Senate covers breaks and new degrees
The Academic Senate met Wednesday to discuss how to make our school better for the students by focusing on classes and subjects.
They also made sure our school is better for our instructors as well because without the instructors, who will teach the students?
The senate is currently working on getting Honorary Degrees for the students. They also passed a vote to add two new transfer degrees. Students may now acquire an AT in geography and an AS in mathematics.
Howard Gensler, and economics instructor said, “I was looking at the new up coming spring schedule, and it does not make sense to me.”
In February students will have almost a whole week off because of national holidays landing on a Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday chronologically. To top that off there will be only about two to three weeks before the students get another week off for spring break in March.
Even though some of the staff agreed, it was pointed out that the reason school will not be in session on those weeks is because of the educational code. The educational code states that the teachers are required those days off because they are national holidays; even if the teachers want to have school in session, it is not their choice.
Some of the faculty felt this would impede on the school schedule for this spring and want to discuss it at the next meeting.
Another issue that was quickly discussed was how the divisions will pick their senator for the Academic Senate meetings. They came to the conclusion that it would be up to the staff of the divisions as a whole about who to select.
Some other key issues were the budget and how they approved all faculty members of the committees. The budget was discussed quickly and about how 96 percent of the budget they needed to go over was about salaries of the faculty.
They also went over what is known as the BSI program. This program is designed to tutor students. It looks like the instructors want to be more involved rather than just send the students to the Library Resource Center.