Notes - February 26th, 2007
The De Anza Academic Senate
Approved Notes for the meeting of
February 26th, 2007
Senators and Officers present: Bambhania, Capitolo, Chenoweth, Cole, Coleman, Dolen,
Gallegos, Glapion, Goodwin, Guevara, Jensen-Sullivan, Joplin, Kessler, Kramer, Lathers,
Lee-Klawender, Maynard, Miller, Osborne, Otake, Raffaelli, Schaffer, Setziol, and
Winters
Senators and Officers absent: Cordero, Hearn, Lizardi-Folley, and Zill
DASB: Yvonne Luo
Classified Senate: Olivia Patlan
Administrative Liaison:
Guests: Dave Deppen
[NOTE: Item numbers are reflective of agenda numbers in the order they
are actually taken up at the meeting.]
The meeting was called to order at 2:30 a quorum being present.
I. Approval of Agenda and Notes: The agenda was approved as distributed.
The notes of February 12th were approved as distributed.
II. Needs and Confirmations: Michael Hitchcock was confirmed for service on the Catalyst
Standards Committee. Chenoweth and Setziol alluded to a potentially contentious confirmation
discussion slated for the meeting of March 5th. It was suggested that division deans
and faculty are in need of a new training on the process and that Dan Mitchell's help
piece on the subject could serve as a good starting point - http://faculty.deanza.edu/academicsenate/SearchCommitteeMembership
III. Resolution in support of Barbara Illowsky for State Senate:
The resolution distributed prior to the meeting passed with one friendly amendment
removing the word "wholeheartedly" from the resolved clause.
IV. Bond Measure Project Review: Setziol began with a very brief review of the
goal of the item and then handed it to Jensen Sullivan who wasted no time in introducing
architect Dave Deppen who led the highly successful process leading to the creation
of the Kirsch Center. Deppen, introduced as a specialist in "green" buildings, immediately
began by sharing his experience of the previous few minutes as being a time observing
a variety of anti "green" building aspects of the meeting room and the building housing
the meeting room. He then pointed out that simple things like allowing for natural
lighting have significant educational benefits in addition to environmental sustainability
value. He then pointed to the Lloyd's of London web site as a site indicative of
a major shift in the attitude of the business community. The implication was clear
that De Anza was both ahead and behind when Deppen characterized both the process
and the result of the Kirsch Center project as being unique among the various Measure
E projects. Deppen encouraged the group to be and to get the faculty to be much more
active in planning and especially oversight. "Don't trust the 'We'll take care of
it.' Statements" made by some administrators and construction people he cautioned.
He went on to encourage faculty to help determine and oversee virtually all levels
and stages, pointing to a video shown to dry wall workers working on the Kirsch project
as being very helpful.
Martha Kanter and Mike Brandy were said to have been very supportive of the effort.
On the other hand, it was clear that the gravity was business as usual and that business
lumped everyone other than those whose profession was building or planning or managing
into a group called users. These users were asked for input at the beginning, made
to feel good about doing so and about the prospects for the project and then it was
as if the construction people said "Thank you, we don't need you any more." Something
called the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standard came to be
a powerful tool in support of the initial concept of the Kirsch because every time
it was proposed to take a cheaper, less environmentally sound alternative, the proponents
of sustainability could say that if the choice was made, LEED certification would
be lost. Unfortunately, as far as Deppen and Jensen Sullivan knew, the Kirsch was
the only project where LEED certification or any kind of tangible environmental standard
was involved.
Finally, Deppen recommend that faculty become involved in the hiring of all the outside
people involved in projects as who does the work can be a determining factor. [Note:
although not mentioned at the meeting, Brian Murphy made the same point with regard
to significant and costly errors which then become disputes in a meeting with the
officers February 21st.]
Because of time considerations, the remainder of this agenda item was held over to
the meeting of March 5th.
VI. Institutional Preparedness: The item was held over.
VII. District Electronic Mail Usage: Chenoweth presented considerations in discussion
by the Technology Taskforce with regard to electronic mail usage. The focus was on
part time faculty and the fact that whereas students are likely to send messages to
the District provided address, many part time faculty do not use their District provided
address. Is there a need and a way to force part time faculty to use District provided
addresses? Apparently the group was not prepared to hit that issue head on as prior
concerns took precedence. "Too much spam" was an expression echoed be several speakers.
Several people spoke to what were dubbed "functionality issues". Cole mentioned and
recommended an investigation of a system at Stanford which appeared to address security
and other concerns successfully.
VIII. Environmental Sustainability Committee Update: Raffaelli distributed a document
as a way of beginning her report. The document revealed plans for a June 6th campus
clean up day, presented possibilities for staff development workshops, and proposed
that some workshop or workshops be part of the Fall 2007 Opening Day.
It was MSCU (Goodwin/Joplin) to support the campus cleanup day. The subcommittee
will return with a specific request for funding and preliminarily predicted that request
would be between $50 and $100.
It was the sense of the Senate that all of the workshop topics proposed for presentation
through the office of staff development were meritorious. It was suggested that,
in light of the Bond Measure Project Review item revelations, environmental sustainability
and the role of faculty should be promoted as the main topic for the Fall 2007 Opening
Day.
X. Technology Plan: The Item was held over.
XI. Part Time At Large Senate Representative: The Item was held over.
XI. Good of the Order: - The Auto Tech contingent distributed a card encouraging
those who are loose with their money to contribute to the Auto Tech coffers by playing
in a golf tournament June 8th. Interested rubes should contact Capitolo or Maynard
if they want to be more of a bother than they would be using the means suggested on
the card.
- There will be a forum on the Leave No Child Inside initiative in the Kirsch Center
February 27th.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:34