academic senate of merced college senate of merced college ... resolution 16-15 formation of a task...

Academic Senate of

MERCED COLLEGE

3600 M STREET, MERCED CALIFORNIA 95348-2898

TELEPHONE: (209) 381-6429 TO: Senate Members and Alternates

Area 1, Cohort A Julie Kehoe Area 5, Cohort B Curtis Nelson

Area 1, Cohort A Gabriel Cuarenta Gallegos

Area 5, Cohort C Travis Hicks

Area 1, Cohort B Carl Estrella Counseling Enrique Renteria

Area 1, Cohort B Edward Modafferi Counseling Isabel Cambridge

Area 2, Cohort A Sue Chappell Los Banos Scott Coahran

Area 2, Cohort B Vince Piro Los Banos Mark Sutterfield

Area 2, Cohort B Candace Taylor At Large Greg Soto

Area 3, Cohort A James Thornburgh At Large Mai Meidinger

Area 3, Cohort A Bryan Tassey At Large Megan Igo

Area 3, Cohort B Chris Pedretti At Large Steve Clark

Area 4, Cohort A Kitty Cazares Adjunct Kathleen Brantley- Gutierrez

Area 4, Cohort A Gloria Provencio Adjunct Chris Gaugler

Area 4, Cohort B/C Michelle Pecchenino IPRSLOAC Edward Modafferi (NV)

Area 4, Cohort B/C Susan Kline LRC Lindsay Davis

Area 5, Cohort A Ralph Morris Curriculum Chair Julie Clark

Area 5, Cohort A Jodie Steeley Past President Dee Sigismond

Alternates

Area 1, Cohort A Caroline Dawson Area 7 Mark Sutterfield

Area 1, Cohort A Marie Bruley Counseling Enrique Renteria

Area 3, Cohort A Bill Walls Counseling Tony Lewis

Area 3, Cohort B Nate Devine At Large Dan Smith

Area 3, Cohort B Bob Casey At Large Vince Piro

Area 4, Cohort B/C

Ian Stapleton Adjunct Nicole Brown

Area 5, Cohort C Mara Colomer-Flores

CC:

Ron Taylor Lou Ferguson Don Peterson

Joanne Schultz Mario Cordova Doug Kain

Chris Vitelli Patrick Mitchell Susan Walsh

Mike McCandless John Albano Brenda Latham

Angela Tos Bobby Anderson ASMC President

Kevin Kistler Jim Andersen Tracie Green

Shelly Conner Public Copy-Admin Building Display Case

FROM: Nancy Golz (x6703)

SUBJECT: Academic Senate Meeting DATE: Thursday November 5, 2015

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ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING THURSDAY, November 12, 2015 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Student Union Meeting Room--137 AGENDA: 1. CALL TO ORDER

2. ADOPTION OF AGENDA (An item may be pulled, but not added unless in compliance

with Brown Act)

Item 1: Approval of senators to proceed with the provided agenda

3. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS

4. PUBLIC COMMENTS

5. RECORD OF PREVIOUS MEETING Item 1: Approval by senators for minutes from October 22, 2015

6. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES and TASK FORCES Item 1: Curriculum Committee- Julie Clark Item 2: IPRSLOAC- Edward Modafferi Item 3: FLEX- Gabriel Cuarenta Gallegos Item 4: Student Success-Carl Estrella 7. SENATE PRESIDENT’S REPORT-Nancy Golz

8. ACTION AGENDA

Item 1: Resolution 13-15 Program Investigation of Mechatronics Item 2: Resolution 14-15 Curriculum Chairperson 3rd Term Exception

9. NEW BUSINESS

Item 1: Resolution 15-15 Flex Activity Addition for BP/AP 7215 and AP 7220 Item 2: Resolution 16-15 Formation of a Task Form to Consider Canvas/Instructure LMS adoption

10. PRESIDENT’S REPORT – Ron Taylor 11. STUDENT’S REPORT – Cody Camacho

12. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND OPEN FORUM

Item 1: Announcements Item 2: Call for items on next agenda, next senate meeting Thursday December 10, 2015.

Items are due December 3 by 11:00 am.

13. ADJOURNMENT-The president of the senate will request adjournment of the meeting.

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Academic Senate of Merced College

MINUTES UNAPPROVED

Thursday, October 22, 2015

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Student Union, Room 137

Area 1, Cohort A Julie Kehoe 1. Present Area 5, Cohort A Jodie Steeley 2. Present

Area 1, Cohort A Gabriel Cuarenta-Gallegos 3. Present Area 5, Cohort B Carin Heidelbach 4. Present

Area 1, Cohort B Carl Estrella 5. Present Area 5, Cohort C Travis Hicks 6. Present

Area 1, Cohort B Edward Modafferi 7. Present Counseling Enrique Renteria 8. Present

Area 2, Cohort A Sue Chappell 9. Absent Counseling Isabel Cambridge 10. Absent

Area 2, Cohort B Vince Piro 11. Present Los Banos Scott Coahran 12. Present

Area 2, Cohort B Candace Hall-Taylor 13. Absent Los Banos Mark Sutterfield 14. Absent

Area 3, Cohort A James Thornburgh 15. Absent At Large Greg Soto 16. Present

Area 3, Cohort A Bryan Tassey 17. Present At Large Mai Meidinger 18. Present

Area 3, Cohort B Chris Pedretti 19. Absent At Large Megan Igo 20. Present

Area 4, Cohort A Kitty Cazares 21. Absent At Large Steve Clark 22. Present

Area 4, Cohort A Gloria Provencio 23. Absent Adjunct Kathleen Brantley-Gutierrez 24. Present

Area 4, Cohort B/C Michelle Pecchenino 25. Absent Adjunct Chris Gaugler 26. Present

Area 4, Cohort B/C Susan Kline 27. Present Curriculum Chair Julie Clark 28. Present

Area 5, Cohort A Ralph Morris 29. Present LRC Lindsey Davis 30. Present

IPRSLOAC (NV) Edward Modafferi President Elect Dee Sigismond Present

ASMC Representative Cody Camacho Absent Superintendent Dr. Ronald Taylor Absent

GUESTS:

Dr. Kevin Kistler, Dean Area 2, Basic Skills, English, Child Dev. Aaron Hamilton, Professor of Electronics

Dr. Doug Kain, Dean Area 1, Math, Science, & Engineering Patrick Mitchell, MCFA President

Luis Flores, Research

1. CALL TO ORDER

Nancy Golz called the meeting to order at 11:03 a.m.

2. ADOPTION OF AGENDA (An item may be pulled, but not added unless in compliance with Brown Act)

Item 1: Approval by senators to proceed with the provided agenda.

