Holiday Hoops: Students vs. Staff

Watch faculty and staff take on student-athletes at the Holiday Hoops basketball game on 
Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the Main Gym from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Please bring donations of non-perishable food items to support the college food pantry and victims of the recent wildfires. 

For more info, contact Catalina Rodriguez.
OLA Tamale Fundraiser

'Tis the season to order tamales deliciosos! All proceeds go to the Organizacion Latino Americana (OLA) student scholarship fund. Gift some to your family and friends -- tamales can be frozen and eaten during the holidays. Cost is $20/dozen.
 
Submit orders with payment by Tuesday, Dec. 11, to:
Antoinette Chavez, Room 2151
Elvia Herrera, Room 3609
Sofia Abad, Room 5004
 
Pick up your tamales on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 12-1:30 p.m.
Admin Building Break Room, 1931
Governance Summary

Below is a summary of the action and informational items from the most recent governance meetings. Can't make it to a meeting in person? Committees are making meetings available online via Zoom. For complete minutes, first-reads and Zoom details, please visit the new governance website.

College Advisory Council

On Nov. 2, the College Advisory Council devoted the entire meeting to a second reading, discussion, and approval/rejection of the Foothill College Phase II Budget Reduction plan. The committee members agreed that there were still many factors that had yet to be finalized (the SRP, for instance). In addition, it was noted that adjunct faculty were bearing the brunt of the budget reductions and that this should be reflected in the minutes. The committee voted to approve the Phase II Budget Reduction Plan (eight in favor, three abstentions).

The Nov. 30 meeting revisited an earlier textbook cost-reduction discussion and the committee agreed (unanimously) that the Academic Senate and Foothill students should be consulted before the Advisory Council considers a more comprehensive plan to address the cost of books and materials. The Council will be sending a request for recommendations to the Academic Senate and ASFC later this week. 

The Council then turned to initial discussions about the Program Creation Flow Chart and Innovation and Effectiveness Plan template. The Council unanimously approved the creation of a study group to look into the process of program creation given that the old process relied on review and input from committees that are now defunct. Both items will appear on the Advisory Council agenda again in January.

Community & Communication Committee

The Community and Communication committee met on Nov. 9. Part of the meeting was spent reviewing the committee charge and clarifying committee member roles. The majority of the meeting was spent reviewing the service leadership report from consulting group Prosper and Partners' recent visit to the college.
 
It was made clear that to make meaningful progress with service leadership efforts, the campus must have a clear definition of what service leadership is. P&Ps research found folks across campus have different service leadership definitions. Community and Communication agreed a consistent/shared definition is critical to these efforts, and agreed to help lead work in creating that campus-wide definition.
 
Discussion Points 
  • In order for service leadership to become a part of Foothill culture, it must be felt and thought of as part of the work the college is already doing.
     
  • The service leadership survey (done last academic year) showed 70% or more of respondents chose the following skills/competencies as most important in service leadership: civic mindedness, collaboration/teamwork, empathy, leadership.
     
  • Resources needed to further service leadership campus efforts: time, smaller class sizes, equal opportunity/support given to full and part time faculty, smaller course loads, financial resources/fundraising, including classified staff in professional development, strong faculty involvement/buy-in/support, service leadership seen as legitimate scholarly pursuit for faculty, infrastructure, must involve students, as well as increasing student awareness of service leadership opportunities on campus. 
     
  • Foothill's history as an innovative institution lends itself well to serving our students through service leadership. There's an opportunity for Foothill to lead the nation in what service leadership looks like on a college campus.  
The committee is currently working to finalize the final meeting date of the quarter (Dec. 7or 14). Please check the Community and Communication website for updated meeting information.

Equity & Education Committee

E&E last met on Friday, Nov. 9. Committee members shared their reflections on the role of faculty hiring in the context of equity and eliminating achievement disparities. These reflections will assist the committee in writing a draft value statement on the role of faculty hiring in achieving the college's equity goals. 

Members also evaluated the current hiring prioritization practices and concluded that this year's decision was not made to include values around student equity. E&E looked at the activities listed in Student Equity Plan 1.0, including STEM Core and the Honors program. The grant for STEM Core concludes at the end of this academic year and the college will not be continuing the program. 

The Honors co-directors shared UCLA's recommendations from 2016-17 for the honors program and noted that many of these recommendations are equity-related, including encouraging underrepresented students to participate in the honors program, increasing the number and diversity of faculty, diversifying and expanding curriculum, and offering courses and instructors that appeal to diverse students. 

Revenue & Resources Committee

The Revenue & Resources Committee is familiarizing members with various revenue sources, especially related to categorical funding and the new Student Centered Funding Formula (SCFF). Presentations regarding the Student Equity & Achievement (SEA) Program, Strong Workforce, Perkins, and Adult Education Program (AEP) are providing information and facilitating discussion have occurred in the November and December meetings. 

Information regarding the process and revenue generation of the college's facilities rental program will also be shared. The committee also made the following decisions: (1) Approval of the proposed annual budget request form with feedback to Integrated Planning & Budget (IP&B); (2) Consensus of recommendation regarding the full-time faculty funds from the state to (a) for 2018-19 to apply toward part-time faculty funds (1320) and (b) for 2019-20 to apply toward full-time hiring process by going out for six faculty positions; (3) Approval to form a bookstore study group charged with examining its budget and identifying possible solutions regarding the bookstore deficit (recommendations to R&R in April).

Counselors' Corner

UPDATE: CSU Application Deadline Extended to Dec. 15
!
Due to the wildfires in California, all CSUs are extending their deadline for ALL applicants. UC applicants affected by the fires may submit an appeal to UC requesting an extension for the Dec. 15 deadline. Please encourage students who need assistance with their applications to see a counselor ASAP.
Counselors in Classrooms
As you plan your lectures and activities for winter quarter, please note that counselors are happy to do classroom visits/presentations on topics such as counseling services, educational options, goal setting, time management, campus resources and more. Connect with us at the email address below if you would like to request a counselor visit between weeks 3-7.
Foothill counselors support students in reaching their personal, academic and career goals. It is recommended that students meet with a counselor at least once per quarter. Counseling is available Monday-Friday in person and via telephone or live video counseling. Students may contact a friendly Counseling Center staff member to schedule a 30-minute appointment or learn more about 10-minute Quick Question sessions!
Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback for us? Please contact fhcounseling@fhda.edu.

The Foothill College Parliament faculty & staff newsletter is published bi-monthly. Have something you would like to share with the Foothill College community? Email  Vanessa Smith.

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