Brookdale’s Honorary Degree Committee is seeking nominees to receive an honorary Associate degree during the 2009 graduation ceremonies. All current and former Brookdale employees, students and Board members (Trustee, Foundation and Alumni) are welcome to nominate a worthy candidate for this high honor. Last year, the College community selected Rev. Dr. Henry Davis and Tim McLoone to receive honorary degrees.
College Life:History of Charges and Committee Recommendation
FY2000 – FY2005
YEAR: 1999-2000
CHARGE: College Life is charged with examining the ways in which student elections take place
RECOMMENDATIONS:
From May 2000 Governance Gazette - Year-end Committee Report
College Life and Student Development focused most of their attention on the charge of increasing student participation in Governance. The results are summarized in the recommendations printed on page 1 of this Gazette. The College Life committee also discussed the charge concerning services to evening and extension branch students and did not conclude the discussions. These two charges were the focus of the College Life Committee for the entire year. (It may also be important to note that some members of our committee and others were also deeply involved in the College Hour meetings, which were a major distraction for the entire Fall of 1999.)
Recommendations from Student Development and College Life on Increased Involvement of Students in Governance.
Kathy Pultar and Cecilia Castro-Abad, for Student Development, and Don Dickson, for College Life, presented a set of recommendations designed to increase student awareness of and participation in Governance. This is the text of their joint recommendations:
It is recommended that the following areas be considered as charges for committee work for academic year 2000-2001 so they can be fully developed and implemented.
1. Identify and implement marketing and promotional strategies to create a Governance presence on campus.
2. Examine and identify student incentives to increase student participation.
3. Implement additional leadership and training opportunities for campus community.
4. Examine and identify strategies to increase connection between the student life board and governance.
5. Develop a script and prepare governance information/ orientation packet for faculty. Currently in development phase targeted for pilot Fall 2000.
6. Create a student application/tracking form for governance participation.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
1. The campus community will be provided with a recruitment script and governance information.
2. All faculty will present a suggested three to five minute presentation on the first day of classes (or course orientation) orienting, motivating and recruiting students to participate in governance.
3. As students are identified, an application/tracking form will be sent to the student life board for tracking and election/appointment to committees.
4. Each committee member discusses governance at all department/division meetings with an emphasis on student recruitment. Governance will be an agenda item at these meetings.
RESULTS:
VOTE:
No vote.
PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE:
No response in Gazette.
OUTCOME:
YEAR: 1999-2000
CHARGE: College Life and Student Development are charged with examining the concept of a student senate at Brookdale, and making recommendations on services for evening students and students at extension sites
RECOMMENDATIONS:
From May 2000 Governance Gazette - Year-end Committee Report
College Life and Student Development focused most of their attention on the charge of increasing student participation in Governance. The results are summarized in the recommendations printed on page 1 of this Gazette. The College Life committee also discussed the charge concerning services to evening and extension branch students and did not conclude the discussions. These two charges were the focus of the College Life Committee for the entire year. (It may also be important to note that some members of our committee and others were also deeply involved in the College Hour meetings, which were a major distraction for the entire Fall of 1999.)
RESULTS:
VOTE:
No vote. Work not completed.
PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE:
No response in Gazette.
OUTCOME:
YEAR: 2000-2001
CHARGE: Guidelines for Promotion, Advertising, and Publishing on Brookdale’s Web Page and Portal System
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recommendation #1:
The College Life Committee recommends the following guidelines for advertising be adopted by the College.
1. No advertising, promotion of, or links to alcoholic, tobacco, gambling, or drug-based products that have addictive characteristics.
2. No advertising, promotion of, or links to services that would in any way lead to a violation of conditions of the College Student Code of Conduct (e.g. term paper services, etc.) or these guidelines.
3. No advertising, promotion of, or links to activities promoting violence, bias, or social or value degradation. No profanity, obscenity, lewdness, or any suggestion of these elements in any form.
4. No advertising, promotion of, or links to commercial services intended to compete with Brookdale-provided services unless they are considered extended opportunities.
5. No sponsorship, promotion, or advertising for other higher education institutions and/or services considered to be in direct competition with Brookdale, except in cases where it is deemed to be complementary to Brookdale’s mission and goals.
6. No political or religious advertisements of any kind.
7. In no case shall any promotion or advertisement suggest endorsement by or association with BrookdaleCommunity College without prior agreement by the College.
8. No personally identifiable information* will be collected by advertisers or Time Cruisers without express prior permission from the user.
9. No advertisements that promote fraud in any form, such as vacations, investments, and “pyramid” business schemes; or advertisements that encourage fraudulent or inappropriate business or personal behavior.
*Personally identifiable information: Examples of this type of information include name, address, phone, student number, social security number, email username, and passwords. This is information that can identify you personally.
Recommendation #2
For portal advertising, we recommend there be internal and external gatekeeping in place to be certain the guidelines are upheld:
Internal: The Marketing Services Office should serve as the internal office that monitors the advertisements posted and responds to campus questions or concerns.
External: The Campus Cruiser representatives should be provided with a copy of the Student Conduct Code and these guidelines for reference.
RESULTS:
VOTE:
There was no discussion prior to the vote. There were 7 abstentions and the remaining voters all voted affirmative. The recommendations have been forwarded to Dr. Burnham.
PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE:
On February 6, the Forum passed the Guidelines on the Use of Advertising and these were forwarded to the President. On March 8, Dr. Burnham responded “I reviewed with much enthusiasm the Guidelines for the Use of Advertising and would like to congratulate the College Life Committee and Governance Steering for their diligence in researching and reporting on this complex and important issue. With the recommendations you forwarded, I have prepared a College Policy and a College Regulation for review by the Policy Committee of the Board of Trustees. With their anticipated adoption in May (lodging in April), they will immediately go into effect and will be distributed on campus. All “advertisers” will receive a copy of the Policy and Regulation. ”
OUTCOME:
YEAR: 2000-2001
CHARGE: Policy and Regulation on Acceptable Use of Computing Network, Resources, and Facilities
RECOMMENDATIONS: See 2001-2002 Recommendations
YEAR: 2001-2002
CHARGE: Policy and Regulation on Acceptable Use of Computing Network, Resources, and Facilities
RECOMMENDATIONS:
BOARD POLICY (New)
I. TITLE OF POLICY
Acceptable Use of Computer Network, Resources and Facilities
II. OBJECTIVE OF POLICY
To authorize the President to develop a College Regulation to establish rules, procedures and guidelines for using the College’s computer network, resources, and facilities
III. AUTHORITY
N.J.S.A. 18A:64A-12
IV. POLICY STATEMENT
To prevent the misuse and abuse of the College’s Computer Network, resources and facilities to establish appropriate conduct for all users of the College’s resources, the President is authorized to establish rules, procedures and guidelines for using the College’s computer network, resources, and facilities.
V. RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION
President
COLLEGE REGULATION (New)
I. TITLE OF REGULATION
Computer Resources, Network and Facilities Use Regulation
II. OBJECTIVE OF REGULATION
To establish rules, procedures and guidelines for College computer resources, network and facilities use.
III. AUTHORITY
Board of Trustees Policy (reference number of above policy)
IV. REGULATION STATEMENT
In accordance with the Board Policy on Computer Resources, Network and Facilities Use, and the Board
Policy on Academic Freedom the following establishes appropriate conduct for all users and promote acceptable usage of College computer resources, networks and facilities.
A. Permitted Use
The College will not censor or limit access to any information that does not violate federal, state, or local laws. To maintain a workplace sensitive to the diversity of its employees and students while preserving a dynamic and inclusive on-line community that is necessary to the function and purpose of higher education, the authorized and responsible exercise of computer privileges is required of all users.
B. Privacy Issues
Contents of electronic files will be examined or disclosed only when authorized by the user, approved by designated Brookdale officers (President, Executive Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents) or required by law.
The College reserves the right, however, to inspect, copy, store, and disclose the contents of electronic files but will do so only when it believes it is appropriate to prevent or correct unauthorized use, satisfy a legal obligation, or insure appropriate use of College resources.
C. Intellectual Property and Copyright
Brookdale Co mmunity College requires that all uses of copyrighted materials comply with federal law (Title 17, US Code Section 107) and the Policies and Regulations of the Board of Trustees. The full text of the federal law (Title 17, US Code, Section 107), including the Fair Use provisions, and guidelines for determining compliance, are available at the Reference Desk in the Library and by hyperlink from the Library’s website. Responsible regard for intellectual property and copyright includes but is not limited to:
1. Citing sources and complying with standards for proper citation when using a portion of another’s work. Detailed information on citations standards is available at the library web site.
2. Obtaining permission from the copyright holder hen using all of a work (a full image, a complete poem, a whole song).
3. Obtaining permission from the copyright holder to copy any software that requires purchase. In most cases, software already purchased by a consumer may not be transferred to another’s computer without permission of the copyright holder; otherwise, both parties may be liable for copyright infringement.
D. Authorized Use
Use of College computing resources is a privilege and must be treated with the highest standards of ethics and respect for others. Individuals working on the Brookdale campuses and those dialing in from remote locations will be held to an equal standard of conduct for the appropriate use of computer resources. Academic and College business use takes priority over personal use. Authorized users recognize and accept the standard for appropriate use and will confine their activities to the established guidelines, which include but are not limited to:
1. Conducting the business of the institution.
2. Completing an assignment or other body of work directly related to a course or workshop in which the individual is enrolled.
3. Conducting research for educational purposes.
4. Communicating with other users, both within and outside the Brookdale community, in a reasonable manner.
5. Downloading public domain, free, trial or demonstration software, and other files to removable media owned by the individual.
6. Changing the individual’s password.
7. Creating and maintaining individual web pages located on the BrookdaleCommunity College web site, according to the guidelines posted for such publication.
8. Accessing information resources at other institutions in a non-invasive manner.
9. Developing more effective technological skills
E. Unauthorized Use
Unauthorized uses include but are not limited to:
1. Using computer resources for personal or financial gain, such as selling access to college computer resources, distributing advertisements, or performing work for personal profit authorized by the College.
2. Using computer resources to solicit others for commercial ventures, religious or political causes, or outside organizations.
3. Engaging in activity that might be harmful to system performance or access, such as flooding the system with e-mail traffic or intentionally introducing a virus to the system, or making unauthorized changes to system settings.
4. Using computer resources to harass another person or entity.
5. Attempting to circumvent resource limits or security measures.
6. Engaging in illegal activities, such as attempting to gain unauthorized access to computing resources at another site.
7. Violating license agreements or copyright laws, such as transferring copyrighted materials to/from a college computer.
8. Allowing unauthorized users to access a Brookdale account, the Internet, or other computer resources.
9. Misusing shared resources, which can include but is not limited to actions such as artificially maintaining a modem connection when not in use, clogging the server with too many files, and excessive printing from shared printers
10. Violating College policies, regulations, rules, and procedures, such as lab and system regulations, and policies and regulations prohibiting discrimination and sexual harassment.
F. Criminal/Illegal Acts
Criminal/Illegal Acts include violations of federal, state, or local laws and regulations such as:
1. Attempting to enter another individual’s account.
2. Using another individual’s account without permission.
3. Attempting to delete, destroy or modify files on a computer or server that are not in the user’s personal drive or folder/directory.
4. Writing or deliberately sending a virus, worm, or trojan horse, or initiating a denial of service or any other attack within Brookdale or from Brookdale to any other network.
5. Distributing information protected by privacy laws.
6. Making terroristic threats or otherwise threatening the safety or well-being of others. The federal statute on fraud and related activity in connection with computers is U.S. Code Title 18, Section 1030.
V. Responsibility for Implementation
RESULTS:
VOTE:
Board Policy on Computer Resources, Network, and Facilities Use was passed with a vote of 87 for, 0 against and 1 abstention
College Regulation on Computer Resources, Network, and Facilities Use was passed unanimously
PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE:
Dr. Peter Burnham formally approved the recommendations, as follows:
College Policy 2.9000 Acceptable Use of Computing Network, Resources and Facilities
College Regulation 2.9000R Acceptable Use of Computing Network, Resources and Facilities
The vote was faculty only.
