Good Lord! "Snooty" administrators!
Second class citizenry!
Wack curriculum processes!
Peter Principled mediocritude!
Peter Principled mediocritude!
Infelicitous sculpture placement!
and
Raghu P. Mathur!
Three of the survey's questions permitted "open-ended" written answers. Here are all of the written submissions for two* of those questions. (The survey was done 10 months ago. A report with results was completed at the end of February of this year.)
I have highlighted especially recurring themes among other things. Eye-opening, I think. Popping, even.
Well, see for yourself.
Q29. What is the one thing you think needs to be improved most at Irvine Valley College?
1. Budgeting process still needs work -- it has improved, but is still not a transparent and interactive process. Also things still happen on a spur of the moment and aren't always given adequate time. I think the Instructional and Non-Instructional Equipment; the Classified and Faculty Hiring priority lists have been streamlined and are much more effective, but the General Fund budget still remains a bit of a mystery. I am not comfortable that I as a manager have all the information in the planning and implementation of the budget that I need. Would like to receive more explicit monthly reports that show expenditures and balances and have more input into the actual building of my division budgets.
2. Hiring process could be streamlined and more visability of acutal job openings.
3. Faculty relations between the two sides of campus -- too much politics are still being played.
4. A more dynamic president who stands up to the Chancellor and BOT [board of trustees]
5. More emphasis, I think, needs to be placed on communication and cooperation between different departments and divisions of the college. Also, I think students would benefit from clearer / more frequent / more accessible counseling as regards financial issues of paying for their colleges when they transfer.
6. The relationship between Student Services staff/faculty and administration.
7. The cafeteria food!!
Curriculum process needs a fix
8. Curriculum approval process needs improvement. It seems to lack transparency and takes a long time for a new course approval.9. First and foremost; L213 needs to be a production room…not a meeting room. The time I spend setting up and tearing down equipment, so that a meeting can take place in there, a HUGE waste of my time. also: COMMUNICATION needs to be improved between staff and administration. Too many things are planned without participation from the people that are affected by 'uniformed' decisions. Did anyone know the new art sculpure was placed ON TOP of the irrigation pipe? Does anyone EVER let maintenace know when a meeting has been cancelled in L213..so that m&o personel do not needlessly change the arrangement of the tables and chairs in that room, or tell me…so it could be used for production purposes- for that is its primary purpose. This is a big waste of time and effort, in my opinion, and could be avoided if the proper parties were made aware ahead of time. Last: I don't know why I have to justify the equipment I need to purchase to do my job, with the director of IT. I have been using equipment I have personally purchased because my requests to get new and replacement equipment have been denied or put off for months! My boss has approved the purchase, but the request was put on hold and lumped into Tech Refresh. I really can't wait until August and September to (maybe) get the hard drive and storage I NEED!!
District administration dysfunctional
10. The entire District level administration seems useless, non functional or disfunctional. Both colleges would do better, save money, respond better to student needs and better serve our communities if there were no district level administration. The district makes things more complicated and slower but provides no actual service that could not be better served at each campus separately.11. Irvine Valley College should continue to build collegial relations between faculty and administration. However, at the District level, the Chancellor should have been sacked years ago. He's a nuisance and a liability. Everyone at the college who is in a leadership position--faculty and administrators--have to clock in extra hours and spend valuable energy and ingenuity to constantly work around, un-do the non-collegial actions of, correct, rein in, and be on watch over the Chancellor. The college is growing and changing in many positive ways, but having to worry about what the Chancellor is going to do next is an unfortunate drag on the healthy functioning of so many good people and programs. It is a matter of serious concern that the Board has refused to put a competent individual at the top. It truly is an abrogation of--arguably--their most important duty--hiring a chancellor--that the person they have put in that job requires constant “damage control”. Despite the good news on our last accreditation report, we will never be fully over the war years with this guy at the top. We can continue to work around him, and we will. We can continue to be collegial, and we will. But all of this positivity is DESPITE the Chancellor's presence and is a testament to how committed the current group of faculty and administrators are to the betterment of this college. At the college level, there is another area that needs some serious oversight: Student Services. No questions were asked on this survey about how well the Child Development Center is doing. There are some disgruntled former employees of that center that have some alarming stories to tell about how children are treated there. It is no longer the state of the art center it once was, and I can only attribute this fact to a singular lack of oversight on the part of the VPSS, whose job it is to (1) put excellent folk in charge of the CDC; (2) to make sure the folk in charge are trustworthy; (3) to engage in independent IVC oversight of the center; and (4) to listen to input from critics and take that input seriously.
