August 2020

AEG meeting:

August 28, 2020 10:00am-12:00pm

Anthropology, Economics and Geography Department meeting

August 28, 2020 10:00am-12:00pm virtual meeting

The Anthropology, Economics and Geography Department met Friday, August 28 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM in a virtual meeting at Google Hangouts. The following faculty members were in attendance: Luke Armstrong, Jessamine Dana, Iris Diamond, Massi DeSantis, Stuart Greenfield, Steve Howard, Lei Ji, Don Jonsson, Livingstone Kumassah, Tony Lee, Paul Lehman, Mohammed Partapurwala, Lizzie Pintar, Carleen Sanchez, James Sondgeroth, and Daniel Waktola.

1. Approve agenda

Agenda approved.

2. Approve the minutes of last meeting https://sites.google.com/austincc.edu/aegdepartment/home/aeg-task-force-minutes

Discussion: Minutes are subject to edit for grammar and clarity.

Action: Minutes approved.

3. Discuss and take action on Early College Start economics and anthropology course requests for Spring 2021: 9 new requests aside from the 22 that rolled over from Spring 2020.

Discussion regarding the additional econ dual/echs sections, whether these would be face to face or virtual, and the department’s staffing capabilities for this larger number of sections. Faculty members requested better communication between the ACC Dual Liaisons and ECHS staff, and the high schools regarding course and textbook requirements for students. Lizzie mentioned there would be a new Assistant Dean of Dual Enrollment and Early College High School offerings.

Action: Motion approved to add 2 sections of Anthropology 2351 at Lake Travis High School.

Motion approved to delay review of econ dual/echs sections until the spring 2021 schedule is accessible, and until we have definitive information on whether these are face to face or virtual dls requests. Item has been tabled for review by Assistant Department Chairs and Department Chair, once additional information has been provided. As always, please report any issue on high school or college campus ECHS classes to the Department Chair for assistance.

4. Discuss issues with First Day Access: Keep FDA or not?

FDA material posting procedures were changed one week prior to the beginning of the semester. Instructors dealt with numerous technology issues and hours of work required to reset MyEconLab. The fda price is not much cheaper than the regular ebook and MyEconLab package, but that FDA sections did have many students registered in and working in MyEconLab right away. In some high schools, where fda had not been ordered, it was reported to take upwards of two weeks for the students to get their books.

Several instructors will no longer use fda in their classes due to issues experienced, however, they wanted others to reserve the right to do so. There was discussion regarding the difficulty when an instructor has to bump another instructor and fda had already been ordered for that section. FDA can’t be changed or removed after students begin to register for that semester.

Action: Motion was made to continue to let instructors choose whether or not they want to use first day access for their sections.

5. Discuss new ECON full-time position: Do we hire?

Discussion regarding availability of sections for new fulltimer, if the Economics Department was to hire. There was concern amongst adjuncts that fewer sections would be available to them if a full timer was hired. Discussion that the majority of full time faculty are now teaching at least one dual enrollment or echs section and that the new faculty should expect to do the same.

Lizzie will meet with Dean Stewart later this afternoon to find out more information for the Economics Department regarding hiring possibilities.

6. Adjournment