OK, it's 5:28, and the room's seats are relatively filled up here in the infamous Ronnie Reagan meeting room (that's the name, I kid you not).
Interesting. No sign yet of the trustees, who are scheduled to start the open session at 5:30.
It appears that the classified union is making its presence felt. I see lots of blue CSEA [classified union] shirts here. Earlier today, a source told me that the classified would come to speak at tonight's meeting, to complain about the IVC Director of Facilities and Maintenance, I think. Not sure. We'll see. [Yep.]
It's 5:31 and still no trustees. A woman is collecting those yellow "speaker" slips. She seems to have maybe ten of them.
5:34: a classified employee just came up to shake my hand. He said, "You ready for some juice?"
Yes, I am.
5:37: Again, the room is relatively full--mostly with blue-shirted CSEA members. The Faculty Association (union) made an effort to get their folks to tonight's meeting, too, but that seems to have produced a meager three or four, as usual.
On my way in, I noticed that the rounded outside wall of the Ronnie Reagan room is all patched up. Maybe they're having it painted. Not sure. Looks like shit.5:41: I'm looking over tonight's agenda, and I see that Chancellor Poertner "will introduce IVC Live Sciences Building..." Introduce a building?
5:46: some trustees just walked in and the room hushed right up. That might be, of course, because Nancy Padberg looked out into the room, scaring us half to death. Wow, she seems lots better than reports suggested. Marcia Milchiker has yet to arrive. Bill Jay is also absent thus far. Here comes Marcia, but still no Bill.
5:48: The meeting begins.
5:49: reading actions in closed session: Marcia: 6-0 voted faculty decision, change termination to resignation.
Invocation by James Wright. "Our father who art in heaven...." Really.
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| IVC Director of Maintenance John Edwards |
Jenna Schaeffer: Prof of English. Faculty advisor for Wall lit journal. Will be hearing about a student later. Invitation to board to reading from Wall. Oct. 16.
Jan ?: CSEA matter. Matter of concern, impacts enrollment. "Unpredictable shift changes." No accommodation to employee schedules here. Workers never know when their shifts will be changed. We are vulnerable to our lives being changed upside down, 20 days notice. Trying to make grad school plans, then this happens and it's back to square one. "It's time to change." Many people here have second jobs, do community outreach. They experience much stress with these shift changes. Thank you Tod Burnett for your help on this. Refers to the President of US, Elizabeth Warren. "We need to make this gear shift."
Cameron L: castodial dept., IVC. Dept meetng in July, Director told us he would discuss changes he deemed necessary. Day shift was being uncooperative, refused to use sign-in sheets. He said that was resolved. There had been complaints from neighbors about motor cycle noises in morning. Had to stop. Next: one hour lunch schedule, day shift only. Said would move day shift one hour forward. "To be fair" others shifted too.
We tried to understand this "heavy handed distribution of punishment" as fair. It still remains a mystery to us. He asked grounds crew, et al., to return to regular hours. But swing shift employees have not been moved back. Is that fair? This is the third time I've been switched. (Applause.)
Steven Woodard: works at ATEP as groundskeeper. My shift has been changed 8 different times during my time working with district. It's hard to have a life with these many changes. (Applause.)
Margot Lovett: 18th year at Saddleback College. Chair of History Dept. A large department. Wants to speak to situation facing part-time faculty. As chair, I recruit part-timers. Enthusiastic, creative instructors. Committed to their students. I'm happy when I'm able to offer them a job. But I dread telling them how much they'll be paid for a 3 unit class. Between $3k and $3,200 per semester. I'm embarassed. Sometimes they just can't take the job. We pay far less than other districts. We should pay our part-time faculty what they're worth. (Applause)
COMMENDATIONS:
Chancellor Poertner comes up to "introduce" a building. The design was awarded gold status. Very good planning. Cooperative effort.
Brandye D comes up to discuss how the project developed. Architect comes up. Dougherty and Dougherty LLP. All smiles. "It takes a really good client to make a really good building." Gracious remarks. Lead gold building certified (will be). Very exciting. Very resource efficient. A teachable moment. Also recognized by organizations: Pacific Coast Builders Conference. The best education building submitted this year. Priscilla Ross (who is teaching) and Kathy Schmeidler represent faculty input. We keep collecting certificates and awards, says Architecture Boy. Lots of smiles. (Applause.) Three plaques. (Photo op.) Very dog und pony.
