College Governance Council – May 24, 2017
The College Governance Council held its last meeting for the academic year on May 24, 2017 chaired by Eloisa Briones, VP Administrative Services.
Constituency Reports
Academic Senate
Kate Williams-Browne reported that the senate has been focusing on the college redesign, major sequencing, guided pathways, equity and diversity, professional development, climate action, CCCSE, election results and summer institutes. A task group reviewed and approved revised bylaws and articles and are developing a process for communication and implementation.
Classified Senate:
Michelle Haggar reported that the End of Year Celebration was a success, raising $1,147.50 for the Skyline College Academic and Classified Senate Student Scholarship Award. Scholarships will be distributed in 2018. The district classified staff professional development retreat is scheduled for Friday, June 2. Skyline College will hold a classified staff professional development retreat on Thursday, July 20.
Update on Ad Astra Implementation:
Dean Will Minnich updated the council on the implementation of Ad Astra, the new room scheduling software for classroom and event scheduling. The software will help manage room reservations as buildings and rooms go offline with the new construction. The software will also obtain data and information that will be analyzed and moved into an algorithm that will help provide students with a good class schedule so they will have what they need to get their degrees and get in/get out on time. The targeted date to go live with the initial room scheduling piece is December 1.
New Business:
Climate Action Plan
Dainen Bocsary, Sustainability Coordinator and fellow from Climate Corps Bay Area, presented the Skyline College Climate Action Plan, with Professors Carina Anttila-Suarez and Carla Grandy. The Sustainability Network assisted with the development of the plan. The Climate Action Plan takes a greenhouse gas inventory and looks at different emission sources on campus. The plan makes suggestions on policies and actions that Skyline College can take to become climate neutral by 2050. It focuses on curriculum development, integrating sustainability into curriculum, community outreach, professional development, and learning opportunities for students. A first draft of the Climate Action Plan is currently posted on the Skyline College Sustainability website. Feedback is requested on design elements and curriculum suggestions. A final draft will be ready by June 30. The SEEED Committee will review the final draft in the fall and presented again to the CGC. The SMCCCD Sustainability Committee will present the 3 college plans to the Board of Trustees in the Fall.
Institutional Effectiveness Goals
Karen Wong presented an overview of the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI), which is now in its third year, to provide the context for the Framework of Indicators agenda item. The College must adopt the framework in order to receive SSSP funding.
Of the eight optional metrics proposed by the CCCCO, the Institutional Effectiveness Committee deliberated on the two that most aligned with the College’s priorities: “transfer-level completion in Math and Science” and the “median time to degree.” However the committee opted not to adopt these metrics because the data they yield is problematic. Further research into potential metrics that can be used in their stead will take place. As for the required metrics from the first two years, , the long term goals for “overall course success rate” and “the percentage of degree/ certificate and/or transfer seeking students, whose lowest course attempted in Math and/or English level was remedial, starting first time in 2008- 2009 tracked for six years through 2013- 2014” will be updated. We will align with what the state is doing and raise our long term goal one percentage point to 71% and 44% respectively. CGC unanimously approved the adoption of the IEPI recommendation from the Institutional Effectiveness Committee to choose none of the optional indicators and to revise the old long-term goals by one percentage point higher.
2017-2018 Tentative Budget Recommendation
Eloisa Briones, VP Administrative Services presented the 2017-2018 Tentative Budget recommended by the Strategic Planning & Allocation of Resources Committee (SPARC). Executive VC Kathy Blackwood provided the District Committee on Budget and Finance budget simulations for 2017-2018 with varying assumptions for property tax, compensation, inflation and innovation funds, accompanied by site allocations for Best Case, Middle Case & Worst Case. SPARC recommended a Tentative Budget for 2017-2018 using the Middle Case scenario based on a college goal of 7,242 FTES and load of 525. This scenario reflects a balanced budget of expenditures to resource allocation with a slight surplus of $10,460. In the Fall SPARC will review the Final Adopted Budget for 2017-2018 which will show the actual site allocation and budgeted expenditures. The Council unanimously accepted SPARC’s recommendation of a balanced Tentative Budget for 2017-2018. This will be presented to the President for final review and approval.
Skyline Shines Award
A confidential vote was made by CGC members only for the Skyline Shines Award recipient to be announced during Opening Day in the Fall.
Article by Eloisa Briones
