February 2021 Minutes

HCC FACULTY SENATE 

 

February 12, 2021 @ 1 pm; Virtual Meeting 

 

1. Call to Order: Daniel Dylla 

 

1. The meeting begins at 1:03pm.  

 

2. Approval of January 2021 Minutes 

 

1. Tod Bisch makes a motion to approve the minutes.  Nikky Boutte-Heiniluoma seconds. The minutes are approved.   

 

3. Standing Committee Reports: 

 

2. Compensation, Benefits, & Workload: Tod Bisch 

 

1. Met on February 5 

 

2. Old business:  

 

1. Compensation Update – Sophie Haci 

 

2. Letters of Reasonable Assurance – Charles LaMendola 

 

3. MFA as terminal – Stacey Higdon 

 

4. CE Workload – Tod Bisch  

 

3. Draft goals:  

 

1. CE Workload: pull this one in order to get more data and focus on overall compensation.  

 

2. MFA as terminal degree: pull this one in order to get more data and focus on overall compensation. 

 

3. Compensation: we need to focus on the 2% step and other increases.  

 

4. ORP 

 

4. New Business 

 

1. Adjunct Stipends 

 

5. Question 

 

1. MFA as terminal: this idea has been in discussion for years; why haven’t we been able to get it done?  

 

1. Tod Bisch discusses the history and the grandfathered pay of faculty hired prior to a certain date / as certain departments have sought accreditation, administration has added stipends to certain MFA pay. This is not a solution, however; these can be taken away, and they do not figure into retirement.   

 

1. Note from the floor: San Jacinto does pay the MFA at terminal.   

 

3. Finance & Treasurer’s Report: Mary Lawson 

 

1. Emergency Fund is in progress; donations can also be designated in the Faculty / Staff Campaign. 

 

1. Question: if adjuncts apply for funds in the fall and do not get a teaching assignment, are they still eligible?  

 

1. As long as they are on Short Work Break.  

 

2. Question: investments to build funds? 

 

1. The Foundation does this for endowed funds; this is the reason we had no money for spending at one time. Market value.   

 

4. Professional Development: Jennifer Vacca 

 

1. Met on January 25. 

 

2. Building inventory of opportunities throughout HCC. Will be requesting things form chairs and leadership. 

 

3. Looking at stipend opportunities for adjuncts.  

 

1. Flex Campus training is no longer required since this modality has been cancelled.  

 

4. Hosting the Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards. Information forthcoming. Still looking for a chair for this group.  

 

5. Next Meeting: February 23  

 

5. Educational Affairs: Nikky Boutte-Heiniluoma 

 

1. No report 

 

2. Next meeting: February 18 at 1pm  

 

6. Policies and Procedures: Laurel Lacroix 

 

1. No report 

 

2. Next meeting: February 18 at 11am 

 

7. Student Success: Kathy Najafi 

 

1. No report  

 

2. Next meeting: March 12 at 11am  

 

8. Graduation: Darin Baskin 

 

1. Daniel Dylla: Graduation will be virtual. Speaker selection is in process.  

 

9. Instructional Technology: Stacey Higdon 

 

1. Domain space for faculty 

 

2. Concourse pilot – F8B: Karen Saenz and Matt Webster 

 

3. Preferred Names in Canvas 

 

1. Feature is still inactive on the IT-level.  

 

2. Workaround: email Enrollment / Registrar to change name in PeopleSoft.  

 

4. Faculty notifications for student-initiated drops  

 

1. Potential pilot for Summer 2021 

 

10. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Mary Lawson 

 

1. Met last Monday. 

 

2. Five subcommittee reports  

 

1. Preferred Names / Pronouns in Canvas 

 

1. See IT report above for Preferred Name status. 

 

2. Pronoun choice is active in Canvas Settings.  

 

2. Universal Design  

 

1. Drive-up online access on campuses, Proctoring software, Review Chamberlain College Inclusive Access platforms, continue looking at Safe Study spots and Hotspot mechanism.  

 

3. Canvas Resources  

 

1. Parish Conkling has created a page in the Canvas Commons; all or parts can be imported directly into a course. 

 

4. SafeZone Training  

 

1. March 5, 9am-12pm 

 

5. DEI Training 

 

1. Working on a model. Next step: present to the Strategic Planning Committee.  

 

4. Special Reports, Committees and Caucuses:  

 

1. Past Presidents Caucus: David White 

 

1. Met this past Tuesday via Zoom.  

 

2. Primary goal was to clarify the bylaw item. Will report under Old Business.  

 

3. Concern that while student rights are written down, faculty rights are not. Will report in New Business.  

 

4. Next meeting in April. 

 

2. Chair Caucus: Nikky Boutte-Heiniluoma 

 

1. Yesterday: received updated deadlines for summer and fall schedules.  

 

2. Next meeting: Thursday at noon  

 

3. Adjunct Caucus: Charles LaMendola 

 

1. 2021 Adjunct Appreciation Event – Essay Contest  

 

1. Reflections on Teaching in the Time of Pandemic  

 

2. Looking for people with statistical experience to look at survey data. 

 

3. Adjuncts and full-time faculty are invited to the caucus. 

 

4. Thank you to Erica Stevens for attending today’s meeting and discussing Bedichek-Orman. 

 

4. Bedichek-Orman: Erica Stevens  

 

1. Met on February 4.  

 

2. Working to remove some requirements for receiving awards—to make them more accessible.  

 

3. Auction: Saturday, November 6: In-person component at West Loop campus is pending. 

 

4. Next meeting: March 4 at 4pm  

 