12. executive leadership
13. The curriculum process. I feel that it needs to be streamlined, more transparent, and needs to offer more assistance to those writing curriculum for the first time.
Adjunct faculty: second class citizens
14. There is distinct dividing line between and full-time and part-time faculty, meaning we are essentially kept on the “fringe” and are not even asked to participate in department or college activities such as serving on committees. It's as though we part-time faculty are purposely kept “out of the loop” and are not even given consideration as far as participating in the governance of our college.15. The amount of “busy work” in a professor's work load. When I started here, teaching 15 units was reasonable, but the amount of paper work required by both our college and the state has meant that my students do not get the kind of attention from me they used to, as I spend so much of my time pushing paper. If this is the trend then our load needs to be reduced.
16. The physical plant is in a terrible state of disarray.
17. Clearly defined and more realistic roles/responsibilities for classified staff and classified management personnel in relationship to both faculty and administration. Many classified staff continue to encroach on the job roles/responsibilities of both faculty and administration creating difficult and ineffective results.
18. Fair distribution of work load, and fair and equal staffing in each department instead of in only certain “favored” department.
19. Change the way we approve new courses and changes in the subject matter.
20. Respect, empowerment, and CLEAR communication.
21. I feel that resources for faculty -- furniture, teaching materials -- could be easier to obtain.
22. As a new full-time employee I would like to see a greater level of congeniality between the teacher's union and the board of trustees. The tone and style of the recent contract negotiations have been very disappointing to me, and I place responsibility on both sides. It is my hope that everyone involved can keep their eyes on the most important aspect of education; the students. Instead we seem to be bickering about how to best use the money in the district.
23. Our curriculum process. The process is not working at all. This cannot even be argued. The process is tyrannical, secretive, congested, constipated, and is the single most significant issue for IVC that is stunting our growth and comprehensive expansion. The process, on almost every level, (including our articulation officer), no longer seems to be for the college, for the programs, or for the students, but rather for a few people to wield power and frustrate faculty. The process does nothing whatsoever to create a welcoming helpful environment which encourages faculty to want to write new curriculum, revise old curriculum, or even serve on one of the committees. A wholesale re-construction of the process is needed.
24. Developing new leadership with newer faculty.
25. We still have a lot of silos between departments within in the management structure.
26. longer tenured employees need to stop focusing on what has happened in the past and move forward.
27. Administration's communication and consultation with staff.28. the curriculum process
29. better administrators from deans, to vps, to president.
30. The bookstore!
VPI "snooty"
31. the VPI needs to be replaced.32. Classified hiring practice and building and grouds maintenance
33. Check and re-check directives from the state education officials re: guidelines, curriculum development, redesign and ever-changing “rules and regulations”.
34. Employee grievance process and support in dealing with unfair situations.
35. poor administration, vpi is snooty and is not sincere and honest.
36. Student Services administration at all levels is inadequate, lacking knowledge of the programs and the expertise to lead them.
Top IVC administrators officious, unfair
37. Top administrative leadership in student services at IVC is a huge problem. Biased leaders are mistreating faculty and staff. It's no secret but nothing is being done to stop it. I do not work in student services -- thank goodness for that.38. The communication and trust from certain district offices needs to improve so that the college can grow with the direction from faculty, staff, administrators, and students.
39. CUSTOMER SERVICE IN EVERY DEPARTMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
40. Members of the administration, classified managers, and members of the classified staff do not reliably confer with faculty about faculty functions or needs; thus many faculty functions are obstructed by ill-informed decisions. This is exacerbated by interference and poorly considered mandates from District administration.
41. Nothing comes to mind. Things seem to be heading in the right direction in just about every area.
42. Customer Service.
43. IVC needs to have processes and procedures that work for all operating functions and consituent groups within our own system that are not changed, unless technology and advances require changes. IVC has operated on inconsistencies and changes.
44. Facilities, offices, classrooms.
45. the amount of funds needed to promote the college, should be doubled.
46. There needs to be much more accountability and consequences. Administrators, Faculty and Staff with long histories of incompetence, lack of honesty or professionalism and general inability to manage, supervise or work with others need to be removed from positions of authority. The District needs to respond in a much stonger and more assertive manner in these situations, rather then just looking at/examining the problem and then taking little or no corrective action. Until this is done, units will continue to operate in a dysfunctional manner and are unable to right themselves to better serve our students.
