Committee Meetings and Minutes

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Foreign Languages Task Force

Meeting Minutes

Current Status of Minutes: Final
Date	October 10, 2014
Time	1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Location	HBC 411

Members Present
No member attendance has been recorded.
Guests Present
Ashley Carr, Lyman Grant, Mike Midgley, Terry Barksdale

Item # 0:	Attendees
Presenter	In Attendance from 1:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Discussion	Julie Kleinhans-Urrutia, Cecilia M. Pastini, Tal�a Loaiza, Todd Phillips, Vanessa Lazo-Wilson, Merry Wheaton, Scott Gibby, Becky Jaimes, Anna Pyeatt, John McMinn, Maricela Thormahlen, Stuart Smith, Theresa Oh, Jeff Evatt, Jan Emberson, Mary Greff, Bernadeta Kaminska, Patricia Fernós, Marc Pr�vost, Cathy Angell. GUESTS: Mike Midgley, Lyman Grant, Terry Barksdale, Ashley Carr.

Item # 1:	Approval of Minutes
Presenter	Cathy Angell
Discussion	Cathy Angell presented the minutes from the April 4, 2014, meeting. ACTION TAKEN: The minutes were approved with no changes.

Item # 2:	Presentation by the Library Services Information Services Literacy Team
Presenter	Terry Barksdale and Ashley Carr
Discussion	Terry Barksdale and Ashley Carr presented information about tutorials developed by the Information Literacy Team in order to improve student success. These brief and visually engaging tutorials are based on learning outcomes from syllabi from all departments at the college, and they can be found on the ACC Library's website. There is also a faculty toolbox with information on how to use the tutorials, and a mechanism for making requests and leaving feedback. Faculty can access it at: http://researchguides.austincc.edu/facultytoolbox. Terry Barksdale and Ashley Carr offered to hold a workshop for the department to look at syllabi and to consider how to find or develop tools to help with problems that might impede student success. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 3:	Conversation and Information Sharing: (a) Early College High School
Presenter	Mike Midgley and Lyman Grant
Discussion	Mike Midgley discussed problems encountered in the Early College High School (ECHS) programs, and he reported that those classes are being moved gradually from the high schools to the ACC Highland Campus (HLC). Currently, 11th and 12th grade students are being bussed from Reagan and LBJ High Schools and mixed in classes with traditional ACC students at HLC. The students perform at a more appropriate maturity level when on the ACC campus. Since Spanish classes are taught in the 10th grade, they are currently still conducted at the high school campuses, but they should also be moved to ACC campuses by next fall, if not in the spring. New ECHS programs are scheduled to begin in Manor, Elgin, and Bastrop; and those schools have already agreed to bus the students to the ACC Elgin campus. Several instructors who have taught the ECHS Spanish classes said they felt that mixing the ECHS students with the traditional ACC students in classes at an ACC campus was a good idea; but some questioned whether students in the 10th grade are mentally mature enough to do college level Spanish courses. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 3:	(b) State Mandated Sixty Credit Hour Degree Plans
Presenter	Mike Midgley and Lyman Grant
Discussion	Mike Midgley reported that the sixty credit hour degree plans have been mandated by the legislature. Exceptions may be granted only to meet the demands by other accrediting agencies. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 3:	(c) The Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM) and the change to four credit hour beginning language courses
Presenter	Mike Midgley and Lyman Grant
Discussion	Mike Midgley told the department that the removal of the five-hour first year language courses from the ACGM by the state came without warning. Since there are very few schools with five-hour language courses, they are generally not needed to transfer to four-year universities. Although the comment period for this change is still open, Mike Midgley said he felt that a firm decision had been made. John McMinn asked whether the class size for those courses could be reduced to counter the increased difficulty in teaching the same material with fewer contact hours. Mike Midgely said that the department could submit that request to the College-Wide Curriculum Programs Committee. Marc Pr�vost asked whether the teaching load might be reduced to twelve hours, but Mike Midgely responded that he did not think that would happen due to budget concerns. Jeff Evatt asked how the new four-hour classes might affect the adjunct faculty, but there was no information available about that at this time. Lyman Grant distributed information about required teaching loads and full-time overload policies. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 4:	Formation of a Spanish Textbook Committee
Presenter	Stuart Smith
Discussion	Stuart Smith asked about forming a committee to consider the distribution of the material in the new edition of the Vistas textbook with the new four-hour first year courses. The committee will also need to look into packaging options in order to reduce costs, especially for transfer students who will only use the textbook for one semester. Becky Jaimes pointed out that all textbook decisions need to be made before spring break so that textbooks can be ordered on time. ACTION TAKEN: Scott Gibby volunteered to chair a committee. Anna Pyeatt and all full-time Spanish instructors except John McMinn and Stuart Smith will serve on the committee.

Item # 5:	Committee Members Updates and Assignments
Presenter	Cathy Angell
Discussion	Cathy Angell asked if everyone would be willing to continue to serve on the same committees as last year. ACTION TAKEN: The Ad Hoc Bookmark Committee was deleted, and Bernadeta Kaminska asked to be taken off the Curriculum Committee.

