OHLONE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

Video Conference Room / Fremont Campus

43600 Mission Boulevard, Fremont, CA94539

 

 

 

College Council Meeting Minutes

September 25, 2006 ADOPTED

 

MEMBERS PRESENT: Doug Treadway Sheldon Helms

Elizabeth Silva Cheryl Lambert

Deanna Walston Joanne Schultz

Leta Stagnaro Susan Myers

Jim Wright Jill Rojas

Dave Schurtz Tim Roberts

Isidore Niyongabo

 

MEMBERS ABSENT: Jimmy Dempsey

Tom Holcomb

Linda Evers

Carrie Dameron

Need one ASOC rep

 

OPEN MEETING:

 

1. Approval of Council Minutes (08/09/06)
   
   

Motion: Moved/Stagnaro; Seconded/Schurtz; Passed with one amendment on Page 3 to read “Discussion again re: Parcel C that could be sold for an estimated $30 million” to approve the August 9, 2006 College Council minutes.

Approval of Council Minutes (09/11/06)

Motion: Moved/Myers; Seconded/Stagnaro; Passed with attendance corrections noted, to approve the September 11, 2006 College Council minutes.

NOTE: Brief discussion regarding informal Council “forum” held on Tuesday, September 19. Although there is no need to record that a meeting took place if there was no official agenda or action taken, it may be in the best of interest of keeping the college informed, to state here that an informal "open forum" took place on Tuesday, 9/19.

 

 

2. Construction Update
   
   

• Don Eichelberger provided a verbal update regarding Newark and Fremont projects.
• Overview of Newark campus: moving rapidly. Encouraging everyone to drive by, exterior walls up, concrete floors poured, geo-thermal coils installed, etc. Cautiously optimistic for Spring 2008 opening.
• Student Services Bldg. updates:
• Sequencing schedule - to minimize construction disruption

1) hire construction management firm

2) pre-construction activities during Fall

3) bid basic general contract after the first of the year, 2007

4) general contractor would begin the day after graduation (to demo Bldg 7)

5) asbestos abatement a couple months before (interior work)

6) take advantage of Spring break and most of noisiest work will be done on weekends

7) will buy time so we'll know what bid #s are before tearing down Bldg 7

8) if bid awarded in Feb, allows contractor to order steel, etc.

 

• Building 1, exterior renovation:
• sand blasting now taking place early mornings (5 a.m.), trying to minimize disruption
• presentation soon to Board re: signage concept for Fremont campus
• Question: estimate re: completion of Bldg 1 work? Not exactly sure, but “months / stucco repair, coatings, delamination, serious renewal work happening now. Timing will depend on rain as well.
• Questions: fountains being kept? Yes, not a big redesign, but will retain to keep ambiance.
• Question: mitigation interior of Bldg 7; will bldg be off-line for Spring semester? Yes. Work will be done in ~April.

 

3. WASC Accreditation / Self-Study Process

 

• Dr. Jim Wright provided the following handouts:

o        Components of the 2006-07 OhloneCollege Self-Study

o        ACCJC/WASC Accreditation Self Study

o        - "Telling the Ohlone Stories"

