Updated March 21, 2007
Los Medanos College
Policies of the Math Department
1. Qualification of members.
1.1. The voting members of the Department shall consist of the math lab coordinator(s) all full-time faculty
1.2. The math lab coordinator can vote on all issues except the following: textbooks, UF issues, offices, scheduling, instructor personnel issues, academic senate issues,
course outlines, department decision-making rules, and policy involving one of the above
2. Quorum
A quorum during the fall or spring semesters shall consist of at least ½ or 50% plus of the voting members of the department. A quorum is necessary to conduct department business.
3. Department Positions and Selection of Chairs for Standing Committees.
All department positions should be filled on a voluntary basis with the exception of the Department Chair. The Department Chair will be elected. All positions will be elected by a simple majority including those with only one nominee. In the event that two or more faculty volunteer, an election will be held. If no faculty volunteer, a rotation list of tenured faculty will be maintained by the Department Chair in order to fill these positions. When a faculty member gains tenure, their name will be added to the rotation list below the most recently tenured faculty member. Non-tenured faculty may volunteer for positions. A faculty member may volunteer again for a position.
Terms for the following Chair positions are two (2) years: Department Chair, Secretary, Tutor Coordinator, Scheduling Committee, Hiring Committee, Policy Committee and Student Support Committee.
Terms for the following Chair positions are for a semester: Teaching Community Lead, Developmental Education Lead and Course Committee Chair.
Department Chair, Secretary and Tutor Coordinator are selected by the department as a whole. Committee Chairs are selected by the members of the committee.
4. Meetings of the department
At the beginning of each semester, the department will decide the frequency and times for department meetings for the following semester and before the final course schedule is set. Committee meetings can be arranged for time blocks opposite the department meeting times. For example, if the department meets on a TTh scheduletwice a month, then the committee may meet on those TTh dates that are not scheduled for department meetings. (Refer to Robert’s Rules of Order starting on p. 9 for meeting specifics).
5. Amendments
to policies shall require a 66 2/3% vote for adoption.
6. Order of Business
(Refer to Math Dept. Robert’s Rules of Order starting on p. 9)
6.1. Attendance
6.2. Approval of previous minutes
6.3. Approval of agenda
6.4. Urgent business/Action Items
6.5. Committee reports
6.6. Old business
6.7. New business
7. Voting
Beginning spring 2005, refer to the Math Department’s Roberts Rules of Order (starting on p. 9) for specifics.
7.1 Action items will be approved at a department meeting with a 50% plus one vote except for amendments to policies which take a 66 2/3% vote for approval. (see #5 above).
8. Curriculum Matters:
There will be no changes to the Spring 2006
course outlines for a maximum of three years. During this time period, full time math faculty will develop a process to address how the two separate faculty groups will make decisions on changes to these courses. Changes to course outlines will be allowed once this process is in place.
Exceptions to the above will be if
1. There is consensus for a change by all full time math faculty, or if
2. Accreditation, Title V, articulation concerns, or administration requires an update to a current course outline. These decisions will be made by a vote of all full time math faculty. There will be communication regarding the changes via the department chairs, and special meetings of the entire group if necessary.
Any other operational decision that affects both the Brentwood and Pittsburg departments will be decided by a vote of the entire discipline.
The percentage required to pass a vote for any of the above will be the same as the Spring 2006 math department policy.
9. Adoption of textbooks.
Textbook choice will be continued as outlined by the Executive Committee in the pilot textbook policy of 2003-2004. See page 3.
9.1. If there are scheduling changes (e.g. switching classes) after texts have been ordered, an instructor may not be able to change the ordered textbooks. Any change to previously ordered textbooks is the responsibility of the new instructor.
9.2. The text with the most 'acceptable' votes will be the default text to order when a class is not yet staffed, or if an instructor has no preference. The latest text chosen by a course committee or Teaching Community will be the default text until replaced. The Department Chair orders default texts.
10. Interpretation of the Rules:
The Department Chair will interpret the Math Department’s version of Robert’s Rules of Order (starting on p. 9) as necessary during meetings. In order to avoid procedural disputes, the chair’s interpretations /rulings will be final. If the Department guidelines and/or Robert’s Rules need clarification, the issue will be referred to the Policy Committee.
11. Scheduling:
See the scheduling policy on page 5.