BOARD REPORTS:
Tim Jemal: participated in outreach meetings, local employers. Witnessed social entrepreneurship competition at Saddleback. Was a judge for phase 1. Thanks those responsible. Suggests should try to connect competition with what's happening at the colleges. He has concerns with our relationship with the for-profit colleges. Will have discussions in the next week or so. There's a place for the for-profits. But very different than our relationship with public institutions.... Excessive debt--a real, serious problems. Our polices vis-a-vis the for-profits need to be thought out further. (Background: Clueless Roquemore makes nice with the enemy.)
Marcia Milchiker: thanks Wright for alerting her to event bringing Madame Curie impersonator to campus. Students were inspired: how to be a scientist. "Even I wanted to go back to being a scientist." Attended faculty benefit concert. Child prodigy played violin, etc. Beautiful music. OCCC leg task force: discussed bills. Issues concerning adult education: K-12 or community colleges? Please come to us with ideas.
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| Didn't say much; glad to be back |
TJ Prendergast: no report whatsoever. Welcome back (to Nancy). We know it's been a journey.
James Wright: welcomes Nancy also. Attended various events: IVC 9-11 commemoration. Extremely well done. Displays. First responders were there. Fiscal update: state is not as sound as should be. Attended football games. Visited College of the Canyons, was asked to be on a panel.
Dave Lang: also attended 9-11 ceremony. Applauds Prez Roquemore and others for organizing this event. Occurred to me: disappointed by outside attendance, community members. We need to engage the public. Attended fiscal update along with Wright and Prendergast. Pleased by article in OC Reg about historic legislation signed by Gov. Brown, allowing CCs to award some bachelors degrees. Long overdue. Exciting. Looking forward to our district being involved. Welcomes Nancy back.
Keefe Carillo: blah, blah, blah. 9-11 ceremony "very well done." (Boy is this kid full of himself.) Astonishing ceremony.
Chancellor's report: colleges are continuing to pursue "student success." E.g., a student equity plan. In the plan, each college analyzes data about students. Identifying groups the need particular assistance.
On tonight's agenda, item 7.3 will provide an overview of requirements concerning student equity. These plans are over 100 pages each. Will bring to board, one at a time.
College Presidents:
Roquemore: welcomes back Nancy. Life Sciences Building: Brandye D deserves much recognition. She worked magic, which is "real." Our two colleges have joined with UCI NSF grant, intended to bring more students into computer sciences and engineering. We got $1.8 million award, one of the largest. Thanks trustees for attending 9-11 commemoration. "My heart was broken" as well, owing to poor community presence. We really try to bring our community out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Burnett: mentions Social Entrepreneurship thingy. Very successful "for our first year." Thanks faculty. Mentions all the "plans" that we're working on. "We're really working hard here at Saddleback" on these many plans (Yeah, and there's a planning committee to plan more planning.) We're thrilled to have Nancy Padberg back. "Don't leave us again." (Laughter.)
VP of Saddleback student government speaks. Excited to work with faculty on student success, blah blah blah. Blood drive was successful. Free movie night. Showing "Lucy," (that silly Scarlett J movie).
IVC student government guy has no report.
Moves on to consent calendar: anything to pull? Nothing. Ah, 5.9 pulled. Vote: unanimous.
5.9: amended conflict of interest code, blah blah blah, unanimous vote in support
General action items:
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| More smiles |
Brandye D comes up and yammers about that as she has, many times.
Trustee Jemal: are the architects aware of what we need/want? (Not sure if that's the question.) D: Program needs have not been finalized. She has a draft, will provide that.
Unanimous approval.
6.2 pay to absent trustee (Nancy). Always unanimously approved. Sheesh.
6.3 Switch to HP computers. Greater function, less cost. Approved.
6.4 ATEP land exchange demo. Contract for 2 and a half mil. dollars. Approved.
6.5 AC. Personel actions.
Trustee Wright: 11 equivalencies here. A pretty large number. "I'm just bringing that to your attention." (He's concerned.) Schmeidler speaks: it really does mean equivalency. Approved. (I'm getting to think that Kathy and Jim aren't pals.)
6.6 Classified personel actions
Lang asks for clarification, something on p. 7, c1, c2. Bugay: blah blah blah. Approved unanimously
6.7 Resolution, classified employee layoffs - approved unanimously
REPORTS:
7.1 Annual Accreditation reports
Lang: I found these reports interesting. Seems like they came to us in a "little different format" this year. Saddleback Report: decline in headcount in enrollment, 3-year period. Trend in distance education good, going up gradually. IVC report (not Saddleback): job placement data.
what's with Saddleback? Any response?