OUTCOME:
YEAR: 2001-2002
CHARGE: Use of College Facilities
RECOMMENDATIONS:
PRINCIPLES FOR THE USE OF COLLEGE FACILITIES
1. BrookdaleCommunity College is a publicly-supported, open door, community-based, educational institution. Its facilities must be utilized for the benefit of the educational mission and its public, community service functions. The primary purpose of the college is the provision of educational services. The priority use of educational facilities is for educational purposes. Priority of special use facilities, (Gym, PAC and SLC,) will only be re-assigned in exceptional situations.
2. The college, as defined in its Mission, is a community environment. Facilities, which include buildings and land associated with BrookdaleCommunity College, should be available for use by community organizations and groups as long as such use is not in conflict with the primary educational interest of the facilities or the land and does not jeopardize the safety or security of the campus.
3. Within the Brookdale community, determination of priority use for campus facilities (except the StudentLifeCenter) should be guided and determined by:
a. Primary academic purposes: classes, laboratories and academic-support activities.
b. Noncredit training and academic programming must be provided a “next level” priority to credit course use. Recreational or vocational noncredit experience is a next level priority in service of “students” even though they may be noncredit students.
c. Student utilization of facilities for student activities, student sponsored events and activities, particularly of an educational nature if combined with an academic course or program, would also have priority access ahead of external community use. However, designated student use facilities defined within the Student Life Center will have first priority access by students and second priority access to external groups, consistent with the college’s need to generate revenue through public events and conferencing activities. Collaborative procedures for sharing between student use and conferencing such space will be defined by mutual agreement of the Dean of Enrollment Development and Student Affairs together with the Executive Director of Auxiliary Services in consultation with the Vice President for Outreach, Business, and Community Development and the Vice President for Business and Finance and appropriate advance scheduling done to minimize conflicts. In the case of such conflicts, final adjudication of utilization will be determined through discussions of the Dean of Enrollment Development and Students Affairs and the Executive Director of Auxiliary Services with any tie breaking at the level of the Executive Vice President and, if necessary, the President.
4. Community use of appropriate college facilities is encouraged. Specific plans for such expanded use should be developed by units responsible for these facilities in cooperation with the Vice President for Outreach, Business, and Community Development, the Dean of Enrollment Development and Student Affairs, the Executive Director, Marketing Services, and any other college official who has the role of either “brokering” facility use for special events or is a potential “consumer” of those community uses.
5. All facilities use by outside groups will engender appropriate fees and charges to offset expenses as well as provide a marginal revenue-over-expenses flexibility to address general overhead for the management of all facilities. Such rates and charges will be reviewed and finalized every two years and approved by the President. Appropriate insurance coverage must be in place prior to any scheduling of facilities. Such fees may also apply to inside College organizations for events that call for added College overhead expenses.
6. Waiver of fees will be at the discretion of the President if deemed in the best interest of the college. Such waivers will be limited in scope and considered an exception and should not be routinely petitioned.
7. Detailed policies and regulations for the use of all college facilities will be developed, approved, implemented, and promulgated by the President. College Governance will be consulted on all facilities use policies and regulations.
Recommendations for the Use of College Facilities from the College Life Committee
1) Rooms should be used for intended purposes only.
2) Insurance requirements and coverage for renters should be reviewed
3) Room users should not change locations unless they have notified the scheduling office
4) Fee structure should be reviewed.
5) All facilities users (internal and external) should follow the current guidelines and be provided a copy of guidelines
6) Factors like the number of participants, purpose, revenue generation, and safety/security should be considered in the decision of priority in special use facilities (PAC, GYM, SLC)
7) The scheduling process should be clarified and communicated both internally and externally.
8) Resource 25 scheduling software should be implemented and shared between offices that schedule special facilities. i.e.— the Gym, PAC, StudentLifeCenter
9) Develop a process for determining whether a scheduled event can take place when the college is closed due to inclement weather. Additional costs to the college should be considered.
10) Develop specific guidelines about the timelines for payment, insurance, non-refundable dates for cancellation, and other required documents
11) Groups that consistently use Brookdale facilities without scheduling their meetings should be identified and notified of the appropriate procedures.
RESULTS:
VOTE:
The Recommendations on Facilities Use from College Life were passed (Principles - 90 for, 1 against, 3 abstentions; Recommendations – 93 for, 0 against, 1 abstention).
PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE:
Dr. Burnham wrote that he was “gratified at the Forum’s vote of approval and the comprehensiveness of the campus wide discussion,” and he praised College Life’s yearlong work.
OUTCOME:
YEAR: 2002-2003
CHARGE: Student Conduct in a Learning-Centered Environment
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Charge 1: Develop guiding principles for appropriate student behavior in classrooms, labs the library, and other college facilities where learning takes place.
Guiding Principle Statement
A learning centered environment is any area in or near classrooms, labs, library, etc. used to promote one’s education. These environments should remain free from distractions and disruptions that would infringe on the rights of others to be academically successful and productive. Such disruptions include improper use of personal communication devices, loud or improper speech and tardiness. Behavior in the learning environment should promote an enriching educational opportunity which is the paramount objective of the college.
Charge 2: Amend the Student Conduct Code (College Regulation 6.3000R) so that appropriate behavior is clearly identified.
Amendment to Section IV F8: Obstruction or disruption of teaching, learning, research, administration, discipline procedures or other College authorized event. Disruptions of teaching and learning include tardiness, offensive language or behavior, noise and improper use of personal communication devices (eg.) Cell phones, headphones, pagers, palm pilots, and laptops.)*
*Amendment in bold
Charge 3: Recommend ways to raise awareness of the various college constituencies about appropriate student behavior. . . .
Place Guiding Principles in Student Handbook, Schedule and on website.
Faculty refers to conduct code or guiding principles in syllabus. (See Helpful Hints)
Faculty list expectations on syllabus or schedule.
Call attention to guiding principles and conduct code to students during orientation.
Annual Student Panel Discussion
Have guiding principles posted.
