Indianapolis Faculty Council Meeting Minutes

February 28, 2020

2:00-3:30pm

IFC 223

Last Meeting Debrief:

1. Emplify data and requests for additional data….

Emplify- data has not been formally requested from leadership- Erica has a complete list of questions on Google doc. to present to Dr. Handy and will send out email (this was sent on Monday March 2^nd)

Questions from survey do not seem to interact with academic work setting, and revisiting actual questions for future survey is a conversation council would like to engage with administration in.  

• Brief meeting summaries and discussion:
  • IAC meeting (Erica)
    • Rod’s Direct reports, Rod was at VCAA meeting did not bring up 2^nd 8 week access, so this was not addressed
  • SAP meeting (Erica)
    • Tracy Funk, Erica, Michael Couch- appeals process is now being back at campus control and not in SO. Trying to have at least 2 faculty on committee to review appeals, around 600 appeals a year, asking for council support. Erica suggested Adjuncts being a part of the appeals process.
      • Concerns with faculty being a part is SAP appeal meeting and turn around times are typically around faculty busy time or breaks- this plays into the Emplify Rest issue.
      • Committee is moving to online process as well, instead of meeting face to face as in previous years.
      • Faculty need more information on the SAP process in general
  • Statewide faculty council meeting (Erica)
    • Statewide council are not happy- all courses in Ivy Online will be 8 week format. Decision made and then brought to council, not discussion prior to the decision was ever engaged in.
    • Online calendar- sent to council to approve after decision seemed to be made here as well.
    • Due dates for 1^st 8 week grades are due during faculty breaks- Rest issue again.
    • Shared governance issue came up as a result of these previous issues, leading to a discussion on what the true purpose of this council is.
    • Creating a shared governance sub committee- Erica is joining on statewide team
    • Summer pay lag came up again. No 12 month pay schedule for a 9 month contract, evaluating occurring in fall for Ivy Online teaching faculty
    • Pass/Fail rate added in banner for certifications (mostly Bradon’s courses, maybe Logistics certs are added too)- rolled out as a consideration, but felt like a done deal. Needs to be delayed, and provide time to discuss them.
      • Timing for comments on this issue seems to be too short of turnaround.
  • Faculty Loading Taskforce (Erica)
    • One phone and one face to face meeting so far, 40 ppl on taskforce. Comprised of finance, deans, faculty, SO ppl. Recommendation due in December, ONLY a recommendation though.
    • 7-8 sub committee
      • Erica on online loading committee
    • Their next meeting: March 24
  • Leadership Council (Janet)
    • Lilly grant for improving lives of students. ITCC will be working on putting in proposal to the organization.
    • 1/3 of Indiana population lives in Indianapolis, Dr. Lee wants to get larger market share of population enrolled at the college.
    • Plainfield education center just announced, ITCC partnering in some capacity.
• Guest speaker-Rhonda Angsman- How might we improve testing services (distance education or make-up tests) for faculty and students?
  • Faculty concern: Students seem to have difficulty scheduling their tests.
    • Response: There are always slots available, just may not be at time the student could take it. Saturday morning at 8:30am always open. If students show up at 10, they will get seated. You can always say “you can go there and see if there is a seat”, but conversation should always direct students to formally schedule a test online.
  • Faculty Concern: When faculty send proctor form, is unclear if it is being received.
    • Response: Proctor form designed and process to turn them in is regulated by SO. There is a committee, that Indy assessment people sit on, but it is a statewide decided process and form. If you send form outside Indy service area, student may have a different experience.
      • If assessment does not have proctor form, students are denied access, statewide policy.
      • Scheduling is currently out to 120 days.
  • Faculty Concern: Why is proctor form not in EcoSign? It is located in separate place from all other forms. The email is cumbersome for sending in the form.
    • Response: see previous comment, statewide regulated form and process.
  • Additional talking points: Walk ins are problematic we have 800-900 students taking midterm/finals, but schedules make it hard to have a walk in on an open computer when several appointments will be arriving shortly thereafter even though the walk in student sees a physical seat open.
  • Faculty Concern: Scheduling for IT certs students have exam day cancelled on them.
    • Response: Venders play a role in availability of certification exams. ITCC does not cancel these exams. Student schedules through vender and it does come to ITCC scheduling system, but problems from venders have arisen and seem to cause this issue..
  • Comment: How can faculty support you?
    • Response: Assessment center works really hard to assist any student, so understanding that when students come back and say they couldn’t be seated is not true- it usually means it was not convenient for them when an alternative time was presented to the student.
    • You can always come and visit, to see process, take test, feel free to contact the assessment center directly.
• Council- Budget
  • Statewide members get a stipend, Erica is going to revisit stipend for Indianapolis members.
• Glen sample award is picked by council in other areas across the state.
  • Dr. Brown is interested in council having bigger involvement  in future
• Andrew had to leave before meeting ended.