Tri-County Technical College
Faculty Senate Minutes
Meeting Date: March 05, 2021
Location: Bb Collaborate
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Members Present: Jeremy McCracken, Tonia Faulling, Som Linthicum, Shallin Williams, Melinda Hoover, Meredith Dickens, Jonathan Chastain, Rhonda Whitten, Amanda Karaganov, Sharon Yarbrough, Amy Roberts, Malisa Looney, Jim Deloache, Rachel Glanton, Stan Compton
Members Absent: Pam Goodman, Bill Leverette, Jeremy Pickens, Ellen Hudson, Micah Bolin,
Welcome & Review of the Agenda:
Jeremy called the meeting to order at 12:30pm and briefly introduced the agenda.
Approval of Minutes:
Quorum achieved, the Minutes from February 12th were reviewed and approved without further amendment. Som will forward them for posting to the Blogspot and update the TEAMS folder.
New & Ongoing Business
· In accord with the C&B and the plan of action established at Senate’s previous meeting, Jeremy opened the floor to nominations for Faculty Senate President, 2021-2022. After some discussion, three nominees were put forward…
Jeremy McCracken A&S
Meredith Dickens BPS
Som Linthicum SSE
Seeking to ensure the fullest possible representation, the Senate moved to extend the period for nominations an additional week. Jeremy will send forward to the full faculty body a call for further nominations, before Senate proceeds to the vetting phase. According to our working schedule, a minimum of two and a maximum of four Presidential Candidates will be presented to the full faculty for voting by March 26th.
Constituent Concerns
· A constituent concern was brought forward regarding the development of a potential oversight program in one department that could yet serve as a “pilot” for similar programs across campus. As described, the program would create multiple teams based on programs or subject areas within a department, and, within each team, a faculty “lead” would be appointed. A number of concerns were raised regarding the proposed structure, which, as reported, is already emerging in one department…
o Oversight – the “team lead” would seem to have some level of new authority over other members of the team, including monitoring instructional practice, course design, Bb environment, and so forth. Concerns were raised about the emergence of a new layer of supervisorial reporting.
o Power disparities – Several commentators noted that such an arrangement might create unforeseen and unwanted power disparities within a department and threaten group cohesion.
o Academic freedom – Concerns were raised about the impact of such oversight on instructional choices and course design. Some expressed distress that more experienced faculty might find their competency and decision making called into question. Others worried about the chilling effect of such oversight on instructional innovation.
o Ethical issues – Concerns were also raised about the unexpected appearance of personnel in digital spaces, like Bb, which had heretofore been afforded a measure of confidentiality for students and faculty and the lack of transparency around institutional “lurking.”
o Morale – Several commentators noted the disjuncture between recent discussions about how to improve faculty morale and the appearance of a new level of unannounced oversight. Several Senators opined that, if as described, this level of intrusion would be disheartening and foment resentment and distrust both within the department and, ultimately, towards the administration.
Several Senators noted that, in other areas and disciplines, regular review and peer- or supervisorial counseling is more normative and expected – within health care, for instance, where regular feedback is deemed an important aspect of accountability. Others mentioned the positive impact that mentoring and peer coaching might have on professional development. Student-Faculty Rights & Responsibilities Agreements were offered as a template for establishing positive expectations in and around the instructional experience.
A number of Senators raised important concerns about messaging and communication around such initiatives and suggested that, perhaps, communication may have broken down in this instance. Unanswered questions regarding the objectives behind the initiative and how it might be assessed seemed to create additional anxiety. Several commentators noted the apparent lack of transparency around the initiative.
Standing Items:
Committee Updates
Academic Calendar Committee – no new report provided
Curriculum Committee – no new report provided
Placement Committee – no new report provided
Service Excellence Committee – no new report provided
21st C Skills Committee – As previously described, the 21st C Skills Committee has embarked on a series of faculty-staff listening sessions this spring. The intent is to further gauge perceptions of the skills on the part of both faculty and staff. Some faculty or staff may receive invitations to participate in specific sessions.
PAC – PAC continued its discussion of the college survey on highly effective teams, while similar conversations are playing out across divisions and departments. Several focus groups were conducted in conjunction with the survey. Primary points for further examination include strengthening confidence in college management and administration, facilitating additional career development opportunities, encouraging greater cross-unit collaboration and information-sharing.
ALT – no new report provided
Enrichment Series – will host a synchronous online presentation and discussion with Dr. Eric Oliver, University of Chicago, whose recent book, Enchanted America, examines the proliferation of conspiracy fictions in US political discourse.
SOAR – The SOAR sub-group in partnership with Institutional Advancement recently re-released a short fundraising video that appeared in the Weekly Edge. The sub-group will meet with IA to discuss additional fundraising opportunities.
Division Updates
A&S -- no major updates
BPS – The colleges recent grant initiative to create a voucher-based support systems for students with acute childcare needs is now happily up and running. Health and Wellness will serve as a primary access point for students. The SC Technical College System and the SC Criminal Justice Academy recently announced a partnership to provide additional career pathways for students interested in law enforcement careers. CRJ will play an important role in delivering that curriculum in the form of a Police Pre-Academy Training Certificate.
E&IT – The division continues work on student outcomes and assessment processes.
A&CF – I-Best Informational Meetings will begin shortly. This is the springboard to I-Best recruiting.
HE – In a continuing effort to place students into meaningful work environments within the community, a satellite nursing program with LPN students has been established in conjunction with the Richard Michael Campbell Veterans Nursing Home. Similarly, students are currently working in the community to help administer the Covid vaccine at the Anderson Civic Center. The department is working with CCA to continue the development of the practical nursing program. Accreditation reviews are forthcoming in 2021, and the nursing program continues to perform at a rate the meets or exceeds national and state benchmarks. Over the past year, the department has achieved a 9-10% growth rate.
SSE – The Learning Commons Team was honored as the A. Wade Martin Innovation Team of the Year at SCTEA; the spring skillshop series continues with both F2F and Live Online Sessions; the Learning Commons will partner with Clemson University, the Bridge Program, and our own English Department to sponsor an information literacy and research workshop on March 2nd, Trekking the Info Ecosystem: Survival Skills for Research Success. The SSE’s Health & Wellness office will be sponsoring a webinar on March 16th, Diabetes Dialogues, featuring Dr. Linda Bell and Florene Linnen, Director of the SC Diabetes Core Group. In personnel news, the CER search is continuing with on-campus interviews occurring shortly.
Adjournment
All business completed for the day, the meeting was adjourned.
Next meeting: March 26, 2021 at 12:30pm, online, link forthcoming
Key Takeaways
· The Senate is currently receiving nominations for Faculty Senate President for the 2021-22 academic year. According to the Senate’s working schedule, a minimum of two and a maximum of four Presidential Candidates will be presented to the full faculty for voting by March 26th.
· Listening sessions sponsored by the 21st C Skills Committee with faculty and staff to gauge perceptions of the skills are ongoing.
· The recently inaugurated voucher program for students with acute childcare needs is off and running. Contact program administrator Kimberly Martin or the SSE’s Health & Wellness office for more information.
· The SC Technical College System and the SC Criminal Justice Academy recently announced a partnership to provide additional career pathways for students interested in law enforcement careers.
· Upcoming Events – Trekking the Info Ecosystem: Survival Skills for Research Success, a special workshop sponsored by the Learning Commons, Clemson University’s Cooper Library, the Bridge Program, and the TCTC English Department will take place at 5pm on March 30th – all students are welcomed and encouraged to attend. Diabetes Dialogues, sponsored by Health & Wellness, on March 16th at 11am.
