OK, it's 6:27, and the Ronnie Reagan room is pretty full. Things are hoppin' what with lots of union presence. No sign of the trustees just yet.
Been reminiscin' with Tere about some of the good old days, like the time the mouse lady appeared. I mentioned the night Fuentes invaded Spain and held students hostage. And Don's blitzkrieg on librarians--that was pretty special too. Ah, the memories.
6:32 -- I see that Dave Lang has entered. It's just a matter of minutes, then.
6:34 -- Jemal and Poertner have entered. Now Prendergast.
The Faculty Association (union) is planning a big presence tonight. No doubt they will make use of "public comments" near the start of the meeting.
As always, the meeting will start with a "reading out" of actions in the closed session, occurring just prior to this open session. Then the Sacrifice of the First Born. Then the Invocation and Ritual Dance of the Young Pumpkin. Then comments.
6:37 - Marcia just showed up. Jim Wright is here. Where's Nancy? (Jay and Padberg not present. Oddly, Padberg's absence is not explained. Jay is absent owing to illness apparently.)
THE OPEN SESSION BEGINS: big faculty union presence
6:38 They start. Wright: 5/0 Pad and Jay absent. Settlement agreement classified manager, IVC. That's it.
Invocation: Marcia. Moment of silence. Then pledge.
No resolutions. A commendation, however. Tod Burnett comes up to podium. "Absolutely thrilled and elated" to issue commendations to blah blah blah. "Come on up you guys." They come up: People in Financial Aid at Saddleback College. There's about ten of 'em. Burnett yammers like he does, spouting factoids of wondrous achievements. Something about waivers. "21 million dollars in one year," he says. Weak applause. "959 students a year ago." "3700 students last year got money. More financial aid recipients." He goes through individual names. Each gets a round of applause.
I'm in hell.
On it goes. He's still reciting names, and the audience applauds. OK. Christian Alvarado gets a big whoop. Now Tere takes the inevitable pic. Big smiles. Lotsa teeth.
Next: public comments.
Seven people have requested to speak. Keep to 2 minutes please.
Blake Stevens: Green T with white long-sleeve underneath. A fashion statement? "re contract negotions. It's the best of times and the worst of times. How come? Even with Prop 13, taxable base of OC leaping upwards. He goes "on and on and on" about prices of property. Bad news: attracting faculty to South OC means the need to get in housing. Prices of homes is higher than faculty salaries will support. Talks about rental rates. $300 per square foot per month. Consider that as you negotiate the faculty contract, the real cost of housing. (Refers to "Saddleback College" as though IVC is not part of district. D'oh!)
Bob Cosgrove: Bob refers to colorful handout. Plight of part-time faculty. Low salaries, few benefits, cost of living. "Roadblock to student success." No office space for part-timers. Typical adjunct earns 20K for same work, no benefits. Refers to actions taken at CSU. Call for more tenure track faculty, et al. to speed up graduation. Gets applause.
Jeanne Egasse: Says something funny about Bob's wonky ways. Advocates for salaries of our adjunct faculty and new faculty, very low on salary scale. Warm applause.
Christina D: new faculty in history dept. Here in support of contract proposal. As new faculty, experiencing brunt of problems with housing costs. A challenge. $800K for 3-bedroom home in this area. Many financial products that existed five years ago no longer exist. It is important that CC faculty be members of the community. (Warm applause.)
Beth Clary: been in district since '88. Reads comment from another part-timer. Volunteered to read for him/her. Reads: tip of the week recently publicized. Take advantage of faculty office hours, an avaliable resource. But 50% of classes are taught by part-timers who are not compensated and have no office space for office hours. Students can't meet with them, contra student success. (Gets an especially warm response from crowd.)
Melissa Knoll. My story is really representative. Five years as part-timer, now full-timer. I'm happy. When I was part-time, I was a freeway flier. I couldn't continue the commute when I became full-time. I moved up here 3 months ago. I was amazed at the cost of living. There's no chance I can buy here. I considered renting. Decided against it. Can't save if I rent. But really happy to be here. --(Excellent speech. Very positive response.)
Ken Woodward: Professor of Econ at Saddleback College. Wants to echo points made by previous speakers. Many of our thoughts are with Trustee Jay tonight; we wish him a speedy recovery. Bill Jay has been involved on both sides of the contract issue. His philosophy was always: we're a community. To attract the best faculty, we should have a salary schedule to allow faculty to live here. Faculty salaries have not increased in 4 years. The cost of having a house has soared. Please keep that in mind. We must be able to attract the best faculty--so we need to be able to compensate them so that they can be part of our community.
No further comments.