M: V. Piro S: S. Kline Y: 22 N: 0 A: 0

3. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS

GUESTS:

Kevin Kistler Doug Kain

Luis Flores Aaron Hamilton

Patrick Mitchell

4. PUBLIC COMMENTS

Greg Soto announced the Ed Plan awareness campaign. Senators were given a button. Faculty are encouraged to inform their students to make appointments to get their Ed plans completed. There are openings for appointments as early as Monday, Oct. 26.

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5. RECORD OF PREVIOUS MEETING Item 1: Approval by Senators for minutes from October 8, 2015 (pp. 2-5)

6. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES and TASK FORCES

Item 1: Curriculum Committee – Julie Clark Updates received for English curriculum changes. Presentation made available to all faculty. Voting for the change of Curriculum meeting day and time will be held at the November 5 meeting: Voice your preference to your respective Curriculum Rep. Also on the Nov. 5 agenda is the Art faculty presenting some of their courses for GE discussion. Program Reviews need to be in the pipelines to be completed by the December 3 meeting. Tech Review on November 19. Item 2: IPRSLOAC – Edward Modafferi Meeting October 23 at 2 p.m. in the Board Room. Training CATS on the new forms. Item 3: FLEX / SDC – Mai Meidinger Gabe reported that Status-Checker for FLEX is going live next week. Be on the lookout for the link. Mai reported that workshop proposal requests were sent out last week, deadline Friday, October 23. She has received twelve responses so far. She is working with Tracie Green on the new registration program; working out the kinks. Item 4: Student Success Committee – Carl Estrella Carl reported that Study Central and Tutorial are accepting applications from faculty to help in these areas.

7. SENATE PRESIDENT’S REPORT – Nancy Golz Hiring Prioritization process is moving forward. Request forms are due to Nancy today. She needs the completed forms so she can forward them to the committee members to ensure careful consideration. Nancy confirmed receipt of the dean’s rankings and thanked the deans for them. The Hiring Prioritization Committee will be meeting next Thursday, October 29. VPI interviews this week. Forums on Oct. 27 and 28. Newsletter will be sent out today. CTE Liaison still needed for statewide Academic Senate. Fall Plenary – Nancy will send a link to Resolutions for input. Senate President-Elect election coming soon.

8. ACTION AGENDA Item 1: For Second Reading: Resolution 11-15: Curriculum Chair-Elect (pp. 6-8)

M: J. Clark S: S. Kline Y: 15 Julie Clark Travis Hicks Megan Igo Carl Estrella

N: 5 Vince Piro Greg Soto Enrique Renteria Kathleen Brantley-Gutierrez

A: 2 Chris Gaugler Mai Meidinger

M: S. Coahran S: V. Piro Y: 22 N: 0 A: 0

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Jodie Steeley Edward Modafferi Gabriel Cuarenta-Gallegos Steve Clark Carin Heidelbach Susan Kline Ralph Morris Scott Coahran Bryan Tassey Julie Kehoe Dee Sigismond

Lindsay Davis

Item 2: For 1st and Only Reading: Resolution 12-15: Support of the Recommendations of the Chancellor’s Accreditation Task Force 2015 (pp. 9-10) – Patrick Mitchell M: S. Coahran S: C. Gaugler Y: 22 N: 0 A: 0

9. NEW BUSINESS

Item 1: For 1st Reading: Resolution 13-15: Program Investigation of Mechatronics (pp. 11) Aaron Hamilton, Electronics instructor, explained Mechatronics is an engineering discipline rather than a technician discipline. He would like to eventually develop new curriculum for an Industrial Electrical Program. Item 2: For 1st Reading: Resolution 14-15: Curriculum Chair Third Term Exception (pp. 12-13) – As recommended to separate from Resolution 11-15. For ease of shadowing as well as other extenuating circumstances.

10. PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ron Taylor No report.

11. STUDENT’S REPORT - Cody Camacho No report.

12. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND OPEN FORUM Item 1: Announcements Item 2: Call for items on next agenda. Next senate meeting Thursday, November 12, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.; items due Thursday, November 5, 2015 by 11:00 a.m.

13. ADJOURNMENT – Nancy Golz – The meeting adjourned at 11:54 p.m.

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Academic Senate of

MERCED COLLEGE 3600 M Street Merced, CA 95348-2898

Telephone (209) 384-6095

RESOLUTION

First Reading: October 22, 2015

Second Reading/Action (Date): November 12, 2015 Pass/Fail

RESOLUTION 13-15

Subject: ___Program Investigation of Mechatronics____________________________

Mover: Nancy Golz Division/Area: Library

Seconder: Aaron Hamilton Division/Area: Industrial Technology

Whereas, a “Program Investigation of Mechatronics” was initiated by Area 3 Cohort A faculty in

the 2015-2016 academic year, and

Whereas, the Merced College Academic Senate agreed to investigate the Mechatronics program

using the procedures set forth in Administrative Procedure 4021- Program Discontinuance, and,

Whereas, the Program Investigation Committee for Mechatronics has made a recommendation

and approved the attached report,

Therefore be it resolved, that the Merced College Academic Senate recommends that the

Academic Senate approve the recommendations of the Program Investigation Committee-

Mechatronics report to discontinue the Mechatronics program and present the findings to

the Board of Trustees, and

Be it further resolved, that the Curriculum Committee be given the directive to move

forward on approving the discontinuance of the Mechatronics program.

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MERCED COLLEGE PROGRAM INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE

The process for the assessment of programs adheres to Title 5, Sections 55130 and 51022. Section 55130 indicates “The development, establishment and evaluation of an education program shall include representative faculty involvement.” Section 51022 references occupational programs and states “College districts are required by current regulation and statute to develop a process for program discontinuance and minimum criteria for the discontinuance of occupational programs.” Additionally, Education Code §78016 stipulates that every vocational and occupational program shall meet certain requirements prior to termination. The Program Investigatory process serves as the mechanism for the assessment of programs that have been identified as “at risk.” Investigation to assess Program viability is a component of campus planning that leads to increased quality of instruction, service and better use of existing resources. The process is an extension of Program Review and is intended to be an objective assessment of an at-risk program. Quantitative and qualitative data are used to review a program’s academic health and ensure the program reflects the College Mission and accomplishes college, Area, and program goals. There are three potential recommendations that may result from the Program Investigation process. A program may be recommended to continue as is, to continue with qualifications, or to discontinue a program.

Name of Program: Mechatronics Cohort: Discipline: Science Program Investigation Committee members Co-Chairs Academic Senate President: Nancy Golz Vice President of Instruction: Susan Walsh Members Dean Area 1: James Andersen Community: John Coate Student : Francis Benfield Faculty Lead: James Thornburgh Discipline Faculty: Aaron Hamilton Discipline Faculty: Jeff Nagano Counselor: Curriculum Chair: Julie Clark Resources: Researcher: Andrea Hall-Cuccia Administrative Assistant: Karen Wallace

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I. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM (Data resources may include: Merced College Course Catalogue;

history; department records; Program Review, Strategic Plan; Educational Master Plan; Institutional or

program SLOs; District sources; additional sources deemed appropriate by review committee)

Describe the program history, including its relation to the college’s strategic plan, educational master plan and other programs in the District.