• Accreditation process, standards, themes. Theme of dialogue, identifying activities that show we have commitment to dialogue. Stories linked to accreditation self-study. Wholistic view, stadards woven in connection with mission, vision, values and goals.
• Teams will be established for each of the standards. Teams will focus on our vision and goals and how they interrelate.
• Organizing for self-study: (2006-08 Self-Study Timeline).
• Council to serve as "steering committee" for self-study.
• Review of proposed Accreditation Self-Study teams (15); 11 teams directly related to the standards.
• 4 additional workgroups (teams) to respond to previous recommendations, and change proposal to incorporate new campus, integrated into this self-study.
• Instruction website has page for accreditation w/documents (guides, proposals, self-study questions, archives of previous self-study, etc.).
• Broader scope than conventional self-study, learning experience. Adding qualitative data. Visit is scheduled for March/2008.
• Question: Specifically, what is CC role in self-study? What are we being asked to do?
• Make sure that final document that goes to Commission really is full & honest reflection of the college, within each of the standards areas and themes. Form learning & assessment teams this semester. Council won't be doing each of the standards -- the teams will. At next Council meeting, dialog about institutional commitment. Each theme explained, with areas available for comment. Council should provide feedback regarding theme of institutional commitment.
• Spring, each of teams come back and provide interim reports to Council regarding work they've done. By Summer, initial working draft of self-study. Fall spent in review and revisions, followed by consultation and approval. Submit self-study at end of 2007. Site visit follows in March, 2008.
• Council role as steering committee. College Leaders & Treadway facilitate formation of teams.
• October 9 agenda item/follow-up.
• Has writing team been selected? Not determined yet. Comment: Writing team is brilliant idea. Documents presented are very organized. Breaking down this enormous project is very helpful.
• Comment: Very helpful to see timeline. What may feel overwhelming is the notion of finding time. Suggestion: If this could substitute as committee work for faculty, that would be helpful.

 

4. Task Force / Committee Structure Update

• College Leaders met on Thursday
• Draft for discussion integrated into shared governance, review of task forces/committees.
• Handouts: Discussion of Governance
• 2006-07 College Committee Structure (draft for discussion)
• Instruction & Student Services / Committees & Groups
• Trying to better align faculty senate/ASOC with committee structure so everyone can better understand how the college organization works. First reading, we can amend, add, subtract, etc.
• Question: Concern about differences between committees regarding workload. Some meet several times a month, some twice a year. Some faculty talk about disparity.
• Treadway reply: Related to the question is difference between Faculty and Classified staff re: committee assignments. Across the board, there are equity/workload assignment questions.
• Consider "college hour"? Increase consciousness regarding meetings and how necessary they all are. Not offering solution, but offering thought that we consider time management question and allocation issues at Council.
• Faculty contract doesn't talk about committees but service to the college. Notion that committees is the only way to be engaged is limiting concept. Would be great to actively consider engagement. People involved in a lot of informal ways, but not necessarily getting "credit" for it.
• Broader view might help. Acknowledgment important.
• Draft provided so we can review and offer clarifications.
• NWK center staffing retreat: envisioning governance as more of a "town hall" meeting. NCHST will come back to Council with proposal for governance. Ideal would be rotational for everyone, as learning experience for everyone. Increase sense of engagement, rotational, helping with governance or other activities. May look to Newark model.
• Comment: Job shadowing for faculty & staff - we do what we do best and lose appreciation for what other people do to run the college.

 

5. Enrollment Update

• Ron Travenick presentation / 4-year comparison.
• 10.5% up from previous years
• 3,296 FTES
• 9,737 Headcount
• Demographic review of differences including:

• Full-time students increased (from 24 - 29%)
• Gender 58% Female / 42% Male (national trend of less men in higher ed)
• Ethnicity breakdown
• Age 60% of student population is 18-29

• Question: How will we adjust student services if such a large percentage of students are attending school in the late day/evening? How will we serve them? Begun adjusting hours (Counseling open until 7, 4 days/week, A&R expanding to 6 p.m. some evenings).

 

6. Board of Trustees: Agenda for 9/27 Meeting / Council Response to Board of Trustees President

 

Note: Dr. Treadway left the meeting during this discussion (and was not present at informal Council meeting on Tuesday, 9/19/06).

 

• Do we have a statement to read at Board meeting? Elizabeth Silva: There are varying points of view as to whether the main responses to the Board should come from "other groups", and whether CC would read a statement, as represented by leaders of those groups. Silva open to Council’s guidance.
• Question to Elizabeth: What are you going to say as co-chair? Ambivalent and hesitant. Wants to know what Council wants her to say, she's happy to read agreed statement. Is there a “good cop, bad cop strategy”? What is our role w/Board of Trustees versus other governance groups?

