The possibility of the Computer and Information Sciences Department from its current home in the Science, Engineering and Mathematics Division to the Business Education was discussed on April 24 during the Faculty Senate meeting.
Vice President of Academic Affairs William Farmer, Jr. first introduced the proposed move because, “This move would give an equal amount of workload to the department deans.”
However, Dean Mellas, computer and information instructor, disagreed with the move of the ISA office to the business division and introduced a resolution to not have the two departments merge.
The resolution partly stated:
? That the actions by the office of Academic Affairs have already shown a lack of respect for the Faculty Senate and that the shared governance process, the Faculty Senate leadership is authorized to proceed at a pace and through the channels that they deemed appropriate in order to facilitate resolving this issue before the end of the academic year.
? The Vice President of Academic Affairs, after informing the Faculty Senate that he could post the notices for the Deans’ position with a notation that the status of Computer and Information Sciences we being deliberated and after gaining unanimous consent for that action, never-the-less, in an apparent display of disdain for the Faculty Senate and shared governance process posted the position without such notice.
But after hearing the proposed resolution, Farmer stated, “I do not like to be on opposite sides of this issue of reconfiguration.”
Afterward, Farmer believed that if there is a reconfiguration of both divisions as one said it would not have an impact on each of the department program.
Faculty Senate President Bryan Reece disagreed.
One of the key points of merging between the ISA and Business department was because of the possible impact to Cerritos students who will enroll in business classes.
With that as a concern, Farmer said that he is willing to meet with the business dean and others who are concerned to resolve the issue.
Upon reading the resolution to not have the divisions moved it was approved unanimously.
Afterward, Mellas said, “The faculty does not want one man, Vice President of Academic Affairs Bill Farmer, or any other V. P. of Academic Affairs, to be able to reorganize divisions, at any time, on his or her own whim.
They are further concerned that based on his expressed motivations for moving CIS, it appears there will be many more opportunities for other disruptions in the future, as their remain several other very large, as well as several other very small divisions.”
Vice President Stephen Johnson could not be reached for comment.
