Palm Beach State College ACADEMIC DEANS COUNCIL MINUTES Lake Worth, Conference Room B 8:30 a.m. Attendance: Foster, Michael Ginger Pedersen Sharon Sass Kaplan, Anita Pat Richie Edward Willey Barry Moore Jacqueline Rogers Guests: Helen Shub, Jennifer Campbell ITEM 1. Issues of Late Grades at the end of the term and new policies regarding time frame for acceptance Ed Mueller reported that Late Grades are much better than the last grade run, but still an issue especially with prep - prep students lose their whole schedule with L grades. Drop for pre/co requisites and graduation - they can't graduate; the late grade acts like an F. There isn't enough time for the student to be made aware. It takes staff four or five hours to work pre/co-requisite report. The Registrar will give until noon the next day (after grades run at 12:00 p.m.) for late grades. After that, the report will run to process grades and students will be dropped in many cases. Faculty may not be aware of the consequences to students who receive a LATE grade. Dr. Sass will remind faculty of the serious consequences of late grades. Data Source: Grade Reports ITEM 2. Reporting of Industry Certifications by Program Personnel for Perkins Chuck Zettler gave an update on reporting of industry certifications. The expectation is that the colleges will report this. We are very light on reporting compared to other colleges on previous year completers. It is difficult data to collect. Who is the person in charge of finding industry certifications through licensure databases? These data are needed for Perkins reporting and we are falling behind on the numbers. We could be penalized with sanctions. An electronic form populated from the state database, supplemented by the department could be developed. However, there would have to be a designated person in each department to input the data. Each dean is responsible for the data collection in their area. Dr. Pedersen will work with Chuck Zettler and Ed Mueller to develop a process for collections of the data with a form and timelines.
Page 2 Develop a process for timely and complete data collection from the program departments. Each Academic Dean will be responsible for the collection and sending the data to the college State Reporting Office. Data Source: Certification data reports ITEM 3. QEP Update Karen Pain discussed workshops and faculty who worked through a critical thinking materials workbook. Some are taking a MOOC on critical thinking - perhaps we could develop an online course in critical thinking for professional development. Karen distributed a schedule of workshops college-wide. The live website will be up by the end of the term. Workshops are scheduled in classrooms and faculty/staff register through HR so it can be captured for professional development. Informational only. Data Source: Workshop listings ITEM 4. Recommendation: Repeatable Courses: Digital Photography 1 & 2 Dean Willey presented a proposal to approve Digital Photography 1 and 2 as repeatable. PGY 1401 Introduction to Photography was designated as repeatable by Academic Deans Council and the cluster recommends that the other two courses be repeatable as well. Discussed who the audience is for the courses and that the advanced skills should be in continuing education. Did not approve request for being repeatable. Did not approved request to make courses Digital Photography 1 & 2 - repeatable. Data Source: Dean's minutes ITEM 5. Recommendation: BSC2421 Change in Credits The cluster is requesting a change in BSC 2421 in credits from 3 to 2 with a required lab. Internship course would be increased from 2 to 3 credits. The BSC 2421 course is a general education course. The Deans Council would like to see the documentation on the suggested changes to the internship course. The recommendation is not approved and will be pulled from the curriculum agenda. Did not approve change; will be pulled from the curriculum agenda. Data Source: None
Page 3 ITEM 6. Checklist what happens when no compliance? The Council discussed what happens when a faculty member does not comply with the checklist. Dr. Pedersen will send out links for the textbook and syllabi checks for compliance. What happens with repeated offenders who do not comply? Is there a follow-up with the faculty member, office visits, notes, emails, meetings, letter to the faculty file? Campuses should ensure that faculty comply with state law, college policy/procedures, and DBOT rules. Data Source: Checklist ITEM 7. Scheduling Discussion and Recommendations Dr. Sass distributed recommended revisions to the guidelines for scheduling a year round schedule. It would be three full terms with summer as a full term, with most classes as 12 weeks. Other discussion centered on occupancy and space utilization, additional 8:00 a.m. classes, night classes that are held two nights a week, more Friday classes, and AS programs and scheduling of general education courses versus technical core. There would be a phase in change to offering more 12 week courses in the summer. Discussion on what night classes are - is it a program or a collection of courses? Each campus should develop an evening 6 semester program for an AA degree. Scheduling policy revisions will be in the manual. The meeting for this is scheduled for February 15. Discuss guidelines and timelines for implementation for February 15 meeting. Data Source: Draft guidelines ITEM 8. 2013 Legislative Issues Dr. Sass discussed the sheet in the packet on the college's initiatives for this legislative session. Informational only. Data Source: College legislative initiatives ITEM 9. Career Pathways Assessment Spreadsheet Dr. Sass discussed the list in the packet on all current agreements for Career Pathways; the assessment process, programs and the number of credits, challenge exams. She had questions about the challenge exams: why they aren t in the campus testing centers; are they cluster approved; are they the same exam that any student would take for a fee? Another concern is the portfolio - are the requirements the same as we would have our
Page 4 own students do in the class, such as produce a business plan? Are there guidelines in what constitutes a portfolio? In many cases the college is required to give credit for industry certifications. Need to be aware of completion initiatives and the need to recognize prior learning. Study the Career Pathway process on testing and portfolio processes. Data Source: List of Career Pathway Agreements ITEM 10. Honors College Policy Proposal Dr. Pedersen discussed two proposed policies for the Honors College. First, the Honors Faculty Advisory Committee recommended that we pilot, for next fall and spring, the possibility of online students having permission to complete an honors contract this is NOT an online honors class, but an honors contract. Students would have a video, voiced over PowerPoint or other presentational methods to present the project to their classmates. The Honors Faculty Committee will review such submissions and recommend at the end of the year if the program should continue. The second recommendation is that the entry requirements be altered. Currently students can place directly into the Honors College from high school high entry level tests; the recommendation is that students also be able to place in the Honors College with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and college-ready entry level test scores (i.e. no placement in prep). Both recommendations were approved by Deans Council to be effective Fall Term 2013. Data Source: Recommendations from the Honors Faculty Committee ITEM 11. Other 1. Dr. Sass reports that the Continuing Contract proposed rule changes are at the State Board. Expected to be approved at the March DOE meeting. 2. Office hours posting 15 hours teaching/10 office hours /10 college business normal combination. 3. AS programs with numerous electives Dr. Sass stated we should clean up AS degrees with excessive electives and make the degrees more streamlined. Less choice for students, more like PSAV programs. 4. Add to English credentialing creative writing degree and hours. 5. There was a request to combine theatre, music and film to a performing arts cluster - approved. Also, Electrical Power should be moved to the physics cluster. This is effective for March cluster meetings.
Page 5 As noted above. Data Source: None Meeting adjourned at 12:00 P.M. Submitted by: Ginger Pedersen, Scribe Next Meeting: March 14, 2013, Lake Worth Campus, Conference Room B, 8:30 a.m. c: Academic Leadership Council Kathy Gamble Dr. Dennis Gallon Department Chairs Cynthia Demitruk Provosts Anne Guiler Dr. Ellen Grace Vice Presidents