Board Reports:
Trustee Dave Lang: notes the "good crowd" in the Ronnie Reagan room Attended coach Hartman's funeral. Many influenced by him in his career. Attended OC School Board Ass. meeting with other trustees.
Trustee TJ Prendergast: attended Presidents' Cup. Mentioned the "PACE" program, efficiency of energy. Contact your city, etc. Attended "Poets and Romantics" at IVC. Very entertaining.
Trustee Tim Jemal: we certainly wish Trustee Jay a speedy recovery. I'm the newest on the board. It was a joy to sit next to him during my first year. Very funny man with a rich history with the district, college. Fair minded. I miss him. Attended AACC(?) event. Excellent conference. Speaker from Princeton Review: advice to high school students, when to take tests, detailed strategy. Jemal seemed critical of that advice. Keeps his advice simple: study, etc.
Trustee Jim Wright: another comment about Bill Jay. New sciences building: will be a "magnificent building." Political Action group that Jemal and others attended (about tests for high school students). Basketball game, fought Fullerton. (As always, Wright proceeds as though IVC does not exist. Saddleback IS the SOCCCD, SOCCCD IS Saddleback.) City College of San Francisco. Legal events that might...
Trustee Marcia Milchiker: echoes comments about BIll Jay. Attended Legislative Taskforce meeting. (It's great to see so many new faces at tonight's meeting.) Back to task force. I was one of the founders. IVC Pres Glenn Roquemore is member of OC business council. They'll be meeting every month to bring businesses in, partner with community colleges. STEAM instead of STEM. (Arts) New facilities bond measure, 2016. 9 billion dollars...etc.
Student Trustee Keefe Carrillo: Bill Jay "is in my prayers." Attended Emeritus Institute. Don Wagner lecture series. His role as Assembly member. I'm very happy for him as former trustee. He's moving up. Running for State Senate is not easy. (Young Keefe is rather full of himself.) Hope the best for him. Welcome new substitute advisor at IVC.
Chancellor's (Gary Poertner's) report: last spring, started trustee listening sessions. Concerns of faculty, staff expressed. Since that time, we've had discussion item to get information out about topic under discussion (at future listening session?). A report on DRAC (district resources allocation) tonight. Will have some sessions coming up. I look forward to them. I would remind all faculty and staff: next round coming up on April 22nd, a Wednesday. Please attend. Talk directly to the board.
IVC President's report: nothing to add (said VPI Craig Justice on behalf of Roquemore, who is elsewhere.)
SC President's report: Tod Burnett commences yammering. Two major events coming up: (a) economic report lunch.... [This sounds like an attempt to do what Jim Doti does every year from Chapman U.] (b) Foundation Gala. New alumnus of year. Lost two dear people: Prof Richie White. Ceramics instructor. Designed and built veterans memorial. Lost also George Hartmann. Started here in 1968.
Student government reports, etc.
THE MANUFACTURE--OR NON-MANUFACTURE--OF CONSENT
First discussion item: Process for development of academic calendar:
Kathie Schmeidler and Dan Walsh (Academic Senate Presidents, IVC, SC).
Walsh: Explains membership of "district ac. calendar committee." At Saddleback College, we have a calendar committee, lots of representation. We draft a calendar in view of state requirements, holidays, etc.
Schmeidler: discusses the IVC calendar committee. Reaching campus-wide accord before meeting with other college committee, district. (The two colleges approach arriving at a proposed draft differently.)
Calendar parameters: we are very concerned with balancing number of class days, Fall and Spring. Etc. Discusses some details.
Walsh: there's more to it still. Other needs: programs, faculty prep time, etc. It's impossible to make everyone happy [C. nurses]. Later start dates, earlier state dates, considered, discussed. The committee provides a draft sent to Academic Senate. Everyone has chance for input. Finally forwarded to district committee.
Kathie: "we can get along even though we are disperate in height," she says, jokingly (referring to she and Walsh). Discusses IVC-specific concerns.
Questions?
Jemal: thanks for presentation. Kathie, you mentioned that calendar is arrived at by consent at IVC. No dissenting vote? Same at Saddleback College? Walsh: no. We vote. Kathie explains what "consensus" means in the IVC process. Sure, there's some dissent. Nobody, though, feels strongly enough opposed to block the consensus. Then we move forward. [As a senator, I can say that this corectly characterizes what occurs at least at the Ac. Senate level.]
 |
| Whaddya mean SNAFU? |
Next:
4.2 Reviewing DRAC funding model
Deb Fitzsimmons comes up, presents. Understanding the district resources allocation council (DRAC) model. [Obviously, this is about money and how it is allocated to the two colleges, etc.]
