Overwhelmingly opposed to proposed change without adequate research
It is anticipated that the District Governing Board will be told at the April 18, 2017 Board meeting in Prescott that College faculty are presently overwhelmingly opposed to increasing regular classes from 15 to 16 weeks per semester. Faculty believe that such a move should not be made without first conducting serious research into its impact. This was one of the findings of the just completed Faculty Survey on the Academic Calendar.
In the survey to be discussed at the Governing Board meeting, faculty were asked: “What would you like to see (if anything), before moving to a 16-week calendar?” Forty-six of the faculty said that research on the impact to student success should be explored before going to the 16-week semester. Sixteen percent indicated research should be conducted on the impact of retention/ graduation before extending the semester. Another 5% responded that research should be conducted on how this would impact the Yavapai Community College “student demographic.”
The chart below was produced by the faculty and was contained in the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.
Professor David Gorman, president-elect of the Yavapai Community College Faculty Association, provided the Governing Board with the priorities it has set for the coming academic year at the August 12 Board meeting. They include: (a) continuing the student success initiative, (b) creating department chairs for some departments with the goal of improving two-way communication between faculty and the administration, (c) getting faculty more involved in the budgeting process, and (d) carefully reviewing the dual enrollment program. To hear and view Professor Gorman’s report to the Governing Board in its entirety, you may