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Faculty Senate

The Leeward Faculty Senate is chartered by the Board of Regents as the primary voice of faculty in the academic governance of the College. Through the Curriculum Committee, the faculty has a powerful role in shaping the programs and courses offered at the College. The Budget, Student, and Faculty Committees of the Faculty Senate provide faculty input and recommendations to the administration.

    • The Senate Chair and Vice Chair sit on the Campus Council.
    • The Senate is comprised of at least 22 senators elected at-large from among the full-time faculty, with approximately half elected each year for two-year terms, as well as one representative for the lecturers.
    • The Senate elects its Executive Committee that consists of the Chair, Vice chair, and Secretary.
    • Membership on Senate committees is open to all Leeward faculty, administration, and staff members.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee members for the 2023-2024 academic year:

    • Kelsie Aguilera – Chair
    • Pete Gross – Vice Chair
    • Allan Nebrija – Secretary

    Issues Before the Senate

    Fall 2023 – Spring 2024

    Previous Issues Before the Senate

    Issues before the Senate for Fall 2022 – Spring 2023

    • Work with other campus Authorized Governance Bodies (AGBs) to revise the current campus budget and planning process and associated timelines.
    • Review and vote on Leeward CC’s revised mission, vision, and Strategic Plan.
    • Review and vote on proposed revisions to the University of Hawai’i General Education curriculum.
    • Continue to monitor and communicate faculty concerns with facilities with campus and UH System administrators.

    Issues before the Senate for Fall 2021 – Spring 2022

    • Advocate for participation in the evaluation of academic executive leadership at the campus and system level, as protected by Part I, Section 8 of UHPA’s Reference Section 20 (R-20).
    • Monitor and advise on the college and UH System’s resource and budget planning.
    • Communicate progress on UH General Education curriculum revisions.
    • Resolve facilities problems identified in our Faculty Senate memo of 30 April 2020.
    • Continue to ensure that all divisions and academic units are represented on Faculty Senate committees.

    Issues before the Senate for Fall 2020 – Spring 2021

    • Resolve facilities problems identified in our Faculty Senate memo of 30 April 2020.
    • Advise in the search for an interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
    • Revise the Leeward CC Faculty Senate’s Bylaws.
    • Ensure that all divisions and academic units are represented on Faculty Senate committees.
    • Advise on the college’s operating budget.

    Issues before the Senate for Fall 2017 – Spring 2018

    • Providing input into the system-wide transition, by Fall 2018, to the new CES (Course Evaluation System).
    • Participating in the review of the Budget and Planning Process at Leeward Community College.
    • Provide input into the Revised Shared Governance Policy at Leeward Community College.

    Issues before the Senate for Fall 2016 – Spring 2017

    • Input collection to investigate the benefits of a transition from current teaching schedule to a two-day a week teaching schedule.
    • The formation of an Oral Communication Focus Board and the Oral Communication Hallmarks.
    • Revise the Leeward Faculty Senate’s Charter and Bylaws.
    • Please Acknowlege the MOA between UH Adminstration, UHPA, and UH Faculty Senates

    Issues before the Senate for Fall 2015

    • Input collection to investigate the benefits of a transition from current teaching schedule to a two-day a week teaching schedule.
    • Consider the formation of an Oral Communication Focus Board and the Oral Communication Hallmarks.
    • Revise the Leeward Faculty Senate’s Charter and Bylaws.

    Faculty Senate Meetings

    Leeward Community College Faculty Senate meetings are open to all faculty members.

    Leeward students, administration members, and staff members, as well as members of the Leeward community and others, can request an invitation to address, raise an issue with, present information to, or observe the Faculty Senate.

    To request an invitation, email Kelsie Aguilera, Faculty Senate Chair.

    Meeting Dates, 2023-2024 Academic Year

    All meetings will be held online via video conference unless otherwise noted.

