The Academic Senate weighed in on ranking requests for faculty positions during their second meeting of the semester on Wednesday. 

Unless more positions are approved, only two out of the 22 requests for faculty will be filled. The senate is planning discussions with Superintendent-President Utpal Goswami to expand the amount of new members accepted. 

“I strongly feel that faculty needs to push back against this two person limit,” said Fine Arts Senator Patricia Stark.

During a summer meeting, Goswami confirmed two new members in the geology and business department for all of last year and this year, said Academic Senate President Raeanne Napoleon. 

“We have more failed searches already than we are being told we have positions to hire for,” Napoleon said. 

Future discussions about additional faculty confirmations will continue, but all decisions must be made in light of many cutbacks made in this year’s budget, which was presented to the senate by City College accounting controller James Zavas during the meeting.

The senate also heard a presentation from DSPS Director Jana Garnett proposing changes that would make the peer note-taking process more accessible and equitable for DSPS students.

A student currently applying for peer notes has to go to DSPS for approval, present the approval to their teacher before then seeking out a classmate on their own to take notes for them.

Garnett explained that this system causes issues for students who find it daunting and awkward to approach others with such a personal task.

Her suggestion was simple—teachers should appoint a student volunteer as a note-taker for the entire class instead of for individual students.

The volunteering student will receive a certificate of community service as a “thank you” for their work.

This universal system would also allow students outside of DSPS to access the notes, while maintaining confidentiality and supporting student success and equity at no extra cost to the college.

The Senate will reconvene on October 7.