Mid-Spring 2005 Dean's Blog

As usual there is much to tell here at ACC ....

Updates on LS Activities include:

Facilities

CYP: We reviewed a number of floorplans and have now seen the final plan. Library and Media space are about 15% smaller, but the entire building is 15% smaller. Managers are now working on the final FF & E list (furniture, fixtures and equipment) and on three scenarios for materials costs/funding needed. Our initial concerns (ex. lack of staff space, outdoor recreation areas contiguous to library study space) have now been addressed to our satisfaction and we are pleased with the plans to date.

SAC: Again, the changes to the outside/front of the SAC campus did not affect inside square footage or design. I turned in the spreadsheet with the LS needs for the bond/project into Facilities early in January. It included bond money requests, however, we also have a current spreadsheet ready to go for operating money requests for SAC.

RGC: As I stated in February, to our knowledge nothing has happened on the RGC project.

RVS: As I stated in February, to our knowledge nothing else has happened on any RVS LS issues, that is, there are currently no discussions for any internal remodel.

EVC: There is no EVC Open House scheduled for the new HS building and for our new library space.

Round Rock Higher Education Center: ACC Library Services has been meeting regularly with the Texas State library staff for planning for the library area at the RRHE Center. Classes are scheduled to begin September '05. Luanne Preston is the ACC contact/manager of this project. ACC will offer classes in the daytime and some in the evening. We now know what classes that ACC is offering and we are planning for reserves, web access and information literacy. We shouldn't forget that the library area is VERY small, only slightly larger than a classroom, has no shelving planned and only computer workstations.

Questions they are working on include:

What is their service plan?

How many shelves (in back of the circ desk/staff work desk) will ACC have access to?

There are no "study” tables…only pc workstation tables, how many are being purchased?

What will the hours of service be?

We now have a staffing plan and job descriptions. Leslie Navarro is the ACC LS manager involved and Texas State is hiring (with Leslie on the committee) a full time librarian and a higher level library assistant, comparable to our principal level.

Again, we will close our Round Rock evening ACC library services site in August of '05. We will not hire staff to work at RRHEC (as I stated in earlier emails) and are designing a training plan for TSU staff to begin mid summer.

AVP's Position

Two rounds of applicants did not yield candidates to interview. Richard will continue in this role at this point in time and is still doing a great job doing the bulk of Ron's job. For the rest of this year - until August of '05 - I will continue to serve on several committees for the AVP position as well.

Committees I serve on for the AVP's position include:

ACC's Quality Initiatives Committee - We coordinate the college's collegewide and campus-based customer service surveys.

ACC Professional Development Committee - I chair this one and we support the faculty and staff professional development initiatives, Terry and Susan's group.

ACC ID Committee - I am a member. Our goal is to determine the various scenarios possible for upgrading ACC's ID's. We have submitted a proposal for the Master Plan.

Other committees and projects I am still working on include:

Transfer Data Committee - I am a member - primarily in my capacity as the Dean in charge of Honors and we meet to determine data needs for tracking student information between and among institutions to better meet the needs of our students.

IRT Administrative Leadership Team - I am a member and we meet about every three weeks or so. We're reviewing our charge/mission. Right now it is basically an information exchange with college administrators.

Institutional Planning Committee - I am a member. This year we are working on the Master Plan and U-Lead.

IRT Cluster - I am a member and it is a group of managers who work together on strategic planning information for the college's plan and on outcomes/U-Leads.

Other projects:

-We are awaiting data from a student (SGA) survey to complete our LS q & a for student and faculty tech information.

-A LLT subgroup is preparing information on LS classified staff levels, etc. for HR. ACC managers can't submit PAR's two years in a row...but these positions will be assessed in the classified level study which includes a market analysis.

-I completed a document for OIE and Steve Kinslow on our library faculty position needs for the next two years. We should know in the next few months about the possibility of new positions.

-I'm working on a document that has questions (no answers) for the Student Services AVP to answer on student dress codes. (ongoing)

-We have submitted a request to the collegewide technology committee to justify putting public service laptops back in to the collegewide replacement plan (other faculty and staff laptops were in the plan but were removed.)

-LLT is now assessing all LS administrative rules for any needed revisions/updates.

-LLT submitted our needs in terms of ACC general help desk kinds of information. We will get back scripts soon.

-There is a Master Plan initiative for college-wide authentication.

-I am hopeful that the college will begin to address college/higher ed issues regarding the Patriot Act.

-CIL met and have chosen our IL focus group for marketing. We are choosing focus group dates and should meet with them by the second week of May.

-We are hard at work on legislative issues...our big goal is to save TexShare databases - both in number and for such low cost.

If you have any issues you want me to comment on, please let me know and I will add to this blog or create a new one.