Address in division/ department meetings.
Address in mentoring program.
. . . and facilitate discussion in techniques for handling inappropriate behavior.
Design classroom management for (new) faculty.
Address in division/ department meetings.
Address in new employee orientation.
HELPFUL HINTS
(SHORT SUGGESTED SYLLABUS STATEMENT)
Students are expected to show respect for each other and anyone involved in the learning environment as well as to be supportive of the learning process in general. Some samples of supportive behavior are:
Respect for property of the college and other students
Act civilly (no verbal abuse, violence of threats of violence)
Avoid disruption of learning process. (It is recommended that students place all cell phones on vibration function while in class and turn off all electronic devices while in class.)
Many more specifics of expected behavior are mentioned in the Student Conduct Code, found in your Student Handbook, pages 33 – 37. Included in pages 33 – 37 is the Academic Integrity Code, which highlights issues such as:
Plagiarism
Cheating
Any form of deceit in an academic evaluation process (inappropriate assistance, misrepresentation, etc.)
The College supports students efforts to be successful in their academic pursuits and being aware of the issues involved in pages 33 – 37 of the student handbook will help students understand responsibilities and expectations while at Brookdale.
RESULTS:
VOTE:
All three parts of the charge were voted on and passed unanimously.
PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE:
The Guiding Principle for Student Behavior in a Learning-Centered Environment is clear in its intention: I applaud the Forum for its productive and entertaining discussion of this topic. “Appropriate student behavior in classrooms, labs, the library, and other college facilities” will be dependent on a great deal of information sharing, continuing education, and, much like the “no smoking” regulation passed several years ago, will require peer, faculty and staff monitoring and action, as needed and appropriate. It will be incumbent upon the entire campus community to assure reasonable compliance with these recommendations. We’ve set a high bar for ourselves.
OUTCOME:
YEAR: 2003-2004
CHARGE: Quality of Campus Life
RECOMMENDATIONS: See 2004-2005 Recommendations.
YEAR: 2003-2004
CHARGE: Quality of Campus Life
RECOMMENDATIONS:
From December 2003 Gazette (last time comprehensive list of issues on this charge is listed in the Gazette)
College Life has heard from the people at the Lincroft campus and the Higher Education Centers regarding several issues considered to affect the quality of life of students, employees and visitors to our campuses. The committee identified larger goals which would address several of our listed items as follows:
1. Equity at all campuses.
A. Services:
The need for equity (near equity) of services at all campuses
1. Need better testing areas at Higher Education Centers - Freehold
2. Make services available at Higher Education Centers; flu shot, theater tickets
3. Improve (increase) transportation between campuses (publicize it)
3. Adequate lighting –we’ve gotten several comments all across campus about this
4. Long Branch desperate need of new carpeting (safety, attractiveness)
B. Exterior
Traffic in and around LAH parking lot not safe
1. Trim bushes, plant smaller flowers
2. Put in speed breakers, paint lines on end of parking rows
3. Deal with drop-off/pick-up situation at LAH
C. ADA regulations
See that facilities are in compliance with ADA regulations
1. Soap dispensers in bathrooms need to be made reachable for wheelchair persons
2. Slope of handicap ramps consistent throughout the ramp, railings present on handicap ramps
3. Need an elevator and ramp in gym
3. Services
1. Up-to-date technology with latest virus protection
2. Scheduling faculty/staff in relation to student needs (learning asst., security)
3. Timely response from facilities
4. Awareness
1. Awareness through clubs to pick up trash, use recycling bins, etc.
2. Develop an enforceable smoking policy for all campuses.
A prioritization of those issues was made and committee members are working on recommendations for those issues. The table below has a list of the prioritized issues with the corresponding committee members who volunteered to brainstorm/ write recommendations.
1. Equity at all campuses [John Bukovec, Helen Elliott, Roseanne Alvarez, Kay Amoroso, Bill Sanford]
In addition, the issue of Communication with members of the College community was seen as pervasive throughout all concerns and issues. A statement about communication is being considered for inclusion in our final report and recommendations.
The recommendation process is underway for each of these issues. Further information is needed to write recommendations for some areas. The following recommendation was written for item 2B. Facilities: Exterior:
College Life Recommendation for Exterior
Problem: Traffic in and around LAH Parking lot is not safe. There is low visibility. Traffic is too fast and drivers do not stop and yield appropriately at end of parking lot rows. There is a drop-off/pick-up habit that congests traffic.
Recommendations:
1. Trim bushes to improve visibility. Plant smaller plants and flowers.
2. Paint “STOP” at ends of parking lot rows.
3. Design a drop-off area, which may include creating a one-way traffic flow in the parking lot or half of the parking lot.
Problem: Students and visitors have difficulty finding buildings on campus. The library has especially experienced large numbers of questions for directions to places such as the bookstore, the student life center, the testing center and others. It is difficult to distinguish between the MAC, MAN, and MAE buildings.
Recommendations:
1. Label all buildings clearly with signs that can be seen as one approaches the building. For example, the NAS building as one approaches from lots 6 and 7.
2. Create “You are Here” maps for strategic locations such as outside the library door.
3. Label doors between building entrances. Put sign on wall for even numbers and odd numbers.
4. Station an announcement sign area at both entrances to college at Phalanx road and Rt. 520.
5. Signs and maps may be created by art/engineering students as part of class project in order to defray cost.
From Mid-November 2004 Gazette – Report on November 2, 2004 Forum
Ellie Horgan and Roseanne Alvarez, co-chairs of the College Life Committee, were asked to present a final discussion report on their Quality of Campus Life Charge from 2003-2004. According to the co-chairs, after taking into account the Forum feedback from September 21, 2004, the committee realized that the format of the information was going to be either too broad or too specific to vote on. Therefore, after discussing this situation with Steering, the College Life Committee recommended that the detailed Quality of Life recommendations be forwarded to the Facilities Master Plan (FMP) 2010 Committee. According to the co-chairs, this will assist the FMP 2010 Committee with both an audit of needs at the Lincroft campus and the Higher Education Centers, as well as the development of Guiding Principles regarding safety and maintenance issues.