47. Management talks at people. I do not really feel valued as a professional with an opinion.
48. Safety, in all areas......More maintance and custodian work, and grounds. But as I said before (limited resourses and workers)
49. pay more
50. Honest communication at all levels.
51. Shared governance is just a myth.
52. Since the major focus of institutions of higher learning is instruction and in keeping with the
mantra that libraries are hub of academic study, it is imperative that IVC increase its faculty librarian and classified workforce and budget to truly meet the instructional needs of the college's increased student enrollment and reflect current trends in scholarly research needed by tranfer students.
53. I think that what most needs to be improved is examination of faculty and their supervisional skills and how they manage their division/unit.
54. Abolishing tenured professors who stop “working” once they're tenured.
55. The committee on courses needs to embark on a paperwork reduction plan and streamline the process so that curriculum is approved more rapidly.
56. Keep academic standards high, and stop the use and propagation of artificial administrative benchmarks such as SLO's. These are worthless, and do nothing to improve the understanding of basic and/or advanced mathematics. (2) The college needs to require that all students take an introductory course that discusses student conduct, appropriate behavior in and outside of class, study habits, attendance, appropriate uses of the Internet, and academic expectations in college-level courses. (3) The college should raise tuition 25% to discourage non-performers, while expanding financial aid for disadvantaged and dedicated students.
57. Respect for all positions and for those in authority not to be able to impact an employee's current position on a whim.
Disrespecting the classified employees
58. Many of the managers/administrators at IVC have no management skills and treat their subordinates with little respect and are ineffective at their jobs. This creates a great deal of resentment among the classified ranks to have to watch these highly paid individuals be allowed to flounder with no consequences.59. There are some instructors that just need to retire. I see they are very burnt out and it shows in their student complaints.
60. Train personnel in management positions of any type. This includes the tasks of their job descriptions, but also how to manage their human resources. It appears that people are bumped up into positions based on their experience in education without having skills in leadership, decision making, assuming responsibility, managing personnel, and so forth. People get degrees in business management, which should indicate that training in this area for people with no experience really need instruction and direction -- and monitoring.
61. The structure of Committee on Course and its' operation needs to be revisited. Currently, the Chair of the committee on courses receives the proposed outline and if the chair finds the outline suitable then the course is released to the committee members for review, comments, and approval. The committee authority needs to be more diversified among individuals of different academic background or among several co-chair of different academic disciplines.62. Replace vacant positions immediately -- the work doesn't stop, it piles up. Also stop the bullying. Since last year there have been moves of a number of classified staff with little input or justification to other areas, in one case a downgrade. Little training accompanies these moves. It's a little like musical chairs for classified, or perhaps a chess game. Also Flex week activities for Classified has been pretty much deleted, there is no encouragement for Classified to be part of the flex week process, as if classified were irellevant. In the past year it seems we have been downgraded, escpeccialy since we received accreditation. Classified staff are the backbone of much of the work at IVC, from Std. Services to Tech Services and I believe we need to be respected, treated decently, not just moved when the whim of the Administrator strikes.
63. More support for general maintenance and cafeteria remodel.
64. An environment of trust and support.
65. Communication at all levels. Support from Deans/Managers for classified staff to be able to participate in committees/school activities.
66. Classified employees complain that they are not always included in decision making, in the faculty hiring process, and in inservice/flex activities. Classified employees complain that they still feel like second rate citizens, that they feel intimidated, and that there is still a culture of fear on campus. There should be more direct communication, more inclusion in activities, more interaction between staff, faculty, and administrators. It would benefit the college if the classified felt accepted and respected.
67. College President needs to stop manipulating department scheduling.
68. Respect in word and deed for Classified, promotional opporutinities. Stop administrators from moving people around at whim with little or no justiifcation. Keep bathrooms cleaner. With the Swine flu going around, it's necessary to keep those areas especially clean.
69. The lack of collegiality by those who want the current administration removed. The hatred has gone on so long that it could be classified as mental illness.
70. Alas, where to begin...besides cleaning up the the campus, the college does not provide the necessary technology/equipment/information that instructors and students need to perform. When requests are made, one always receives the same answer, “We don't have the budget/staff for that”. It's unfair that the squeaky wheels get what they need, but the rest of us who have worked diligently for years do not receive the support that they need. Let's speak about morale. Adjunct faculty are expected to do the same work as full timers, often without compensation. How many times over the years have adjunct faculty members been passed over for full time positions even though they have provided exemplary teaching? How many times are faculty and staff not promoted though they have superior knowledge than an outsider? IVC has been ignoring their own for years and it keeps getting worse.
