Department of English Plenary Meeting

Draft Minutes

Department of English Plenary Meeting

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Meeting called to order at 2:19 PM.

Acceptance of the Minutes for the November 6, 2007 Plenary Meeting:

Marcotte: Moves the motion

Quinn: Seconds the motion

Motion approved by Voice Vote

REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Department Head’s Report:

Fellag: There will be no VLs for the English Dept. for Spring’08. Also, Humanities courses will return to the History/Philosophy Department as of Summer I; therefore, Jackie Akins (Chair of History/Philosophy) will assign Humanities courses.

Fellag: Urges English Faculty to take advantage of improving outcomes of Gateway courses via the Achieving The Dream Initiative by submitting one-age proposals for Microgrants to Dr. Gay by Dec. 15.

Buchholz: After Microgrant… Nanogrant?

Fellag: The Language Lab in MR-5 will close, and the materials will be moved to the Learning Lab in B1-28. The English Department will be involved in designing new section of Learning Lab for ESL courses.

G.MacKenzie: Will MR-5 be available to the English Department?

Tasch: What about the use of MR-5 for cassette-recording equipment for students?

Fellag: Wants to incorporate this into B1-28.

Jones: A lot of outdated audio-tape machines are difficult to fix. Better to try for digital recording facilities, hopefully in Learning Lab in B1-28.

Fellag: The change with MR-5 may happen in January.

Fellag: Support our colleagues who are doing PD In-Service presentations in January. The Department will have its own PD Day Feb. 19. Hopefully, this will provide a chance to get to know each other.

Associate Department Head’s Report:

Keiser: Announced retirements: Larry Bailis retires this month. Paul McGarvey and Ann Silverman to go half time in January. Paul McGarvey and David Katz to retire in August.

Keiser: Few PT newcomers will be rehired next semester. Chances for their getting classes will be stronger in September.

Keiser: Soon there will be a new Assistant Dean in BR-21 who will occupy John Howe’s old office. MR-5 could be a good place to store the Department’s books.

Keiser: The three faculty who proposed the rules for conduct in class—Conway, Ernst, and Gregory—accepted the xeroxing of the Student Code of Conduct, Article III, as an alternative. Since Janice Borlandoe’s paraphrase of ArticleIII is so accurate and readable, it will be passed out every semester to students during the second week of class.

Assistant Department Head Reports

Perkins: Written report (College Writing) will be available on Listserv in a few days.

Quinn: Written report (Communication Arts) will also be available on Listserv.

K. Murphey: Hiring Committee search ends officially on Dec. 5. First meeting with Si Brown is next week.

Buchholz: Questions applications going to Administration(HR) first.

K. Murphey: It’s a liability issue. HR is shown list of all applicants to check requirements. N.B.: it is important that if we advertise one thing(requirements),we must stick to that. We must come to accord with HR as to who should be hired.

Buchholz: Does not agree w/this policy.

Fellag: With one applicant, Thompson said not qualified, but Fellag said qualified; Fellag prevailed.

Jones: What if we cannot agree w/HR? Union contract is place where everything is codified. Union could file a grievance if needed with Administration.

Evaluation Committee:

Giddle: Department does not consistently evaluate anyone. Please respond to the new Evaluation product on listserve.

Other Announcements:

Quinn: Flyer available for Mecham’s two spring productions ( both of which are about rocks). Copies of the plays are available in the TeachingCenter, and Mecham and Quinn will compile more material. A snag has arisen about changing the prerequisite for English 282 from 205 to 132 or 205.

Zelitch: Possibility of Caleb doing a monologue course. Fears 282 and new course would not get enrollment. Creative Writing Faculty and Communication-Arts faculty should discuss this.

Tasch: Used to be scriptwriting component in English 137.

McQuain: Option in his 137 to write a script, but not an in-depth look at scriptwriting as in Caleb’s class.