According to the 2015-2016 catalog, both an Associate of Arts (AA) and a Certificate of Achievement in Mechatronics/Automated Systems Technology are currently offered at Merced College. Program Student Learning Outcomes include:

Demonstrate entry level theoretical and practical skills applicable to mechatronics systems.

Recognize the importance of following the safety regulations at the workplace.

Exhibit the ability to communicate effectively in accomplishing job related tasks.

Core courses under the Mechatronics/Automated Systems Technology Program for the both AA and the certificate include the following:

ELCT-56 Introduction to Mechatronics: “This course introduces students to Mechatronics, the rapidly developing field that integrates mechanical, electronic, and software engineering in the service of advanced manufacturing.”

ELCT-57 Advanced Topics in Mechatronics/Automated Systems: “This course introduces students to advanced mechatronics systems that integrate complex mechanical, electronic, pneumatics, and PLC Programming software applications.”

In Fall 2012 and Spring 2013, the following course was offered:

ELCT-71AD Introductory to Mechatronics 1: This course familiarizes “students with automated technical systems.”

II REASON(S) FOR THE INVESTIGATION (Summarize the reason(s) for the initiation of the

investigation)

The primary purposes of each Career Technical Education (CTE) program is to provide an education that focusses on technical training that prepares completers to enter the workforce requiring highly technical skill levels for high wage jobs. With this as a focus, Merced College’s Industrial Technology Programs, over the past two years, have engaged with local industry, to evaluate their curriculum and provide recommendations for revisions. These revisions will help insure each program provides training that meets industry needs and makes our program completers more employable.

As this industry focused curriculum review has ensued, it has become apparent that the curriculum in the Mechatronics Program provided training focused on engineering concepts, rather than industrial technician shills development. Upon completion of the Industrial Maintenance and Industrial Electrical Technician program curriculum review, it was evident that Mechatronics was not an

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appropriate training program for our local manufacturing industry needs.

III QUANTITATIVE INDICATORS AND ANALYSIS (Data resources may include: Educational

Master Plan; Core Program and Student Success Indicators; additional data provided by Office of Grants & Institutional Research; previous Program Review and Planning reports; department records; assessment of student learning outcomes; additional sources deemed appropriate by review committee) A. List the quantitative information used in the program analysis. (Submit the data itself

as an appendix to this report.)

1. Productivity

a. Full-Time Equivalent Faculty (FTEF)

Mechatronics classes were taught by one full-time professor. (Table 1)

Full-Time Equivalent Students (FTES)

Over the reporting period, Mechatronics had an FTES of 9.67. average FTES per section for Mechatronics courses was 2.42. FTES by course by term is shown in Table 2.

b. Enrollment

i. Total Enrollment

Enrollment consisted of students who registered for a Mechatronics core course (ELCT-56, ELCT-57, ELCT-71AD) and received a letter grade A, B, C, D, F, P, NP, I, W, FW, MW during Fall 2012 to Spring 2015. There were 55 total enrollments representing 47 unique students across the reporting period. ELCT-56 in Spring 2015 (21) had the highest enrollment, and ELCT-57 in Spring 2014 (8) had the lowest. ELCT-57 is the advanced course. This may suggest that students may be less likely to enroll in the advanced course. Average enrollment was 13.75. Enrollment by course and term is shown in Table 3.

ii. Completion

A student completed a course if the student earned a letter grade A, B, C, P, D, F, NP, or I. The course completion rate is the percent of students who completed a course. Mechatronics courses had an overall completion rate of 90.91%. All students who enrolled in ELCT-57 in Spring 2014 completed. ELCT-71AD had the lowest completion rate (86.67%). The course completion rate for the college as a whole

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over the reporting period was 84.20%1. The completion rate for Mechatronics was higher than the college as a whole. (Table 4)

iii. Success

A student earned a successful grade in a course by receiving a letter grade A, B, C, or P. The course success rate is the percent of students who were successful in the course. All students who completed a Mechatronics course succeeded. The success rate for the college as a whole for the reporting period was 68.58%. The success rate for Mechatronics was considerably higher than the college as a whole. (Table 5)

Frequency of course offerings

The availability of program course offerings is analyzed to understand the historical pattern of student enrollment. Over the reporting period, 4 sections of Mechatronics courses were offered at Merced. ELCT-56 was offered in Fall 2013 and Spring 2015. ELCT-71AD was offered in Fall 2012. ELCT-57 was offered in Spring 2014. (Table 6)

c. Student Demographics

i. Age

The majority of the students in the Mechatronics program were

age 20-24 (40.00%) with 12.73% of the students in in the 25-29

age range, and another 12.73% of the students 30-35 years of

age. (Graph 1)

ii. Ethnicity

The majority of the students in the program were Hispanic

(41.82%). Graph 2 displays the full ethnic data.

iii. Gender

Over 98 % of the students in the program were male. (Graph 3)

2. Demand

The following occupation was examined:

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Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (Standard Occupational Code (SOC) 49-2094): Individuals in this occupation “Repair, test, adjust, or install electronic equipment, such as industrial controls, transmitters, and antennas.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), California ranks second as the state with the highest employment levels for this occupation. According to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), employment in California is expected to increase 9.20% for this occupation. Employment trends for Fresno, Stockton, and Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) were also examined. Employment in Modesto is expected to double while employment in Stockton is expected to remain flat. Employment in Fresno is expected to increase 16.70%. This suggests that there may be job opportunities for students with degrees in Mechatronics. However, this is a very broad category, and persons with other degrees may also be able to find work in this category. (Graph 6). Graph 7 shows the potential salaries of graduates.

3. State and/or County Licensing

There are no state or national licenses dedicated specifically to

Mechatronics. A variety of other certifications are available but not required. Programs include the Siemens Mechatronics Certification Program and the PMMI (the Association for Processing and Packaging Technologies) Mechatronics certificates.

B. Evaluate the results of the quantitative sources listed in the box above. The evaluation should include the anticipated effect of any recent or planned programmatic changes, how effectively the program addresses students’ needs, student success rates, and employment (labor market). Identify and discuss any unmet student needs.

The program is small, with few sections offered and fairly low enrollment, especially in the advanced course. Based on qualitative data from instructors in the program, local industry employers, and former students in the program, the current Mechatronics program does not prepare students for employment in the Central Valley. Employers are unfamiliar with the term “Mechatronics.” The program does not fulfill the current needs of industry and employers in the Central Valley. Students and local business/employers would be better served with a more technical and less theoretical curriculum.

