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Standard Seven: Faculty & Staff
The institution has sufficient qualified full-time and part-time faculty and staff to support its education programs and services wherever offered and by whatever means delivered. Consistent with its mission, the institution demonstrates its commitment to the significant educational role played by persons of diverse ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds by making positive efforts to foster such diversity.
Committee for Standard Seven
Cruz, Engineering Faculty
William Dunn, Mathematics Faculty
Gail Ehrhorn, Staff Assistant
Neal Ely, Dean of Academic Services, Division III
Aileen Furuyama, Library Faculty
Denise Gauthier, Adjunct English as a Second Language Faculty
Nan Ho, Biology Faculty
Stuart McElderry, History Faculty
Anne Powell, Business Faculty
Michelle Rosenberg, Administrative Assistant
Randolph Taylor, Mathematics Faculty
A. Qualification and Selection
7A.1 The institution has sufficient faculty and staff who are qualified by appropriate education, training, and experience to support its programs and services.
As of Fall 2002 LPC employs 399 people. Twelve are administrators, 94 classified, and 293 faculty. Of that 399, 168 are full time and 231 are part time. (7.2)
From 1995 to 2000, full-time faculty increased from 66.00 full-time to 82.00 full-time; or a 24.2 percent increase. (Table 1) By Fall 2002, the number of full-time faculty increased to 97, which is a 46.97 percent increase over 1995. From 1995 to 2000, administrative services personnel, including classified staff in the president's office, technology staff, business services staff and security, increased 112.7 percent; academic services personnel increased 77.4 percent; and Student Services personnel increased 10 percent (Table 2). By Fall 2002, administrative services staff has increased to 18.77 or 151.94 percent over 1995; academic services increased to 32.61 or 89.04 percent; and student services has increased to 24.35 or 32.69 percent.
Table 3 shows the number of full-time faculty to part-time faculty expressed in full-time equivalents. The number of full-time faculty includes teaching, counseling and library faculty for a total of 97 FTE. With respect to the part-time faculty, the figure of 79.16 FTE also includes teaching, counseling, and library faculty but does not include any full-time faculty who have an overload assignment. It should be noted that the College continues to have a large percentage of part-time FTE due largely to the increase to four Basic Police Academies per year equivalent to over 15 FTE per year in teaching.
Since the College's last accreditation, Academic Services has been reorganized. In response to one of the self-identified recommendations in the 1996 Accreditation Report (7.3), a Reorganization Committee worked in conjunction with the Technology Exchange Center consulting group to make reorganization recommendations to the College President in May 1997. These recommendations were subsequently approved by the Board of Trustees and effective starting in the 1997-98 academic year. Four major recommendations were outlined in the LPC Accreditation Midterm Report. (7.4) The reorganization of Academic Services was evaluated in May 1998 by the staff after operating for less than one year. Areas identified for further improvement include easing the deans' workloads, reorganizing the discipline alignment, strengthening coverage for all instructional hours, clarifying some staff job descriptions and identifying and clarifying institutional versus divisional tasks. (7.4)
LPC is staffed by highly committed faculty, administrators, and support personnel who effectively meet the needs of students and instructional programs. Faculty and administrators meet or exceed minimum educational qualifications as defined in AB 1725 and other State regulations. They also meet employment standards stated in the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (CLPCCD) policies specified at the time of application. A number of faculty and administrators have received national and state recognition for program development, research, textbook and journal article publication, professional presentations, performance or exhibition of art, or for their service in professional organizations or committees. In addition, a number of faculty and staff have been recognized for outstanding contributions to teaching and to the LPC community. (7.1) All classified personnel meet or exceed minimum qualifications for their positions, and each is screened and hired on the basis of training, experience, and general suitability.