    • Fall 2023:
      • Wednesday, September 6
        3:00pm – 5:00pm
      • Wednesday, October 11
        3:00pm – 5:00pm
      • Wednesday, November 15
        3:00pm – 5:00pm
      • Wednesday, December 6
        3:00pm – 5:00pm
    • Spring 2024:
      • Wednesday, January 10
        3:00pm – 5:00pm
      • Wednesday, February 7
        3:00pm – 5:00pm
      • Wednesday, March 6
        3:00pm – 5:00pm
      • Wednesday, April 10
        3:00pm – 5:00pm
      • Wednesday, May 1
        3:00pm – 5:00pm

    Click on a button to view current and previous files.

    Current Senators: Fall 2023 – Spring 2024

    SENATOR EMAIL ADDRESS PHONE DIVISION TERM
    Aguilera, Kelsie, Chair kelsieag@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0374
    Social Sciences  AY 23-25
    Barnett, Franalyn franalyn@hawaii.edu (808) 454-4740
    Student Services  AY 23-24
    Barrett, Summer summerls@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0597 OPPA AY 23-24
    Bonifacio, Domineque**** dominequ@hawaii.edu AY 23-24
    Chang, Cara cmchang@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0335 Language Arts AY 23-25
    Florendo, Leon leonflor@hawaii.edu (808) 454-4707 Waiʻanae Moku AY 23-24
    Garcia, Jiajia jiajia@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0415 Mathematics and Sciences AY 23-24
    Garnier, Christopher garnierc@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0687 Professional Arts and Technology AY 23-24
    Gross, Pete, Vice Chair grossp@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0494 Mathematics and Sciences AY 23-25
    Inoshita, Ann ati@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0327 Language Arts AY 23-25
    Jube, Sandro sandro@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0521 Mathematics and Sciences AY 23-25
    Kahn, Natalie nwahl@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0673 Academic Services AY 23-25
    Keaulana, Christina ctk8@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0480 Social Sciences AY 22-24
    Lee, Tina tinaplee@hawaii.edu  (808) 455-0348 Business AY 22-24
    MacDonald, Alyssa amh4@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0285 Mathematics and Sciences AY 22-24
    Mahi, Michele mhamada@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0337 Language Arts AY 22-24
    Molyneux, Erika erikaj@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0353 Arts and Humanities AY 23-25
    Moses, Tasha W. tashawil@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0409 Academic Services AY 23-25
    Nebrija, Allan, Secretary anebrija@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0405 Academic Services AY 22-24
    Oberheu, Donald* oberheu@hawaii.edu Lecturers AY 22-24
    Ojiri, Reina rmojiri@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0466 Mathematics and Sciences AY 23-25
    Padasdao, Bryson brysonep@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0254 Mathematics and Sciences AY 23-25
    Preziati, Luca preziati@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0264 Mathematics and Sciences AY 22-24
    Scully, Michael mscully@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0538 OCEWD AY 22-24
    Shih, I-Chia shih@hawaii.edu (808) 455-0287 Mathematics and Sciences AY 22-24
    Toyama, Ralph rtoyama@hawaii.edu  (808) 455-0682 Academic Services AY 23-25

     

    Key:

    Executive Committee Members (in bold)

    * Lecturer Group Representative

    ** Student Government Representative (non-voting member)

    Committees

    Faculty Senate Standing Committees (AY 2022-2023)

    Faculty Senate standing committees are listed in the Faculty Senate Charter and Bylaws and are considered a permanent part of the Senate. Standing committee members generally change when new officers are elected, but the committee’s purpose, function, and duties do not change.

