Minutes for September 4, 2025

Attendance:

• Quorum was reached at 16/25 voting members present.
• Members who were not in attendance are indicated by (not present).

Voting Members

Executive Officers

• • President: Cassidy Ryan - votes in ties
  • Vice President: Jessica Truglio
  • Secretary: Christopher Collins
  • Treasurer: Tony Viertel
  • Past President: Lindsey Ayotte

Senators

ASLT: 

• • Vincent Kang

BEPP:

• • Lynsey Hemstreet

  • Christine Herndon

Counseling:

• • Suzanne Poma
  • Kenny Gonzalez
  • Rocio Aguilar-Pedroza 

     SESP

• • Lucy Jovel

 

Language Arts:

• • Janice Sapigao
  • TBD

KAD:

• • Amber Steele

STEM

• • Michael Song
  • Franco Deal
  • Anrey Bartoszynski

SPWD

• • TBD

SSCA:

• • Kathy Zarur
  • Jennifer Merrill (not present)
  • TBD

CTE Senator

• • Tony Viertel

Part-Time Faculty

• • Kishan Young
  • TBD
  • TBD

Non-voting Members

Governance Committee Chairs

• • Curriculum Chair: Rick Hough
  • Professional Personnel: Soledad McCarthy 

Advisory Members

• • AFT: Michael Song
  • ASSC: William Oo
  • PD/CTTL: Lucia Lachmayr
  • OER: Laurie Buchholz

Guests: 

1.0 Opening Procedures

1.1 Senate Networking

Presenter: N/A

Time: 10 minutes

Notes: 

1.2   Call to Order/Establish Quorum

Presenter: President Ryan

Time: 10 minutes

Notes: The Academic Senate meeting began at 2:13 PM.

1.3 Adoption of Agenda

Presenter: President Ryan

Time: 1 minute

Notes: A motion to adopt the agenda was made by Curriculum Committee Chair Hough and Senator Kang.

1.4 Adoption of Minutes

Presenter: President Ryan

Time: 1 minute

Notes:

A motion to adopt the minutes from August 21 meeting by Past President Ayotte and was seconded by Professional Personnel Chair McCarthy with the following friendly amendments

• Correction of Chelssee DeBarra in Items 2.2 and 2.3.
• Correction of Laurie Buchholz in Item 2.4.
• Correction David Hasson in Item 2.4.
• Correction Sandhyarani Patlolla in Item 2.5.
• Correction Viertel and Zarur in Item 2.e.
• Remove space in Item 2.g.
• Correction Christine Herndon is senator for SPWD in Item 2.h.
• Correction Curriculum Chair Hough in Item 3.1.
• Correction CTE Liaison in Item 3.1

1.5 Adoption of Consent Agenda

Presenter: President Ryan

Time: 5 minutes

Notes:

FTEFAC Committee

LA- Lucia Lachmayr

BEPP- Hellen Zhang

KAD- Justin Piergrossi

STEM Committees

See attached

1.6 Public Comment

Presenter: President Ryan

Time: 10 minutes

Notes: Anyone from the public may make a comment on any non-agenda item. Speaking time is limited to 2 minutes per person.Senator Gonzalez reminded the group that upcoming career events are posted and encouraged faculty to help promote them with students: White Coat: Roadmap to UC Davis Medical School and Using LinkedIn as a Professional Launchpad. Senator Poma noted that the Web Schedule continues to be a challenging tool to use for students. Senator Zarur raised strong concerns about the seemingly uncritical adoption of generative AI, particularly given its environmental impact, such as water usage. Professional Development Coordinator Lucia Lachmayr shared that the District will be holding an AI conversation on September 17, which would be a valuable forum to bring AI concerns forward. President Ryan provided an update that the Salon and Spa are open, with the Salon operating during the day and the Spa open both day and evening.

 

 

2.0    New Senate Business

2.1 AI Policy for the Syllabus: Stoplight Framework

Procedure | Information | Discussion | Action 

Presenters: Simantini Karve

Time: 20 minutes

Notes: Professor Sima Karve introduced a proposed framework for AI use in courses, presented through a stoplight model: Red (AI not allowed), Yellow (AI permitted for specific uses), and Green (AI encouraged). A handout was distributed with language templates outlining three elements of an AI policy: acceptable use, citation expectations, and consequences for non-adherence. Curriculum Committee Chair Hough asked what the recommended “voting ask” would be, while Senator Bartoszynski raised questions about TurnItIn, distinguishing between plagiarism and AI use, and how escalation would work under the framework. President Ryan clarified that the Senate supports including AI statements in syllabi but asked whether the goal is to recommend or mandate such policies; suggested divisions discuss the issue first to gauge faculty perspectives.Senator Sapigao recommended considering a resolution that would take an interdisciplinary approach, bringing in more critical discussions of ethics and consent. A motion to extend discussion by five minutes was called by Vice President Truglio, seconded by Senator Zarur, and approved by the committee. Vice President Truglio recommended that divisions solicit faculty input on what is most needed. Curriculum Committee Chair Hough emphasized the need for flexibility given how rapidly AI evolves, while Instructional Designer Andrea Fuentes shared that the business models of AI companies are designed for rapid shifts. Treasurer Viertel added that BEPP already has a divisional statement and that transparency from both students and instructors should be part of the policy. Past President Ayottee recommended divisions bring back feedback for future discussion. President Ryan closed the discussion by thanking Sima and Andrea for their contributions.