According to 93 percent of students, the faculty and staff are supportive of student educational plans. And 97 percent of students admire or respect one or more instructors or staff persons at LPC. (7.5)
Faculty and staff possess appropriate education, training and/or experience to support high quality educational programs and services. Ninety-four percent of students agree that faculty are knowledgeable in the subjects they instruct. In addition, 91 percent of students surveyed feel that their instructors are willing to spend time outside of class to discuss issues. (7.5)
While LPC has increased the number of full-time faculty by 46.97 percent since 1995, student enrollment numbers have increased at nearly a parallel rate. During the same time, the student population has increased 38.9 percent. (7.6) Nearly half (41%) of faculty and staff surveyed believe that the size of the faculty is inadequate to meet the needs of the College, and 75 percent of them believe that the current ratio of full-time to part-time faculty is inappropriate. (7.7) While the College has increased its full-time faculty hiring, it has not been able to keep pace with increased enrollment, so the College has also increased part-time faculty hiring. While LPC continues efforts to achieve a 75 percent to 25 percent full-time to part-time faculty ratio, the College should be cognizant of the increased need for classified support to the growing faculty and the expanding academic programs.
LPC plans to continue hiring full-time faculty as funding allows, but there is limited space to accommodate incoming faculty. Additionally, space is limited for classified personnel as well. At this point, LPC has outgrown its physical plant, and all current office space is occupied.
It is difficult to quantitatively evaluate the changes in classified staff from 1995 to 2000, because of the reorganization and reclassification of many classified positions since the last accreditation. Table two is most representative of changes in classified staff when looking at the totals expressed in the table. The total number of classified staff has increased 42.06 percent from 1995 to 2000. Despite the increase, staff Accreditation Survey results show that 55 percent of all faculty and staff surveyed believe that the current size of the classified staff is inadequate to meet the needs of College; 78 percent of administrators believe this; and 72 percent of the classified staff believe this. (7.7) As the College continues to grow, the organizational structure, particularly for Academic Services, needs to be continually evaluated to meet the LPC mission.
According to staff Accreditation Survey results, a majority (72%) believes that the transition from faculty Area Chairs to Division Deans during the reorganization in 1997-98 better supports College programs and services. (7.7) However, a large number of staff disagree that the number of Deans is adequate to meet the needs of the college. Forty-two percent of faculty, classified staff, and administrators feel that the nubmer of Deans is not adequate (14% administrators, 34% classified staff, 46% full-time faculty, and 34% part-time faculty).
1: FULL-Time and Part-Time Faculty by Assignment from 1990-2000
expressed in Full-Time Equivalents.
|% Change*
|% Change+
|Full-time Faculty
Specific Assignment
of Part-time Faculty
|not available
(7.8 through 7.9)
* % Change from 1995 to 2000
+ % Change from 1995-2002
2: Full-Time Classified Staff by Assignment from 1990-2000
|Administrative Services
|Academic Services
|Student Services
(7.8 and 7.9)
* % Change from 1995 to 2000
+ % Change from 1995 to 2002
Table 3: Full-Time to Part-Time Faculty Ratios for 2000 expressed in Full-Time Equivalents.
Full-time (FTE)
Part-time (FTE)
*Does not include full time teaching overload
Table 4: Full-Time Administrators
|% Change*
|Full-time Admin
(7.8 and 7.9)
* % Change from 1995 to 2000
+ % Change from 1995 to 2002
7A.2 Criteria, qualifications, and procedures for selecting all personnel are clearly stated, public, directly related to institutional objectives, and accurately reflect job responsibilities.
To ensure that all hiring for full-time positions is directly related to the College mission and institutional objectives, all employment requests are successively reviewed at the discipline, division, Institutional Planning Committee (IPC) and Presidential levels. Following approval at these levels, requests are forwarded to the Board for approval.
Job responsibilities in job announcements are accurately stated and publicly available. Job announcements are advertised at the District office, the administration office, on District and College websites, on the campus job board, through campus mail announcements, and through national higher education publications.