 

• Suggestion regarding blog for dialog on this topic. Use e-mail "council", Council can provide input.
• SEIU planning to make statement.
• CSEA will read statement of support but do not want to be involved in District Politics.

 

Adjourned: 4:35 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. IT Update re: New Classrooms
   
   

• Ralph Kindred, Associate VP of IT, provided a verbal summary of the e-mail update he submitted to the campus via “announcement”. Additional comments included:

• For classrooms 1402/1402, orders placed for technology based on Learning CTF requirements, others input (faculty, staff, consultants, etc.) Equipment will include:
• Projection screen
• 2 50" plasma displays
• Audio/video
• Wireless
• 40 laptops in each room
• Collaborative software

·       Estimated delivery & installation the week of August 25th

·       Identical rooms, but flexibility re: configuration.

·       Being called "Experimental Classrooms"

·       Question: When will wireless be broader? Working with local vendor who is donating wireless network for all of upper campus, and installation in progress.

 

·       iTunes/Apple updates:

·       Project team in place led by Richard Grotegut and Lesley Buehler. Apple IT helping establish infrastructure. Sheduled to be up and running 8/15. Training workshop 8/15. iTunes U / Pilot team initially; spring broader. Workshop open to all faculty. Trying to do multiple sessions due to popular demand.

·       Infrastructure available 8/15 (confirmed), same day as training.

·       All Macs that we ordered are here, being prepped for installation. Purchase or lease. New technology for our desktop support staff; training provided, but pressure being felt in department. Working on support for IT team re: deployment issues. 1402, 1406, 115, 116 HH, 2205 (one other) multi-media rooms.

·       Long-term investments – will address "kinks" as they come up. Contact Ralph Kindred with concerns so he can address and support IT staff. Keep perspective.

·        

 

8. Council Retreat Planning
   
   

• One time money and more carryover funds than expected. Asking for Council retreat exercise to discuss priorities; outline process for engaging people in decision-making for funds.
• Final budget needs to be prepared by early September for presentation to Board. One-time money coming from the state ~$600K-$700K.
• Topic for retreat: Concept of Newark Center coming on board. Planning / process need to be discussed. Budget, shared governance, etc.
• Topic for retreat: How to increase level of participation in shared governance. Engagement of constituencies.
• Topic for retreat: Accreditation self-study process. Active dialogue by all constituency groups within the four standards. Ask Council how to increase involvement, techniques, definition of engagement, technology to faacilitate this work. Strategies. May be linked to discussion of one-time money.
• Save regular Council meetings for specific things and use retreat for "large" topics. Strategic plan, progress, mission statement,
• Planning the day (sub-committee): Jim, Joanne, Leta, Doug, Ralph, Jill (9:00 / Thurs)

 

9. 16-week Calendar Review
   
   

• Calendar has been implemented, students have been registering, students have paid. Registration/enrollment numbers currently the same as last year (5,963). Schedule is attractive.
• Previous concerns re: workload and staffing, but reality is that Student Services have never before had such a long break between summer & fall.
• Lab set-ups, nothing negative at this point. No adverse reactions. Implementation process and team has paid off.
• Council: date for commencement 2007 not set yet and Faculty Senate will need that date soon. Constituents need to be consulted. Challenge because finals week backs up to Memorial Day holiday. Discussion re: possible options.
• Also need to discuss potential for inter-session in future years.

 

10. Board Agenda Review

• Continuing increase of costs of all projects. Escalation of $50M set aside for Fremont campus. Due to Newark increases, we were able to reduce size of building,
• Question: will Board authorize lease of frontage property which is fallback of shortage we will experience due to increase in costs. If frontage not authorized, we face challenges for projects.
• First vote will be related to frontage lease, which will inform vote regarding Student Services Building.

