BIOLOGY CLUSTER - Palm Beach Community College
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Meeting Minutes
BIOLOGY CLUSTER
January 8, 2021
1pm Virtual Session – ZOOM Format
The PBSC College Affordability Task Force is interested in finding out more about faculty usage of Open
Educational Resources. Please have your Cluster discuss this topic.
Please have your cluster members provide input on the following questions related to institutional issues.
Thank you for your help. During the Cluster Meeting, we ask that members hold discussions on the three
institutional issues below.
ITEM 1. Open Educational Resources
The PBSC College Affordability Task Force is interested in finding out more about faculty usage of Open
Educational Resources. Please have your Cluster discuss this topic.
a) Discussion can include (but is not limited to) familiarity, current usage, interest in further usage, and
obstacles faced when using. Please record discussion below. b) Once discussed, the task force asks that
each faculty member takes the anonymous survey found here.
https://palmbeachstate.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cU5XqZNwLY55xNH
Item 1 Discussion: Past discussion of OER-related Agenda items in formal Biology Cluster meetings was
sent out to all members in advance. Records show that the Biology Cluster as a group have formally
talked about this on three occasions since 2012, with the most recent instance occurring October 2020.
Cluster members were asked if anyone was currently using an OER product in place of a commercial
textbook. One professor responded in the affirmative. Dr. Chandramohan has adopted a mix of OER
(OPENSTAX) and self-made curriculum resources for his courses.
Other faculty responded that specific OER textbooks/resources are sometimes examined and discussed by
textbook selection committees, although no such products have as yet been formally selected for cluster
adoption. Commercially produced textbooks are instead selected for cluster adoption.
The extra “maintenance” (e.g., ADA compliance, weblink corrections, copyright legality) often required
for institutions and professors to operate OER products was discussed. Offerings from OPENSTAX
OER’s were observed to be at present of better quality than other mainstream OER products (e.g.,
Bluedoor Publishing).
A warning was raised that “free online” educational resources did not necessarily equate to legally
procured and/or legally usable educational resources by accredited institutions.
Item 1 Action: Cluster faculty were notified to please complete the anonymous survey (linked above).
1|PageITEM 2. Review and Update of Cluster Textbook Selection Process As a Cluster, please review the Cluster’s textbook selection process and update the process to address each of the five items contained in the District Board of Trustees policy. The textbook adoption process should be in line with the current District Board of Trustees Policy – this policy can be found at: https://www.palmbeachstate.edu/boardoftrustees/Documents/BoardPolicies/Section2/2.11TextbookSelecti on.pdf The current Cluster textbook selection process is posted online at: https://internal.palmbeachstate.edu/AcademicServices/textbook.aspx. (Please note: To access this site, you must either be on campus to log into the intranet or connect via Remote Desktop.) 2|Page
Some items to consider: · Cluster procedures should address each of the items in the current Board policy (items 1-5). · If the practice is that full-time faculty can select their own materials (not including sequential courses), please be sure that you address this within the Cluster textbook selection process. As an example, the Speech Cluster addresses in their current process that full-time faculty can select their own materials. Once your Cluster has updated the textbook selection process, please forward the Cluster-approved process to the appropriate Cluster Liaison for review. If the process adheres to the District Board of Trustees policy, the updated process will be sent to Clarisse May, Academic Coordinator in Academic Services, to be uploaded to the Intranet. ITEM 2 Discussion: Textbook policy-related records for the Biology Cluster from 2008 to the present day were identified and forwarded to members in advance of the virtual meeting. The District’s textbook policy (see above) was reviewed and discussed. A question was asked to clarify the Cluster’s policy regarding “opting out of a textbook” as an option for full-time faculty. For these situations, the Cluster defaults to the College’s specific language. Full time faculty have the option to either adopt the Cluster-adopted textbook for a course, or to not adopt a textbook at all. This only applies to full-time faculty, and only in circumstances that conform to District Policy 6Hx-18-2.11. Although members of the Biology Cluster are regularly kept appraised of our textbook selection policies, those policies are not currently summarized into a single centralized statement that is available for external readers. Rather, our policy is a continuously evolving process that is designed and intended for internal use. To comply with the College’s January 2021 request for the Biology Cluster to verify compliance with District Policy 6Hx-18-2.11 and to forward that process for external College documentation, a summary of requested policy statements will be consolidated and then submitted to the Biology Cluster Liaison. A minor issue was raised regarding an internal policy discrepancy with how certain types of very small (2-3 person) textbook committees are sometimes selected. Formal language addressing this issue will be drafted and submitted to the cluster faculty remotely for approval. Existing practices are expected to be only minimally altered. ITEM 2 Action: A remote survey was sent out to cluster members on January 11th to complete by noon, January 13th. Most of the cluster (13 members) completed the remote survey. Approval of an external summary as to how the cluster broadly selects textbooks. This summary will be forwarded to the Cluster Liaison per the College’s request. External summary Passes with 10 YES votes, 1 NO vote, and 2 abstains 3|Page