Item # 6:	Committee Reports: (a) Special Events
Presenter	Theresa Oh
Discussion	Theresa Oh said that they were considering having a faculty picnic at the end of the spring. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(b) Study Abroad
Presenter	Todd Phillips
Discussion	Todd Phillips announced that there were eleven study abroad programs scheduled for the summer, including the Spanish programs in Costa Rica and Spain. Jan Emberson reported that the program in Spain will go to Barcelona and Granada instead of Madrid and Granada. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(c) Foreign Language Honor Society
Presenter	Julie Kleinhans-Urrutia
Discussion	Julie Kleinhans-Urrutia announced that the applications for the Honor Society are due by October 30th. She reminded faculty that students who have completed one semester with a grade of A and currently have an A in a second semester course may apply to be """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""Associate"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" members. Those who have completed two semesters with an A in each course and currently have an A in the third semester of the same language may apply for """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""Full"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" membership. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(q) New Faculty
Presenter	Todd Phillips
Discussion	Todd Phillips reported that Yuri Ramiro Mu�oz is the only new instructor. He is teaching an Early College High School class at LBJ. Tal�a Loaiza is his mentor. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(e) Eligibility List
Presenter	Vanessa Lazo-Wilson
Discussion	Vanessa Lazo-Wilson announced that there are currently 18 Spanish MSTAs, 2 for German, and 1 for Japanese. Bernadeta Kaminska asked that the wording of the requirements for MSTAs in German be reconsidered since instructors teaching in the summer, fall, and spring would never have their spring evaluations considered. There was a proposal to make the wording for MSTA requirements for all languages state that """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""faculty must have received two excellent evaluations in the last year and none below very good"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""". ACTION TAKEN: The new wording was approved for all Foreign Languge MSTA positions.

Item # 6:	(f) Scheduling
Presenter	Cathy Angell
Discussion	Cathy Angell reported that with the new four-hour classes, the duration for classes meeting twice per week would be 1 hour and 45 minutes. She asked whether the department wished to include a five-minute break and make the classes 1 hour and 50 minutes. She pointed out that in order to make the scheduling easier, the department needed to change the schedule to the appropriate class times before the fall schedule rolled over. She also asked whether more classes needed to be moved to Highland Campus for the spring. It was suggested to move one of the MWF Spanish 1511 classes from Cypress and to make it two days per week. ACTION TAKEN: It was decided to make classes 1 hour and 50 minutes and to take thirty minutes off the end of current class times, except for classes currently starting at 8:00 a.m. They will start at 8:30 a.m. Instructors of individual languages may suggest changes if they see conflicts arising by these time changes.

Item # 6:	(g) Early College High School (ECHS)
Presenter	Cathy Angell
Discussion	Tal�a Loaiza asked for permission to look for a different book for the ECHS first-year Native Speakers course. She pointed out that most students already speak Spanish, and the Vistas text is not appropriate for those students. ACTION TAKEN: It was approved to change books for the ECHS first-year Native Speakers course.

Item # 6:	(h) Assessment
Presenter	Julie Kleinhans-Urrutia
Discussion	Julie Kleinhans-Urrutia informed the department that this fall all 1511 courses except Latin will assess writing skills. All 2311 courses except Latin will assess reading comprehension. These assessments will take place in class during the last two weeks of the semester or be included on the final exam. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(i) Curriculum
Presenter	John McMinn and Jan Emberson
Discussion	John McMinn presented the attached new sixty-hour degree plan for Foreign Languages, which had been reviewed by the subcommittee of the College-Wide Curriculum Committee. Anna Pyeatt asked whether our language classes could be added as options for the Language, Culture, and Philosophy requirement. John McMinn said he would look into it and that such changes could be made later. He asked the department to approve the current proposal. PROPOSED DEGREE PLAN FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE 2015-2016 Semester I Credit Hours + ENGL 1301 English Comp I 3 American History 3 Social and Behavioral Sciences 3 Mathematics

Item # 6:	(j) Technology
Presenter	Scott Gibby
Discussion	Scott Gibby said the Technology Committee would look into adding hybrid elements to classes to compensate for the loss of contact hours by reducing the first-year courses to four hours. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(d) Faculty Evaluation
Presenter	Tal�a Loaiza
Discussion	Tal�a Loaiza reminded faculty that information about portfolios was sent out at the beginning of the semester. She said that anothre reminder would be sent out later. Portfolios should be turned in before leaving at the end of the semester. Cathy Angell asked faculty to pick up portfolios that were turned in prior to last year. It was suggested that a page be added to portfolios giving the department head permission to destroy them after a determined period of time if they are not retrieved. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(k) Spanish for Spanish Speakers
Presenter	Rosa D�vila
Discussion	Cathy Angell announced that the Spanish for Spanish Speakers course did not make this fall, so it will not be offered in the Spring. It will be offered again next fall. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(l) Professional Development
Presenter	Stuart Smith
Discussion	Stuart Smith reminded faculty that ACTFL will be in San Antonio in November the weekend before Thanksgiving and that on Saturday, October 18th, there would be a workshop on Gaming in Foreign Language Classes at the University of Texas. She also announced that John Golden would do a workshop for the department in the spring. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(m) Adjunct Faculty Interview
Presenter	Marc Pr�vost
Discussion	Marc Pr�vost announced that currently there are no new interviews scheduled. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(n) Textbook Inventory
Presenter	Becky Jaimes
Discussion	Becky Jaimes announced that textbook orders for the spring had been submitted. The only textbook changes are new packaging selections of the current French textbook. The new ISBN for French 1511 is 9781305007529, and for French 1512, it is 9781305609099. Theresa Oh pointed out that the Japanese workbooks came in late and some students were coming to class with rental workbooks. Since copyright laws do not allow students to copy the pages, the bookstore should not offer workbooks for rent. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(o) Textbook Audio
Presenter	Stuart Smith
Discussion	Stuart Smith announced that required audio recordings are in place at campus libraries. She asked instructors to let her know when there are any changes in the future. ACTION TAKEN: None

Item # 6:	(p) Student Success
Presenter	Cathy Angell
Discussion	There was nothing new to report. ACTION TAKEN: None

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