C. Analyze the productivity of this program. Identify trends; determine and evaluate the (anticipated) effect of any recent or planned programmatic changes. Discuss the number of full-time and adjunct faculty, overload and reassigned FTEF, and the effect of these factors on the efficiency and sustainability of the program.

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There is one full-time professor who has taught the Mechatronic courses. This instructor would not be affected by the discontinuance of the program since there are other classes that this instructor is qualified to teach. Students would be better served through updated curriculum that prepares them for current employment opportunities.

D. Evaluate if the program addresses students’ needs with respect to equity in terms of diversity, age, and gender. Evaluate the impact of programmatic changes or other measures that have been implemented in order to improve student success or address unmet needs with respect to equity. The student’s in this program have predominantly been Hispanic males. Overall, the enrollment has been very low in this program. An updated curriculum based on current industry needs would better suit the needs of all students at Merced College and the community members who will be potential employers of these students.

IV QUALITATIVE INDICATORS AND DISCUSSION (Data resources may include: Office of

Grants & Institutional Research reports, Program Investigation Committee research, discussions with faculty, students, and community; open forums, additional sources deemed appropriate by review committee.)

A. Provide a list of the qualitative information used in the program analysis.

Submit the data itself as an appendix to this report. (Submit the data itself as an

appendix to this report.)

Discussion with Merced College Electronics, Industrial Technology, and Drafting Faculty

Discussion with Career Technical Education Dean, Jim Andersen

Discussion with Julie Clark, Curriculum Chair

Discussion with Francis Benfield, Student

Discussion with John Coate, Community Business from Hilmar Cheese

B. Evaluate the results of the qualitative sources listed in the box above The

evaluation should include a summary of the qualitative information and discussion regarding how the information should be used in conjunction with the quantitative data in the previous section to provide a complete picture of the program

The current program does not meet local industry needs. Prior students mentioned that the curriculum did not adequately prepare them to work in local industry as the curriculum was too theoretical in nature. Faculty members, student representatives and community/business members all agreed that the current program does not serve the needs of students seeking employment in the Central Valley.

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V SWOT ANALYSIS OF QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA

Summarize the quantitative and qualitative data regarding the program’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

A. Program Strengths

Data indicate this program has been fairly successful with a high completion and success rate and awards granted to all students completing the requirements.

All students who enrolled in both Mechatronics courses received a degree. This suggests that students who complete the requirements may be highly likely to earn a certificate.

Employment in Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment is expected to grow in the future.

B. Program Weaknesses

The program is small, with few sections offered and fairly low enrollment.

Local business and employers do not know what Mechatronics is.

Current coursework does not meet local employment needs.

No faculty are interested in maintaining program.

C. Program Opportunities

This program has been fairly successful with a high completion and success rate and awards granted to all students completing all requirements.

D. Program Threats

Low enrollment in the program.

No faculty interested in maintaining the program

VI RECOMMENDATION

The Program Investigation Committee for Mechatronics determined that the Mechatronics program currently offered should be discontinued, and new curriculum should be developed. Date of Program Investigation report submitted by:

_______________________ ____________________________ _________ Program Investigation co chair (print name) Program Investigation co chair (signature) Date _______________________ ____________________________ _________ Program Investigation co chair (print name) Program Investigation co chair (signature) Date

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ADDENDA (Attach)

Table 1: Mechatronics-FTEF

Table 1: Mechatronics-FTEF Term ELCT-56 ELCT-57 ELCT-71AD

Fall 2012 - - .27 Spring 2013 - - - Fall 2013 .40 - - Spring 2014 - .47 - Fall 2014 - - - Spring 2015 .40 - -

Source: MCCD/SharePoint –Office of Grants and Institutional Research

Table 2: Mechatronics-FTES

Table 2: Mechatronics-FTES Term ELCT-56 ELCT-57 ELCT-71AD Total

Fall 2012 - - 2.50 2.50 Spring 2013 - - - - Fall 2013 .73 - - .73 Spring 2014 - .82 - .82 Fall 2014 - - - - Spring 2015 5.62 - - 5.62 Total 6.35 .82 2.50 9.67

Source: MCCD/Enrollment Management Tool

Table 3: Mechatronics-Enrollment

Table 3: Mechatronics-Enrollment Term ELCT-56 ELCT-57 ELCT-71AD Total

Fall 2012 - - 15 15 Spring 2013 - - - - Fall 2013 11 - - 11 Spring 2014 - 8 - 8 Fall 2014 - - - - Spring 2015 21 - - 21 Total 32 8 15 55

Source: MCCD Ellucian

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Table 4: Mechatronics-Completion

Table 4: Mechatronics-Completion Term ELCT-56 ELCT-57 ELCT-71AD Total

Fall 2012 - - 86.67% 86.67% Spring 2013 - - - - Fall 2013 90.91% - - 90.91% Spring 2014 - 100.00% - 100.00% Fall 2014 - - - - Spring 2015 90.48% - - 90.48% Total 90.63% 100.00% 86.67% 90.91%


Table 5: Mechatronics-Success

Table 5: Mechatronics-Success Term ELCT-56 ELCT-57 ELCT-71AD Total

Fall 2012 - - 86.67% 86.67% Spring 2013 - - - - Fall 2013 90.91% - - 90.91% Spring 2014 - 100.00% - 100.00% Fall 2014 - - - - Spring 2015 90.48% - - 90.48% Total 90.63% 100.00% 86.67% 90.91%


Table 6: Mechatronics-Offerings

Table 6: Mechatronics-Offerings Term ELCT-56 ELCT-57 ELCT-71AD Total

Fall 2012 - - 1 MC 1 MC Spring 2013 - - - - Fall 2013 1 MC - - 1 MC Spring 2014 - 1 MC - 1 MC Fall 2014 - - - - Spring 2015 1 MC - - 1 MC Total 2 MC 1 MC 1 MC 4 MC

Source: MCCD/SharePoint –Office of Grants and Institutional Research

Graph 1: Mechatronics-Age Fall 2012-Spring 2015

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Graph 2: Mechatronics- Ethnicity Fall 2012-Spring 2015

Graph 3: Mechatronics-Gender Fall 2012-Spring 2015

African-American 1.82%

Asian 16.36%

Hispanic 41.82%

Multi-ethnic 9.09%

White, Non-Hispanic 30.91%

Graph 2: Mechatronics- Ethnicity Fall 2012-Spring 2015 (N=55)

19 or under 14.55%

20-24 40.00% 25-29

12.73%

30-34 12.73%

35-39 5.45%

40-49 10.91%

50 or over 3.64%

Graph 1: Mechatronics-Age Fall 2012-Spring 2015 (N=55 )

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Graph 6: Employment Projections 2012-2022