71. respect for classified staff (Office of Instruction does not value classified staff)
72. Leadership.
73. Shared governance. More input from faculty in making decisions and more collaboration between administration and faculty.
74. Too many meetings for administrators and classified management to get their jobs done.
Snooty administrators and managers
75. There are a few Deans and Directors that I believe need major interventions regarding the manner in which they treat their employees. Their employees are demoralized.76. There needs to be a better separation between personal relationships and governance. The end result is usually nepotism or silent discrimination.
77. I feel that sometimes the roles of individuals at the college become blurred. When someone has the authority to ask for say instructional equipment or resources, but have to be discouraged by the instructional equipment approval process by those who make those decisions. If an instructor needs something the college should be very supportive when request is received. There seems to be more frustration with the process or perceived process when simple request are made.
78. Reduce constant onslaught of emails and expectation that we spend hours checking and instantly returning email. Reduces time available for meaningful work, concentrating on students needs, and improving and updating teaching skills. Some system needs to be in place to encourage others to think before pushing “send”.
79. The Chancellor should cease micromanaging the college and placating our clueless board.80. More class rooms with comfortable table and chairs for students of all sizes.
81. Being able to address issues realistically and honestly, without worrying first and foremost about how tackling such issues will appear in the public eye.
82. Classified leadership.
83. Administration should re-examine should look into possible reassigned time as oppose to stipends for department chairs. There needs to be more of a formalized process to understanding department chair duties and/or possible training forms for department chairs.
84. Increase faculty support. Faculty are being pressured to produce at a faster and faster pace with little assistance. When people are absent, there is a breakdown in backup personnel.
85. Cleaner bathrooms, classrooms, and offices.
86. Faculty and staff working together and equally.
87. staff moral
88. A recognition that the college is most successful when all parties are moving this college forward. There has been so much time dedicated to pointing at individuals and saying “they are to blame--they have too much power.” In reality, it may be that others simply want to possess the same power and have no desire at all to share the power. All parties will successfully move the college forward. We need to check our true motives at the door.
89. I believe that the attitude administrators have towards support staff needs improvement. Support staff needs to feel valued and respected for their valuable contributions.
90. That the Classified Staff is not refered to as “just Classified Staff.” I feel we are not respected or that our opinions or contributions are taken seriously. I also believe that there is an “in crowd” and the rules apply very differently to this group.
91. Hiring and filling open positions.
92. It would be nice if we could keep the needs of the students at the forefront in our decision making processes and leave out petty politics and personal agendas.
93. Faculty input into decisions affecting their departments.
94. Informed, competent, involved, responsible supervision\leadership.
95. More steam cleaning on sidewalks around vending machines etc.
96. Additional resources to provide tutoring in the Learning Center and to work on retaining students.
97. Teamwork between BOT, Administrators, Faculty staff vs Classified Staff. There appears to be an attitude that the Classified Staff are not an important entity and we are low in a hierarchy. I worked for a very wealthy man in prior years that personally said hello and shook hands with all his staff, his belief was that no matter what your job was you were all part of a team and every person was important to the success of the company. Whether you were a VP or a housekeeper, everyone was treated with respect. The philosophy being that employees who are treated with sincere respect will enjoy coming to work and performing their jobs to the best of their ability. It was no wonder he was such a successful person. I have yet to work for a college that rises above the political facades and sincerely works to problem solve “real” issues instead of hiring puppets to deliver rhetoric verbage. A postive teamwork environment will promote not only a better working atmosphere but a strong foundation and learning tool for our students who will be entering the workforce. Students can learn how to be productive, and successful for not only their future but ours as well.
98. Parking is can be very difficult to find for students, particularly at the beginning of semesters.
99. Increase operational hours in student services with adedquate staffing to serve students.
Room for incompetents at the top
100. High level employee hiring should be based on excellence, not current system which has resulted in hiring incompetent people.101. Replacement of Leadership at the Chancellor and Board of Trustee levels.
102. The college needs to have more class offerings on the weekends.
103. I think classified employees are for the most part unappreciated. It makes pushing through stressful periods even harder if you don't think your work is valued.
104. Counseling administration
105. More resources for adjunct counselors/faculty. Possibly a lounge, place to hang out, space for those who work part-time.
106. Administrative leadership needs to be positive, not punitive. High turn-over in positions create lack of consistency and direction.