Davit K (of IVC): DRAC--process established in 1997. DRAC council makes recommendations to Chancellor. Chancellor in turn recommends to trustees.
Each entity within district (IVC, SC, District Services, etc.) has own committee.
Shows "snapshot" of DRAC model. The main principle: SB 361 apportionment model is starting point. [The upshot: our starting point is the money we would receive from the state were we to use the most common state-funded model. But we don't use that model, since the amount of revenue produced by local property taxes exceeds what we'd get via state allocation. And thus a "surplus" is produced, and that must be divied up.] When amount (from basic aid) exceeds 361 amount: extra. We follow a conservative approach (namely, giving money as if using state apportionment; using extra money only for one-time projects, etc.). Basic Aid gravy used for large capitol projects. This is what BARC deals with, etc. (BARC is the Basic Aid committee.)
DRAC: revenue allocation (amount allocated per college). Allocation is another process. A decentralized model. Etc. Each college decides how to use its money.
DRAC model has five areas. SC, IVC, Contingency Reserve, General expenditures, and District services.
Turns it over to Carol Hilton:
FTES, blah blah blah. Revenue adjustment. (I lapse into a coma.... [You know me and fiscal stuff.])
Credit funding rate, blah blah blah. (My coma deepens....) Is discussing components of "the SB 361d model." SC is a "large" college and IVC is a "medium." That will be changing. Both will be medium by next year. Has impact on all this.
Growth rate... New way of measuring. Using that, we don't get 3% growth rate in the district for next year. Blah blah blah.
Back to Deb F: Beyond 361. Board philosophy (guidelines). Excess revenue allocated for one-time purposes, etc. Not to be used for ongoing expenses. Conservative philosophy.
Etc.
Reminders about "basic aid." 72 districts. Each gets revenue entitlements. If revenues received are lower, if higher, etc. We happen to be in the enviable position of getting mucho property tax money, exceeding what we would get from state allocation. So we opt for "basic aid" approach, providing much gravy. [The state of affairs produces much animosity towards us across the state. Other districts occasionally make moves on our "extra" money. But this effort is poorly organized, never seems to get anywhere.]
A basic aid district does not receive state support, but there is a qualifier (exception). She explained that. Categorical support, etc. We have to watch our enrollment growth. Could drop out of basic aid if we don't grow enough.
Thirteen voting members of DRAC explained.
Questions?
Prendergast: raises questions about flexibility in model, blah blah blah.
 |
| Writing instructors, IVC |
They vote on the rest. Unanimous yes votes.
5.4 - hiring of a construction manager. Brandye D is asked to come up and explain. Blah blah blah.
Motion to approve. Vote: unanimous.
5.5 - Lang: would college presidents please tell us about CTE grants for their institutions?
Burnett: hands off to Kathy Werle. Asks about something called "Sim-baby"? [I guess it sounds pretty goofy.] Kathy Werle explains: simulation infant. Also: Pop-Up shop. She doesn't know what that is: equipment grant of some kind. Blah blah blah. "It's all good for education, right" says Prendergast. --Guess so.
Passes unanimously.
5.8 - SC revised laboratory fees. Wright has a concern: "Adidas team clothes." What's that mean? Burnett's got nothing. "Usually" that stuff "is all furnished," says Wright. "I don't want to speculate," says Burnett. Motion to approve with amendment. Nope. Let's look it up right now. Move on to others in meantime....
5.15 - Flip side of other one (grants?). Mostly equipment in biotechnologies. We don't have health programs at IVC, says Justice. Mostly equipment. Deb F suggests an amendment. It's complex. Concerns Rancho Santiago. They vote: unanimous.
Returning to 5.8 - explains fee for supplemental gear that students can keep. This satisfies Wright. Motion, approval. Unanimous.
6.1 - Marion Burgeson Award Nomination. Nobody's got anything. Nobody "wishes to be nominated." They move on.
. . . .
6.3 - as usual, they agree to allow pay for absent trustee (Padberg, previous meeting)
6.4 - Differential funding for high cost career technical education programs. Poertner: state looking more and more to CCs to provide techncial programs. Skills gap in populous, etc. Community college should provide that instruction, but it's expensive. So CCs have banded together and have drawn up a resolution re greater allocation for CET. Should we support?
Jemal: yes, support this. How are we bridging this funding grap currently?
Poertner: fewer resources for other programs, that's how. Funny. [I.e., there's no bridging of gaps possible right now, just robbing Peter to pay Paul.]
Vote: unanimous.
. . . .
6.6 - Saddlback College Technology and Applied Science (TAS) Swing space project.... Resolution. Passes unanimously.
 |
| Women of Humanities |
MOVING THE DISTRICT TO A LOCATION BETWEEN THE TWO COLLEGE: TRUSTEES SMELL A RAT (WHERE THERE AIN'T NO RAT)
6.7 - 5 year construction plan.