2.2 Syllabus Required Language 

Procedure | Information | Discussion | Action 

Presenters: Andrea Fuentes 

Time: 20 minutes

Notes: Instructional Designer Andrea Fuentes and Curriculum Committee Chair Hough shared concerns about inconsistent syllabus language and using outdated or wrong language such as the Disability Resource Center (DRC) instead of the Education Access Center (EAC). The CTTL and Curriculum Committee have agreed to share syllabus templates with ready to use language. Professional Personnel Committee Chair McCarthy recommended providing the text in a copy-and-paste format, integrated with the Canvas tool, and linking it to the course of record.  Treasurer Viertel asked whether the information would print correctly in PDF, and Biology Professor Sima Karve demonstrated how it could be done. Past President Ayottee inquired if the resource would be ready by Spring 2026, and Senator Zarur asked where faculty would be able to access it. Andrea confirmed that the syllabus language will be available on both the CTTL and Curriculum websites by Spring 2026.

 

2.3 P.D. Rubric Update

Procedure | Information | Discussion | Action 

Presenters: Tony Viertel 

Time: 10 minutes

Notes: Treasurer Viertel introduced the professional development rubric as it pertains to Article 13 Faculty Development Funds (Faculty P.D. Funds) with four areas for professional development with a reminder on ensuring all required materials are attached, that proposals demonstrate professional (not just personal) growth, and that they show a clear benefit to students or the campus. OER/ZTC and shared governance were noted as examples.

President Ryan raised a concern about whether mandatory events have been removed from the process. Senator Steele clarified that Article 13 Funds are money that Full Time Faculty has already earned; payroll holds 1% of FTF salaries to put into the Article 13 account. That's why A13 Funds must be reserved for faculty-chosen activities. Any assigned or required work should be funded by the dean’s budget to avoid faculty effectively working twice for the same pay. Senator Kang made a motion to extend the time allotted by two minutes, Senator Steele seconded, the whole committee approved. Professional Personnel Committee Chair McCarthy asked about expected wait times for reimbursement, while Vice President Truglio noted that deadlines exist for submitting requests and should also exist for reimbursements. Curriculum Committee Chair Hough emphasized that both the source of funding and the length of reimbursement delays are long-standing issues.

2.4 Distance Education Advisory Committee

Procedure | Information | Discussion | Action 

Presenters: Chris Collins

Time: 10 minutes

Notes: Secretary Chris Collins proposed a Distance Education Advisory Committee for Skyline College as a faculty constituent committee. Questions from the senate included working with ACED, majority of committee members being faculty, and supporting the structure already in place for distance education.

2.5  Dean of Counseling Search Committee

Procedure | Information | Discussion | Action 

Presenters: Cassidy Ryan

Time : 10 minutes

Notes: President Ryan shared updates on the hiring process for the Dean of Counseling, noting that a recruiter has been hired for $11,200 by administration using the Efficacy Funding from the Chancellor’s Office. The recruiter will manage screening, references, and interview recommendations. The selection committee will include two faculty, two administrators, two students, and two classified professionals. Motion for two minute extension by Vice President Truglio, seconded by Senator Steele, and approved by committee. Four nominations submitted. Each committee member voted for two nominees. Voting results: Kim Davalos received 4 votes, Mandy Lucas received 9 votes, Nate Nevado received 6 votes, Carlos Romero received 5 votes. The two faculty representatives for the Dean of Counseling selection committee are: Mandy Lucas and Nate Nevado with Carlos Romero as an alternate.

 

3.0 Standing Agenda Items

3.1    Committee Reports

Procedure | Information | Discussion | Action

Presenter: Curriculum, IEC tri-chair, FTEFAC, SPARC, Professional Personnel, CTE

Time: 10 minutes

Notes: No major updates shared.

3.2    Campus Reports

Procedure | Information | Discussion | Action

Presenter: ASSC Student Rep, CTTL, AFT Reps

Time: 10 minutes

Notes:

CTTL Rep Lachmayr shares questions about professional development:

1. What Flex session(s) have you found most valuable or impactful? Why?
2. Which sessions did not meet your needs or expectations? What could have made them better)?
3. What formats worked best for you (e.g., online sessions, workshops, panels, hands-on activities, dialogues, etc.)?
4. What topics or themes would you like to see in future Flex sessions? (e.g., wellness, tech tools, anti-racist pedagogy, student engagement, assessment, leadership, etc.)
5. What challenge are you currently facing in your work that you'd like support or training on?
6. Any additional ideas, feedback, or questions for the Professional Development Committee?

 

 

4.0 Announcement and Closing Procedures

4.1.    Final Announcements

Presenter: President Ryan

Time: 5 minutes

Notes: Senators must be here in person. Only three absences in a row and only five absences per year are allowed. Please sign up for the CTTL RSI course. Please share the SESP Blockparty. ISER is available for your review.

 

4.2.    Motion to Adjourn

Presenter: President Ryan

Time:  3:58 pm

Notes: The next meeting of the Fall 2025 semester is on September 18^th. If you would like to request an item be put on the agenda (Consent, discussion, action or information) please submit your request for the next meeting by Tuesday, September 12th by 12:00pm. You can request an agenda item here.

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Academic and Professional Matters, AB 1725 “10 + 1”

1. Curriculum, including establishing prerequisites and placing courses within disciplines
2. Degree and certificate requirements
3. Grading policies
4. Educational program development
5. Standards or policies regarding student preparation and success
6. District and college governance structures, as related to faculty roles
7. Faculty roles and involvement in accreditation processes, including self-study and annual reports
8. Policies for faculty professional development activities
9. Processes for program review
10. Processes for institutional planning and budget development
11. Other academic and professional matters as are mutually agreed upon between the governing board and the academic senate