Chair Ann Tickner Jankowski provided background on the previous discussion by College Life and how this new recommendation was formed in consultation with the Steering Committee. According to Ann, Steering acknowledges that the College Life Committee finished their charge and that this solution will allow the committee’s recommendations to move forward and be considered as the Guiding Principles for the FMP are shaped.
An attendee asked if the Forum will have the opportunity to see the outcome of the FMP 2010, especially to see if the College Life Committee recommendations have been incorporated into their plan. Vice President Trammell responded that the Facilities Master Plan will flow through the Institutional Planning and Assessment Committee back to Governance for feedback. He assured the Forum that the FMP will always have Governance input through the Institutional Planning and Assessment Committee.
FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS (Presented in Mid-November 2004 Gazette)
Recommendation: The College Life Committee recommends that the detailed Quality of Life charge recommendations be forwarded to the Facilities Master Plan 2010 Committee.
Rationale: To assist the Facilities Master Plan 2010 Committee in both the audit of needs at the Lincroft campus and the Higher Education Centers, and in the development of the Guiding Principles regarding safety and maintenance issues.
RESULTS:
VOTE:
Forum attendees were asked to vote on the recommendation of the College Life Committee to forward their detailed Quality of Life charge recommendations to the Facilities Master Plan 2010 Committee (Later renamed the Facilities Master Plan 2015 Committee). This item also passed with just one abstention.
PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE:
This committee was one of the most dedicated of any; their detailed recommendations attest to many hours of discussion, and I respect their tenaciousness in making sure that ALL of their recommendation reached my desk. By virtue of this memorandum, I am forwarding the recommendations of College Life to EVP Lou Goetting; Lou and I had discussed this after the December Forum, and the recommendations have been incorporated into the planning process for FMP 2015 (note change of date from 2010 to 2015). I urge Steering to work with the FMP 2015 committee to incorporate a report to the Forum at strategic points in their deliberations.
OUTCOME:
YEAR: 2004-2005
CHARGE: Honorary Degrees
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Charge 1. Determine whether Brookdale should award Honorary Associates Degrees at annual commencement ceremonies.
Recommendation:
The College Life Committee recommends that the College award Honorary Associates Degrees at annual commencement ceremonies.
Rationale for Honorary Associates Degrees:
1. Committee consensus:
Existing regulation and precedent for award suggests viability and context for revision and re-establishment
Promotes & reflects the College’s growth & mission
Enhances students’ graduation experience
2. Overall positive responses and feedback from Forum presentations and members of the College community
3. Student poll suggests overwhelming support:
106 students polled
97 out of the 106 students polled believe that Brookdale should award Honorary Degrees
Charge 2. If so, develop guidelines and procedures for implementation.
Recommendation:
The College Life Committee recommends the following guidelines and procedures for implementation:
I. Selection Criteria For Honorees:
Nominations may be based upon, but are not limited to, one or more of these areas:
1. Professional Accomplishments: including educational endeavors, leadership qualifications, and/or responsibilities, published works, professional honors, or awards in their field.
2. Community/Public Service: including humanitarian deeds, noteworthy contributions to the College and/or to the local community or society as a whole.
3. Personal Accomplishments: including patriotic service, sports, fine arts, philanthropy, or overcoming adversity to attain education or career goals.
II. Nomination Process for Honorees:
1. Letter of invitation for nomination sent from the Office of the President, on behalf of the Selection Committee
2. Nominations are sent to the office of the Executive Director of College Relations and will be reviewed by the Selection Committee.
3. The Selection Committee, after reviewing all nominations, may select up to 3 candidates for consideration by the President and Board of Trustees.
III. Composition of Selection Committee for Honorees:
The committee shall be composed of one member from each of the following campus groups:
Cabinet
Administration
Faculty
Support Staff
Students
IV. Process for Choosing Selection Committee:
Names of candidates for Selection Committee will be submitted by college-wide self nomination with the final decision to be made in the spring of the year previous to the graduation.
Rationale for Guidelines & Procedures:
1. The above Guidelines and Procedures were developed after much research and deliberation to determine and recommend the best and most representative practices and processes possible; The College Life Committee believes that these Guidelines and Procedures ensure the campus community’s involvement and ownership of the process.
2. The committee considered several factors and came to articulate what we believe are the two most significant factors in establishing the language and criteria of nominee selection as well as the guiding purposes and principles of proposing the award: we believe that the language and criteria must reflect Brookdale’s mission and values; concurrently, we believe that the language and criteria must be student centered.
3. Update Regulation 2.0012R
What follows is the original language regarding the Honorary Degree of Associate of Arts, as well as an excerpt from “The Certificate of Appreciation” Award, and Section V, “Responsibility For Implementation” in Regulation 2.0012R:
A. The Honorary Degree of Associate of Arts, the highest level of recognition that can be accorded by the College, may be conferred upon persons whose service to the College is of a substantial and unique nature. The Honorary Degree will be awarded by action of the Board of Trustees upon recommendation of the President. It will be conferred upon the recipient publicly at the Annual Commencement by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and the recipient will be presented with a suitably inscribed and embellished diploma by the President.
C. The Certificate of Appreciation [. . .] The Certificate of Appreciation will be issued by the President upon recommendation of the Executive Director of Public Affairs.
V. Responsibility for Implementation
Executive Director of Public Affairs
Recommendation:
The College Life Committee recommends the following revision to Regulation 2.0012R:
A. The Honorary Degree of Associate of Arts is the highest level of recognition that can be accorded by the College; the College seeks to honor individuals, who, through their accomplishments or deeds, provide inspiration as role models to our graduating students and support the ideals of the College. The Honorary Degree will be awarded by action of the Board of Trustees and President upon presentation of nominee(s) by selection committee. It will be conferred upon the recipient publicly at the Annual Commencement by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and the recipient will be presented with a suitably inscribed and embellished diploma by the President.
C. The Certificate of Appreciation [. . .] The Certificate of Appreciation will be issued by the President upon recommendation of the Executive Director of College Relations.
