November 16, 2021 Minutes

Council of Department Chairs

In attendance: Curtis Bennett, Barbara Taylor, Margaret Karteron, Andreas Bill, Dessie Underwood, Krzystof Slowinski, Allie Puz, Lijuan Li, Will Murray, Lora Stevens, Christine Whitcraft, Babette Benken.  

NOTE: THESE MINUTES REFLECT DISCUSSIONS THAT HAPPENED ON THE DATE OF THESE MINUTES.  DUE TO THE COVID-19 SITUATION, THINGS ARE RAPIDLY CHANGING.  FOR OFFICIAL POLICY PLEASE WAIT FOR DOCUMENTS FROM THE APPROPRIATE OFFICES.     

  1. Approve Agenda (10:00)
  2. Approve Minutes from November 2nd
  3. Announcements
    1. Development
      1. We are hoping to get a chair in Environmental Chair in Chemistry as a 5-year pledge
      2. We have submitted a $2.5 million foundation proposal.
      3. We received three new scholarship endowments for graduate students funded by the sale of property donated by Dr. Keung Luke, a beloved member of the physics department who passed away in July.
    2. Operations Update
      1. Commencement planning begins this week.
      2. RTP Reviews are underway.
      3. Proposal Review Committees are now active.
      4. End-of-Semester Party is December 10, 2021 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.
    3. Dean’s Report
      1. The deans and ADs are meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 1 to discuss scenarios for next spring to try and trouble shoot situations that we anticipate occurring from the large increase in number of courses taught on campus.
      2. Contingency Planning
        1. Be prepared to temporarily, or permanently, pivot to online modes of instruction.
          1. Discussion:
            1. Accommodations for assessments
            2. Consider online exams in case of quarantined students.
  4. Associate Deans
    1. Academic Programs
      1. Check Spring ’22 waitlists (lbsr 0419 or 0419F), increase section size and/or add sections wherever possible; plan on additional strategies to manage unpredictable enrollment (consider hiring additional lecturers, changing mode to online or hyflex to accommodate extra students, etc.).

a) seats needed for graduation, seats needed for repeaters (must be provided), seats for incoming transfer students (must be provided).

  1. Winter SOAR; matriculation deadline is December 1, 2021.
  2. Vanessa will be reaching out with transfer numbers once recommendations are available (December 13, 2021).
  3. Effective immediately cancellations of any Spring ’22 sections with enrolled students will require my prior approval (via email), please work with your department coordinator.
  4. BIOL will be changing transfer requirements effective 2023 (additional of BIOL 211 as required MTR)
  5. Lecturer evaluations materials
    1. Please remind lecturers about deadlines.
    2. Grade distributions for individual lecturers will be shared next week.
  6. Monitor W’s in your courses this week (lbsr 0613).
    1. W Deadline is November 19, 2021.
  7. I have attached GI2025 materials shared with ADs and notes from GI2025 brainstorming.
  8. Research
    1. N/A
  9. Grad Programs
    1. N/A
  10. Digital Mapper Project – (Aimee Arreygue Time Certain 11:00)
    1. CSU Chancellor’s Office Digital Mapper Project
      1. Main Objective: Create a 4-year roadmap across LBCC and CSULB including completion of ADT and Bachelor’s within 4 years.
      2. 5 CSU and CC teams; Campus wide and working in collaboration with LBCC.
      3. CNSM is coming up in Phase II (2021-2022).
        1. Starting with Biology and Mathematics.
      4. Professional development funds available for faculty participants.
      5. CSULB/LBCC digital mapper teams provide structure, facilitate topics between LBCC and CSULB faculty.
      6. Planning “kickoff” event in December. Date TBA.
  11. Discussion
    1. Endowed Scholarships
      1. The 3 Scholarships mentioned above will be available in the amount of roughly $2,250 per year.
        1. We will rotate each through two departments.
        2. Graduate student focus.
        3. Two will be recruitment scholarships (each will rotate between two departments of Biology, Geology, Physics, & Science Ed) .  The other will be for an outstanding TA, rotating between chemistry and math.
    2. Summer Contracts
      1. Remember that the Dean’s Office must approve all contracts for summer teaching.
      2. Decisions – We discussed communications and how to ensure that information gets to the right people quickly.
  12. New Business
    1. N/A

 

Upcoming Dates:

Dec. 10th (2:00-4:00): End of Semester Party
Feb. 21st: 2022 Summer Student Research Assistantship Application Deadline
Feb. 25th: 2022 ORED Multidisciplinary Grant Application Deadline
Apr. 4th:  Nobel Prize Lecture, Dr. Strickland

Meeting Minutes were APPROVED on Tuesday, December 7, 2021

*Note: This reflects discussion on the date of the CDC meeting about policies, not actual policy. Faculty and staff should wait for official communication on each subject before acting.