Academic Senate Plenary ParticipantsSkyline College’s Academic Senate was well represented at the 2015 ASCCC Spring Plenary, held at the SFO Westin on April 9-11.  Professional Personnel Chair Zachary Bruno, BEPP Rep Shawna Whitney, SSCA Rep Tatiana Irwin, Secretary and Past President Leigh Anne Shaw, and President Kate Williams Browne participated in the twice-annual event that brings together academic senates from all 112 Community Colleges for professional development and participatory governance guidance.

ASCCC Noncredit Committee member Leigh Anne Shaw co-presented with ASCCC Secretary John Stanskas at a breakout entitled “AB 86 Final Legislative Report and Future Planning.”  Key sessions that were attended by the Skyline College team dealt with many topics, and faculty are encouraged to contact the attendees for further information:

  • Shawna Whitney attended “Campus Safety and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act” and “The Shifting Path of Professional Development” (AB 2558 expanded professional development topic)
  • Tatiana Irwin attended “Bylaws, Rules, and Periodic Review – Updates from Standards and Practices” and “The Pressure Cooker of Equivalencies and Eminence”
  • Zachary Bruno and Leigh Anne Shaw attended “The Pressure and Impact of Change: Course Repetition Yet Again”
  • Leigh Anne Shaw attended “Noncredit in the Age of Equalization” and “10+1 Ways to Decrease Pressure Between Academic Senates and Curriculum Committees”
  • Kate Williams Browne attended “The College Community: Bringing the Entire Institution Together” and “The Shifting Path of Professional Development”

The team also attended the discipline hearings to further understand changes to the disciplines of Black Studies/African-American Studies and DSPS Counseling and Learning Disabilities Specialist.

The next Academic Senate meeting will be April 16 in room 6203 from 2:10 to 4:00pm, where the attendees will share their experiences.  Please contact the above faculty with any questions about the experiences and information that they gained.  Complete information on the plenary may be found at http://www.asccc.org/events/2015-04-09-070000-2015-04-11-070000/2015-spring-plenary-session-0

Article by Leigh Anne Shaw