Job announcements specify employment responsibilities, minimum qualifications and desirable qualifications. Job announcements for faculty include a description of required tasks within and beyond the classroom. Job responsibilities for all campus positions are determined by the relevant administrator in consultation with the respective search committee and with assistance from the District Human Resources Director.
Minimum qualifications for employment derive from the particular duties for each position and conform to State and Federal employment laws, as well as the policies of the CLPCCD. Educational administrators and faculty must meet the minimum qualifications specified for their positions by AB 1725 or possess equivalent qualifications. Minimum qualifications and an equivalency model are stated on job announcements. Desirable qualifications for each advertised position are established by the search committee and approved by the District Human Resources Director.
Criteria and procedures for hiring all positions at the College are available to College personnel and the public by the CLPCCD Human Resources office.
Criteria, qualifications, and procedures for selecting all personnel are precisely stated, directly related to institutional objectives, and accurately reflect job responsibilities.
7A.3 Criteria for selecting faculty include knowledge of the subject matter or service to be performed, effective teaching, and potential to contribute to the mission of the institution.
Qualifications of all applicants for faculty positions are evaluated by a Level I search committee through paper screening based upon the required qualifications in the job Descriptive Summary. Then selected candidates are interviewed with the Level I search committee. Final candidates are subsequently invited to interview with the Level II committee, comprised of the LPC President, a Vice President, and at least one member of the Level I search committee. Applicants for full-time teaching positions demonstrate their teaching skills as part of the selection process at Level I when the majority of committee members are faculty. When time allows, adjunct applicants are also asked to demonstrate their teaching abilities.
An applicant's ability to contribute to the College mission may be judged indirectly or specified among other criteria by the search committee during its interview process. In the final interview with the Level II search committee, the applicant's potential for serving the College mission assumes primary importance.
Faculty must meet the minimum qualifications specified for their positions by AB 1725 or possess verified equivalent academic and experiential preparation. These minimum qualifications ensure that applicants possess appropriate knowledge of the subject matter. Subject specific questions may be included in supplemental applications and are included in subsequent interviews for selected candidates. The selection process also includes teaching demonstrations that are evaluated on the basis of the knowledge of the subject, the sequence of concepts taught, and methods of delivery.
Full-time faculty must also maintain a current Faculty Service Area form with the Vice President of Academic Services, substantiating subject areas that they are knowledgeable to teach.
7A.4 Degrees held by faculty and administrators are listed in the institution's primary catalog. All U.S. degrees are from institutions accredited by recognized accrediting agencies. Degrees from non-U.S. institutions are recognized only if equivalence has been established.
The LPC Catalog lists all full-time faculty and administrators and their degrees, the institutions where their degrees were received, and their initial date of employment. When an individual is selected for hire, personnel staff verify degrees with official transcripts from accredited institutions. Degrees from institutions outside the United States are evaluated for equivalency at that time.
LPC is in complete compliance with the criteria included in Section 7A.4 of Standard Seven.
7B.1 The evaluation of each category of staff is systematic and conducted at stated intervals. The follow-up of evaluations is formal and timely.
Article 15 of the Faculty Contract (7.11) specifies the purpose, standards, frequency, timeline, components and procedures for tenured faculty evaluations. Tenured faculty participate in a systematic peer-reviewed evaluation once every three years as part of the regular evaluation process. Non-scheduled evaluations are permitted as outlined in the contract. The timeline for the entire evaluation process is described in the contract, and should take place within a single semester.
Untenured faculty are involved in a four-year process of evaluation and mentoring before being considered for tenure. The process includes three evaluation cycles in four years. Each evaluation cycle includes a Level One Tenure Review Committee that includes student surveys from three classes, and three classroom evaluations by faculty peers and the supervisory Dean, a professional review, and a supervisory review. A Level Two Tenure Review Committee consisting of a vice president and faculty member then reviews the recommendations of the Level One committee and any other relevant information, forwarding a final recommendation to the LPC President. The systematic process and meeting intervals are described in Article 14 of the Faculty Contract. (7.11) A similar evaluation process is in place for counseling and library faculty.