Graph 7: Average Annual Salary

Male 98.18%

Female 1.82%

Graph 3: Mechatronics-Gender Fall 2012-Spring 2015 (N=61)

9.20%

16.70%

100.00%

0.00% 0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

California Fresno Modesto Stockton

Graph 6: Employment Projections 2012-2022

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$55,610

$60,486

$46,571

$51,522 $51,002

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

$60,000

$70,000

National California Fresno Modesto Stockton

Graph 7: Average Annual Salary

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Academic Senate of


Telephone (209) 384-6095

RESOLUTION

First Reading: October 22, 2015

Second Reading/Action (Date): November 12, 2015 Pass/Fail

RESOLUTION NO. 14-15

Subject: Curriculum Chairperson Third Term Exception

Mover: Julie Clark Division/Area: Area 1/Mathematics

Seconder: Megan Igo Division/Area: Area 1/Biology

Whereas, Merced College Academic Senate just passed Resolution 11-15 which creates a

Curriculum Chair-elect to shadow the current Curriculum Chairperson their last year in office, the

first Curriculum Chair-elect will start in Fall 2017;

Whereas, the current Curriculum Chairperson, Julie Clark is serving her second consecutive term

as Curriculum Chairperson and cannot run a third term under the current senate bylaws;

Whereas, Merced College is in the process of hiring a new Vice President of Instruction (VPI) to

start in January of 2016, this will be the fifth VPI in the last four years;

Whereas, Merced College is the in the process of writing its next self-study for the Accrediting

Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), with the next site visit in March of

2017; and

Whereas, the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative Team Members stressed on October

30, 2015 the importance of sustainable mid-level leader and the importance of Leading from the

Middle; and

Whereas, chairing the curriculum committee requires a considerable amount of time and

experience to develop proficiency, including Title 5 regulations, Chancellor’s Office Operations

and Policies, Merced College Policies, ACCJC Accreditation Standards, and stay current with

legislative changes affecting curriculum;

Therefore be it resolved that the current Curriculum Chairperson, Julie Clark, may run for and

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serve a third consecutive term, to allow Resolution 11-15 to be phased in, if elected in December

of 2015 by the Curriculum Committee and confirmed by the Academic Senate in January of 2016.

Be it further resolved that in November of 2016 the elections committee will solicit nominations

from the current and past curriculum committee members for election as Curriculum Chair-elect

that will start in Fall of 2017.

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Academic Senate of


Telephone (209) 384-6095

RESOLUTION

First Reading: November 12, 2015

Second Reading/Action (Date): December 10, 2015 Pass/Fail


Subject: Flex Activity Addition for BP/AP 7215 and AP 7220

Mover: Gabriel Cuarenta-Gallegos Division/Area: Mathematics/Area 1

Seconder: Mai Meidinger Division/Area: Mathematics/Area 1

Whereas, Merced Community College participates in the flexible calendar program offered

through the California Community Colleges

Whereas, The purpose of the flexible calendar program is to provide faculty time to participate in

activities that are related to staff improvement, student improvement, and/or instructional

improvement (Title 5, section 55720).

Whereas, Workshops/Seminars/Conferences directly related to instructional improvement or

student success is an activity of the current FLEX activities list

Whereas, Pre-recorded workshops/seminars/conferences provide faculty with more options to

participate in instructional improvement activities.

Whereas, The Chancellor’s Office Guidelines include “Wellness activities that assist individuals

to be physically and mentally better able to perform their jobs (e.g., humor in the workplace, stress

reduction, self-defense, nutrition, exercise, weight reduction)” as possible activities for staff

improvement.

Whereas, The FLEX Peer Review Committee has thoroughly considered updating the FLEX

activities list to include pre-recorded workshops/seminars/conferences.

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Therefore be it resolved, that the Academic Senate recommend that the activity statement related

to workshops/seminars/conferences be restated as follows:

Live or Pre-Recorded Workshops/Seminars/Conferences directly related to instructional

improvement or student success.

Be it furthered resolved that the Merced College Academic Senate recommends the revision of

BP/AP 7215 and AP 7220 to reflect the change in the list of FLEX activities as shown in the

attached documents.

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BOARD POLICY 7215 FLEX TIME

Reference: Title 5- Sections 55720, 55722, 55724, 55726, 55728, 55730 and 55732

To conduct staff, student, and instructional improvement activities pursuant to Section 84890 in the Education Code, California community colleges are allowed to designate time known as flex time for upgrading employee skills and abilities.

The flexible calendar includes four flex days during the academic year, as presented for Board approval with the annual school calendar.

See Administrative Procedures 5110 7215

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ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 7215 – FLEX TIME Reference: Title 5- Sections 55720, 55722, 55724, 55726, 55728, 55730 and 55732

Flex Guidelines Merced Community College District participates in the Flexible Calendar Program offered through the California Community Colleges. State guidelines for the Flexible Calendar Program are used to establish the basis for the implementation of the Flex Program at Merced College - http://xtranet.cccco.edu/Portals/1/AA/FlexCalendar/Flex_Calendar_Guidelines_04- 07.docx.pdf

Guidelines for the Flexible Planning Calendar address 11 areas: 1. Parameters Of The Flexible Calendar Program 2. Determining Flexible Calendar Accountable Hours 3. When Flexible Calendar Hours May Be Performed 4. Hourly Credit for Activity Participation 5. Flexible Calendar Program Activities 6. Funding For Flexible Calendar Activities 7. Coordinator For The Flexible Calendar Program 8. Advisory Committee For The Flexible Calendar Program 9. Individual Faculty Contracts 10. Evaluation 11. Chancellor’s Requirements For Establishing Or Maintaining A Flexible Calendar

Program. The following Merced College guidelines are congruent with the Education Code and Guidelines and serve as the foundation for implementation of the Flex Program at Merced College.

FULL-TIME FACULTY FLEX OBLIGATION

Contractual Obligation Full-time faculty with a full contract teaching load are required to fulfill four (4) flex days per academic year at six (6) hours per day, totaling twenty-four (24) flex hours per year. See Mandatory flex days below. Full-time faculty participating in the Reduced Workload Program or who have reassigned time for committee or planning work, through a formal agreement with the District, will have their flex obligations reduced proportionately (i.e., one-fifth (1/5) reassigned time means one-fifth (1/5) reduction in flex obligation).

Counselors and Librarians are required to fulfill flex time proportionate to the teaching load in their individual contract as indicated in Title 5 sections 55726a and 55728a (i.e., a counselor contracted to teach one-third (1/3) of a full-teaching load would have one- third (1/3) of a flex requirement, 8 hours). Although not mandated by Title 5, counselors and librarians are encouraged to participate in FLEX as evidenced by Merced College

http://xtranet.cccco.edu/Portals/1/AA/FlexCalendar/Flex_Calendar_Guidelines_04-07.docx.pdf

http://xtranet.cccco.edu/Portals/1/AA/FlexCalendar/Flex_Calendar_Guidelines_04-07.docx.pdf

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Board Policy 4010 and the MCFA Contract which requires 175 days of work for counselors and librarians. Four of those days are designated as flex days.