5. If you have ideas about promotion, let E. Stevens know.  

 

6. Email: [email protected] 

 

7. Apply: https://hccsfacultysenate.com/grants/   

 

5. Faculty Senate Micro-Conference: Keitha Robinson and Debra Schultz  

 

1. Scheduled for March 1-4 from 7-8pm. 

 

2. Sessions will be recorded. 

 

6. HCC Foundation: Antrece Baggett & Mary Lawson 

 

1. Tell students to apply for scholarships: https://www.hccsfoundation.org/annualscholarship 

 

2. Daniel Dylla: Swoop to the Rescue, HEERF funds, Emergency funds are available: https://www.hccs.edu/applying-and-paying/financial-aid/emergency-help/  

 

7. Concourse Update: Karen Saenz 

 

1. Working hard for rollout of the F8B pilot. Departments will work on the template(s) with the goal to have them to faculty by March 1.   

 

5. President’s Report: Daniel Dylla 

 

1. FlexCampus 

 

1. Will not return to campus after Spring Break. 

 

2. Chair elections  

 

1. Expected to take place April 12-16.  

 

2. Tentative voting platform: ElectionBuddy 

 

3. More details are forthcoming.  

 

3. Board updates 

 

1. Board seems focused on data, metrics, and outcomes. 

 

2. Expected Tier 2 of Financial Contingency Plan.  

 

3. Meeting next week: none in March. 

 

4. General updates  

 

1. Administration has plans to take the step increase to the Board. 

 

2. Stipends are processed monthly; FlexCampus facilitator stipends are processed but not paid at this time.  

 

3. AVC of Communication and Marketing: E. Lyle Henderson  

 

5. Vaccinations 

 

1. Missouri City campus is a vaccination site—this is not HCC-specific.   

 

1. Question: Has there been any movement on Texas moving teachers ahead in the vaccination queue? 

 

2. No—only a recommendation from the board. 

 

6. Overload committee 

 

1. In discussions. Have met twice.   

 

6. Old (unfinished) Business: 

 

1. None 

 

1. Bylaw recommendation from Past Presidents: the Caucus’ decision was to leave it the same. Since there is nothing changed, there is no Old Business. 

 

7. New Business: 

 

1. Online norms 

 

1. No second needed since this is from a committee. 

 

2. Discussion ensues. These norms would be across all modalities.  

 

3. Alan Ainsworth moves that we take this up to the next level. Stacey Higdon calls the question.  

 

4. Voting link is in the Chat. 

 

1. Faculty Online Norms to be adopted by the Faculty Senate 

 

2. Motion carries; this will go to Norma Perez.  

 

2. Recommendation from a group—out of Past Presidents discussion. Tod Bisch will bring this to Senate as a faculty member. 

 

3. There is a motion to hear the recommendation; it is seconded.   

 

4. The recommendation was made by Mohamad Tlass, an Interim Dean who will be returning to Faculty.  

 

1. Faculty are condemned without evidence; students are jumping the established chain of command for complaints. Faculty feel bullied and/or harassed. 

 

2. Discussion ensues.  

 

3. The question is called. Tod Bisch seconds. Voting commences.  

 

4. There are attempts at further debate, but the question has been called. Discussion is closed.  

 

5. Resolution in Defense of Faculty 

 

WHEREAS, all faculty at Houston Community College have been faced with unprecedented changes related to modalities of instruction, including those required by (or made necessary by) COVID mitigation strategies, and  

 

WHEREAS, both students and faculty are struggling with the stresses of teaching and learning in the midst of a global pandemic, and  

 

WHEREAS, faculty strive to maintain academic rigor regardless of teaching modality, and  

 

WHEREAS, maintaining academic rigor requires faculty to hold hard conversations and make tough decisions to uphold the integrity of learning and of the institution, and  

 

WHEREAS many faculty feel that some students are taking advantage of the environment to make unreasonable demands upon faculty, and  

 

WHEREAS these demands are rising to the level of what legitimately can be labeled as “bullying,” including misuse and manipulation of communications channels to Student Services and higher-level Administration,  

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate condemns any form of bullying and/or harassing behavior toward faculty at Houston Community College.   

 

1. The motion carries with 23 in favor. 13 against. 6 abstaining.  

 

2. This will go to Norma Perez and Shantay Grays. It may also go to the chancellor and Board Services. 

 

3. There are attempts at further debate, but voting is complete. Discussion is closed.  

 

1. After a motion and second, Daniel Dylla directs Educational Affairs to look into statistics for anonymous complaints / complaints that jump departmental procedure / etc.  

 

6. Faculty Bill of Rights  

 

1. David White brings the proposal from Past Presidents Caucus. 

 

1. This is a motion to send the Bill of Rights to committee for discovery.  

 

1. Motion is up for debate. Discussion ensues.  

 

2. Stacey Higdon calls the question. Benny Ables seconds.  

 

3. The motion carries with 30 in favor. 3 against. 6 abstaining.  

 

4. The motion will go to Policies and Procedures for discovery purposes—to see if a Faculty Bill of Rights is viable.   

 

5. Announcements:  

 

1. Be sure to wrap your pipes for the hard freeze. 

 

2. Rigor Summit is in two weeks. 

 

3. Faculty Conference is March 1-4.  

 

4. Social Justice Lived Experiences – February 16, 2pm via WebEx.  

 

6. Adjournment (no “second” required) 

 

1. Laurel Lacroix moves to adjourn. The meeting ends at 3:31pm.  

 

NEXT MEETING: March 12, 2021 

 

1 pm – Virtual