Minutes from Social Sciences Task Force Meeting of February 20, 2004

 

The Social Science Task Force met Friday, February 20, 2000, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Rio Grande Campus in Room 125. The following faculty members were in attendance: Geof Andron, Karen Bell, Mary Beth Booth, Jack Bucco, Mary Chipley, Clint Davis, Michael Forney, Don Jonsson, Livingstone Kumassah, Lizzie Pintar, Alec Slivinske, James Sondgeroth, and Donald Tompkins. 

  1. The meeting was called to order at 1:00 pm.
  2. The agenda for the meeting was approved after item 3 below was removed and item 5 was expanded to include specific spending recommendations from the Social Science Department related to the college's "Instructional Programs Master Plan Initiatives Draft."

    3. Agenda
    1. Approval of agenda
    2. Approve the minutes from the last meeting: http://www2.austin.cc.tx.us/SOCSCI/Minutes/meet_10_24_2003.htm
    3. Review the results from the SACS questions given last semester in each discipline, and develop a "Complete Impact Statement of existing Assessment Plan."
    4. Develop our suggested schedule for next spring ('05) using this spring's schedule as a starting point.
    5. Take a look at the discretionary funds still available in this year's budget for each discipline, and make specific spending recommendations from the Social Science Department related to the college's "Instructional Programs Master Plan Initiatives Draft."
    6. Adjourn


  3. The minutes of the last meeting were approved after a small change was made in 6.III.1.iv where "Honors GEOG 2301 Macroeconomics"  was changed to "Honors ECON 2301 Macroeconomics."
  4.  Recommended schedule for Spring 2005 follows. It is exactly like the Spring 2004 schedule except for the changes itemized below.
    1. Anthropology
      1. CHANGE: ANTH 2301 10:00am-10:50am MWF at RVS: change class meeting days to MW and the time to 10:35am to 11:50am.
      2. KEEP the ANTH 2351 at RVS even though it was cancelled for lack of adequate registration this spring. CHANGE it to a MW class from 12:00pm-1:15pm.
    2. Economics
      1. ADD an ECON 2301 PCM section to the 16 week session.
      2. ADD an ECON 2302 PCM section to the 16 week session.
      3. ADD an ECON 2301 HONORS section to RGC at noon MW. (This should be requested by the honors program.)
    3. Geography
      1. ADD a GEOG 1411 (GIS II) section at NRG, Lecture: MW 12:00pm-1:15pm; Lab 1:25pm-2:40pm.
  5. Instructional Programs Master Plan Initiatives Draft
    1. Initiative 1

      Adequately fund the costs of opening and operating Eastview Campus Phase II, South Austin Campus, and the resulting renovations to existing facilities.

      Objectives
      Each department affected will determine and forward to their Dean the estimated costs required to open and operate adequately at the new campus, for each of the next three years. Costs should be delineated by object code. If it is expected that additional sections will be required, this should also be included.

      Recommendations from the Social Science Task Force
      Since the Commercial Music Program is going to be moved from NRG to the new South Austin Campus, the Social Science Task Force would like to have one of the rooms at NRG they are moving out of dedicated to be used as a GIS lab with anywhere from 12 to 20 computers in it.


    2. Initiative 2

      NO RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SOCIAL SCIENCE TASK FORCE FOR THIS INITIATIVE.


    3. Initiative 3

      Provide training and education to students that allow them to be successful in employment or transfer to colleges and universities.

      Objectives
      1. Implement current/innovative instructional technologies in the learning environment.
      2. Utilize industry-standard or appropriately current training equipment that adequately prepares students for the environments they will encounter upon employment.
      3. Other


      Recommendations from the Social Science Task Force
      1. The college should improve the technology that is available to instructors. In other words, the college should keep up with new technology and make it more accessible to instructors. In particular, projectors for DVDs and computers should be put in particular classrooms (if not all classrooms). For security these projectors could be attached to the ceilings of classrooms.
      2. The college should try to gain access to UT's purchasing program for hardware and software and make it available to all faculty members and students here at ACC.
      3. The college should provide email accounts to all ACC students.
      4. The Anthropology department needs a bigger budget so that skulls, tools, skeletons, and maps can be provided to each campus. Money will also be needed to buy cabinets to store these items in the specified classrooms.
      5. The Departmental Task Force Chair should be given more release LEHs. Presently the Departmental Task Force Chair receives 9 LEH release time per academic year. This should be increase to 12 if not 15 LEH.


    4. Initiative 4

      NO RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SOCIAL SCIENCE TASK FORCE FOR THIS INITIATIVE.


    5. Initiative 5

      Develop programs that address the economic/employment needs of the Greater Austin area based on the most recent LMI data and information.

      Objectives New curricular initiatives, new programs or significant program expansions should be included as objectives here. Any proposal should be a part of the GACC's economic development plan (Opportunity Austin) or be supported by other LMI or economic development data.

      Recommendations from the Social Science Task Force
      1. A new GIS course in remote sensing should be added to the curriculum.
      2. A GIS Associates Degree should be implemented.


  6. The meeting was adjourned at 3:00  pm.