Mandatory Days The day of Convocation, held prior to the start of the Fall Semester, is a mandatory flex day for regular contracted full-time faculty to engage in division/campus meetings - 3 hours for college convocation and 3 hours for Office of Instruction, Area, or Cohort activities.

Overload, Load-Banked, and Sabbatical Assignments Flex obligations do not apply to overload assignments, load-banking, or sabbatical leave.

Short-Term Teaching Assignments Full time and part-time Faculty teaching short-term classes are not obligated to participate in FLEX for that class.

PART-TIME FACULTY FLEX OPPORTUNITY Any part-time faculty with a current teaching assignment will be given the opportunity to participate in staff development activities through the flex time program. Part-time faculty will be compensated for participating in up to 3 hours of approved flex activities for each semester in which they have a current for-credit teaching assignment. Part- time faculty will be required to submit a time sheet and documentation of their attendance in approved activities.

THE FLEX CONTRACT At the beginning of each academic year, the faculty will be notified by the flex coordinator when the flex and staff development forms are ready and where they can be located. Any changes to the process will be reported to faculty at the beginning of the fall semester.

DESIGNATED TIMES FOR FLEX ACTIVITIES The flex calendar begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. Flex obligations can be fulfilled at appropriate times through approved activities. Appropriate times to earn credit for flex activities are times when faculty do not have assigned classes or other scheduled responsibilities (i.e., office hours, exams, department, cohort or area meetings).

AWARD OF FLEX CREDIT Faculty receive one hour of flex credit for each hour of participation in an approved flex activity. Faculty who present flex activities receive three times the flex credit the first time the activity is presented and twice the flex credit for subsequent presentations of the same material. Flex credit may be accrued for both the Fall and Spring semesters from July 1 through June 30th. Flex hours may not be banked from one academic year to another.

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Deadline for Completing Flex Obligation A completion form identifying completed or proposed flex activities for full-time faculty is due February 1. All flex activities (including proposed activities) for both full-time and part-time faculty must be completed no later than June 30. All final documentation is due no later than June 30.

FLEX DOCUMENTATION All flex activities require back-up documentation that provides a description of the activity, the dates and times the activity occurred, and verification of completion of the activity. Flex documentation may be submitted throughout the year.

Appropriate forms of documentation include the following:

• Flex Workshops—Printed name and signature on sign-in roster

• Conferences—A brochure or agenda, proof of attendance such as a receipt for registration fees and an explanation of how it relates to improvement of professional effectiveness

• Enrollment in College Courses—Course description, plus a transcript or official grade report and an explanation of how the course relates to improvement of professional effectiveness

• District, College or Campus Committees—Membership list provided by the committee chair

• Meetings (with the exception of area, departmental or cohort meetings for full time faculty as these are professional expectations as stated in Faculty Agreement)—Meeting minutes showing attendance or a sign-in sheet provided by the chair

• Research—An explanation of the research problem undertaken, a summary of activities including dates and times, and if applicable an annotated bibliography of all works researched

• Special Projects/Activities with Students—Must occur outside of routine class hours and be documented on a syllabus or student notice and performed on a specific day

• All Other Activities should be fully documented by a log, journal or other document verifying dates, times, and an explanation of the activity, product or outcome information and how it relates to improvement of professional effectiveness

COMPENSATION Full-time faculty are compensated through their annual salary, as flex days are part of the fall/spring academic calendar. Part-time faculty that choose to participate in the flex opportunity will be paid at the median pay rate of the current year’s part-time faculty salary schedule up to three hours per semester. When necessary, a full-time faculty member’s pay will be docked for failing to meet and document their flex obligation once the June 30 deadline has passed.

Hours earned in excess of the flex obligation will not be paid.

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PROHIBITION OF DOUBLE PAYMENT Activities already paid for by other organizations are not acceptable for flex credit. The Flex Committee decides if double payment is an issue.

Examples of Prohibited Double Payment:

a. A faculty member, teaching at multiple public institutions, cannot receive flex credit and/or monetary payment from multiple institutions for a single event/project geared for a single institution’s benefit.

b. A faculty member awarded reassigned time for committee service cannot receive additional flex credit for that service.

c. A faculty member enrolled in a college course for salary schedule advancement cannot receive flex credit for that activity.

d. A faculty member receiving a stipend for a particular assignment cannot receive flex credit for that service.

FLEX ACTIVITIES

Title 5 Regulations list the general categories of activities which are appropriate in lieu of instruction, or flex credit. These activities include, (but are not limited to):

1. Course instruction and evaluation 2. Staff development, in-service training, and instructional improvement 3. Program and course curriculum or learning resources development and

evaluation 4. Student personnel services 5. Learning resources services 6. Related activities, such as student advising, guidance, orientation, matriculation

services, and student, faculty and staff diversity 7. Conferences, workshops, and institutional research 8. Other duties as assigned by the district 9. The necessary supporting of activities for the above

INDIVIDUAL FLEX ACTIVITIES The FLEX Peer Review Committee will maintain a senate approved list of acceptable activities that can be counted toward the faculty FLEX obligation. Activities from list A will be automatically approved by the FLEX coordinator. Space will be provided on flex contracts so that instructors can be more specific about the dates and times of their activities, but the activities are not subject to the peer review process because they are transparent in their correlation to Staff, Student, and Instructional improvement.

Activities from list B will need to be approved by the flex evaluation sub-committee. For activities from list B, instructors will need to be specific about the details of their activities, will need to spell out all acronyms, and should make every effort to attach additional documentation, such as workshop fliers.

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List A

• Convocation

• Teacher Learning Academy workshops (TLA)/activities

• Attending/Presenting pre-flex and Flex Workshops

• Part-time faculty orientation

• Area meetings and Cohort meetings for part-time professors only. Full time faculty cannot receive flex credit for these activities as they are outlined as professional responsibilities in the Faculty Agreement.

