Faculty Senate meetings. The Executive Committee sent a call for nominations on October 8 th and will ratify the members of the ad hoc committee on the last Faculty Senate meeting of the Fall quarter on November 4 th . Winter 2020 Opening Plans The Executive Committee is collaborating with the Director of Project Management, James Jankowski, to evaluate the COVID plans and protocols implemented in the Fall quarter to adjust the winter quarter opening plans. A key aspect of this process is seeking input from faculty members who have taught in face-to-face and hybrid modalities. The Executive Committee sent out a Qualtrics survey to all faculty on Thursday, October 8 where they can provide feedback on the COVID plans and protocols implemented during Fall 2020. Faculty members will be able to share their experiences and provide feedback in the following areas: (1) availability and/or issues related to technology in the classroom; (2) classroom safety protocols; and (3) adequate communication regarding updates to plans, protocols, and general COVID- related issues. A summary of the feedback will be provided to James Jankowski to help improve upon the plans and protocols for the winter quarter. Annual Early Alert The Director of Academic Concerns & Dispute Resolution, Carolyn Thurston, shared the Quarterly Academic Alert with the Faculty Senate last week. The report shows that faculty have increasingly utilized the system every year since it was launched. The Quarterly Early Alert is a critical tool for outreach to and intervention with our students when they may be struggling. Connecting with them early and often is crucial to student success. ACT/SAT Removal Another area that we will be working on this year is the ACT/SAT removal. In spring 2020, Josh Hibbard sent a memo requesting the permanent removal of ACT/SAT as a required part of the admissions process based not only on the challenges around COVID-19 (and test taking challenges), but also from an equity standpoint. In addition, he recommended improved wording for admissions policy (one that was more easily understood by prospective students/parents and high school counselors). The Faculty Senate Executive Committee worked with the Academic Affairs Committee to address this request last year. On a short-schedule, the AAC approved a policy that made test scores optional. However, due to COVID 19 and the difficulty of convening faculty senate during the campus closure, removing it completely was postponed until fall 2020. The Executive Committee is working with the Academic Affairs Committee to complete make this a permanent change this fall. Assessment Strategies for Faculty Instruction during COVID The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the way faculty members offer their face-to-face courses. For instance, many faculty members have had to teach completely new courses or courses in a completely new modality. Therefore, we need to identify ways to evaluate their teaching and how the Student Evaluations of Instruction (SEOIs) are used to assess faculty members’ teaching. This is particularly important when SEOIs are used for tenure and promotion purposes. The Executive Committee is working with the Evaluation and Assessment Committee to create assessment strategies for faculty instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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