Faculty Senate – Faculty Student Relations Committee

December 11, 2015

‘Ilima 202C

Present: Cheri Souza (Chair), Frank Leake (Vice Chair)

Robin Fujikawa, Joy Oehlers, Shannon Sakamoto, Kawehi Sellers, Michelle Shin

Excused: Yoneko Kanaoka, Vincent Okada

Absent: Kevin Yokota, James Gray, Mary Beard, Judelyn Vallesteros, Rona Kekauoha

Guests: Brenda Ivelisse, VCSA; Lori Ferreira, Mental Health & Wellness Counselor

Notetaker: Shannon Sakamoto

I.  Excellence in Teaching

  1. Faculty Senate would like a recommendation for where ETA should be housed.
  2. Other campuses did not indicate that classroom observations are required
  3. An established procedure could be helpful, since it is a prestigious award
  4. It should be a transparent process
  5. We can recommend elements to include in the process
  6. Student input via the committee membership (Nominations from Dept. Chairs)
  7. Possibly rotate departments for the student nomination
  8. Possibly ask departments who have faculty who were not nominated to nominate students
  9. Faculty input via members from FSRC committee
  10. Past recipient input via the being a member of the new committee
  11. Recommendation: Beginning Summer 2016, move the ETA, Kunimoto, and Frances Daves award selection process into the Chancellor’s Office, and recommend the committee to include a faculty member to be included from the FSRC committee, student to be included, and a past recipient (does not have to be an immediate past recipient) to be included.

II.  Meeting Times

  1. Spring 2016: Monthly meetings (Second Friday of the month) – 1:30 PM, to begin January 8, 2016.

III.  Spring 2016 Topics

  1. Academic Grievance Policy Revision – S. Jaworowski
  2. ETA – Spring 2016
  3. Review procedure
  4. Review list of nominees
  5. Frances Daves: Undergrad teaching with C2, C3, or C4 standing
  6. Kunimoto Award: One nomination from each campus sent to system office

IV.  Discussion with VCSA – Brenda Ivelisse

  1. It is essential that Academic Affairs and Student Affairs have a strong partnership
  2. Additional professional development opportunities for instructional faculty to develop workshops about classroom management, student success, how to work with DSSO students, how to support Native Hawaiian students, and involve Staff Council. As topics come up within Faculty Senate, please share with Brenda and Louise, so that trends can be addressed and discussed in a timely manner.
  3. Teri Mitchell is the Early Alert Coordinator position. It is a part of the C3T TAC Grant, and the position uses Starfish as a retention tool. She will need to work with this committee, to build a process to being more proactive with students. The program is designed to improve student success, and the idea of intrusive/intentional advising and programs. She will do “listening sessions” with various groups, to gain input on the Starfish tool.
  4. Michelle Shin used Starfish for about a year and half. Did not see the value, as she did not see any time spent on interventions being done. This semester she did not use Starfish, and emailed Sharoh Moore with specific students to target, and Sharoh replied to Michelle within about 2 days. It seems that Starfish wasn’t as efficient.
  5. There was a committee designed to work on the workflow in Spring 2015. The process recommended by the committee seems to be overcomplicated. Teri will be listening to groups, remove barriers, and create a plan/procedure of how to use Starfish.
  6. The FSRC committee may be a good support system for Teri.
  7. A group developed the Student of Concern form, which is focused on behavioral issues. Starfish is focused on academic issues.

V.  Discussion with Mental Health Counselor – Lori Ferreira

  1. Service the entire campus, under VCSA
  2. Services offered: individual counseling (counseling cannot be mandated), referral from instructors (via phone, email, etc.), couples counseling, group workshops, death/dying group (limited to 8 students)
  3. Example: Behavior issue in the classroom is brought to Lori’s attention. Lori consults with the instructor to determine an appropriate time for an intervention. Lori contacts the student regarding the referral, with a statement of general outreach. 90% of the time a student will book an appointment. The instructor is BCCd, so they are aware the student has been contacted.
  4. Voice Mails are returned the following day
  5. Walk In traffic is tremendous; she only reserves 4 appointments per day.
  6. Consent forms are reviewed with the students, and the student signs the form.
  7. Involvement: Title 9, Behavior Intervention Team (BIT), community partners, psychiatric ward at Tripler, military bases, etc.
  8. Military students can have mental health issues impact future career plans. Instructors should refer military students to Lori’s office.
  9. Per an executive policy, students who leave still have access to mental health counseling, if they have the intent to return to the campus at a later point in time.
  10. Be sure to focus on the behavior, not the label.
  11. Can an instructor share with another instructor about a student’s behavior? Yes, be sure it’s with pure intentions, not from a perspective of gossip or unnecessary sharing.

VI.  Domestic Violence

  1. Domestic Violence issues are common at community colleges.
  2. Students should be referred to Brenda or Lori to create a safety plan.

VII.  Mental Health Stigma

  1. Relationships are key to reducing crime, violence, and unwanted behaviors.
  2. Studies are increasing around the influence of relationships.
  3. Social skills are not as developed, as previous generations.
  4. Encourage instructors to build relationships with their students, however maintain healthy boundaries. If personal stories are shared, there should be a learning outcome involved.
  5. Academics are often an indicator of other issues and pressures with students.

VIII.  FSRC Support

  1. Possibly a workshop on how to build healthy relationships and boundaries with students