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    Academic and Institutional Support (Michael Scully, Chair)

    Academic and Institutional Support (AIS) Committee

    Members (AY 2023-2024):

    • Kelsie Aguillera (FS Chair)
    • Kelli Brandvold
    • Donald Ching
    • Darci Francis
    • Anika Gearhart-Edwards
    • Camille S. Kikuichi (VCAS Office)
    • Michael Scully (AIS Chair)
    • Heather Takamatsu
    • Ralph Toyama
    • Theia Belle Sophia Ulep

    BYLAWS

    ARTICLE V. Standing Committees
    SECTION 2. Academic Support and Institutional Support Committee

    A. Functions

    1. Review and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate concerning policies and procedures on academic and institutional support services to faculty, staff, and students.
    2. Consult with members of the Administration as needed.

    B. Membership

    1. Membership includes appointed faculty members who shall be voting members.
    Assessment (Michele Mahi, Chair)

    Mission

    The Mission of the Assessment Committee is to:

    1. Facilitate: Work with the Administration and the Office of Planning, Policy, and Assessment (OPPA) to facilitate the assessment process and establish a culture of assessment.
    2. Communicate: Review and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate on policies and procedures relating to assessment.

    For Leeward Community College’s current policy on assessment, please read Policy L5.210.

    Membership (AY 2023-2024)

    1. Summer Barrett
    2. Cara Chang
    3. Keala Chock
    4. Pete Gross
    5. Adam Helemano
    6. Michele Mahi (chair)
    7. Erin Thompson

    Completing Course Assessment

    Instructors, please submit course learning outcome (CLO) assessments on Anthology. For instructions on how to complete and submit your course assessments, please view the Course Assessment Worksheet. To view current course assessment progress, please view the Course Assessment Progress Sheet. If you have questions about course assessment, please email Adam Helemano, Institutional Assessment Specialist, or Michele Mahi, Faculty Senate Assessment Committee Chair.

    Budget and Planning (Tina Lee, Chair)

    KELSIE WORKING ON LINKS

    Members (AY 2023-2024)

    • Tina Lee (chair)
    • Alyssa MacDonald
    • Lexer Chou
    • Junie Hayashi
    • Gholam Khaleghi
    • Summer Barrett

    Bylaws

    ARTICLE V. Standing Committees

    SECTION 3. Budget and Planning Committee

    A. Functions

    1. Consult with and advise the Administration on matters relating to projected budgets and current expenditure plans.
    2. Consult with and advise the Administration on matters relating to future plans for programs, personnel, facilities, and equipment.
    3. Work with the Administration to establish goals and monitor progress toward their attainment.
    4. Review and make recommendation to the Senate concerning policy relating to campus resource allocation and use.
    5. Review and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate on the Campus Institutional Priorities (IP).

    B. Membership

    1. Membership includes appointed faculty members who shall be voting members
    Curriculum Committee (Jiajia Garcia, Chair)

    View the Curriculum Committee website for listings of the committee’s membership, responsibilities and contacts, along with detailed information and guides to create or modifiy curriculum outlines.

    Members (AY 2023 – 2024)

    • Secretary: Luca Preziati
    • Curriculum Support Coordinator: Bryson Padasdao
    • Academic Services: Allan Nebrija, Natalie Wahl
    • Arts and Humanities: Phil Jung, John “Kalei” Laimana
    • Business: Douglas Choy, Patric Jackson, Evelyn Wong
    • Language Arts: Donald Carreira Ching, Ann Inoshita, Kelly Kennedy
    • Math and Sciences: Michael Bauer, Jennifer McFatridge, Igor Niktin
    • Social Sciences: Ashley Biddle, Anika Gearhart, Marie McKenzie
    • Student Services: Amy Amper, LeeAnn Egan, Jean StarRue-Pe“ahi
    • Professional Arts and Technology: Rober Oshita
    • Waianae Moku: Gregg Longaneker
    Distance Education (Cara Chang, Chair)

