College Council
November 1, 2018 Notes
Attendees
Mallory Newell, Michele LeBleu-Burns, Carolyn Nguyen, Edmundo Norte, Alicia Cortez, Anthony Caceres, Lorna Maynard, Mary Kay Englen, Anita Kandula, Sam Bliss, Pam Grey, Susan Cheu, Toño Ramirez, Moaty Fayek, Rob Mieso, Marisa Spatafore, Lorrie Ranck, Tim Shively, Thomas Ray, Christina Espinosa-Pieb, Tony Santos, Nick Mattis, Catherine Hrycyk, DJ Laushal (student), Aaron Couch (student)
Welcome
Interim President Espinosa-Pieb welcomed members and guests to College Council.
Discussion
IPBT Budget Reduction Presentation
Acting Vice President Lorrie Ranck presented a brief overview of the Instructional Planning & Budget Team’s first-tier budget reductions. During the first-tier budget reductions IPBT eliminated 11 vacant faculty positions in order to meet the $1.2 million budget reduction target. IPBT also began the review process of De Anza student programs through the viability committee.
During the spring IPBT focused on the second-tier budget reduction target of $3.7 million. While the first-tier focused on eliminating vacant positions, the second-tier focused heavily on program review. The program review process was informed by data, and hearing from departments and programs. During the winter and spring IPBT asked programs and teams to present to the viability committee in order to better inform the members and provide context and benefits of each program under review. Throughout the viability committee’s process there were twenty-three programs and teams that presented for the viability committee. At the end of spring some second-tier program elimination decisions were made while other programs required further review.
Eliminating programs was one focus of the viability committee; other key efforts included finding ways to reduce program costs and investigating more efficient program reorganizations. The viability committee’s process relies heavily on learning from the various programs in order to find savings that move IPBT toward the target reduction goal of $3.7 million. There have been some changes to the original program reduction recommendations based on the projected SERP based on $1.2 million given to IPBT from the Chancellor’s office for new faculty hire. IPBT is also looking at ways to utilize categorical funds and will then revisit program eliminations. The Wildlife Science Tech position still under consideration but it was voted for elimination. Ranck presented an excel spreadsheet that identified three different budget reduction scenarios.
Scenario A eliminates 9 vacant faculty positions, 5 vacant classified positions, utilizes SWP/BSI/Equity transfers, Fund 15 transfers to the Fitness Center, eliminates paralegal, reduces the dance program, includes the new faculty savings, while eliminating 6 to 8 SERP, ACE, and Teamster positions. Scenario B eliminates 9 vacant faculty positions, 5 vacant classified positions, utilizes SWP/BSI/Equity transfers, Fund 15 transfers to the Fitness Center, eliminates paralegal, reduces the dance program, eliminates the football and water polo programs while eliminating SERP 5-7 SERP, ACE, and Teamster positions. Scenario C eliminates 9 vacant faculty positions, 5 vacant classified positions, utilizes SWP/BSI/Equity transfers, Fund 15 transfers Fitness Center, eliminates paralegal, reduces the dance program, eliminates the football, water polo, and nursing programs while eliminating 1-2 filled ACE and Teamster positions. IPBT voted to send Scenario B to College Council for approval. Please click here to see IPBT’s Budget Reduction proposals.
Dean Thomas Ray voted for scenario B in IPBT reluctantly and expressed he is not comfortable with the elimination of the football program. He also felt that the decision came down to two bad choices: loosing classified staff that are needed or losing football. Student and football player Aaron Couch commented that De Anza was between a rock and a hard place with deciding on what programs to eliminate. He would like the football program to stay at De Anza as it provides a number of opportunities for students. Mr. Couch does not know how he will finish college if the football program is eliminated. Student and football player DJ Laushal asked College Council to take into consideration the effects eliminating the football program will have on the team players and their families. Mr. Laushal commented that if the football program is eliminated then De Anza will lose a lot of students.