Appendix A: Textbook & Assessment Policy
(See detailed description below)
1. Course Committees or Teaching Communities will exist for non-900 Math course (except for Math 18 fall 2004 only) on a rotating basis; the Math DE Leads shall determine a rotation for the Teaching Communities involving DE courses. Instructors are welcome to form other collaborative teaching groups of a course that is not in a CC or TC for a particular semester.
2. Faculty can choose any text they like that is aligned with the appropriate Course Committee’s student learning outcomes and Course Outline of Record.
3. On a rotating basis, the Course Committee/Teaching community will create common final exam questions, (tied to the student learning outcomes and Course Outline of Record) which will appear on every instructor's final exam for at least 50% of the exam's points. The final exam should count for at least 20% of the students' course grade.
4. Course Committees/Teaching Communities will regularly assess student learning, success, retention, and persistence. This assessment will be used to design improvements in the course.
Detailed Description of Text & Assessment Policy
1. The textbook policy for self-paced and 900 courses shall continue to remain with our current policy. Namely, it takes a 66 2/3% vote of the entire department to authorize a textbook change.
2. Textbook Selection: Full-time and part-time instructors may use any text of their choice, as long as the textbook selection is aligned with the Course Committee’s student learning outcomes and Course Outline of Record. Instructors must notify the department chair at least two weeks before the text-ordering deadline. If no text is chosen for a section (for example, if the section is unstaffed) at least two weeks before the text-ordering deadline, then the department chair shall order the course’s default text for that section.
(a) The default text for a course shall be chosen by a plurality of that course’s committee at least two weeks before the text-ordering deadline. If there is no plurality, then the default text for a course shall be chosen randomly from the course committee’s top choices. If the default text requires computer technology a second default text option not requiring computer technology should be identified. The default textbook(s) remains in effect until it is changed by a subsequent Course Committee or Teaching Community.
(b) All Math 25AX sections and all Math 50S sections must use the same book (respectively). If the faculty scheduled to teach these courses can come to consensus before the text ordering deadline to use a different book than the one currently in use, then this different book will be used and then followed through to the next semester so students can follow the sequence. Should such a consensus not be reached, the current text will be used in all sections of Math 25AX or Math 50S.
3. Assessment
(a) Course Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). Where Student Learning Outcomes already exist, Course Committees/Teaching Communities will use the outcomes as a starting point for the development of the SLOs. Otherwise, The first task of the Course Committees is to create a list of 5-10 skills/knowledge sets that they see as "core" to the course.These will be known as the "student learning outcomes" and will be used to generate the common final exam questions. (See below.)
(b) Common Final Exam Questions: The course committee will choose common questions that will appear on every instructor’s final exam and constitute 50% of the final exam points. This final exam must make up at least 20% of a student’s course grade. Each question must be approved by a simple majority of the course committee.
i. Course committee chair keeps on file each instructor’s final that contain the common problems. At the end of the semester, the chair will place the SLOs and Final Exams in the locked calculator cabinet for future Course Committees’ use.
ii. If a majority cannot agree on enough exam problems to make up 50% of the final exam, then each member or “faction” of members shall write an equal share of the remaining questions. (Instructors not teaching the course in the current semester may opt out of this).
(c) Data Collection: The department chair and Teaching Community chairs will work with the Office of Research to gather data on aggregate retention, success, class size, and persistence (enrollment in the next math course where applicable) for every course. In addition to this, the Teaching Community shall conduct its own assessments of student learning relative to the student learning outcomes. All of this data will be analyzed and used to revise the course as necessary. (Note: Major course changes must be approved by the entire department as previously outlined.)
Appendix B: Scheduling Policy
1. COURSES AND SECTIONS OFFERED:
Pittsburg math offerings will be scheduled by the Math Department. Each semester, the Scheduling Committee will use the courses and sections offered the previous year, along with directions from management and the department, enrollment trends, and changes in curriculum to propose the number of sections of each course to be offered. Once that decision is made, changes to scheduling patterns (number of sections, days/eve, etc.) will be worked out by the Scheduling Committee to ensure a good spread of offerings after reviewing input from the department. Double sections will not be created unless all other options have been exhausted. The Scheduling Committee will decide if and when a double section should be offered.
2. STAFFING OF CLASSES
Pittsburg math sections will be staffed by the Math Department. Pittsburg math sections will first be staffed by full time instructors from the Math Department, then full time instructors from the discipline, then part time instructors. A single instructor will be assigned a double section only if no other staffing options are available and if the Department Chair and the DE Lead agree to recommend staffing a double section.