McQuain: Poets and Writers Festival in Spring will be announced on listserv. Contact McQuain or Lang for scriptreading.

Keiser: Thanks to S. Kay for covering exams in an emergency.

NEW BUSINESS:

Keiser asked for unanimous consent to change order of agenda and consider English 265 next. No objection raised.

English 265 Course Approval:

Bove: Survey of Science Fiction. The course has been through several drafts. Thanks to Zelitch, Buchholz, and particularly Kenyon for co-writing the document.

Elyshevitz: Who will take the course?

Bove: Survey of about 150 students showed about 30 or 40 of them showing interest in course. This might interest science students as well. Thanks to Giddle for help in writing course.

Keiser: Course is very well written.

Vote:

Course approved by Voice Vote.

Exit Exam For 098/099:

Odell: Idea for exam comes from opinion of many 101 faculty that 098 students are unprepared, and observation and evaluation of the teaching of B-level courses shows need for uniform exit testing. N.B.: Executive Committee is making this proposal and will move the pilot as an action item next month.

Reasons for Exit Exam:

1. to insure proficiency in college-level courses.
2. policing protocols not recommended because faculty would not want this.
3. exit exams – outcome rather than process – promotes Academic Freedom.
4. relieves DE faculty of telling students whether they are ready for 101.
5. Bookend – Placement Test and Exit Exam – This would work with the Achieving The Dream Initiative for Gatekeeping courses – 098 is the most heavily enrolled of the Gatekeeping courses.

These exams are commonly done in other institutions (CUNY, Florida, GeorgiaCommunity Colleges, etc).

Plan from Executive Committee: During Spring’08, develop the exams; conduct Pilotin Fall’08, and implement test in Jan.’09.

Buchholz: Department approval needed for pilot to proceed.

Wells: What if one does not participate in pilot? How would pilot work?

Keiser: N.B.: CollectiveDepartment decision would prevail, under the FT Faculty Contract.

Stein: 101 and Lit teachers have to teach w/present outcomes – evaluate essays of students who can’t pass 101 because they shouldn’t have passed 098.

Gudipati: Is this in place of Final Exam?

Odell: Yes. Don’t know if they will be like present finals.

OLD BUSINESS:

Halt Discussion to Feature DiRosa and Burton-Grika from Center on Disability:

DiRosa: Emergency Response Initiative needed – Faculty are noticing problems w/students (mostly psychiatric). There should be a concrete procedure in place (not only calling Security) if faculty member notices a problem. We are starting the discussion here today. Do faculty bring problems to Thompson and Gay? Is there one place where this info is going? English faculty, because of teaching writing and because of teaching DE classes, often see these problems. And a larger population with problems is coming to CCP.

Tasch: Reactions and interactions with/of other students to students w/disabilities. What to do?

DiRosa: Fine line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. Other students can be affected.

Tasch: One student w/Asberger’s Syndrome – other w/emotional problems

DiRosa: Problem: students writing about annihilating others.

F. Watson: What if student isn’t register with COD?

DiRosa: If not registered, after counseling – make suggestion for student to register w/COD.

Webb: Can we go w/student to Counseling during class?

DiRosa and Grika: Call security to take student if faculty cannot go. N.B.: there is nothing in place to force student to go to Counseling at this time.

Webb: Thought student could not be admitted back to class before counseling.

DiRosa: There is no set process yet out of Code of Conduct.

A. Bank: Whom do I see about elevator regulation for disabled students? Elevator use should be limited to students w/disabilities.

DiRosa: Contact Hawk and Moore to apprise Administration of situation since elevators in all areas are often broken. Security can’t stop people who say they are disabled. Security should be stationed outside elevators.

Tomkins: Counseling is overwhelmed. I can’t help everyone.

DiRosa: Some problems are beyond scope of Counseling. We also work w/Horizon House, etc.

Grika: Counseling will see student on short-term basis. Otherwise, counseling will refer student out to other agency.