107. The curriculum process.
108. There needs to be very open, respectful and transparent collaboration between the Office of Instruction and the Faculty.
109. The curriculum approval process
110. New/revised course approval process.111. The one thing that would give us the most for the money: much more money and staffing in marketing the college in our high schools, community, and areas where we compete with other CCs.
112. Scheduled classes and school wide activities.
113. Curriculum Development/Approval timeline. Budget development process.
114. There are far too many things to name just one. Let's see--it took 4 weeks to get pens for the overhead/whiteboard, it took another 4 weeks to get a stapler, evidently because these things are being stolen out of my mail file. It took 2 weeks after the start of the semester to get my email/MySite working properly even though I asked to have it set up 3 months before the semester started. I have to order my own textbook from the publisher and it has to be sent to my house, not the school. The school has LOST a package (twice) for my club. I don't have keys so if my room is locked, I have to find a pay phone to call campus police to come open my door (since I don't have a cell phone). I run the risk of not having copies for my class because the copier is out of paper or broken by the time I get to campus at night. I have to watch a bunch of videos and take a quiz on Blackboard before I can have it set up for my courses. Am I 7 years old with no computer skills? If I can't figure out how to use Blackboard, then I shouldn't be asking for an account. Even still, if I can't figure out how it works, isn't that why IVC has technical support staff? Isn't it their job to help me use Blackboard (not waste my unpaid time watching videos and taking quizzes)? It's amazingly frustrating how poorly the part-time faculty are treated. Why do I continue teaching at IVC? Because no one is willing to take over as advisor for my club. I'll choose that as my number one thing that needs to be improved at IVC--full-time faculty's lack of commitment (or perhaps better phrased as lack of willingness to get involved with) to the students (outside the classroom).
115. Hire more full-time faculty and stop riding on the backs of part-timers...include part-timers in the decision making process...one meeting a semester is not enough
116. The modular classrooms are hot/cold - the air comes on and it is loud. I think acoustics might need to be addressed in the modular rooms.
117. A greater effort should be made to solicit imput from adjunct facility for improving the facilities and ciriculum. Increase the level of trust in adjunct faculty by issuing keys to their classrooms so that the instructor is not demeaned in the eyes of the students by having to always request that their rooms be opened by assist staff.
118. I have not been here long enough to know much.
119. Some meeting or forum for just starting faculty that gives advice and information about what to expect in your first year to specific departments. So, more discussions about topics/issues that may come up within the curriculum, advice on how to address typical questions from students, information on grading methods and promoting fairness.
120. Classified treatment and hiring!
121. The furniture for faculty, staff, and administration is in desperate need of replacment in most areas--we send the wrong message when we do not maintain the quality of the furniture and we risk the health and well-being of the employees.
122. Respect and be fair to adjunct
123. the administration (President and Chancellor)
124. Admissions & Records & Human Resources
125. Classroom environment--spaces, ventilation, cleanliness, and discontinuance of portables.
126. Effective leadership. Organization
127. de-politicizing administrative processes; more than an appearance of collegial discourse.
128. Honest communication with the district
129. Availability of keys to the buildings to part-time faculty. It takes far too long for someone to come open up rooms. I usually arrive 15 minutes prior to my class meeting so that I have time to call and wait to get the door open! There is only one public safety officer to open the doors for ALL part-time faculty. This is a burden for your officer and a hinderance to the instructors.
130. Decrease senate influence.
131. District administration.132. the curriculum development / approval process
133. the students.
134. Grounds
135. Communication between administration and faculty.
136. Physical appearance of entire campus.
137. IVC's management needs to consider all employees important and intregal to the functioning of the school. The management trys to overshadow the employees and not consider their input, thoughts or value to the campus.
138. The vending machines
139. The curriculum process is dysfunctional. It is too slow and cumbersome. It takes unreasonalble amounts of time to have courses reviewed/approved. This should not happen and it acts as a disincentive for faculty to be creative.
140. We have made big steps in the last few years. But as we have improved in many areas, we have begun to let slide issues such as how we are poised to compete to bring the best faculty to the college -- which in turn will lead our students to even more success. The number of community colleges in our county alone that have average annual salaries higher than ours has grown significantly in the last few years. We now fall well behind Fullerton College, Coastline College, Orange Coast College and several others. If we want to stay at the top in terms of student recruitment and success, we must be at the top in salaries for our faculty, staff and administrators. The communication between all constiuent groups has healed of late, but now it is time to reward the hard work of those who help us achieve the ranks of number one transfer rate of its students in Orange County.