To support students taking math classes at the main campus, full-time instructors who are members of the Pittsburg Math Department and full-time instructors hired by the Pittsburg Math Department, will teach the majority of their teaching assignment each semester at the main campus.
2.1 Full Time Faculty in the department
2.1.A. Fall/Spring
Full time faculty in the Math Department will submit their requests to the Scheduling Committee. If a particular section is only requested by one person in the Department, he/she will be assigned it. If more than one full-timer wants to teach the same section, priority is given to the person who has taught the course least recently (see Math staffing history).
2.1.B. Summer
1. A summer rotation has been established for all the Math Department members. The Scheduling Committee shall submit a list of all available Summer Classes to the person at the top of the rotation.
2. Classes shall be chosen one at a time; starting back at the top of list after going through it once.
3. To determine the rotation in subsequent summers, the following rules shall be used.
● The first two individuals to take any class as well as any individual who obtains 2 PSI’s will rotate to the bottom of the list for the next summer in reverse order.
● Any new full timer is added to the bottom of the list for the summer following their first day of employment; he/she is below those rotating to the bottom of the list from the previous summer.
2.2 Full Time Faculty in the discipline:
2.2.A. Fall/Spring
Once assignments have been given out to the Math Department members, full time faculty in the discipline shall be given a list of the remaining courses and can submit their requests to the Scheduling Committee. If a particular section is only requested by one person, he/she will be assigned it. If more than one full-timer in the discipline wants to teach the same section, priority is given to the person who has taught the course least recently.
2.2.B. Summer
1. Following the summer rotation for FT faculty, FT faculty will choose classes.
2. Once summer classes have been chosen by full time faculty in the Math Department, full time faculty in the discipline shall be given a list of the remaining courses and can submit their requests to the Scheduling Committee.
3. Classes shall be chosen one at a time; starting back at the top of list after going through it once.
4. To determine the rotation in subsequent summers, the following rules shall be used.
● The first two individuals to take any class as well as any individual who obtains 2 PSI’s will rotate to the bottom of the list for the next summer in reverse order.
● Any new full timer to the discipline is added to the bottom of the list for the summer following their first day of employment; he/she is below those rotating to the bottom of the list from the previous summer.
2.3 Adjunct Faculty
2.3A General Guidelines for Math Department Adjunct Staffing
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To schedule adjunct faculty with courses that are appropriately matched to the adjunct faculty member’s teaching experience, professional growth experience, educational background and participation in our LMC Math Department Activities (Please See Addendum)
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To give the adjunct faculty the schedule that most fits their preferences.
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To maximize the number of staffed classes
While staffing rotations will be established, they are predominantly used to settle irresolvable conflicts of requests, but are secondary to the department’s ability to appropriately staff sections.
2.3B Special Programs Staffing:
If an adjunct instructor is asked by management or the department and is approved by the department to teach a closed, partially closed and/or specially funded section (e.g. East Bay Career Advancement Academy, First Five, Pathways, Project ExCEL, Umoja Scholars Program, Cohorts-Connecting Consecutive Curriculum Pilot, Honors, AVID, or MathPath) then the adjunct instructor will be placed in that section when full-time course scheduling occurs. The department's decision will be based on, but not excluded to, the following criteria:
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The instructor selected must adhere to the department's program goals (attending relevant professional growth)
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The curricula must adhere to our program goals (use of recommended texts, SLOs)
2.3C LMC Math Department Activities Addendum
Ways to participate in the LMC Math Department Professional Growth Activities:
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Collaborate with a full-time faculty member on projects or pedagogies related to student success in SLOs. Great collaborations are frequent and long-term in nature, so a suggested minimum frequency is bi-weekly meetings and a suggested length is at least one semester.
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Actively participate in an ongoing LMC Math professional growth meeting within the past two semesters. Please come and contribute to our meetings through engaging in critical thinking, small side projects, suggested reading, and/or other helpful ways!
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Lead a professional growth meeting (i.e. lead a FLEX activity). Many adjunct members have great expertise in reform math, group work, integrated technology and other student-focused projects or pedagogies. Please share!
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Either of the previous two bullets from outside LMC (as per the department’s majority approval). This is a great opportunity for LMC Math to grow.