DiRosa: Has brought issue to Thompson and Gay. DiRosa will work hard to get faculty more support.

Silverman: Is this a Policies and Procedures Question?

DiRosa: Policies and Procedures: vehicle for contacting student. There have been occasions where people have been threatened, followed, etc. But, as of now, student must stay in class before going to counseling

Lang: Told of on-line threat made by a student to a teacher – Nothing done.

DiRosa: On-line situations tough. College has to think about this.

Silverman: What should English Departmentdo?

DiRosa: Start discussion, and bring it to Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Tasch: Bring info to Standing Committees (Standing Committee on Academic Support).

DiRosa: What do you want to see happen?

Webb: Form for student to fill out?

DiRosa: Maybe a form to check before student is readmitted to class.

DiRosa and Grika will return for more discussion.

Keiser: Some faculty have wanted to deal w/disruptive students by removing

them from class and doing an independent study. But independent studies are not sanctioned by the Administration.

NEW BUSINESS:

Discussion on 098/099 Exit Exam Resumed:

Wells: Faculty needs data to vote on this issue intelligently. What data will be or already has been collected? To what do we compare this data? Compare current practice to new practice to see if new practice works?

Buchholz: Why discuss Exit Exams now? Is this the right time to discuss that issue?

Odell: This is consciousness-raising about the issue. We have to think about it.

Giddle: This exam is bad idea. Placement Exam is crude predictor of students’ success. No test is better than 15 wk. teaching. If that fails, no test will improve teacher or student.

Zelitch: Additional action desired – Put time limit on this discussion to raise a different point which is time sensitive.

Vote:

By voice vote, time limit not accepted.

Stein: Where would we be without Placement Test?

Odell: Regarding 15-wk instruction: Some good, mediocre, less than mediocre. How do you monitor this? Heart goes out to students who don’t make it. This is additional tool for evaluation.

Wells: Will put ideas in a leaflet to be distributed to the Dept. mailboxes (N.B.: The Dept listserv is for announcements only, so Wells’ info cannot be posted there. –Keiser).

Odell: We are not successful in helping DE students reach goals

Webb: The 15 weeks of work w/students help respond to the 12 years of neglect they have received. If a student fails in class, why not have student work with someone individually or choose to take class again? Student should be permitted to take exam again after work w/specialist. Student needs to take responsibility for him/herself.

Buchholz: Proposal for Exit Exam is quick fix for unprepared students. It is an invasion.

Stein: We need data on percentages of students passing 101 who passed 098 first or second time; also on those passing 101 who placed directly into 101, etc.

Flisser: We can regain sense of handling standards by an exit test.

Tasch: Torn on this issue. What about two pieces of writing? A Portfolio?

G. MacKenzie: In favor. We are moving toward norms and standards. N.B.: Placement Test is not available for Exit Exam.

Zelitch: Is data available from Certifying Exam? Exam is just a shortcut.

Giddle: Exit Exam assumes we can agree on what writing proficiency is.

Wells: Certifying Exam a mess; DE is a necessity, not a privilege, and inexperienced teachers end up in these courses.

Buchheit: Disagree w/Exam. We are blaming the victim (student).

Nelson: Teaching Circles and Group Grading provide evaluation and are more valuable than a prescriptive final.

Odell: Teaching Circles are great, but few faculty participate. Everything is suggested, not mandated. This does not have to be prescriptive. Portfolios an option. Exam is to make sure DE students are ready for college level.

Marcotte: Focus on student-centered pedagogy. What students learn, not what teachers teach. Standard tool would affirm student readiness.

Flisser: Agree with Marcotte.

Sussholtz: Exit Exam would be ideal – if you can do this, you’re ready for next level.

McCardell: What differences between the current Finals and an Exit Exam?

Given the late hour, Keiser halted discussion, which will be continued.

Meeting adjourned at 4:04 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Ellie Cunningham

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