April 2021 Minutes

HCC FACULTY SENATE 

April 9, 2021 @ 1 pm; Virtual Meeting 

• Call to Order: Daniel Dylla 

• Meeting begins at 1:02pm. 

2. Attendance link is in Chat. 

2. Special Guest: Dr. Donna Davis, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer 

1. Discusses her role with HCC as inaugural DEI officer. Provides her history. Looking forward to working with Faculty Senate and others / supporting the efforts of the DEI committee.  

1. Questions and Answers  

1.  (1) Have you had the opportunity to look to HCC history to develop preliminary ideas? (2) How can we support you?  

1. (1) Yes—ongoing. (2) Not a direct answer but discusses possibilities for the college:  

1. Excited to implement faculty recruiting and retention and has trained faculty in this. Has implemented stop points in search process to ensure there is no implicit bias: wishes to bring this to HCC.   

2. (1) How can we help? (2) What is our role in supporting you? 

1. (1 & 2) Areas that you have thought about in the past—that have hit walls, so to speak—let me know. Help each other by sharing information.  

3. We cannot leave students out of this. Are there any plans to include them?  

1. Yes. Phased approach also includes discussions with all members of HCC (ex. Faculty Senate, students, staff, and alumni) for 360-degree approach of the HCC DEI imprint. 

2. Asks for suggestions (via email) about the existing resource groups at HCC.  

4. (1) Do you feel you have been given carte blanche to make changes and plans? (2) If not, how can we support that? 

1. (1 & 2) Feels fully supported by administration. Appreciates that there are faculty that support the efforts if that were to change. 

5. Will you be using some of the recruitment techniques (mentioned above) in our search for upcoming hires?  

1. Dependent on start date. There may be some room to discuss that integration. Davis will discuss this with the Chancellor and follow up. 

3. Approval of March 2021 Minutes 

1. Motion to approve the minutes by Nikky Boutte-Heiniluoma.  

1. Seconded by Tod Bisch.  

2. No discussion.  

2. Motion to accept the minutes by Tod Bisch.   

1. Seconded by Nikky Boutte-Heiniluoma.  

2. Minutes are approved as-is.  

4. Standing Committee Reports: 

1. Compensation, Benefits, & Workload: Tod Bisch 

1. Letters of Reasonable Assurance have gone out.   

2. MFA as terminal pay workgroup 

1. Convened. Email Stacey Higdon for more information.   

3. Information about proposed 4% increase. Nothing known about proposed adjunct pay increase. 

4. Discusses Overload committee and recommendations.  

2. Finance & Treasurer’s Report: Mary Lawson 

1. Not much has changed in totals. When compared to March report, there seems to be an issue, though. Will request a correction.   

2. Link to emergency fund  

1. https://myhcc.hccs.edu/Division-of-Instructional-Services/Pages/Adjunct-Funds.aspx  

2. $5000 in fund, $6011 from the Foundation – $11011 total  

3. Claudio Carra questions the Overload policy mentioned in the Compensation report. 

1. Is this a counterproposal?  

1. Daniel Dylla refers this to New Business.  

3. Professional Development: Jennifer Vacca (Stephen Henry)  

1. Report about professional development and conferences.  

2. Bedichek-Orman auction  

1. Event takes place the first weekend of November 

2.  Questions about participating or donating: contact Erica Stevens 

3. Mia Taylor is the chair of the Bedichek-Orman Operating Awards Fund. 

1.  8 applications. 5 dispersed awards.  

4. Faculty conference was successful.  

5. Faculty retreat  

1. Organizing for next spring. Looking at three possible three sites in Galveston. 

6. Teaching Excellence: contact Henry Garcia  

1. Call for nominations soon.   

7. Next meeting: final Tuesday of the month at 4pm – MS Teams  

4. Educational Affairs: Nikky Boutte-Heiniluoma 

1. Next meeting: April 15 at 1pm  

2. Waiting for feedback about the Online Norms.  

3. Academic Integrity workgroup  

1. investigating proctoring / standards for academic dishonesty  

1. Charles LaMendola requests definitions for the categories of Maxent (collusion, etc.)  

2. David White, Co-Chair of the group, requests that LaMendola copy him on the email about this.  

3. Helen Graham comments that these definitions need to be consistent with those in the Student Handbook. 

5. Policies and Procedures: Laurel Lacroix 

1. Faculty Bill of Rights  

1. Formed subcommittee that will report at next meeting, April 15 at 11am. 

6. Student Success: Kathy Najafi 

1. The document on equity will be presented to Daniel Dylla, and there will be a short presentation to Senate in May. The aim will be to send this document out twice a year.  