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Other non-listed professional growth activities approved by the department
2.3 Part-Time Faculty
General Staffing Philosophy:
The first priority of the Math Department PT Scheduling process should be to maximize the number of staffed classes. The second priority is to give the PT faculty the schedule that most fits their preferences. PT staffing is done “holistically”, then, keeping in mind all the PTers’ preferences, while attempting to staff the maximum number of classes. While staffing rotations will be established, they are predominantly used to settle irresolvable conflicts of requests, but are secondary to to the department’s ability to maximize the number of staffed sections.
2.3.A. Packaging: Suggested Combinations of Courses
1. Fall/Spring: After the full-timers select classes, the scheduling committee will group most of the remaining classes into reasonable 2-course combinations (where lab hours may be reduced due to the 60% limit). Efforts will be made to combine courses in convenient ways (such as both classes on MWF or both on TTh) and to maximize hours within the 60% load restrictions. Some courses may not be included in a 2-course combination due to the time, load, or day(s) of the remaining sections. The scheduling committee will submit the list of suggested combinations / courses to the part-time instructors.
2. Summer: Courses are not grouped together for Summer session. The entire list of “leftover” courses is distributed to part time instructors.
2.3.B. Scheduling Request Form: Each part time instructor will then submit the Scheduling Request Form (SRF) to the scheduling committee. On the SRF, PT faculty will say how many courses they want to be assigned, whether they have-rehiring rights, and which packages the faculty prefers in ranked order. (1st choice, 2nd choice, etc…)
2.3.C. Assignment of courses:
1. Fall/Spring: The scheduling committee will attempt to holistically assign as many packages/courses as possible while taking preferences into account. Once this process is complete, the committee will check to see whether any PT faculty did not receive the number of courses he/she requested. If this has occurred, the committee will more closely examine why this has happened. Contingent upon maintaining maximum staffing and adhering to the 60% load restrictions, PT with rights will be given the number courses they have requested whenever possible, though the courses may or may not be their preference. If a scheduling conflict occurs between someone without rights and someone with rights, the person with rights will be given the package/courses, IF this does not affect the department’s ability to maximize the number of staffed sections. If the conflict is between two people in the same hiring preference category (i.e. 2 with rights, or 2 without rights), then the committee will use the rotation to assign the package/courses, IF this does not affect the department’s ability to maximize the number of staffed sections.
2. Summer: Classes will be assigned to the part time instructors with rights following the order of the summer rotation. Then the remaining courses will be assigned to the PT faculty without rights. The person closest to the top of the rotation will be given priority. Two classes will be assigned to each instructor who requests them as long as there are enough classes left for everyone on the rotation.
2.3.D. Rotations: The following four rotation lists will be made: Fall/Spring PT faculty WITH RIGHTS, Fall/Spring PT faculty WITHOUT RIGHTS, Summer PT Faculty WITH RIGHTS, Summer PT Faculty WITHOUT RIGHTS.
1. Fall/Spring: The rotations for Fall/Spring will be updated as follows: everyone who receives their first choice moves to the bottom of the rotation list. Part timers who have newly been granted “rights,” will be added to the bottom of the rotation for those with rehiring rights. Brand new part timers will be added to the bottom of the rotations for those without rights. If a person used the rotation to select a class, and that class is cancelled, the person retains his/her original spot in the rotation as if he/she had not chosen one.
2. Summer: The rotation process for Summer is as follows: the subgroup of everyone who teaches rotates to the bottom of the list for the next summer; the first person who chose a class moves to the very bottom of the subgroup.
2.4 Overloads:
General Philosophy: It is in the best interests of the department to maintain an appropriate number of part time faculty so we can maximize coverage of courses. Therefore, once all PT faculty have received their course assignments in keeping with the 60% District limit, the Department should go out to hire new faculty to cover the remaining courses. If, once the hiring is complete there still are unstaffed courses, then overloads shall be offered to eligible continuing PT faculty. In extreme circumstances where there are so many leftover courses that the Scheduling Committee suspects that even after hiring there will still be unstaffed courses, they may offer overloads before going out to hire if the Department Chair and DE Lead agree that this is necessary. Overworked faculty may not be effective in the classroom and may have difficulty providing frequent feedback to their students. So in order to maintain program quality, Fall/Spring overloads for PT faculty will not exceed four classes whenever possible. Fall/Spring loads in excess of 1.5 and Summer loads in excess of 0.5 will be assigned only if the Department Chair and DE Lead agree.