V. Responsibility for Implementation
Executive Director of College Relations
Rationale for Updated Regulation Language:
The revision reflects the stated guiding principles outlined in the “Rationale for Guidelines & Procedures” articulated in the previous section of this report; additionally, the shift to a process by selection committee creates a further representative distinction from other awards in the Regulation such as the “Jersey Blues Award” which is determined by the “sole discretion of the President”. In conclusion, the College Life Committee believes that, as the charge to examine the viability of Honorary Degrees at Brookdale was made a concern of Governance, the representative nature of the award must be reflected in every aspect of the process.
RESULTS:
VOTE:
This item passed with a vote of 84 in favor, two opposed, and three abstentions.
PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE:
I want to particularly thank the members of College Life for their recommendation on the awarding of Honorary Degrees and their revision of the regulation concerned; I’m sure the topic generated some interesting discussions at committee and Forum. The overwhelming support of the students and community speak volumes for the value of a Brookdale degree – honorary or otherwise.
Steve Nacco has suggested, and I agree, that the wording in section III – participation on the Honorary Degree committee, which the Executive Director (ED) of College Relations chairs, be modified to read “at least” one member of each group listed (Cabinet, Administration, Faculty, Support Staff, Students) to foster greater campus community involvement. In addition, the word “campus” can be deleted; I’m sure the committee intended that membership would be open to all employees at all Brookdale sites, and not restricted to Lincroft.
OUTCOME:
YEAR: 2004-2005
CHARGE: Smoking Regulation
RECOMMENDATIONS:
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
COLLEGE REGULATION
2.6000R
I. Title of Regulation
Smoke-Free College Environment
II. Objective of Regulation
To ensure compliance with New Jersey State Law concerning the provision of a smoke-free educational institution that protects, preserves, and fosters the health and safety of all persons.
III. Authority
Chapter 320, Public Laws of 1981, as amended by Chapter 96 of the Public Laws of 1989 and codified at NJS 26:3D-16-21. 1989, c.96, Section 1
IV. Regulation Statement
Effective September 1, 2005, the smoking and sale of tobacco products shall be prohibited in all locations owned, leased, or otherwise utilized for College purposes and over which the College has control of the smoking policy. Smoking at any BCC Campus or Higher Education Center is permitted in Designated Smoking Areas (DSA) ONLY.
A. Posting of Signs
The Executive Director of Facilities Management and Engineering, in concert with the Executive Director of College Relations, shall be responsible for posting appropriate signs at entrances to all College facilities, Designated Smoking Areas, and throughout all facilities informing persons of the College's smoking policy. These NO SMOKING areas must be conspicuously posted according to state statute.
B. Educational Programs and Communications
The Dean of Human Resources, in concert with the Dean of Enrollment Development and Student Affairs and the Executive Director of College Relations, shall be responsible for coordinating educational efforts to discourage smoking by College employees and students, to make efforts to assist smokers who wish to quit, and to increase awareness of the adverse effects of smoking.
C. Sanctions Against Violators
It is the College's intent to encourage all individuals, both smokers and nonsmokers alike, to cooperatively work together in the implementation of the Board Policy and College Regulation concerning Smoke-Free College Environment. New Jersey Public Law states that any person who is in violation of the Smoking Policy (or Regulation) is considered a petty disorderly person and is subject up to a $200.00 fine.
Enforcement Procedures
This regulation incorporates three levels of enforcement including a verbal warning, a written warning and a summons complaint. The Campus Police may exercise the following levels of enforcement:
It is encouraged that a verbal, then written warning be the first levels of enforcement and that only after such warnings that a summons complaint be considered. All individuals must understand, however, that New Jersey Public Law provides for the issuance of a summons complaint without any previous warning(s). The campus community should make every effort to support the campus police/security officer in enforcing this regulation; consequently, any person is entitled to contact the Campus Police in order to assist in the enforcement of this regulation.
1. First Level — Verbal Warning
2. Second Level — Written Warning
3. Third Level — Summons Complaint
Once the summons is completed, Middletown Township Municipal Court will process the summons. The offender will be required to appear before the Court. If found guilty, New Jersey Public Law provides for a fine not to exceed $200.00.
In addition, the offense may be witnessed by a complainant who has up to twelve months from the date of the offense to lodge his/her complaint; however, if a complainant withdraws his/her complaint after it has been completed, he/she is subject to a minimum Municipal Court fee of $25.00
D. Designated Smoking Areas
Smoking is strictly prohibited on College property or campus(es) except for inside vehicles and Designated Smoking Areas only. The result of this regulation is the prohibition of smoking not only in and around all buildings, but throughout all areas and locations of the College property or campus(es) with the exception of Designated Smoking Areas; accordingly, this includes, but is not limited to smoking in and on walkways, parking lots (inside vehicles only), grounds, gardens, playing fields, and the parameter of any building not specifically assigned and demarcated as a Designated Smoking Area.
V. Responsibility for Implementation
Executive Vice President for Administration, Operations, and Information Technology Services
Rationale for Regulation 2.6000R Revisions
1. Student Poll Results
2. Feb. 15th Governance Forum Poll Results
3. College-wide Smoking Survey Results Presented at April 5th Forum
Smoking Survey Results: Themes
Three major themes of concern clearly arose from the survey results when comments were reviewed. These are:
Enforcement of the smoking regulation
Health & Safety (smokers/non-smokers)
Campus Environment/ Litter/Storm drainage
Smoking Survey Results: Assessment
Smoking survey results presented CLC with a mandate to change the current smoking regulation.
Numbers indicate more people support smoke-free campus than not.
Numbers also indicate use of designated areas was concurrently popular.
Both results led us to considering a possible compromise proposal.
Enforcement Revision Rationale
The addition of a Written Warning offers greater flexibility for the enforcing Police Officers who, by law, may choose from any of the 3 levels of enforcement, depending on circumstance and context.
Reflects the shift from original conception of violations/violators (i.e. smoking indoors) where the burden of “evidence” is on a “complainant”.
Designated Smoking Area (DSA): Purpose & Rationale
Specific DSAs help address the limitations of the previous regulation, while reflecting the stated desire of the campus community for a compromise.