Track & Field and Cross-Country Coach Nick Mattis that at least 15 athletes would be impacted in cross country/track and field if the football program is eliminated. Mr. Mattis continued to explain that football benefits every sport in the department through fundraising, student workers for campus, and in various other areas. Mr. Mattis explained that the Athletics department does not want to lose any program, but if Athletics has to lose a program they do not want it to be football. Football’s Head Coach Tony Santos described himself as a walking billboard for De Anza who gets more people to the school than our outreach department, has a higher number of transfer rate than the school, and has a highly diverse team. Mr. Santos explains that cutting the football program takes 80 fulltime kids taking units every quarter and pushes them out. Last year De Anza student athletes received $1.1 million in scholarships. Mr. Santos concluded that if De Anza turns their back on the football program population, then the institution is losing sight of its mission statement. Mr. Santos believes that College Council should look at Scenario A.
Interim Dean of Athletics Sam Bliss commented on how the athletic department growth is incredible. The department went from $300,000 in scholarships to $1.1 million in scholarships in 3 years, and mostly within De Anza’s target population. Within the past few days Dean Bliss was able to adjust the football program’s budget and reduce it by $30,000 and believes that with some additional time he can reduce the football program budget by 55% just by restructuring the schedules. Dean Bliss asked for two weeks of additional time to restructure the football program and come back with a business plan and reallocation model that will work for the football program while also protecting classified professionals from additional eliminations. Dean Moaty Fayek agreed that De Anza lives diversity and equity, and that eliminating the football program will hurt the same people that we are trying to reach. Dean Fayek proposed to College Council that we postpone voting on elimination of the football program for two weeks to allow Dean Bliss time to review and bring a proposal that will reduce the football budget to a workable amount. Dean Bliss urged us to accept Dean Fayek’s motion to postpone only the football part of the budget reduction proposal for two weeks and move forward with the rest of the scenario. Nursing department director Catherine Hrycyk commented that she worked hard to come up with a plan to reduce the nursing budget. Dean Edmundo Norte is interested in hearing a proposal that doesn’t touch the SERP or classified staff positions, and would completely support that proposal.
Interim President Espinosa-Pieb that College Council is meeting because De Anza needs to present at the Monday board meeting. However, Chancellor’s cabinet is willing to give us extra time if College Council so chooses. Scenarios A, B, and C reflect 28 fulltime faculty members that De Anza was given approval by the district to hire that will not be. Chancellor’s cabinet is willing to give us time to work out the details of the football program.
Tim Shively, stating a concern for administrator “proportionality” in reductions, read from the draft Oct. 25 minutes, which had not yet been approved and erroneously characterized President Murphy as using the word with regard to Student Services reductions. Mieso noted the error, referring Shively to the approved minutes of the June 21 meeting and Murphy’s request for a reorganization that considered administrator workload, which Mieso did in recommending the elimination of a dean position. Shively said that from an FA perspective they are looking for everyone to share the pain, i.e. an administrative contribution to the reductions. Foothill has more administrators than De Anza college and they’re smaller. Central Services also has more administrators than De Anza College. While Shively does not feel De Anza’s management is overstaffed, he feels it would be a gesture of solidarity with faculty and staff if IPBT eliminated a management position. Interim President Espinosa-Pieb reiterated that there are 9 instructional deans, 2 not filled, with an AVP position not being backfilled. We are not over administered in the area of instruction. With divisions as large as they are, and with faculty already voicing their need for more time with the existing deans, there isn’t room for eliminating managers. Instruction has ten divisions with six deans managing over 100 employees. Acting Vice President Ranck clarified that De Anza is not backfilling the AVPI position. While some deans are helping with some areas, they are using the AVP funds and the two open dean position funds to backfill for 1320. Mary Kay Englen commented that De Anza is not overly managed, and given the effects of the budget reductions, processes that are already wobbly are going to become more difficult with more eliminations of managers.
Fayek motioned to provide Dean Sam Bliss with two weeks to reduce the football budget and work through the viability committee, IPBT, and then bring a plan back to College Council, while moving forward with the rest of the budget reductions in scenario B. With ten yes, two opposed, and no abstentions the motion passed.
Approval of October 25, 2018 Minutes
In the June 21 minutes “Assistant Vice President” will be changed to “Associate Vice President.” President Murphy’s recommendation will be edited to accurately reflect the suggested administrative reorganization in the June 21 meeting. Edmundo Norte’s suggestion will be moved from “Good of the Order” to the SSPBT budget reduction proposal discussion. The comment George Robles made in respect to the Student Services administrative reorganization impact on EOPS will be added to the minutes. Revised October 25, 2018 Minutes will be revisited for approval at the next College Council meeting.
Good of the Order
None.