" issue of the last meeting.) Marcia has query re student member of board. Question answered. Passes.
6.4: BPs for review and study. Approved as such.
6.5: IVC "management reorganization."
     Roquemore: no cost, minor changes. Shifting of responsibilities. Most of the deans are keeping most of what they're doing. A shifting of responsibilities. Lang: Presidents should be allowed to manage to resources that they have. Move for approval. Passes.
6.6: Academic Personnel Actions. A minor correction. Move approval. Approved.
6.7:  Classified Personnel Actions. Approved.
6.8: Agreement for special services with law firm (Atkinson, A, L R & R). A minor increase in billing? Approved.

7.1: college speakers. Info item only.
7.2: Student trustee nominations.
7.3: Basic Aid report.
7.4: facilities master plan.
7.5: retiree trust fund report.

(Wow, this meeting is moving fast!)

Reports from governance groups:
Saddleback College Academic Senate (Cosgrove): Bob notes that this is the first time we're not hiring new full-time faculty. Task Force recommendations put more work on the faculty.
Faculty Association (Jacobs): invitation. Flex week events: luncheon and program at IVC. Tuesday, Aug. 14. Also on 17th at Saddleback for new faculty. Picnic lunch.
IVC Academic Senate (Schmeidler): echoes what colleagues have said. Commends their work on pamphlets for new faculty.
IVC/Pres. Roquemore: congrats to James Wright. Reminds of "Pres' opening" during inservice. Introduces new IVC student pres.
Saddleback College/Burnett: refers to bridge dedication. Faculty inservice starts soon. Academic Senate does a great job. Classes start soon. Opening of Library and Resources Center, underway. We'll "just make it." There'll be a BBQ.
VC Bramacci: nada
VC Bugay: blah, blah, blah
. . .
Saddleback Classified Senate: excited about Wright. Classified retreat. Reviewed Roberts 'Rules of Order. A "fund-raising opportunity" through Macy's. I dunno what he's talkin' about.
Blah, blah, blah
That's it.

5 comments:

Rebel Girl said...

Hi Roy! (Rebel Girl waves hand.)

Anonymous said...

Good assessment of the meeting Roy.

Roy Bauer said...

Hi Lisa! But I'd rather be in Vancouver.

Anonymous said...

Any mention of the District Satisfaction Survey? Can anyone view the comments attached to those results?

Anonymous said...

Read the survey comments. Very disturbing, that HR.

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...