AQIP Committees Edison Community College

Criterion 5: Leading and Communicating
Minutes - January 8, 2003

Those Present:

Chip Hare, Patti Ross, Pat Klopfenstein, Bill Waxman, Jane Salisbury, President Yowell

1. Meeting was called to order at 9:30 AM.

2. Dr. Salisbury shared screens from the new Public Folders prepared by Carol Rigola. All folders have been re-designed and placed within the system in a manner much more user friendly than the original format. Empty or outdated folders will be removed from the system once the individuals in charge of their contents have been notified. Carol will work with those persons wanting to revamp or design new folders. Salisbury showed samples of the various training manuals, also prepared by Carol Rigola.

After review and discussion, it was determined the new design had been well done, was consistent in its format, and addressed the issues exposed in the staff survey on communication format preferences. Jane Salisbury is to ask Carol Rigola to post the new format, after she sends a memo to all staff explaining the new design, individual rights and responsibilities, and the process for adding/deleting information within individual files. Hopefully this can be done by mid-January.

3. Pat Klopfenstein shared a change in her perspective of “what’s in it for me?” to “what can I do for you?” after a conversational experience she had with a faculty member at Sinclair.

4. President Yowell reviewed the current task before the team and reminded us it should be completed by May. He introduced his draft document discussing the philosophical basis that should drive organizational structure. Yowell believes we must enable before we can empower, and that in an environment where people work together closely, interact often, and share many of the same challenges, people need to know what is going on. He believes “knowing” is a genuine need that must be filled or a disequilibrium may develop that encourages discontent, insecurity, and reduction in work-related performance.

Dr. Yowell discussed the various initiatives of the college, along with the human dynamics that may result. He shared his concern for the human dynamics that develop within an organization and how those dynamics affect leadership and management behaviors.

We are looking at an employee-centered, teaching-learning organization. It will most likely be a hybrid behavioral model that encompasses the features exemplifying teaching and learning throughout the organization, wrapped in a format supporting our newly agreed upon employee working core values.

Considerable discussion ensued.

5. Jane Salisbury asked that each person forward to her the hours available for meeting. Meetings will be more frequent this semester than last in order to meet the May deadline.

6. The next meeting will be determined when all team members have indicated their availability. A packet of pre-reading materials will be prepared by Salisbury and Yowell.