Adjunct faculty are evaluated during the first semester they teach and approximately every third year thereafter with a classroom visit. (7.12) These classroom visits are conducted by College administrators, designated members of the full-time faculty, and/or designated adjunct faculty.
The Classified Contract (7.13) stipulates a formal, systematic and timely evaluation process. New classified staff are evaluated at the end of the third and fifth months of their probationary period of service. Regular classified staff are evaluated once each year.
The process of evaluation of Administrators is described in Board Policy 4120 - Evaluation of Management Personnel: "It is the purpose of the evaluation of managers to increase their leadership ability and productivity to the end that educational opportunities for students are enhanced. Each manager shall be evaluated annually by a procedure developed in conjunction with the management staff and approved by the Chancellor. These procedures are included in the Administrative Rules and Procedures." (7.14)
Evaluations of tenured and untenured faculty have occurred on a regular and timely basis. Responses to the survey question "Evaluations of my job are systematic and conducted at stated intervals" indicate that 90 percent of the faculty surveyed agree that their evaluations are systematic and timely. (7.7)
The large number of new faculty hired since our last accreditation has placed a significant burden on existing tenured faculty to serve on untenured and tenured faculty evaluation committees as well as on the Division Dean. The timeframe described in the Faculty Contract requires a significant amount of additional work in November and December, at a time when faculty are already busy with other duties and commitments. The evaluation process and its time frame are governed by the contract, precluding LPC from altering this process. Furthermore, this observation may be a transitional, operational problem that will resolve itself once the College recovers from the influx of new faculty during the 2000-01 year.
Evaluations of adjunct instructors have not been consistent among the instructional divisions. Some adjunct instructors are being evaluated with class visits and student evaluations while others are evaluated with only class visits. It is difficult to assess whether all adjunct faculty evaluations are occurring at stated intervals. It is unclear if the tracking report housed in the administration building (100) is used consistently.
Evaluation of adjunct faculty only every three years after their first semester may be of concern. Part-time instructors might benefit from additional feedback, especially early in their teaching careers. Data from the Accreditation Survey indicate that only 53 percent of part-time faculty believe that their evaluations are systematic and conducted at stated intervals. (7.7) Increasing the frequency of part-time faculty evaluations, however, would place an even greater burden on the limited resources available for this function.
The most frequent response made in a survey (7.14) of classified personnel indicates that the evaluation form used for classified staff evaluations is too brief and too general. They would like an evaluation more tailored to their job, but this is a district-controlled form. However their response to being evaluated in a systematic and timely fashion was 3.00, above average; 84% believed their evaluations were systematic and conducted at stated intervals (7.7).
The most current administrator evaluation process is a Board Policy (7.15) that was issued in 1997. This process, however, is not mentioned in the Handbook for Administrators. (7.16) The administrator evaluation process, as described in the Administrative Rules and Procedures of Board Policy 4120 (7.17) is currently not being used exactly as specified. The process has been under review since shortly after its inception.
