Faculty Senate Meeting
October 24, 2014
Present (in bold):
Kori Bieber
Lynn Black
Karl Brake
Andrew Childress
Tiffany Clarkin
Sandy Contreras
Kevin Culhane
Tracy Davenport
Mandi Feetham
Kiersta Fricke-Gostnell
Doug Gardner
Kirk Gibson
Michael Grutchfield
Jamie Inglehart
Felishia Jenkins
Kenneth Jones
Jessica Kitchen
Alex Kozlowski
Chris Licata
Greg Marton
Mary Middleton
Diana Moynahan
Deborah Murphy
Carolyn Oates
Cyndy Patterson
Larry Phillips
Tom Pike
Julie Rossi
Kathleen Salinas
Jim Shaw
Midge Shaw
Lori Sours
Serena St. Clair
Dorothy Swain
Greg Thomson
Introductions and welcome
Introductions were made, and the co-chairs welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the academic year. A projected attendance roster was sent around to give an idea of what meetings would be appropriate for certain topics. There are seven meetings this year, and we will be setting the topics for the year. One topic will be professional dialogues. The thought is to rotate the 28 programs every four years or so, and we will do the peer reviews at the February and April meetings.
Short topics
1. The meeting schedule for 2014-15 was provided.
2. Faculty Senate Awards sub-committee – These awards recognize faculty excellence. The subcommittee will finalize criteria, determine categories and select recipients. Jessica Kitchen and Felishia Jenkins volunteered to be on the sub-committee.
3. Faculty Senate Luncheon sub-committee – This committee will organize the luncheon where the award recipients are recognized. Last year it was held at TRC 100, and maybe this year it could be videotaped for those who cannot attend. Responsibilities include ordering food, reserving the room, etc. Michael Grutchfield, Lynn Black, Chris Licata, Andy Childress volunteered for sub-committee.
4. Historian for Faculty Senate – As Tracy was preparing the end of the year PowerPoint presentation last June, she realized she didn’t have any pictures of Faculty Senate. They are looking for someone to take pictures of the senate at the various meetings and events. Felishia Jenkins and Kevin Culhane volunteered to snap pictures with their cell phones and send them to the co-chairs.
5. Website launch – Chris Licata is developing a FS website. The website would include: a welcome page, what is Faculty Senate, Article VII, bylaws, representative list with contact information, meeting schedules and minutes, topics or goals for 2014-15, intentional reflections, professional dialogue presentations archive and how to plan and prepare, FS awards, FS luncheon, years in review, past recommendations and objectives met, articles of interest, pictures of FS events and accomplishments. Other suggestions included links to educational material, a Blackboard page for discussion, and a suggestion page for faculty input. The website will be up in a few weeks.
Intentional Reflection - How do you set the tone in your classroom (or online environment) on the first day of the class?
Tracy referred to a site on the Faculty Resources page (https://intranet.roguecc.edu/) under the heading, Strategies for Teaching & Learning, called Practical Ideas for Improving Student Participation. It linked to Faculty Focus, and she found an article, Opening Intentions for the First Day of Class, that she found interesting (http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/opening-intentions-first-day-class/). Another resource is The Teaching Professor also under Faculty Resources (please note that access is through http://learn.roguecc.edu/library. Click on the EBSCOhost link on the left column.Databases are in order alphabetically within the EBSCOhost Web group.) The Faculty Resources page will be updated, and Lori Sours will be adding information on outcomes and assessment.
People split into small groups and shared ideas (think, share and pair).
Comments from small groups:
I try to be stern on the first day and lay down the law, but then I soften up and set the tone. We do something fun to get to know the students and one another. Maybe I, as the instructor, need to participate more by sharing a fun fact about myself.
I use a self-assessment exercise where students pair up using different colored items to identify their perspective of college (scared, confident, uncertain, etc.). Then we group into different colored groups to help one another.
I open up about myself but sneak the syllabus into the conversation. I practice mutual honor and respect, and as a collaboration exercise students introduce one another.
In the tutoring center, we have a treasure hunt where we do things together and find stuff.
Science classes – I provide a welcoming but also a serious tone about the fact that this is a college level class, and 12 hours of time outside the class is required. I tell students to map out their week, and figure out how they’re going to complete their work.
In the library, we normally get one shot with the students, and we try to get across that it’s a friendly place, and that students can come to us for help. We tell them what we offer. We are coming up with more ways of interacting with students and getting their feedback.
In an ICT two-week course, we have a networking lunch and ask students to bring in their resume and business card and introduce each other. We do informational interviews as a warm-up to interact with one another before they have to go out on site. We use humor, as the material can be dry -- for example, putting a graphic of daffy duck on a resume.
I start with a bang in Chemistry by using a balloon filled with hydrogen that blows up. Then we talk about what happened before we start the nitty gritty details of the course.
Be authentically yourself the first day.
Have unconditional positive regard for your students to be effective. I try to get myself in the right mindset the first day. It’s important to smile the first day. I often relate how I feel about teaching at RCC, and how I’m grateful to be here. I talk about graduation the first day as the desired outcome. I talk about our graduates that have come to work at RCC as instructors. I review the process of advising, the nuts and bolts. Humor is important.
Group Work: Faculty Senate Topics – As consultants to the college in teaching and learning, and as the faculty voice in shared governance for RCC, what topics and/or activities should FS engage in this year?
1. What is Faculty Senate and its mission?
Emphasize Shared Governance
Senate Members share with their departments
2. Online Evaluations
GIFT
3. Professional Dialogs
4. Share Best Teaching and Learning Practices
Watermark
Open Forum
BlackBoard section of Faculty Senate
5. Students
Perceptions of
Collaborate with Student Services
Panel of Students who are close to finishing
o (this also could tie into Student Evaluations)
6. Sustainability
Ask Green Team to provide a report or give a presentation
Do we have enough meetings to do everything (professional dialogues take up our meeting time)? Some topics may take a whole meeting, and other topics don’t. Send emails to co-chairs on feedback before the next meeting.
Next meeting
November 21, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at RWC, Room J-1.