Faculty Meeting – II14 12/5/14
Brown Lab 206, 1 p.m. Friday
News and Announcements
A. Special thanks to Mikki Washburn and Baerbel Schumacher for outstanding coordination of the Proyecta 100,000 Mexican student/faculty group—and thanks to faculty who taught them so well in classes.
B. Thanks to all for attending Wednesday evening’s faculty/staff holiday party and a reminder of the
All-ELI holiday party Wednesday, December 17, Embassy Suites on S. College Ave. (near the football
Stadium) from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. See Mikki Washburn if you are interested in participating in the ELI chorale.
C. Reminder: Level meetings at 2:15 PM. See ODM for location of your specific meeting
D. Expected January enrollment: approximately 840.
Agenda
1. Update on Academic Development Specialists search—Part I, Scott
2. Explanation of end of session aural and reading final testing, Joe
3. Committee Midyear Reports: Curriculum, Nigel; EAP Taskforce, Nigel; Textbook, Mikie Sarmiento;
Library, submitted previously by Walt
4. Review of Revised workload agreement for full time faculty consideration.
Meeting Notes
Dr. Stevens reported that the Mexican Proyecta 100,000 program went very well. We’re expecting a series of teacher-training groups to follow.
The year-end holiday party will be at the Embassy Suites Hotel on December 17 – in tent!
Session III 2015 enrollment expected to be about 840
The search committee for the Academic Development Specialist position sent its report to HR.
Joe spoke about the upcoming testing dates. We will not be using COMPASS. Instead we are use in-house learning-outcome based measurements. The listening/speaking classes will use the Michigan Test, which will be on a CD. The test packets go out next Wednesday. The conversion forms will result in a letter grade, determined by the level.
Joe asked the teachers to test their computers and speakers and the CD ahead of time to be sure everything is working.
Committee reports
Please refer to the progress reports available here for full details.
Curriculum – to prepare for the CEA review Nigel said the Committee will be checking to see that all class syllabi contain clear learning-outcome goals. This will begin in January. An ongoing goal is to deal with learning outcomes that have consistently not worked.
The Committee hasn’t received any new course proposals for review at this time.
Textbook – The Committee is concentrating on one skill at a time for the textbooks. Mikie sent out a survey last week asking what pronunciation book each L/S teacher currently uses. She’s requesting that the teachers send their feedback by Monday.
Mikie reminded the teachers that they can see the course textbook list that Joe prepares each session. It’s on Facbook under “Course Resources.”
In the Committee report that was sent yesterday Mikie mentions new books being considered. She invites teachers to look through examination copies on the bookshelf at 189 W. Main and that the Committee will review any new texts that teachers recommend.
Other business
Leslie Criston reports that the peer review is now web-based. Teachers who are up for peer review can attend a meeting in Gore 103 at 4:00 on Dec. 10.
Discussion for full-time faculty
Dr. Stevens talked about the revised Workload Agreement. Basically there are two things he wanted to go over—a change in the language used in the Agreement and a change in the reference to work hours. He said the Dean wants all department chairs to revise their workload agreement documents by expunging references to work hours, e.g. the ELI teachers’ full-time work load being 18 classroom hours a week. Now it’s a percentage of effort.
The Agreement itself is not changing, just the language used in the document. It does not impact anyone’s work agreement now or in the future.
Nigel commented that the ELI teaching hours don’t correspond to other units since some of us teach both regular ELI classes and credit-bearing classes. Scott added that the English department is expressing interest in our taking a larger role in the teaching of English 110 courses.
Another topic of discussion – how to deal with the problems in our late policy. And whether or not to count a student absent who leaves the classroom for 10 minutes during class time.
Dr. Stevens is proposing a resolution for the faculty to vote on at a future meeting.
- Faculty take attendance at 8:15. They mark “L” for students who are not present. At 8:30 the “L” becomes an “A” for those who are still not present.
- There is an expectation that students will not leave the classroom during class time.
- Faculty are not permitted to give breaks during class.