141. Student government. The process of awarding large sums of money to groups goes largely unchecked. That is, these decisions are made with NO input from the faculty, and the communication is extremely poor. Most faculty who works with the ASIVC director is very frustrated, and would like to see substantial improvements in the way leadership is taught and practiced.
142. Communication
143. The facility. The building.
144. The Chancellor.
145. The lack of effective leadership within Student Services, particularly the leadership of the Vice President of Student Services and the Dean of Guidance and Counseling.
146. Decisions need to be made for the students not for personal agendas.
147. ...too much power concentrated in the hands of one person, Wendy, who runs everything
148. respectful regard for each person independent of role
149. To restore the sense community, shared mission and respect that I see dissolving here because we are losing the sense of the importance of individual members of the campus community and their worth, no matter what their position.
150. Acknowledgement and respect for the tremendous effort classified employees contribute toward the success of our students--many faculy and administruators treat us as unnecessary nusiances that simply need to be tolerated--we are not treated as equal colleagues. This is evident in day-to-day contacts, the huge disparity between faculty salary and benefits and that of the classified staff, and the absence of shared information regarding projects that ultimately rely on classified staff for implementation, on-going management, etc.
151. I want to see more intergrity and transparency.
152. Adminstrators that stay longer than 18 months.
153. Classified staff's attitude and gossiping
154. Administrators need to be evaluated by those who report to them without fear of retaliation. Honesty and integrity are important to maintaining a productive as opposed to a stress filled environment created by abusive attitudes and decisions.
155. Staff Morale
Q33. You have now completed the survey. Do you have any other comments or suggestions?
1. I really enjoy working here at IVC. I feel it has tremendous potential and is going to grow very rapidly in the coming years. It is having some growth pains, but I feel we are on the right path. I think trust between faculty and administration is still a factor, but that we are moving in the right direction. Recent changes implemented by the President, Vice-Presidents and other administrators have been very helpful in changing people's attitudes and outlooks, but many faculty have long memories of past wrongs and still are quick to react and assume the worst. This will take time, but I truely believe we are on the right path. The bottom line is people believe what they see and it is extremely important that we “walk the talk.” Everyone must be treated fairly and without preferential treatment or considerations. Policies need to be established and followed (that is currently happening) and all of us need to commit to the concept of openness and fairness in all our actions. We can't afford to backslide or falter – too much is at stake. I feel we have the potential and desire to reach these goals and that we will if we just pull together and make it happen. I look forward to many productive and exciting years at IVC. It is a great place to work!2. I find your questionnaire to be gender biased...why are you required to answer question 30? What difference does it make if I am male or female?
3. We seem to have communication problems between the board of trustees and faculty. The new building approval does not reflect the true need of students and faculty. The administrators need to examine the enrollment figures and future needs when developing the new building plan.
4. I enjoy my job and I have a wonderful boss. I hope you actually read the things that need improvement. particulary the last item there.
5. There was a question that referred to "direct written communication" and I couldn't figure out how that is different from e-mail. My session threatened to “time out” if I didn't “save”, so I flew forward and hit “done”, then went back and finished one of my answers and wrote this one. I am not unsure whether my amended answers have gone through. If you're reading this, they have.
6. More effort needs to be made in not only compensating part-time faculty fairly, but to foster an environment of inclusion rather than exclusion. As a part-timer I feel a very sharp division between myself and the full-time faculty because the college does not make an effort to create an environment that encourages our participation in governance. We don't even have the opportunity to participate in committees or other meetings because we are not even told about them, let alone invited to the join them. That needs to change, because adjunct faculty outnumber the full-time faculty and our opinions and participation are important to the quality of instruction at this college and we need to be given a greater voice.
7. The senior district administration is a continuing disaster. The relationship between the most senior members of the district remain hostile and adversarial toward the faculty. This is not effective leadership, it should change.
8. The administration has recently been taking equal advantages away from Classified Staff that are given to other groups of employees. It has made us feel unappreciated, unequal, discouraged, and humiliated. It needs to stop right now, before this no longer is a wonderful place to work for Classifed staff.
9. It is very satisfying to know that you are interested in my opinions. Thank you for the show of respect.
Mathur must go
10. We must have a new Chancellor. Until that happens the college will never completely be able to heal and move forward. The Members of the Board of Trustees must realize that they will likely be thanked by all employee groups for making such a decision. It appears that they may have been mislead as to what faculty do and who faculty are. To say that it is long past time for new leadership is an understatement of understatements.11. IVC website needs to be improved, and home page messages need to be about more than just transfer center, athletics, and music! Other faculty and students in other areas don't receive recognition they deserve, other programs are overlooked, and only the “pet” projects of the “President's chosen few” are ever acknowledged. It must discourage the faculty and students who work so hard and achieve so much that goes unnoticed. Shame on you!