DSAs, if utilized, should help remove smoke from around the parameters of buildings, walk ways, and in-take areas which eliminates second-hand smoke & other health concerns.
After discussions with Facilities, we anticipate that LIMITED and CONCENTRATED smoking areas in specified areas throughout the campus and HECs should help minimize the areas of LITTER, which is presently so widespread and so problematic regarding the storm drain and flooding issue.
DSAs should also have an impact on ENFORCEMENT of the smoking policy, since the confusion that exists at present will be clarified and areas will be CLEARLY DEFINED and LIMITED.
Additional Recommendations for Implementation of Designated Smoking Areas
We recommend that at least some of the DSAs consist of some type of shelter. It is clear that in order to encourage smokers to comply with this new regulation the DSAs must provide protection from the elements, or the college will be faced with the same situation that exists at present, i.e. non-compliance and litter.
We also recommend that locations for these DSA shelters both on the Lincroft campus and the HECS should be determined by Facilities and the Police, since they are responsible for either maintaining the campus or enforcement of the law. The law, safety and health factors and accessibility should be considered when determining these locations. The number of these DSAs should remain flexible, based upon the needs of the campus community over time.
Recommendations for Implementation:
3. Develop a procedure to review and update the smoking regulation on a regular basis.
4. Coordinate changes in the college smoking regulation regarding litter with the Municipal Storm Water Discharge Regulations.
1. We recommend that Facilities and the Police assess after one year the impact of this compromise on the three main areas of concern expressed by the college community, i.e., enforcement, health and safety, environment/litter, especially as it relates to the Municipal Storm Water Discharge Regulations.
2. We suggest further that if this change in the regulation does not address these issues satisfactorily that a smoke-free campus, without designated areas be implemented campus wide.
3. If this compromise does result in a positive outcome, then we suggest that College Life review the new policy every two years to insure that the regulation is current with the above mentioned criteria, namely the law, public health and safety, environment/litter. This assessment should continue to apply to the Lincroft campus and the HECS and Branch Campus(es).
Rationale for Procedure and Criteria to Review and Update Regulation
Pending legislation may directly effect this proposal and regulations for smoking at all higher education facilities statewide.
The necessity to stay current with trends and laws regarding health, environment & public safety
Campus compliance, environmental impact, including storm drainage concerns, & the effect of enforcement
Additional Recommendations for Implementation: Police & Enforcement
1. We recognize the difficulty that the implementation of a new policy poses for enforcement at the start of the school year, but it is also paramount that infractions of the new policy be addressed in the beginning of the year. Therefore, we strongly suggest that the police receive the support they need to make enforcement a viable solution.
2. In order to promote awareness police should be invited as guest speakers for Student Success Seminars HUDV 107.
Additional Recommendations for Implementation: Community Awareness
As noted in sections 4 A & B of the regulation, responsible parties including Facilities, Human Resources and Student Life, should aggressively pursue, coordinate, and implement campus and HEC-wide awareness campaigns regarding the following:
Litter & environmental impact
Adverse effects of smoking
New Regulation & DSAs including locations, and sanctions against violators and the “Use it or Lose it” privilege
RESULTS:
VOTE:
The item was brought forward for a vote by all constituencies, and passed unanimously, with 88 in favor and five abstentions.
PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE:
I’ve made no secret over the years about my dissatisfaction with Smoking on campus: this revised regulation, Smoke- Free College Environment, is a good attempt to control the proliferation of litter and hazardous conditions created by smokers on campus. I’m willing to try – as a pilot program – the construction of 3-5 Designated Smoking Areas (DSA) on the Lincroft campus: I’ll work with EVP Lou Goetting on their exact location, size, appearance, and cost, and ask Lou for options which could be implemented by September 2005. I do not want these DSA’s to be the first impression any visitor has of our campus, and if they must be constructed let’s put them to dual use as information-type kiosks with bulletin boards, etc. I want assurances from Lou, and all campus members, that the DSA’s will be keptreasonably clean and litter free, that the campus community will not relegate all enforcement activities strictly to the campus police, and, as detailed in the “Additional Recommendations for Implementation of DSA’s,” included with the committee’s recommendations, that a thorough assessment of the impact of this decision be conducted, especially as related to enforcement, health & safety, and the environment/litter, within a year of their installation. At that time we’ll determine next steps.
In addition, by virtue of this memorandum, I charge EVP Goetting, ED Nacco, and Deans Palumbo and Sensi, with developing and sharing with me a campus-wide campaign for an education initiative to include educational opportunities, smoking cessation options, and promotion of this new regulation and procedure on campus. Lou Goetting has proposed that the “written warning” stipulated in the regulation be a “Brookdale assessment,” avoiding the prolific “use” of the Middletown court system and perhaps raising some funds for the college. I would like to speak to Steering about a possible charge to explore this suggestion.
OUTCOME:
YEAR: 2005-2006
CHARGE: Internal Communications
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. “Categorize the types of information necessary to be communicated to employees for the effective functioning of the institution.”
Security & Safety
Security contact info. for HECS
Crime statistics
Emergency
College closings
Evacuation information
Academic
Schedule
Programs of study
Human Resources
Employee benefits
Employee contracts
Procedures & Regulations
Scheduling of facilities
College Regulations & Policies
Initiatives & Programs
STARS
Guest speakers
Business &
Community/Administrative
Marketing
Admin. Organization Charts
2. “Identify the current delivery methods for communicating internal information.”
Publications (includes virtual and paper based publications): The Stall, Inside Track, The Brookdalian, Governance Gazette; Board minutes
Telecommunications: voice mail; Broadcast messages (voice and electronic); Brookdale operators; BTV; 90.5 The Night; College website; Intranet; Email/Squirrel mail; listserves; Forums (now broadcasted)
Hardcopy Distribution: Snail mail; bulletin boards; inter-office mail
3. “Assess the effectiveness of the current methods.”