2. Next meeting: May 7 at 11am. 

7. Graduation: Darin Baskin 

1. Graduation is virtual. Graduation week will take place with events.   

1. There has been pushback from students about the virtual ceremony format. 

2. Cost for the virtual ceremony: approx. 20K. Normally, an in-person ceremony would be approx. 100-200K.  

3. Egalitarian to feature graduates. Deadline for stories is today. 

8. Instructional Technology: Stacey Higdon 

1. Discussion about Preferred Names in Canvas continues. Administrative roadblocks. Hopefully, the new DEI officer can assist.  

2. Faculty notifications for student-initiated drops is moving forward. Work order has been placed in Service Now. No specific timeline for implementation.  

3. Next meeting is first Thursday of May. Email Stacey Higdon or Sophie Haci for details.  

9. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Nikky Boutte-Heiniluoma and Mary Lawson 

1. Met with new DEI officer about initiatives. She understands that we have a lot of things that need institutional support that we can’t seem to move forward.  

2. Parish Conkling has gathered feminine products that we’d like to get out to the campuses.     

3. Rumela Bose shares the DEI Lib Guide on screen. Work in progress. 

1. https://library.hccs.edu/c.php?g=1118327&p=8155398  

4. Next meetings: April 12 and May 10 at 1pm 

5. Special Reports, Committees and Caucuses:  

1. Past Presidents Caucus:  

1. Met last Tuesday. Butch Herod attended.  

2. Disappointed that our efforts to educate the trustees are at a standstill; they don’t want to talk to faculty.  

3. When will the Board meet in-person? Several of the new trustees still have not met with Senate.  

1. Encouraging people (as taxpayers) to contact trustees, telling them to meet in-person. They do not have to meet remotely.   

2. Faculty presence encouraged at next in-person meeting. The Board needs to be reminded that faculty exist. The Caucus will lead this effort.  

3. Daniel Dylla comments that the April meeting will be remote. All agree that logging into a virtual meeting is not as effective for faculty presence.   

2. Chair Caucus: Nikky Boutte-Heiniluoma 

1. Met March 25 at 9am. Drain and Perez attended.  

1. Discussed fall and summer. Two 60/40 rules: one for online vs. in-person. The other relates to percentages of in-person classes at the colleges. 

2. Discussed proposed Overload Policy. Charges are proposed only: no changes in policy have been approved by the Board.  

2. Next meeting: April 15  

3. Adjunct Caucus: Charles LaMendola 

1. Met today. 

1. Discussed the Letters or Reasonable Assurance and the mandatory training requirement.   

1. The training piece is complicated since the job of the adjunct is not clearly defined; we will do more fact-finding and report to Compensation next month.  

2. Submit to the Essay contest. Deadline is Sunday. 

1. Thanks to Mary Lawson, Jennifer Vacca, and others.  

2. Gift card drive has been a success.  

1. The Caucus has enough gift cards to have $100, 75, and 50 prizes for the contest and to have fall survey incentives.  

4. Bedichek-Orman Auction: Marcelo Gonzalez and Erica Stevens 

1. No report. Information was given in the Professional Development report.  

5. Faculty Senate Conference: Keitha Robinson and Debra Schultz 

1. Most information was given in the Professional Development report.  

2. Keitha Robinson shares survey results on screen; these will be available for all soon.  

3. The event was zero cost to HCC. Event recordings will be available soon.  

6. HCC Foundation: Antrece Baggett & Mary Lawson 

1. No report. 

7. Concourse Update: Karen Saenz 

1. The pilot has been a success.  

1. Seeking those involved in pilot to assist in training. 

2. Survey has gone out to involved instructional leaders and faculty. Another will go to students (via faculty) 

2. Waiting for IT integration. Anticipate it will be ready for summer by April 19.  

1. The roll out for Continuing Education will likely not happen this summer. There are other things to consider.  

3. Email questions or comments to Karen Saenz.  

6. President’s Report: Daniel Dylla 

1. Board/admin updates 

1. System-wide strategies to recover enrollment. 

2. Chancellor updates  

1. Consider best technologies for online teaching. 

2. Consider updates to modalities. 

3. Testing / Proctoring / Rigor 

3. Chair / Associate Chair elections  

1. Timeline was a little delayed; however, it will go forward as planned.  

2. Deadline for application materials is April 16, 5pm.  

4. Overload Workgroup Recommendations  

1. Charge initially brought by Perez.  

2. The group, then, worked to address the concerns from some that there are too many overloads. 

1. Presents the data. There are faculty teaching 60 hours plus all the other duties.  

2. The group looked at TUCC8 policies and completed analysis.  

3. To balance such a policy change, HCC would need to hire about 84 FT faculty.  

4. Nothing is decided. This is only a proposal.  

5. If you have concerns, email Daniel Dylla, Norma Perez, or Jerome Drain.  

3. Generally believed that administration understands faculty are underpaid. Unclear if the Board understands that, however.  