12. I think there has been tremendous improvement in the climate since my arrival at IVC.
13. None -- very happy to work here.
14. I am very fortunate to be teaching at IVC. I love my job.
15. Excellent survey instrument; well thought out, well worded!
16. Maintenance and facilities had made many improvements to the exterior look of IVC. They also have been cleaning the restrooms more frequently. As for administration, we need more collaberation and less “my way or the highway” control.
17. Provide frequent mechanisms for employee input into campus issues.
18. a place of tremendous potential. need better leadership at top levels.
19. Very good questions. Thank you for taking the time to check on these important issues with us. In my department we are rarely asked our opinion about changes that will occur to us, so this is nice.
20. Well done!
21. Working at Irvine Valley College has been a great pleasure and I hope that the college can grow and stay strong.
22. I really hope that someone really takes a look at these, and we really see a difference in a couple of months...............
23. I understand that a choice that is neither positive nor negative is considered "wimpy" and uninformative, but in many cases the neutral answer is the most apt. Conflating topics has hazards as well as merits
24. When completed please post results for all to see. thank you,
25. Maybe try 360 degree evaluative feedback?
26. Fridays are a good time to reconnect the community with itself. Meaningful meetings could be conducted to repair the communication structure.
27. I work too hard and make too little money
28. The actions of adminstration has continually degrade the academic progress of this college and further ensconced the 'slightly better than high school' attitude of the general public with regard to IVC.
29. How realistic will the results of this survey be incorporated into the 2009 Accreditation Self-Study?
30. Help the library please.
31. Programs need to be reviewed as to applicability to real-life careers.
32. The classified contract needs to be settled. These long, drawn-out transactions are frustrating and make us feel de-valued. This institution would not be able to do the work it does without the classified sector coming to work each day and putting forth their best efforts on behalf of the students.
33. I think this was an excellent survey. They should do this each year or so.
34. Either train or hire people who are fully prepared to assume the responsibilities of their positions and not bring their personal issues to work with them and make those who work under them have to adapt and deal with or suffer. I have learned that people with advanced degrees who are considered professionals do not automatically behave as mature adults or as business professionals.
35. The structure of Committee on Course and its' operation needs to be revisited. Currently, the Chair of the committee on courses receives the proposed outline and if the chair finds the outline suitable then the course is released to the committee members for review, comments, and approval. The committee authority needs to be more diversified among individuals of different academic background or among several co-chairs of different academic disciplines.
36. I would like to see the comments discussed openly at a campus wide forum, read the actuall comments and reply to them.
37. There should be more interaction between faculty, administrators and staff. They should get to know each other better. Perhaps there could be a series of team building exercises, such as the softball team, that bring the groups together in a way that is educational as well as fun.
38. The administration is still acting in a closed-door manner, and backdoor deals are an ongoing, and escalating problem. The administration continues to demonstrate bias's toward some faculty and departments.
39. More anonomous surveys and then actually do something about them.
40. IVC is a wonderful place to work. I am sorry that extended political battles have soured the campus environment.
41. The President needs to become more involved with college business.42. Communication is very poor on campus. With the availability of email, staff need to be better informed as to campus happenings as well as when offices/staff move and most importantly we need to know when policies and/or procedures change or are updated. Also, those in management are distant and do not communicate well with staff. Many classified employees do not feel valued or appreciated by their bosses or those in higher level positions. I have worked at IVC for a long time and I have never seen the level of despair in classified at a higher level. It is rare to hear a thank you or even just a pat on the back for doing a good job. I have also not ever seen the level of apathy in classified employees at a higher level which is most surprising to me. Many staff just comment that they don't care anymore because they don't believe that management care. It is sad.
