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| Lillian Gish |
Well, goal #6 of the draft of district-wide goals (part of the three-year plan to be presented to trustees on Monday—as a matter of information) is this:
So let's turn to the colleges.
#5 of IVC’s collegewide goals is the following:
To provide programs and activities that promote economic development and partnerships with the community.That’s a goal, so I guess it is supposed to be vague, and it is.
As you know, among people with degrees in Education, one's “objectives” are supposed to achieve one's "goals," and that's the thinking of IVC's planners. IVC’s 2010-11 Strategic Planning Objectives include VI and XIII:
VI. Increase enrollment in courses in Lifelong Learning, contract and workforce development courses.
VIII. Expand the Early College Program.
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| Not Lillian Gish |
Here’s what else we learn about objective VIII:
(Linked to IVC Goals: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7; and District Goal 1)Saddlebackians seem to do these things differently. I found a draft of Saddleback College's 2011 EDUCATION MASTER PLAN, which offers a set of reasonable-sounding “values” and several plausible-sounding “Strategic Directions,” none of which clearly demand the pursuit of something like Early College.
Rationale: The K-12 schools in the effective service area are typically ranked in the top 10% in the state based on California’s Academic Performance Index. Students graduating from high schools in the effective service area typically have 4-year university acceptance rates that are much higher than the statewide average. This trend will continue for the foreseeable future. Partnerships among IVC, K-12, and 4-year institutions seeking to work within this service area, will be a necessity in order to increase enrollments. [My emphasis.]
Strategy A: Implement the Early College Program at another local high school. (Lead Persons: Craig Justice, Elizabeth Cipres)
Strategy B: Explore the establishment of an Early College Program in the Irvine Unified School District. (Lead Persons: Craig Justice, Elizabeth Cipres)
Outcomes: The continued expansion of the Early College Program within the Tustin Unified School District; the establishment of an Early College Program with the Irvine Unified School District and El Toro High School.
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On occasion, members of IVC's Academic Senate Rep Council break into discussion about strategic planning and such, and, when that happens, the atmosphere is tense and uncomfortable. Senators (and not only I) have suggested that the existing strategic planning (etc.) process is overly-complex and difficult to understand. It doesn't help that it is shot through with the odd (and largely preposterous) vocabulary of the educationists, what with their "instructional delivery," "action steps," and "goals vs. objectives." I do believe that some have suggested that, for those reasons among others, faculty find participation in the planning process, um, unattractive.Well, whatever the reason, the committees that have produced many of the goals and objectives in our district are dominated by administrators. And, at IVC, it works like this: administrators are given their marching orders by Craig.
Wait. Aren't IVC administrators pretty autonomous? —Well, no. Not so much.
Voila.
16 comments:
I'm ready to vote no confidence right now in the top 3 at IVC.
Spring '12
ANTH 1 62035 T Th 7:05AM - 8:55 EL TORO HS
Econ 2 62170 M W 7:45AM - 9:25 TUSTIN HS
Econ 2 62165 T Th 7:45AM - 8:4 BECKMAN
HIST 2 61675 M W 7:35AM -9:25 BECKMAN
HIST 2 61680 T Th 7:05AM - 8:55 EL TORO HS
MUS 20 60215 T Th 7:45PM - 9:00 BECKMAN
ARTH 20 60775 W F 7:00AM - 8:15 EL TORO HS
Econ 2 62175 T Th 7:05AM - 8:55 EL TORO HS
We also have a goal to increase career tech offerings, but they've declined by over 15%. Which gives you more notoriety? Helpin' to solve the fiscal and unemployment problems in this state, or gettin' an ATABOY?
For the record, faculty are not consulted as to which classes will be offered within the Early College Program. Faculty are simply informed by their deans that a Hist 2 class will be offered and the faculty must staff it otherwise the dean will. Why aren't the deans speaking up?
Why is IVC offering these classes at the high schools while turning away tons of students at IVC? If high school students wish to enroll in a college class, they can, at IVC. This simply isn't making any sense. Students are denied classes at IVC and then the college offers classes at the high schools for high school students? Do NOT tell me that offering classes at the high schools has no affect on IVC. What is the mission of the CC's? Where is the IVC Academic Senate? I'll vote no confidence in the admin as long as the Academic Senate is added in the vote of no confidence.