The return of Brandye. IVC Life Sciences was on first spot last year. Will be removed this year. ATEP building project has been updated. Fine Arts at IVC--something. A200 building remodel, blah blah blah
IVC health center concession project, blah blah blah. Permanent building at ATEP. Under design right now. Student Services Annex Project. Moved together with concession bleachers bathroom project. (I'm back in a coma.) Brandye rattles this all off as though it were intelligible. No doubt it is.
....some building is in "desperate need of renovation...." (Wright)
District Services Relocation. A kind of "to be determined" project. Should start looking for potential funders. --Moving district to closer to middle between IVC and SC.
Jemal: Saddleback College ATEP building?
Brandye: IVC's building at ATEP first. Programming for that -- she turns over to Craig Justice. Laser technology, engineering classes, pre-engineering, STEM curricula, etc. Electronics and Laser to be allied. Blah blah blah. "Terrific list of programs" that will be out there. Fitz chimes in about squarte footage and programs info from past available to trustees.
Jemal: when break ground for Saddleback ATEP? Brandye: don't know that yet. [I've heard that they've lost their funding source, so they're currently behind the 8 ball.]
Wright: Science/Math building needs renovating. Adamant about that, evidently.
Lang: first time we're seeing district relocation item here. [i.e., "What gives?"] Fitz: goal: move district services to "more centralized" location. Blah blah blah. Lang: unknown location, right? Yes. "A different site" than existing ones. Yes. Fitz: needs to be part of plan before we can discuss locations.
Jemal: trying to understand rational for district services in between. Four different campuses, then? (SC, IVC, ATEP, District.) I'm having a hard time understanding rationale for this. Fitz hands off to Justice and Burnett.
"Thank you, Deb," says Justice, funnily. (Doesn't want this hot spud.) Equity issue. Freeing up space for Saddleback too. Has long been discussed. Strong backing. Burnett: it started with IVC "for understandable reasons." They've got to come all the way down here. Saddleback: are both pros and cons of having district here. Both colleges agreed, yeah, the time is right. But Burnett notes: look where this is on the list. (Way down in exigency and contingency territory.) They want it recognized as a project. (Burnett laughingly mentions desire for more parking: thus yes, want district moved away.)
Milchiker: discusses high cost of properties. Not excited about looking for a new building. "That's where I'm coming from, thank you."
Prendergast: I don't see the pool[on this list] (he says, jokingly). [P has been associated with swimming competitions in the past, in his high school incarnation.] Seems to have dropped off list! (He's only kidding.)
Lang: I'm having similar problem (as others). It appears for first time, and seems to have high priority. Plans not very fleshed out. "This one is giving me heartburn."
(COMMENT: this looks to be another instance of the board ignoring PROCESS. We've been discussing the desirability of this move for many years. But owing to their general cluelessness, the board reacts as though somebody is trying to pull a fast one.)
Walsh chimes in: hey, was in strategic plan. (I.e., pay attention.) Has been out there before.
Schmeidler: the item had fallen to the wayside, and that surprised us. So we brought it back, an old issue.
Aproval: unanimous
 |
| Tommy |
6.10 ATEP land exchange demolition project. Unanimous.
6.11 Board Policy revision. Nursing Program. Public Safety camera system.
Jemal: camera systems policy? New? Fitz: yes. Partly owing to current events, shootings.
Jemal: significant costs attached to this. Any estimation? Carol Hilton: another $200K. The cost has really come down. Cost effective.
Vote: unanimous.
6.12 Academic Personnel Actions.
One change.
Vote: unanimous
6.13 Classified personnel actions
One change.
Vote: unanimous
6.14 Probationary faculty, first year.
Vote: unanimous
6.15 Probationary 2-year contract...
Vote: unanimous
6.16 Probationary 4-year
Vote: unanimous
7.1 IVC and SC speakers
7.2 Third year....
7.3 Basic aid report
7.4 Facilities Plan
7.5, 7.6, 7.7 -- Fitz chimed in with some warm and fuzzies.
Reports from governance groups:
Dan Walsh of SC Academic Senate ... blah blah blah
Faculty Association: Claire: hope for speedy recovery, Bill Jay, makes further plea - salary to cover cost of living in OC, housing, etc. Blah blah blah
Kathy Schmeidler of IVC Ac Senate: Echoes remarks of my colleagues. Congrats to faculty retained, tenured, etc. Mark calendars, April 17, Student Success Summit
---I'm outa here. (About 8:39)
 |
| Young Teddy |