    Functions

    1. Serve as the primary voice of the faculty senate in matters of Distance Education on the Leeward CC campus;
    2. Help promote the development of distance education courses to ensure that their content and design are appropriate to the medium;
    3. Develop and recommend policies and procedures that provide technical and academic support to ensure distance learner success;
    4. Develop and recommend policies and procedures that provide technical and academic support for faculty who teach distance education courses;
    5. Develop and recommend best practices for distance education teaching;
    6. Develop outcome assessment measures that describe and evaluate the success of the distance education program and provide the data on which future recommendations can be made, and
    7. Review facilities and equipment needs periodically, and make appropriate recommendations.
    8. Membership:
      1. The Committee Chair is a Faculty Senator appointed in accordance with Bylaws;
      2. Members should be faculty with experience teaching a DE course;
      3. At least one non-faculty member (e.g. APT, Administration, etc) that is involved in the Leeward CC DE program

    (Reference: University of Hawaii – Leeward Community College Faculty Senate Charter and Bylaws, Article IV, Standing Committees, Section 10. Distance Education Committee)

    Membership (Academic Year 2023-2024)

    • Archer, Lu’ukia
    • Barnett, Franalyn
    • Chang, Cara (chair)
    • Eligio, Jeff
    • Gearhart-Edwards, Anika
    • Hayashi, Junie
    • Hirata, Brent
    • Inake, Rachael
    • Meyer, Edward
    • Wong, Evelyn (vice-chair)
    • Moses, Tasha
    • Kaeha, Kainoa
    • Chun, Jaycilyn

    Meeting Dates

    The Distance Education committee will meet on the following Thursdays from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm via Zoom: 

    • January 16, 2024
    • February 13, 2024
    • March 12, 2024
    • April 16, 2024
    Elections Committee (Reina Ojiri and Alyssa MacDonald, Co-Chairs)

    Members (AY 2023-2024)

    • Alyssa MacDonald (co-chair)
    • Reina Ojiri (co-chair)
    • Matthew Egami
    • Igor Nikitin

    The Senate Faculty is made up of 22 elected members. 11 senators are elected each year to serve a two-year term. All faculty in rank C-2 or higher are eligible to be nominated for the general election. Elections are made accessible to all faculty in rank C-2 or higher and all lecturers teaching 8 credits or more at Leeward Community College.

    The election period begins on the first Monday of November and ends on the following Monday by 4 pm. Elected senators will be acknowledged in a campus-wide publication no more than one week after the completion of the election. Newly elected senators will take office during the first regularly scheduled faculty senate meeting of the academic year following their election to office.

    View Faculty Senate Elections Procedures (approved, 09-07-2022)

    Bylaws

    ARTICLE V. Standing Committees

    SECTION 11. Elections Committee

    A. Function

    1. Review and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate concerning policies and procedures relating to its electoral process.
    2. Conduct the General Faculty Senate elections.
      1. Research and verify the number of Faculty and lecturers on the roll for eligibility at the beginning of the Fall Semester.
      2. Solicit eligible faculty members to run for the Faculty Senate.
      3. Advertise/distribute a list of candidates to all Faculty members as follows: three weeks prior to election week and twice prior to election week.
    3. Conduct the Faculty Senate Executive Officers elections.

    B. Membership

    1. Membership also includes appointed faculty members who shall be voting members.
    Faculty Committee (I-Chia Shih, Chair)

    Members (AY 2022-2023)

    • Donald Carreira Ching, Language Arts
    • Jia Jia Garcia, Math and Sciences
    • Chris Garnier, Professional Arts and Technology
    • Nicole Keim-Fortuno,Student Services
    • Gregg Longanecker, Math and Sciences, Wai‛anae Moku
    • Reina Ojiri, Math and Sciences
    • I-Chia Shih, Math and Sciences (chair)
    • Irwin Yamamoto, Professional Arts and Technology

    Bylaws

    ARTICLE V. Standing Committees

    SECTION 5. Faculty Committee

    A. Functions

    1. Monitor, review, and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate concerning any aspect of faculty academic activities, including sabbatical leaves, travel, evaluation, committee assignments, criteria for faculty contract renewal, tenure, promotion, ethics, peer review and student evaluation of faculty.
    2. Monitor, review, and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate concerning policy relating to criteria for lecturer contract renewal, ethics, peer review and student evaluation of lecturer.
    3. Provide for an overview of policies and procedures of concern to the Faculty.