You can complain that the Academic Senate has not fought the EC Program vigorously enough, but you cannot complain that the senate supported it, for it did not. The program was foisted upon us, despite our objections and worries, during the Dennis White period. Since then, the senate has conducted a survey revealing serious problems in the program, and the administration has claimed to be dealing with the difficulties. The issue is not yet dead on the senate floor. We could still fight the program. (Not me though; I'm on sabbatical this semester.)
Roy is right - the senators have long objected to this program on principled grounds but both recent senate presidents (Wendy and Lisa) have promoted and protected it - as have the Siamese twin college presidents: Roquemore and Justice.
What any of them get out of it I don't know.
To continue this weak program which poorly serves a minority of students at this time when we are turning away our own college students is terrible.
How does the Early College Program increase our enrollments? Numbers, please, productivity, please - and quality of instruction too.
How about airing some of the scandals as well? The instructor who didn't really teach and was only found out at the very end - too late for "real" instruction but not for a cover-up so everyone passed and the parents were happy. That's what it is about.
Hey all, can we buy a break for Wendy? She hasn't done anything administratively for the past year. The Early College Program predated Wendy. And do you think one faculty member could stem the adminstrative tide? Where were all of the IVC faculty when the Early College Program was implemented? Yup, faculty love to scapegoat when they are caught sleeping at the wheel. Snore.
Beware the tendency to re-write history. It's alive and well and waiting for a power vacuum.
Wendy was used by Don Wagner, Glenn, and Craig. I hope she has moved on. Don Wagner is the highest order ass-clown. He cheated and lied to his wife of 20 something years and lied to Wendy. Don Wagner needs to own his lying ways. Does Irvine need another lying politician? If so, vote for DON WAGNER. Then, talk to his wife and his mistress!
Complacent faculty aside, isn't it the senate's responsibility and obligation to stay on top of the issues so trageties like this never happen?
Wendy is no one's victim here - she was used, yes, but she was using too - all a part of the game she wanted to play. She just didn't get what she wanted she didn't win in the end. They did. They got what they wanted out of her.
Yes, the Senate should be on top of issues like this but when the Senate is led by people who are willing to sell out (even a little bit) there are big problems. Early College is one. Now the Senators need to speak up.
Who is number 3 of the top 3 administrators? Another Chaffee reject?
I don't know how it works in Basic Aid districts like yours, but "normal" cc districts have all received a "workload reduction" from the State. Even if we can enroll, say 10,000 FTES, we only get funding for 9,500.
Most districts are cutting classes--which reduces the salary line in the budget--to deal with reduced funding.
The goal (or is it an objective) of increasing enrollment is not consistent with the reality of less money for classes.
--100 miles down the road
To add to what 7:07 pointed out: according to bvt it’s still unclear whether any senate voting ever occurred on certain issues. Please clarify it for us bvt. The senate was either never in agreement with admin’s proposals and the issues never came up for a final vote, or they did in fact vote against them. If the former applies; admin took advantage of a gridlocked senate and moved their agenda forward regardless, co-opting the LDA to go along with them in secret while the others kept busy arguing amongst themselves. If the latter applies, the senate formally rejected admin’s proposals and admin then proceeded without any regard for shared governance. Which is it bvt? You can’t have it both ways. Please elaborate.
About Wendy: It appears that because she wouldn’t compromise her principles with admin, and most likely pertaining to these very issues we’re dealing with today, she really had no chance for the newly created Dean position, as that would have been the reward had she caved in to admin’s agenda. Admin realized they had a much better chance at co-opting LDA than Wendy. I bet admin injected some grease into the senate election process to get LDA in there.
1:07, I'm supposed to clarify "whether any senate voting ever occurred on certain issues"? That's pretty vague.
I shall assume that we're talking about the Early College program in particular. As I've already explained, the EC Program was foisted upon us years ago during the Dennis White era. At the time, the senate grumbled that it was not being consulted, only informed. On the senate floor, senators expressed worries, many of which have proved correct. There was no vote because we were not consulted. At the beginning of LDA's tenure as Senate Prez, I complained that the senate was dropping the ball re the EC Program. I also complained that we were left entirely out of the loop with regard to the Crean high school arrangement (which proved disastrous and embarrassing). Owing to such carping (from me and others), the senate got more aggressive about EC, launching a kind of investigation/survey. As I recall, the senate has resisted taking on the Crean issue, but VPI Justice did come to the senate to explain what had happened and the measures employed to "fix" things.
1:07, please refrain from suggesting irresponsible conspiracy theories about “grease.” That’s utter nonsense.
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