2.4.A. Fall/Spring:
If there are still additional leftover courses, the department will then seek to hire new part timers to staff those sections. If courses still remain unstaffed after the new hiring, the scheduling committee will solicit volunteers from the continuing PT faculty to teach an overload. (Overloads may only be offered to new part timers on completion of their satisfactory evaluation.) In the case that more than one part timer is interested, the overload will go first to those with rights, and then to those without rights. If there is a conflict between two people in the same hiring preference category, the courses will be given to whoever has worked in the department the longest without receiving an overload. To settle any remaining conflicts, the rotations will be used. All part time instructors who are eligible (based on the district’s 60% rule) and who have satisfactory evaluations may be offered an overload.
2.4.B. Summer:
If courses still remain unstaffed, the rotations will be used to offer additional courses to those instructors who are interested.
2.4.C. The scheduling committee will use discretion for staffing classes that become available after the normal staffing process. Any such staffing will be done with fairness in mind, and in a way that seeks to minimize the number of "switches" that must take place.
Robert’s Rules of Order adopted by the Math Department
Date of Adoption: Draft 9/13/04
The following guidelines have been taken and adapted from Robert’s Rules of Order, a small book of rules designed for non-legislative organizations. Quotation marks, which appear in the context, reflect passages from the book.
1. The rights of the Math Department supersede the rights of individual members.
2. A quorum must be present to do business and to take action on behalf of the
department. A quorum is 50% plus one of the voting members of the
department.
3. The majority rules. “This rule is basic to the democratic process. The minority
has the right to be heard, but once a decision has been reached by a majority of
the members present and voting, the minority must then respect and abide by the
decision”. The minority right is the willingness to loyally oppose the majority
until the vote is cast, and then to abide by the will of the vote. “Once a question
is decided, it is not in order to bring up the same motion or one essentially like it
at the same meeting”.
4. Silence is consent. “Those members who do not vote agree with the decision of
of the majority by their silence”. Members have the right to abstain, and abstentions
will be recorded in the vote count.
5. One question at a time and one speaker at a time. “No motion is in order which
does not directly relate to the question under consideration. In addition, once a
member has been recognized and granted “the floor”, another member may not
interrupt.”
6. Debatable motions must receive full debate – “The Department Chair may not put
a debatable motion to vote as long as members wish to debate it.” However, debate
can be suspended at any time by a two-thirds vote of the members present or until all
perspectives have been aired or all allotted time on the agenda has expired.
7. Personal remarks in debate are always out of order- “The Department Chair must rule all personal remarks out of order. Debate must be directed to motions and not motives; principles and not personalities.”
8. Use general consent when possible (consensus) – “Voting takes time. When
business is routine or when the group is in agreement, a formal vote or a formal
motion may be unnecessary.” If there is a single objection, the matter must be put to
vote.
9. Withdrawal of a motion – “After some discussion, the maker of the motion may
realize that he/she has made a poor motion and request that it be withdrawn. General consent is used to withdraw the motion. The permission of a second is not needed. A withdrawn motion does not appear in the minutes. It is as if the motion had never been made.”
10. A consent agenda may be used for non-controversial business – “A consent agenda disposes of a number of matters at one time without taking separate action on each one. It is used to provide more time for important business by taking action on non-controversial items with a single vote”. This is used when action is required and not necessarily discussion”.
11. All action agenda items for a department meeting should be provided by the Chair, in writing, to members 72 hours in advance. New motions may be initiated at a meeting but discussion and voting will take place at a subsequent meeting. The Chair, or designated Chair, is responsible for prioritizing the agenda with issues of a time sensitive and urgent nature (those impacting instructional scheduling and/or campus time lines) considered first on the agenda. During discussion of action items, the Chair will ensure opportunity for various perspectives. The Chair will also designate or allot times for discussion items. (Beginning Spring, 2005, all voting will take place within department meetings).
12. Voting procedures will conform to additional Robert’s Rules of Order. Where percentages have been stipulated, it will be based on the Yes/No votes only; abstentions are not considered in the percentages.
13. The Department Chair will interpret the Math Department’s version of Robert’s
Rule’s of Order as necessary during meetings. In order to avoid procedural disputes,
the Chair’s interpretations/rulings will be final. If the Department’s guidelines
and/or Robert’s Rules need clarification, the issue (s) will be referred to the Policy
Committee.
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