Burnett: re enrollment. Yes, we've had a gradual decline. We expected this. Many reasons. Will be down again this year. Expect turn around next year. Kathy Werle and Craig Justice come to podium. Werle: job placement data. Previous employee dropped the ball. Didn't get service requested and paid for. Will have that data beginning of next year.
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| What? No presentation? |
Jemal: interesting data. I think a presentation would have been useful. [He's pretty understated in his disappointment.] Didn't know that the number of degrees offered higher at IVC than SC. Would have been helpful to have a presentation of all this. [Awkward pause.] Prendergast agrees. "It is what it is." Jemal looks at TJ. TJ is too tired to care. His eyes are dolls' eyes.
Moving on to
7.2 Staff response to public comments.
Student elections (IVC) issue. (At a previous meeting, a student's mom showed up, and she was steamed that her little girl lost the IVC student government election because of alleged irregularities; something about counting votes or not counting them.) Today: Follow-up report. There was a written report. Roquemore says Dennis Gordon is here to answer any questions. [He has "temporarily" taken over Helen Locke's duties. Helen's fate seems in limbo. The trustees need to decide, evidently, and they haven't.]
Jemal: please explain briefly, simply--the election process.
Dennis: 5 day period, students key in student number. They vote. Filter out non-IVC students. That way we get clean votes. Both colleges do this. A process used for several years. Saddleback students prohibited from voting in IVC election.
Jemal: any students with dual email addresses? (No.)
Wright: is this issue over with? Dennis: Yes it is. The student returned to school, showed no interest in pursuing matter. She's been active in student government again. The issue is behind us.
Student trustee: I think this was very professionally handled.
Prendergast: is there any need to clean up language, clarify what was misconstrued? Can we prevent this from happening again?
Dennis: gets into weeds.
7.3 Student Equity Plan Report
Blah blah blah.
Juan: lots of "conversation" last few years about "student success." Got data. Student equity plans have emerged. Grounded in research. Thorough analysis of "disproportional impact." Before: narrative. Now, data, plan.
These two are putting me into a coma. I think they need to use props or something. Maybe get some theater kids to act stuff out. I dunno. I'm dying here.
Juan is still speaking, and I might have to go up there and knock him down. Please stop. Meanwhile, the trustees seem to have it worse than I do. Prendergast is thinking about something other than Juan and his "conversations." Sheesh.
Good Lord, he's still going. What is he saying? Is anyone listening? Please bring a dog or pony next time. (7:09: he's still going strong. His words mean nothing. Most in room politely conscious.)
Good Lord, he's still yammering. How can anyone say something so simple with so many words. And goofy ones too. Shut up, shut up, shut up.
Now he's thanking IVC. Please stop. OK, Juan seems nice, but he's a killer. I think he just stopped!
Fontanilla insists on saying more (good Lord!). Blah blah blah. Areas where we can spend money. Outreach, blah blah blah. Good Lord, she's killing me with this stuff.
Milchiker: Did this come out of student success act? What are the subgroups? Is the $1 million we're receiving for both colleges?
Juan: yes, the money is for the district as a whole. Groups? Veterans, foster youth, CalWorks underrepresented populations, gender, age, economic disadvantage, disabilities. These are the core groups, doing analysis. Not sure if all this came out of the act, but I think the answer is yes. We've got to report on student equity as part of Success.
Fontanilla: she says something else, good Lord. Her slacks are striped. Her mouth is still moving.
Jemal: do we know what % of students are NOT succeeding? We must have some idea.
Fontanilla: she starts talking about "cohorts" followed since 2007. These subgroups are coming in small numbers. E.g., hispanic males. But only 30 students. Yes, disproportional impact, but small numbers: 3, 4, etc. Juan: SC is diving into data now. Basic Skills area: that's were there's disproportionality.
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| Plasticity hisself |
7.4 SC and IVC speakers. No comments.
7.5 Basid aid
7.6 Facilities plan...
7.7....
7.8.....
Reports from administration and governance groups
Faculty union: problems with pay structure, etc. Low compensation for department chairs. Faculty are declining to serve. Many tasks will not be done. That's accreditation.
I think the Saddleback Faculty Senate gal spoke strongly in support of CSEA and classified, staff workers. They're important to us and we're behind them. Blah blah blah
--I'm outa here.