    B. Membership

    1. Membership includes appointed faculty members who shall be voting members.
    General Education (Pete Gross, Chair)

    Members (AY 2023-2024)

    • Jiajia Garcia (Curriculum Committee)
    • Blake Hunrick (Counselor)
    • Pete Gross (Chair)
    • Lu’ukia Archer (E Focus)
    • Michele Mahi (Oral Communication)
    • Marie McKenzie (Diversification)
    • Cara Chang (Writing Intensive)
    • Jaydene Kale’a Silva (Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific)

    General Education Boards

    The General Education Committee affirms the core designations that a course meets for the Leeward Community College AA core. There are six designation boards.  Each board works from agreed hallmarks to review core designation application.  A list of approved courses for each designation is maintained by the boards.

    General Education Boards websites:

    Legislative Relations (Erika Molyneux, Chair)

    Members (AY 2023-2024)

    • Donald Ching
    • Fa‘amaile Ickes
    • Erika Molyneux  (chair)
    • Reina Ojiri
    • Naiad Wong
    • Christina Keaulana

    Upcoming Hearing Announcements

    HB 1609 Status

    RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII

    Requires the board of regents of the University of Hawaii to develop procedures for the full utilization of university facilities.  Requires the administration of the different UH campuses to collect and report data relating to facilities utilization.  Prohibits the UH board of regents from approving the construction of a new university building until a public hearing is held to discuss facility utilization and cost.

    HB 1613 Status

    RELATING TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

    Grants tuition waivers to students at the community colleges who meet certain criteria.  Initiates the waiver program as a pilot project in a county with a population of less than 100,000.

    Bylaws

    ARTICLE V. Standing Committees

    SECTION 6. Legislative Relations Committee

    A. Functions

    1. Monitor and report to the Faculty Senate on legislative issues that affect faculty (i.e., retirement, healthcare, tuition waivers, academic and curriculum matters, etc.) and the university system.

    B. Stipulation: In performing this function, the Committee shall advise and cooperate with the College Administration to maintain productive relations with individual legislators and legislative committees. 8 Rev. 2016 C. Membership

    1. Membership includes appointed faculty members who shall be voting members.
    Student Affairs (Leon Florendo and Franalyn Barnett, Co-Chairs)

    Members (AY 2023-2024)

    • Leon Florendo (co-chair)
    • Franalyn Barnett (co-chair)
    • Tawny Antonio
    • Darci Francis
    • Lexer Chou
    • Grant Helgeson
    • Jolyn Jardiolin
    • Jean StavRue-Peʻahi
    • Asiah Chaleunheuang (Leeward CC ASUH Rep)

    NOTE: The chair of the Student Committee of the Senate will convene the Ad Hoc Academic Grievance Committee (AGC).

    The Student Committee Chair asks the Academic Division Chairs for representatives for a “pool” at the beginning of the academic year.  If the Student Committee Chair is contacted regarding a grievance, then an Ad Hoc Academic Grievance Committee is selected from this “pool” by the Student Committee Chair plus 2 voting members assigned from the Student Government.  (Note:  Not all faculty in the pool will be selected.) The Student Committee Chair convenes the first meeting of this special committee; they will self-select a chair.  The Faculty Senate Student Committee Chair is not on the actual Ad Hoc committee, but can guide the SAG committee in following the SAG policy.  If there are two requests (from two different students), the FS Student Committee Chair will select another Ad Hoc Academic Grievance Committee from other faculty in the original “pool” created at the beginning of the year.  The Student Government will have to also select two representatives (could be the same or different students).

    2020-21 Ad Hoc Academic Grievance Committee Volunteers

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