• Annual program review

• Comprehensive program review

• Faculty evaluations beyond contractual obligation

• Committee responsibilities, this includes meetings

• Department/Discipline meetings (if a cohort is a single discipline then these meetings would be those beyond the contractually obligated meetings)

• Student club advisors

• SLO analysis meetings/designing assessment tool/SLO assessment report

• Mentoring new faculty/interns/part-time faculty

• Quarterly safety training (not completed in an area/cohort meeting)

• Sexual harassment training

List B (subject to approval from flex evaluation subcommittee)

• Live or Pre-Recorded Workshops/Seminars/Conferences directly related to

instructional improvement or student success

• Continuing education (cannot be taken at a community college for salary advancement)

• Modifying an existing course

o New text book (only during the first semester the instructor uses the new text)

o New online component

o Creating a website for the course

o Developing lab component or changing existing labs

o Applying a theme to the course

o Creating power point lectures

o Creating a Blackboard shell for an online course (on the condition that the instructor is not receiving release time or stipend)

o Preparation for teaching a new course either the semester before the course is taught or the semester the course is taught (A semester will be defined as beginning the day after final grades are due for the previous

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semester and ending the day before classes begin for the following semester.)

o Preparation for teaching a course when at least four semester, not including summer, has passed since course was last taught

• Institutional research

• Student outreach/Presenting student success workshops (unless a stipend has

been received for the presentation)

• Writing grants

• Preparing a course/program to go through curriculum committee

• Other Merced College Academic Senate approved activities

NON-QUALIFYING ACTIVITIES Flex activities cannot include tasks that are an ongoing part of the regular teaching responsibilities such as holding office hours, grading papers, choosing texts, reading course text, writing lesson plans or syllabus guides, cleaning/organizing offices or classrooms, attendance of full-time faculty at regularly scheduled area, cohort, or department meetings, etc. Other activities that do not qualify include union, political and religious activities, except for educational opportunities offered by these that relate directly to professional effectiveness. For example, working for political campaigns, going to church, or being an MCFA representative would not qualify for FLEX credit but some workshops offered by these groups may qualify. Activities for which the faculty member receives other compensation cannot be used for FLEX credit.

OPERATION OF THE FLEX COMMITTEE Merced College will have a Flex Peer Review Committee which is a standing committee of the Academic Senate. The Academic Senate will appoint a Flex Coordinator who will chair the Flex Peer Review Committee. The Committee purpose statement including membership will be posted on the web site. The Flexible Calendar Advisory Committee will be responsible for conducting the annual evaluation of the flex calendar program. The FLEX Peer Review Committee will maintain a senate approved list of acceptable activities that can be counted toward the faculty FLEX obligation.

FLEXIBLE CALENDAR PROGRAM CERTIFICATION DOCUMENTS Each college will submit to the State Chancellor’s Office the annual Fiscal Year Certification forms by the stated deadline (typically, July 1). The FLEX coordinator will be responsible for submitting official reports/documents to the State Chancellor’s Office.

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ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 7220 –Staff Development Program Counselors and Librarians The day of Convocation, held prior to the start of the Fall Semester, is a mandatory day for regular contracted full-time faculty to engage in division/campus meetings 3 hours for college convocation and 3 hours for Office of Instruction, Area, or Cohort activities. Counselors and Librarians are required to fulfill flex time proportionate to the teaching load in their individual contract as indicated in Title 5 sections 55726a and 55728a (i.e., a counselor contracted to teach one-third (1/3) of a full-teaching load would have one- third (1/3) of a flex requirement, 8 hours) with additional hours, up to a total of twenty four per academic year may be fulfilled through Staff Development. Full-time counselors and librarians who do not teach may fulfill up to (3) additional Staff Development days per academic year at six (6) hours per day, totally (18) Staff Development hours per year. Full-time counselors and librarians who do not wish to participate in Staff Development activities will be required to work.

The Staff Development Contract At the beginning of each academic year the faculty will be notified by the FLEX Coordinator when the Staff Development forms are ready and where they can be located. Any changes to the process will be reported to faculty at the beginning of the fall semester.

Designated Times for Staff Development Activities The flex calendar begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. Staff Development can be fulfilled at appropriate times through approved activities. Appropriate times to earn credit for Staff Development activities are times when faculty do not have scheduled responsibilities (i.e., office hours, department, cohort or area meetings, etc.).

Award of Staff Development Credit Faculty receive one hour of Staff Development credit for each hour of participation in an approved activity. Faculty who present Staff Development/Flex activities receive three times the Staff Development credit the first time the activity is presented and twice the Staff Development credit for subsequent presentations of the same material. Staff Development credit may be accrued for both the Fall and Spring semesters from July 1 through June 30th. Staff Development hours may not be banked from one academic year to another.

Deadline for Completing Staff Development Activities A completion form identifying completed or proposed Staff Development activities for full-time faculty is due February 1. All Staff Development activities (including proposed activities) for both full-time and adjunct faculty must be completed no later than June 30. All final documentation is due no later than June 30.

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Staff Development Documentation All Staff Development activities require back-up documentation that provides a description of the activity, the dates and times the activity occurred, and verification of completion of the activity. Documentation may be submitted throughout the year.

Appropriate forms of documentation include the following:

• Flex Workshops—Printed name and signature on sign-in roster

• Conferences—A brochure or agenda, proof of attendance such as a receipt for registration fees and an explanation of how it relates to improvement of professional effectiveness

• Enrollment in College Courses—Course description, plus a transcript or official grade report and an explanation of how the course relates to improvement of professional effectiveness

• District, College or Campus Committees—Membership list provided by the committee chair

• Meetings (with the exception of area or cohort meetings for full time faculty as these are professional expectations as stated in Faculty Agreement). Meeting minutes showing attendance or a sign-in sheet provided by the chair

• Research—An explanation of the research problem undertaken, a summary of activities including dates and times, and if applicable an annotated bibliography of all works researched

• Special Projects/Activities with Students—Must occur outside of routine class hours and be documented on a syllabus or student notice and performed on a specific day

• All Other Activities should be fully documented by a log, journal or other document verifying dates, times, and an explanation of the activity, product or outcome information and how it relates to improvement of professional effectiveness

Compensation Full-time faculty are compensated through their annual salary. Part-time faculty Librarians and Counselors that choose to participate in the Staff Development opportunity will be paid at the median pay rate of the current year's PT faculty salary schedule, up to three hours per semester. Hours earned in excess of Staff Development will not be paid.

Prohibition Of Double Payment Activities already paid for by other organizations are not acceptable for flex credit. The Flex Committee decides if double payment is an issue. Examples of Prohibited Double Payment:

a) A faculty member awarded reassigned time for committee service cannot receive additional staff development credit for that service.

b) A faculty member enrolled in a college course for salary schedule advancement cannot receive staff development credit for that activity.

c) A faculty member receiving a stipend for a particular assignment cannot receive staff development credit for that service.

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Individual Staff Development Activities The FLEX Peer Review Committee will maintain a senate approved list of acceptable activities that can be counted toward Staff Development. Activities from list A will be automatically approved by the FLEX coordinator. Space will be provided on Staff Development contracts so that faculty can be more specific about the dates and times of their activities, but the activities are not subject to the peer review process because they are transparent in their correlation to Staff, Student, and Instructional improvement.

