Tri-County Technical College
Faculty Senate Minutes
Meeting Date: October 30, 2020
Location: Bb Collaborate
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Members Present: Jeremy McCracken, Amy Roberts, Tonia Faulling, Som Linthicum, Jim Deloache, Rhonda Whitten, Rachel Glanton, Shallin Williams, Melinda Hoover, Sharon Yarbrough, Susan Curtis, Micah Bolin, Tracy Byrd
Members Absent: Pam Goodman, Bill Leverette, Jeremy Pickens, Meredith Dickens, Jonathan Chastain, Ellen Hudson, Stan Compton, Malisa Looney
Welcome & Review of the Agenda:
Jeremy called the meeting to order at 12:30pm and briefly introduced the meeting’s agenda.
Approval of Minutes:
Quorum was eventually achieved, and the Minutes from October 9th were reviewed. The Senate approved the minutes without further amendment. Som has forwarded them for posting to the Blogspot and updated the TEAMS folder.
Ongoing Business:
Loading Model & Matrix
In previous meetings, Faculty Senate has expressed its desire, based on constituent concerns, to better understand the faculty loading model and how it has been interpreted across departments and divisions. Because misperceptions seem to be spread across the different areas, Faculty Senate had earlier proposed a faculty forum for Q&A regarding to the model and matrix in order to establish a shared understanding. We have met with some logistical difficulties in organizing that forum.
Jeremy and Tonia met this week with HR personnel who provided an overview and workflow for how the loading, and overloading, process should function [please see appendix for a copy of that flow chart]. As explained, an individual instructor’s load is determined via consultation between the instructor and their department head (DH) and mapped according to the relevant quadrants in the matrix, including instructional delivery, out-of-class student engagement, curriculum design & development, and leadership/college service. Once the load (or overload) has been determined by the instructor and DH, the relevant forms are reviewed by the Dean, and, eventually, passed forward to HR. If an overload is determined by the DH and Dean, then the VPAA would typically verify, before submitting to HR (under the current circumstances, and given that the college’s acting VPAA has only been in the position for a relatively brief period of time, the president has continued to serve as that final determinant of overload eligibility). HR, in turn, reviews any documentation for accuracy and verifies the (over)load. If no inaccuracies are found, HR will inform the Dean/DH of their determination, and the instructor is then asked, via the DH, to sign-off on the agreed upon load. Specific appeals by individual faculty regarding the relative weighting of their instructional load would go first to the DH, then to the Dean, and, ultimately, if not resolved, to the VPAA.
As illustrated by the workflow, the total load is presumed to be determined by the DH, Dean, and, typically, VPAA in consultation with the instructor, and HR serves as a simple double-check on calculations. HR reports that it typically conducts its review within 24-48 hours after receiving the documentation. The “workflow” chart, thus, establishes HR’s role in the approval process and the procedural steps to be followed.
Senators appreciated the clarification from HR on the procedural steps associated with the determination of (over)load, but they continued to have questions about how the relative weighting was established, how the values for each section were determined, and how course (re)design and development was apportioned in the matrix. Concerns continued to be raised about consistency of interpretation and application across departments and divisions. For referral, a blank example of the matrix has been uploaded to the Teams site.
Senate continues to pursue avenues towards a more thorough shared understanding of the matrix and loading model that could include all interested faculty. An open forum has been suggested as has a Professional Development Day session in order to establish a common, foundational understanding of the model and matrix across the college. Discussion was table for the day with the understanding that Senate has not set the issue aside and will continue to work on these concerns as part of an ongoing conversation.
Safety & Sanitation Concerns
Noting in previous sessions a number of concerns around safety and sanitation issues in instructional spaces, Jeremy advised the group that he is continuing to work on a “master contact list.” Once that list has been compiled, it will be published in the Weekly EDGE as a reference point for folks wishing to report concerns about supplies, maintenance, or cleaning protocols.
New Business:
Faculty Non-Work Days
Typically, staff are provided with paid time-off for college holidays, as well as a number of discretionary days-off. Faculty, on the other hand, have very limited opportunity to take time-off during the term and are generally expected to have a regular presence on campus throughout the semester. This can generate some confusion as classes and exams conclude, particularly at the winter break – the instructional schedule is wrapping up, but some expectation of faculty presence persists, which can hinder planning for travel, conferences, and holiday plans. Expectations seem to vary across divisions and departments with some areas requiring “coverage” through the 23rd. Questions arise -- Are there defined expectations for when faculty should be on campus during those “non-instructional” periods? Should they be regularized across departments? What level of density is required? Jeremy suggests pursuing clarification on these and related questions.
Parliamentarian
According to the Senate’s Constitution & By-Laws (Article III, 2.6), the Past President serves as Parliamentarian during Senate meetings, helping to guide discussion, proposals, and motions in accord with a modified Robert’s Rules of Order. During this term, we are operating at a slight deficit, since our current Past President is unable to attend Senate meetings and has significantly reduced their role with the college. This leaves us without a de facto parliamentarian. After some discussion, Shallin generously agreed to take on the duties of Parliamentarian in an informal capacity.
Standing Items:
Committee Updates
Academic Calendar Committee – noted that the spring term will begin somewhat later than usual – January 21st – and that spring break will be abbreviated – March 18th and 19th.
Curriculum Committee – continues to work on clearing expired and defunct courses from the catalog.
Placement Committee – no new report provided
Service Excellence Committee – no new report provided
21st C Skills Committee – completed final drafts of surveys for faculty and staff to help gauge perceptions of the skills.
PAC – reconvening work on new strategic directions. Jeremy, as Faculty Senate President, will work with the “Fostering Learning & Collaboration” group, examining the implications of Covid and elearning on content delivery, instructional modalities, and student relations.
ALT – recently announced a forthcoming redesign and refurbishment of the college’s intranet portal
Faculty Choice SOAR Award – continue to participate in the ConTribute campaign. Asking Senators to help raise awareness for the fund.
Division Updates
A&S -- No major updates
BPS -- No major updates
E&IT – No major updates
A&CF – No major updates
HE – No major updates
SSE - Learning Commons – Working with our public/academic programming partnership in conjunction with Clemson University to help raise awareness for an open discussion with poet Claudia Rankine. The digital discussion, titled “A Summer of Black Uprisings,” will take place on November 13th, from 6-8pm (flyer attached). Also, the Learning Commons is exploring the app Circle-In, which supports and facilitates peer study for students, including possible Bb integrations.
Adjournment
All business completed for the day, the meeting was adjourned at 1:45pm
Next meeting: November 20, 2020 at 12:30pm, online, link forthcoming
Key Takeaways
· Noting a number of reporting concerns around safety and sanitation in this Covid moment, we are working to compile a master list of defined division reps in order to facilitate communications. Once the list is aggregated, we will send it forward to the Weekly EDGE for broader distribution.
· The ConTribute Campaign is beginning to wind down. Faculty Senate supports the Faculty Choice SOAR Award and works to increase charitable support for the fund.
· Senate continues to seek clarification on a variety of issues surrounding the loading model and matrix, with particular reference to Covid-related concerns. HR has kindly provided an outline of the “overload request workflow” which outlines the procedural steps in documenting an overload. That document will be loaded to the TEAMS site and appended to the minutes.
· Noting the difficulty faculty sometimes have in scheduling non-work leave during and between terms, Jeremy is seeking clarification on “presence” requirements, particularly during the winter break period.