In order to meet the requirements for this aspect of the charge, and most importantly, obtain vital information that has shaped the scope and focus of our recommending frame and language, the committee collaborated with the Office of Planning, Assessment and Research. The complete survey summary and assessment compiled by Laura Longo of the Office of Planning, Assessment and Research is available in full as a PDF file link on the Governance Gazette April 2006 webpage; the following summarizes the most significant trends pulled from the data results:
The top five most effective forms of communication are:
(1) E-mail: 94.7% of respondents found this form of communication either “quite a bit” or “very” effective.
(2) Broadcast E-mail: 90.2% of respondents indicated that Broadcast E-mail was either “quite a bit” or “very” effective.
(3) Voice Mail: 88.9% of survey respondents reported that Voice mail was either “quite a bit” or “very effective.
(4) Broadcast Voice Mail: 88.4% of survey completers indicated that Broadcast Voice Mail to be either “quite a bit” or “very” effective.
(5) Inter-office Mail: 86.7% of respondents feel that inter-office mail is still a “quite a bit” or “very” effective way to communicate with others at the College.
Despite respondents’ perceptions about efficacy, the results demonstrated that “there is obviously room for
improvement” in regards to specific modes such as E-mail, and the issue of employee access to these and other forms of communication and information was clearly an indication of concern, “Some employees do not have access to direct phone extensions.” A survey comment which renders this problematic most clearly was left by a Staff member who responded, “This survey was hand delivered to me. If not, I wouldn’t have gotten this survey.” The responses to open-ended question #4 which asked members of the College community “how Brookdale can most effectively communicate its internal information” garnered many suggestions; the comments in response to this question have been categorized and reflect the key concerns the committee has found to be essential to assist in the development of the guidelines for effective internal communications. The categories are as follows:
Email
Improve/Revamp the College website
One Stop Communication Center
More Top-down Communication
Employee Accountability
Employee Access to Email and Voicemail
4. “Recommend guidelines for effective communication.”
Context for Recommendation and Guidelines:
The Committee has considered the following in regards to standards and regulations involving internal communication at the College:
1. There is no regulation directly addressing internal communications
2. The only definition of communication in relation to regulatory language is found in regulation 2.0001R, “Supervision of College Communications”; however, this regulation does not address the specific concern of internal employee communication and was last updated in 1990
3. Previous and current research demonstrates the need for the development of standards and standardization of communication:
Timeliness
Relevance & Focus
Access & Accountability
Recommendation:
The Committee has come to the consensus that a significant factor to the promotion and maintenance of efficacy in internal communications would be regulatory language which functioned to ensure set standards and protocols based on the following guidelines presented at the April 4th Forum Discussion; the committee recommends that the current (and outdated) regulation 2.0001 R be revised in order to reflect and include standards and protocols for internal communications.
Guidelines
Based upon the results of the above mentioned survey, the following guidelines are recommended to establish and/or maintain effective internal communication:
Internal Communication modalities must be accessible to all employees.
All employees should have voice mail and email access. This is especially true, since both are seen as two of the most effective methods of effective communication, yet all BCC employees do not have this access at present, especially staff members.
Communication accessibility should be timely, continuous and convenient.
For example, it should have the capacity to be accessed at home, at school or when out of town and at any time day or night. And it should not be difficult to use, which Squirrel Mail often is.
Communication should be fast, permanent and have archival capacity (have the ability to save and store information without hardcopies).
The current system can be slow, encumbered with spam/junk mail; data loss and the lack of storage capability have been cited as concerns in regards to Squirrel Mail.
Communication should be centralized and be the full responsibility of one department in order to diminish and work toward resolving redundancy and accessibility concerns.
Research indicates that there are too many modes of communication that are duplications, while some information is difficult to locate. Though College Relations seems to be the likely candidate and presently responsible for much of the internal communications, it appears that their role could be defined with more definite guidelines or parameters. The input from the survey and this committee could be helpful to College Relations in redefining their role.
Communication is a reciprocal process and therefore should be the responsibility of all employees. Employees therefore should be held accountable for accessing the communication that is available to them, via email, phone mail, snail mail, etc.
The issue of employee accountability was echoed several times throughout the survey data results.
Communication is an open and transparent process; therefore, information which directly affects Brookdale employees and thus, the “effective functioning of the institution,” (as illustrated and identified in item 1 of the charge) must be communicated in a timely manner in order to ensure and maintain the collegial and collaborative values of the College.
“Top down” communication concerns were repeatedly addressed in the survey data results.
Modalities of communication should be presented formally to all new employees to increase the awareness of what modalities are available and how to utilize them effectively. Additionally, they could be re-emphasized in training with those in leadership positions so that they may become better role models for communication.
For example, at New Employee Orientation, Mentors, etc. should highlight the importance of awareness and proper usage of these communication vehicles. Leadership Brookdale and Chair Academy present opportunities for this kind of support as well.
Communication modalities reflect the involvement of the various groups who utilize them most; therefore, the input from those who most utilize a particular modality should be significant as regards maintaining, upgrading and/or replacing any of these modalities.
For example, since Administrators and Faculty seem to be those who most use e-mail and voice mail, it makes sense that feedback from the high users be considered when deciding to perhaps replace Eudora with Outlook. Faculty members are most involved with Governance, Faculty Days, Department and Division meetings relative to internal communication. Their input as far as these vehicles are concerned should be what is considered when topics involving these issues arise.
Communication concerns that are most compelling should be addressed as soon as is reasonably and fiscally feasible; additionally, resources should be allocated to improve/upgrade most frequently used forms of communication.
Specific areas of concern raised by this survey that were most compelling are indicated in the following recommendations:
1. Brookdale Phone System should be inclusive of Branch Campus and Higher Education Centers and support the volume.
2. Spam and Junk Mail is rampant. Revamp what we have to make it work or replace it with something that is more protective.
3. Re-evaluate Squirrel Mail to make it more user friendly and workable. Revamp or replace. The College Website should be made current and information updated on a regular basis. Consequently, ITAC’s efforts articulated in their Strategic Plan should be supported as their work and recommendations directly address communication concerns that are most compelling and can explicitly shape the efficacy of internal communications at the College.
RESULTS:
VOTE:
The vote on the College Life Committee’s findings and guidelines for Internal Communication passed 93 for, 0 against, and 0 abstentions.