1. Claudio Carra has the floor.  

1. Question: The policy change would reduce allowed credit hours for overloads? 

1. Such a change, if approved, could reduce the allowed hours from 12 to 8.  

1. Carra does not think this change represents faculty.  

1. Daniel Dylla notes Carra’s concern and will share the overload report with all.  

2. David Ross has the floor.  

1. Agrees with Carra.  

1. The problem might be that faculty are taking overloads, that the quality is suffering. However, faculty leadership should be energetically opposing any such changes to overload policy.  

1. Daniel Dylla notes Ross’ concern.  

3. Kathy Najafi has the floor.  

1. Asks for clarity about the current policy of teaching outside the college. 

1. Daniel Dylla does not have this immediately available but will get the information.  

4. Alan Ainsworth has the floor.  

1. Discusses overload pay polices at other institutions. These can also be inequitable.  

5. Nathan Smith has the floor.  

1. A data-driven policy for overload changes may not be the way to go. It could allow administration to focus on the wrong things.   

6. Laurel Lacroix has the floor. 

1. (1) Response to Kathy Najafi’s question. The information about when we can work elsewhere is at myHCC.  (2) Reminder that this is a proposal to overload policy. No decisions have been made. (3) Thanks, Daniel Dylla, for letting us vent about overloads. 

7. Stacey Higdon moves to close the discussion through Chat.  

8. Carlos Bohorquez has the floor.  

1. Comments about how the overload policy affects adjuncts.  

9. Mahmoud Basharat has the floor.  

1. Understands that Dylla is only the messenger.  

10. Daniel Dylla wants to move on to New Business.   

7. Old (unfinished) Business: 

1. None  

8. New Business: 

1. The discussion from the President’s Report about overloads continues.  

1. Benny Ables comments to Carlos Bohorquez’ observation about overloads affecting adjuncts. 

1. HIST 1301 is a freshman course and we [HIST] don’t have enough FT; most of our adjuncts get 3 classes and most of our FT get 3 overloads for a variety of reasons.  

1. She challenges an earlier-referenced quality issue about overloads and instruction. Discusses student shortcomings in courses.  

2. David Ross recognizes that he is passionate about the overload changes. Apologizes to Daniel Dylla if it seemed that did not appreciate what Dylla is doing.  

1. Ross is willing to work with someone to draft a resolution in response to the overload policy proposal.  Trustees believe that teaching overloads is a problem; a resolution should focus on our position for overloads.  

2. Daniel Dylla: the timing is reasonable as the next Board meeting will discuss this – a decision would be made on May 19.  

1. Senate meets on May 14.   

3. Ross volunteers to work on a resolution. There will also be a representative from Policies and Procedures. Email David Ross if you would like to assist.  

3. Charles LaMendola comments that the overall focus of a discussion should be on increasing pay.   

1. Benny Ables comments that there are adjuncts who teach 10 courses across different institutions. Looking at FT only (with this policy change) is unfair.   

2. Ruth Dunn, Email from Talent Engagement about Mandatory Training  

1.  There is further discussion about this email. 

1. Dylla asks if there is a proposal.  

1. Send suggestions or improvements about mandatory training to Laurel Lacroix by next week.   

3. Email from Shawn Trumbo, HCC bookstore issues  

1. Donald parker agrees to assist with resolution about this issue. 

4. Keitha Robinson, question about proposed face-to-face return on May 24  

1. Daniel Dylla: There is no official stance right now.   

9. Announcements 

1. Katherine Fields: ARTS 2389 has been building an Art Car Ambulance and it has been accepted to the Art Car Experience for May 14-16. More information will go out soon.  

1. https://edutube.hccs.edu/media/Art+Car+Update+%7C+Up+To+The+Minute+April+01+%7C+HCCTV/1_xtgyts08  

2. https://www.artcarexperience.com/ 

2. Brenda Quintanilla: Digital Storytelling seminar 

3. West Houston Institute applications: one more week 

4. Graduation stories in the HCC Egalitarian.   

5. Mary Lawson: Eagle Eyes’ Reflection Group is this coming Monday. 

6. Senate elections: nominations are due today, 5pm. 

10. Adjournment (no “second” required) 

1. Laurel Lacroix moves to adjourn.  

2. The meeting ends at 3:23pm.  

NEXT MEETING: May 14, 2021 

1 pm – Virtual