43. Cronyism Empire building Funny business Intimidation One-ups-man-ship Slating friends/relatives for positions Attitudes of self-righteousness Selective enforcement of the rules Disregard for contract Union co-opted by management
44. Thank you for this survey.
45. Just off the top of my head, I can think of a few things that need addressing. There are a few problems with classrooms that need addressing. First, the classroom climate is uncomfortable. Student complaints are frequent. It would be helpful if faculty had some control over classroom temperature. Second, we need more high powered projectors that allow for adequate lighting. Three, the teacher’s station needs lighting. Forth, monitors need to allow flash drives. Computer boxes are placed too low for easy access. They are found on the floor or near the floor. Requiring instructors to get on their hands and knees struggling in the dark searching for USB ports must be eliminated. Fifth, faculty must be notified immediately of equipment changes made during breaks. It is extremely disconcerting, on the first day of classes to be greeted with foreign equipment. Faculty must be notified before, not after, technological changes have been made. Furthermore, if significant changes are planned, then faculty need to be notified well in advance about those changes and provided equipment instructions and/or workshops. Sixth, the white boards need to be cleaned weekly. Seventh, when a classroom has been scheduled for exams, it is critical that maintenance (master calendar) remember to activate the air. Eight, there is a shortage of counselors that provide guidance and counseling to our students. Ninth, the library needs to be open more hours. A good start would be during finals time. The library provides a comfortable environment for studying students.
46. Has anyone conducted a morbidity study of recent illness and deaths of faculty and staff in the past five years? What types of chemical agents are sprayed on the strawberry field during cultivation and planting of the strawberry plants?
47. I care about IVC as a campus and community leader and its students' success!
48. Please do not tuck the survey away on a shelf ... make it meaningful and fight the tendency to twist and turn it in a way that best serves their political agenda or our political agenda ... this will allow us to move forward.
49. For me there are many good things about working at IVC, as previously mentioned working in an educational environment is very rewarding. I believe that with some changes such as a more respectful attitude from administration to support staff shown by doing less micromanaging, more shared governance and generally more respect towards individuals IVC could be one of the best places to work.
50. New campus signs, maybe more directional signs
51. Thank You.
52. I'd like to feel that our work is appreciated and that we are supported by our managers instead of scrutinized and questioned by them.
53. I am very happy with my pay raise :)
54. Better staff training and orientations for part-time counselors. A more extensive training is needed that piece-meal workshops. A new counselor training manual with key information, resources, and forms is needed for a new hire. Evaluations for part-time faculty should be completed as well. How does the department know if a part-timer is teaching well?????
55. I am very happy with my Dean and Department Chair. I feel lucky to work at IVC. It is a wonderful place to teach.
56. I hope this survey will be taken under serious consideration and not be a waste of my time. The survey questions were very good. Thank you very much!!
Improvement witnessed
57. I have seen much improvement in peoples' outlook, their hopefulness, and their spirit over the past two years. I do not detect a sense of despair or fear at IVC.58. A survey like this narrows our ability to express our ideas with clarity - so I hope the data you get is useful.
59. Gender and ethnicity questions are inappropriate. There is no way to delete them after answering. Fix that!
60. You didn't ask about the curriculum process which is in a huge mess on this campus. We wanted to add courses and explore a new program or an interdisciplinary approach, but your curriculum chair and the process is so messed up we decided not to even try until something (or someone) changes.
61. Faculty input is occasionally sollicited but most often ignored. Administrators pursue a variety of pet projects (career builders) with little critical oversight; criticism is discouraged. Purchasing procedures are extremely viscous, discouraging employees from spending to improve resources. Allocation of resources and “credit” is skewed based on friendships and family relationships.
62. We need changes at the district level. Board and Chancelor.
63. Don't think of part-timers as "expendable." Value everyone for their contribution at IVC even those of us who just teach a class or two. Find the money to keep class sections open for the students since we've had tremendous growth in the past year. Lobby harder to the state legislature to NOT cut the CCC budget! I feel more could have been done to obtain a bigger piece of the budget. The other unions like CTA were able to sway the state government more effectively. We've been left in the dust.
64. Happy to be here and hopeful about the future even in bad economic times.
65. Thank you.
66. This is an excellent survey. Who wrote this thing?
67. Thanks!
68. Special recognition should go to the Academic Senate officers who have worked extremely hard to assist the College administration in changing the climate. Special commendations should be given to the Academic Senate President who, for the past five years, has worked tirelessly on behalf of the faculty to improve the climate and assist the College in addressing the deficiencies cited by the Accreditation Commission.
69. The College is being manipulated by a small group of individuals whose only concern is topple district authority.
70. I do not understand how the data collected can be interpreted without knowing the context for an employee's response. What do the answers mean?
71. As a staff person I am very intersted in hearing about the results of this survey and assisting with committees/task forces that may result as an outcome of areas where issues need to be addressed.
* For written answers to the third question (What at IVC are you most proud of?), go here.