 

• Capital Projects Priorities handout distributed. Brunton & Weed want to know what our priorities are and distributed handout details that question.
• Capital Projects Priorities: do not expect Council to comment at this time
• Separate document distributed detailing how $25M of frontage lease funds would be spent. Pie chart provides visual of division of funding sources, based on today's dollars. Board closed session to discuss Sobrato Letter of Intent. As part of the deal, Sobrato would provide Ohlone with a check in the next two years for $25M in pre-paid rent.
• Staff recommendations for prepaid rent (another handout). There will be ~4-5 installments of $25M each over the term of the lease (60 years).
• This vote requires all 5 eligible voters. Yee in Iraq, Weed has conflict of interest. Remaining 5 must vote yes. Brunton likely to vote no. Discussion will take place in closed session, but public will have opportunity to speak to this topic in open session before voting takes place.
• Lease term may be one of the issues. If we don't get approval, will have to wait for November election and/or Yee’s return in January.
• This is related to revising the Fremont Campus Master Plan, which only requires a simple majority. Specifics of suggested revisions to master plan include:

 

• Leave maintenance bldg.
• Renovate soccer field
• Make certain parking lot available to Sobrato to develop
• Switch would benefit college and developer

 

• $156K/month would be cost of any delay of Student Services Bldg.
• Good news: developer suggested this adjustment and it is not related to terms of deal. If we change the surplus property, altered plan has to go to public for 90-day review.
• Baseball field will be in Newark: flatter surface, coach & team highly supportive.
• Soccer field needs improving, not necessarily relocating. Drainage issue.
• Irony would be constructing a beautiful Student Services Bldg and all other buildings in disrepair.
• Chabot $400M bond; must remain aware of competition & facilities they are improving. 30% of our students come from out of district.
• Series of past decisions have been made to bring us closer and closer to the reality of the Student Services Bldg. Money, time spent would be lost if we need to sacrifice SS Bldg to improve Fremont campus.
• Original bond measure detailed two major projects: SS Bldg and Newark campus. Community will not support a future bond if we can't produce the two projects specified in Bond A.
• $2.7M so far in architecutral fees, etc.
• Discussion again re: Parcel C that could be sold for an estimated $___ to help cover a lot of the unmet needs. Vote of the Board was 4 in favor of selling and 2 opposed. Minority members are ruling the future of the college. The same thing could happen tonight. This is a “seven generation” impact decision. Implication goes beyond this vote.
• Letter of Intent allows us to take negotiation to bid. As we prepare, we could use the next 2-3 months to apply pressure to Brunton. We will have unfinished business the next few months, if Brunton votes no.
• Other concern if we don't have 2/3 for bid, the costs to go forward with bid process are very high.
• Soccer field dangerous; not first class.
• Leadership on the Board's part. Vote should not be about Bob Brunton, but community of which the college is a part. Challenge his leadership, not his vote. As leaders of the college, we hope he'll be a leader

 

·       Proposed change regarding master plan / Council would not want this to stop the process

·       Staff recommendations of $25M and how it would be spent / Council agrees this makes sense and is congruent with previous priorities

 

• Motion: Moved/Stagnaro; Seconded/Dempsey; Passedto

1) Support suggested revisions to master plan including:

·       Leaving maintenance bldg.

·       Renovation of existing soccer field

·       Making certain parking lot available to Sobrato to develop instead
AND

2) Support document reflecting staff recommendations for how the$25 of potential pre-paid rent would be spent

 

Additional comments:

• Proposed changes from developer strengthens relationship w/Sobrato and worth mention.
• Need to express dire consequences if they do not pass.

 

11. Plan for Future Council Mtg @ Newark Campus (postponed)

 

12. Communications / Announcements
    
    

• Classified Staff appreciation BBQ on 8/24; 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. / Palm Bosque
• SOAR committee for Fixed Flex lunch/ RSVP $5

 

 

·       Next Council Meetings:

o        Fall Schedule: beginning in September, College Council will meet on 2^nd/4^th Monday afternoons (3:00 – 4:30 p.m. in Video Conference Room); 9/11, 9/25, 10/9, 10/23, etc.

 

 

Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.