Activities from list B will need to be approved by the flex evaluation sub-committee. For activities from list B, instructors will need to be specific about the details of their activities, will need to spell out all acronyms, and should make every effort to attach additional documentation, such as workshop fliers.

List A

• Convocation

• Teacher Learning Academy workshops (TLA)/activities

• Attending/Presenting Pre-Flex and Flex W orkshops

• Adjunct orientation

• Area meetings and Cohort meetings for adjunct professors only. Full time faculty cannot receive flex credit for these activities as they are outlined as professional responsibilities in the Faculty Agreement.

• Annual program review

• Comprehensive program review

• Faculty evaluations beyond contractual obligation

• Committee responsibilities, this includes meetings

• Department/Discipline meetings (If a cohort is a single discipline then these meetings would be those beyond the contractually obligated meetings)

• Student club advisors

• SLO analysis meetings/designing assessment tool/SLO assessment report

• Mentoring new faculty/interns/adjunct faculty

• Quarterly safety training (not completed in an area/cohort meeting)

• Sexual harassment training

List B (subject to approval from flex evaluation subcommittee)

• Live or Pre-Recorded Workshops/Seminars/Conferences directly related to

instructional improvement or student success

• Continuing education (cannot be taken at a community college for salary advancement)

• Institutional research

• Student outreach/Presenting Student Success Workshops (unless a stipend has been received for the presentation)

• Writing grants

• Other Merced College Academic Senate approved activities Non-Qualifying Activities Staff Development activities cannot include tasks that are an ongoing part of the regular responsibilities such as attendance of full-time faculty at regularly scheduled area and cohort meetings, etc. Other activities that do not qualify include union, political and religious activities, except for educational opportunities offered by these that relate directly to professional effectiveness. For example, working for political campaigns, going to church, or being an MCFA representative would not qualify for Staff Development credit but some workshops offered by these groups may qualify. Activities for which the faculty member receives other compensation cannot be used for Staff Development credit.

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Academic Senate of

MERCED COLLEGE

3600 M Street Merced, CA 95348-2898

Telephone (209) 384-6095

RESOLUTION

First Reading: 11/12/2015

Second Reading/Action (Date): 12/10/2015 Pass/Fail


Subject: Formation of a Task Form to Consider Canvas/Instructure LMS adoption

Mover: Jodie Steeley Division/Area: Social Science/5

Seconder: Pam Huntington Division/Area: English/2

Whereas, the CCMS Workgroup of the OEI Steering Committee (faculty members appointed by

the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) and representatives of CCC

stakeholder groups) and representatives of the Full Launch Pilot Colleges (Butte, Foothill, Mt

San Jacinto, Shasta, Lake Tahoe, Fresno, Ventura, and Coastline) formed the CCMS Committee

to initiate various processes and activities to gather input from diverse system-wide input to

ensure the procurement of a viable long-term solution. Additionally, student representatives were

involved throughout the process and provided input into various activities. At the conclusion, the

CCMS workgroups selected Canvas/Instructure LMS over other competing LMS’s including

Moodle, Blackboard, and Sakai.

Whereas, the CCMS used the following basis for selecting Canvas/Instructure:

1. Commitment to partnership with California Community Colleges

2. Nearly unanimous decision

3. Overwhelming support from students

4. Intuitive end user experience

5. History of strong completion and success rate for students

6. Faculty user adoption rate at colleges significantly higher than other systems

7. Site visits and reference checks were overwhelmingly supportive of vendor product and a

confirmation of information shared by the vendor.

8. Flexibility for students to indicate a choice for how to receive notifications and course

information.

9. Intuitive interface for faculty reducing the need for training.

Whereas, Canvas/Instructure has been defined as the following by the CCMS and OEI as:

a modern educational platform that supports a deep focus on teaching and learning. The robust

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features of Canvas help to enhance teaching and learning beyond the physical classroom.

Canvas is:

Intuitive - A clean interface for desktops, laptops, tablets, and smart phones.

Flexible - Allows customization to support a range of pedagogical styles and formats.

Dynamic and Cloud-Based - Continual improvements to features and support

documentation.

Engaging - Instructors can easily connect with students through rich video, audio, text

chatting, and discussion board options.

Reliable – Canvas support by phone, chat, or email is available 24/7/365 for general

questions about getting started in Canvas, how to use its features, and for troubleshooting

assistance.

Efficient – Provides faster and easier grading capabilities.

Features:

Canvas boasts hundreds of features to help make teaching and learning easier. Several of

them are highlighted below. Visit the Canvas website for a complete list of

features (Links to an external site.).

Collaborative—Wikis, discussion boards, and integrated tools like Google Docs, make

group learning more productive.

Integrated Media Recorder—Easily include audio or video comments to personal

messages, assignments, course discussions, and even graded work.

Mobile Capabilities—Lets students engage in learning anytime, anywhere from any

computer or mobile device.

SpeedGrader—Facilitates grading in half the time, plus you can preview student

submissions and provide video or voice feedback all in one area.

Whereas, some identified benefits to Merced College for adopting Canvas/Instructure include

being a part of a community of educators designing the future of the CCMS as it goes forward

and the following:

The CCMS will be integrated among the services available across the system-wide

initiatives including resources being piloted now (Online Tutoring and Student Readiness

Modules) in the OEI.

Professional development opportunities for using Canvas will be provided through the

initiative at no cost to your college

Course migration support will be provided.

If your college is hosting your current CMS, your college will no longer have costs

associated with a self-hosting infrastructure

Upgrades will be completed on a system-wide basis

Additional resources will be integrated over time

Significant cost reduction of the cost of the CMS as it will be subsidized by initiative

funds

The RFP/Procurement process has been thoroughly conducted thus saving your college

time in the adoption process

Whereas, MC has a tradition of using temporary task-force decision making to support a shared

governance atmosphere.

Whereas, the OEI steering committee recommends that minimally, the following make up a task

http://www.canvaslms.com/higher-education/features

http://www.canvaslms.com/higher-education/features

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force to recommend a migration to Canvas/Instructure:

Faculty members: Functionality, ease of use, accessibility, mobility, adaptability

Students: Ease of use, accessibility, mobility

Support Staff: Ease of use, available support resources, accessibility

Administration: Effective usage across all courses, cost, compliance

Technology Staff: Resources for implementation, ability to populate courses, data

portability, ease of use, cost

Research Staff: Ability to retrieve useful data, ease of use

Therefore be it resolved, that the Academic Senate, through a task-force, meet during the Fall

of 2015 and early Spring 2016 to evaluate and recommend whether Administration should

transition to Canvas/Instructure as the district wide Learning Management System (LMS).

Therefore be it further resolved, that the task force report to the Academic Senate and make its

recommendations to College Council at their second meeting in Spring, 2016 semester.

academic senate of merced college senate of merced college ... resolution 16-15 formation of a task...

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