ITEM 2 Action (continued): Approval of a proposal for ensuring that very small textbook selection committees meet the minimum committee size. “In cases where there are insufficient eligible full-time faculty to meet the 2- person minimum textbook committee size (e.g., BSC 1005L), the cluster chair will select and announce additional faculty to complete the committee.” Proposal Passes with 12 YES votes and 1 abstain ITEM 3. Recommendations about the mix of course offerings a) As the Academic Deans and Associate Deans plan for the Summer and Fall 2021 course schedules, what recommendations do you have about the “mix” of course offerings in your discipline? b) Would you like to see more face-to-face classes? Yes or No: The Cluster did not view this as an appropriate binary yes/no question to answer (see below) Please discuss with the faculty in your Cluster and summarize the conversation below. ITEM 3 Discussion: Unless the regional-area COVID-19 cases and deaths come down to “acceptable levels”, the College should NOT be opening up more face-to-face classes. The College should not risk students, staff and faculty to infections/illness any more than it currently is with existing operations. The cluster was highly supportive in that the College maintain its existing COVID-19 safety protocols regarding remote classes and restricted campus access. Some faculty have already lost friends and/or family members to COVID-19 infections. There was prolonged discussion about current enrollments, current challenges and opportunities with student learning needs, classroom safety, and the overall status and short-term forecasts of the COVID-19 pandemic health crisis. ITEM 3 Action: No specific votes or actions were submitted by the Cluster in response to this agenda item. ITEM 4. Other. A message was relayed from Dr. Mercer that most of Professor Rozenna Carr’s Spring courses will now require a substitute professor. Meeting Adjourn: 2:35pm 4|Page
TEXTBOOK ADOPTIONS – LISTINGS TEXTBOOK ADOPTIONS for the Academic Year – current. Yellow highlights indicate the new selections to be voted upon at NEXT year’s spring 2021 meeting. meeting. BSC1005 - “What is Life? A Guide to Biology”, 4th edition. Author: Phelan. Publisher: W.H. Freeman First year adopted: 2018-2019 BSC1005L - “Thinking about Biology, an Introductory Lab Manual”, 5th edition. – customized for PBSC Author: Bres & Weisshaar. Publisher: Pearson First year adopted: 2017-2018 (reauthorized for 2020-2021) BSC1010/1011 – “Campbell Biology”, 12th edition. Authors: Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky, Orr. Publisher: Pearson Note: Check with your publisher’s rep if your campus wants to also order the soft cover version separately for Bio 1 and Bio 2. First year adopted: 2020-2021 BSC1010L – “Experiments in General Biology 1”, 3rd edition. Author: Hartman. Publisher: Hayden-McNeil First year adopted: 2014-2015 (reauthorized 2020-2021) BCS1011L - “Biology Laboratory Manual”, 1st edition., custom PBSC edition Authors: Vodopich & Moore. Publisher: McGraw-Hill First year adopted: 2018-2019 BSC 1311 - “Marine Biology”, 11th edition Authors: Castro, Huber. Publisher: McGraw-Hill First year adopted: 2020-2021 BSC2085/86 – “Visual Anatomy & Physiology”, 3rd edition Author: Martini, Ober, Nath, Bartholomew, Petti. Publisher: Pearson First year adopted: 2017-2018 (reauthorized 2020-2021) BSC2085/86Labs – “Visual Anatomy & Physiology Lab Manual” 2nd edition. – customized for PBSC Author: Sarikas. Publisher: Pearson First year adopted: 2017-2018 (reauthorized 2020-2021) BSC2421 – “Principles and Techniques of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology”, 7th edition. Author: Wilson & Walker. Publisher: Cambridge University Press First year adopted: 2018-2019 EVR1001 (BSC1050 previously) - “Visualizing Environmental Science”, 5th edition. Authors: Hassenzahl, Hager, Berg. Publisher: Wiley First year adopted: 2017-2018 (reauthorized 2020-2021) MCB2010 – “Microbiology: An Introduction” , 13th edition. Author: Tortora, Funke & Case. Publisher: Pearson First year adopted: 2019-2020 MCB2010L – “Microbiology Laboratory Theory & Application – customized for PBSC” Author: Leboffe & Pierce. Publisher: Morton First year adopted: 2019-2020 5|Page
Attendance (* indicates absence; ** indicates sabbatical or away on college business) Last Name First Name/ Init Title Discipline Campus MS Ammons Archie W Dr. Biology BR 44 Aviles Hernan Dr. Biology LW 56 Carrasco Emilio Dr, Biology LW 56 Gharti-Chhetri Gokarna Dr. Biology LW 56 Chandramohan Sankaranarayana Dr. Biology LW 56 Christensen Cheryl Dr. Biology LW 56 Clementz Mark Dr. Biology/Bio Tech PBG 45 Fairbanks Tod Dr. Biology/ Horticulture PBG 45 Filina Joshua Prof. Biology/Env BR 44 Gorgevska Alexandra Dr. Bio Tech & Chemistry PBG 45 Kachlany Matthew Dr. Biology LW 56 King Nathaniel Prof. Biology PBG 45 Liang Lee Dr. Biology LW 56 Miles Jessica Dr. Environmental Science PBG 45 *Royer Steven Prof. Biology LW 56 Rudayeva Yelena Dr. Biology LW 56 Stashenko Vetaley Dr. Biology BG 43 **Schmidt Sung Ji K Dr. Biology PBG 45 Volpe Stefania Prof. Biology BR 44 Walker Candace Prof. Biology/Env BG 43 Submitted by: Archie Ammons, Scribe 6|Page
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