The process as described in the Administrative Rules and Procedures was followed for one year and approximately one third of administrators were evaluated using these procedures. The process turned out to be too cumbersome and the described timelines unrealistic. In an effort to create a more manageable process, the Chancellor's Council suggested a district-wide discussion of the process. The Chancellor's Council is composed of members from both LPC and Chabot College: two college presidents, the administrative association president, the faculty senate presidents, the classified senate presidents and the student association presidents. During the 2000-01 year, LPC assembled a committee comprised of the Faculty Senate President, the Classified Senate President, the Dean of Instruction for Division I, and the Vice President of Student Services. This committee put together a proposal of new procedures. The proposal was not accepted by the LPC faculty. The main issue of concern is the format of the respondent survey. Current procedures described in the Board Policy 4120 allow for an evaluation of the manager by a respondent group of faculty and/or staff supervised by the manager. If a respondent survey were to be included, administrators would like respondents to sign the survey. The signatures would remain confidential and be seen only by the LPC President. The administrator being evaluated would only see a summary of respondent comments. Faculty want respondent surveys to be anonymous. Furthermore, faculty would like to be more involved in the actual writing of the evaluation. No compromise could be reached. (7.18)
Currently, Board Policy 4120 is followed in spirit. Managers are evaluated annually by a procedure developed in conjunction with the management staff and approved by the CLPCCD Chancellor. However, the specific procedures described in the Administrative Rules and Procedures are not being followed. All administrators are currently evaluated annually with an extensive self-evaluation and a supervisor's evaluation. A respondent evaluation is currently not used. (7.18)
Administrators indicate with their response of a mean score of 2.11 that they generally are not being systematically evaluated at stated intervals. This compares to a response of 2.85 for "all" categories of employees. (7.7) Administrator response scores the lowest of all categories of employees. (7.7)
- Standardize adjunct faculty evaluations, ensuring that all adjunct faculty evaluations are actually occurring at specified and frequent intervals.
- Resume discussions between the Faculty Senate, the Classified Senate, and administrators about the design of a new administrator evaluation process and finalize a recommendation for submission to the CLPCCD Chancellor and for Board approval.
7B.2 The evaluation processes seek to assess effectiveness and encourage improvement.
procedures are defined in separate, existing agreements for faculty,
classified, and administrative staff.
The Faculty Contract (7.11) establishes three goals for full-time tenured and untenured faculty members:
- Excellence in working with students
- Collegial participation
- Professional and personal enrichment
As part of the evaluation process, tenured and untenured faculty complete a professional review specifically addressing each of these goals.
The Class Visit form (7.19) asks the evaluator to observe and comment on methods of presentation, materials used, topics, objectives, content, and presentation effectiveness with an additional section for the reviewer to make recommendations. A conference between the evaluator and the instructor is scheduled for a later date to discuss the class visit.
Student Evaluation Forms that are used in full-time and some adjunct faculty evaluations were supposed to have been reviewed and rewritten as a result of the last accreditation report. According to the Accreditation Midterm Report of 1999 (Midterm Report), they were in the process of being rewritten. As of this date, they have not been revised. Older forms are discussed below.
Student evaluations of instructors provide additional feedback regarding student interest, responses and attitudes. There are three slightly different student evaluation forms currently in use: Forms A, B, and C (7.20, 7.21, 7.22). The front of each form is different, but the reverse side of each asks the same two questions. Forms ask students to write comments about what they believe the instructor has done especially well in instructing the course and what specific teaching techniques the instructor might use to improve the course.
Part-time faculty evaluation includes a class visit by an administrator, full-time faculty member, and/or designated adjunct faculty and uses the same form and follow-up procedure employed for evaluations of full-time faculty. Part-time faculty have an opportunity to discuss recommendations for improvement. The use of student evaluations is inconsistent across instructional divisions. Part-time faculty are not evaluated in the areas of collegial participation or personal or professional enrichment as these activities are not required of part-time faculty.
Classified staff are evaluated using a two-page standard form. The form evaluates the employee in seven areas: quantity of work; quality of work; job knowledge; initiative; interpersonal relationships; dependability; and potential. The evaluator is asked to judge the employee in each of these categories using a range of descriptors that include excellent, good, satisfactory, needs improvement, and unsatisfactory. There is space at the bottom of the form for comments, and unsatisfactory ratings must be accompanied by a written statement from the supervisor indicating specific reasons for the unsatisfactory rating. Also, the opportunity exists to recognize and commend exemplary performance.
The 1990 Self Study recommended that an evaluation process for administrators be developed and that it include input from faculty and classified staff. In 1997, Board Policy 4120, Evaluation of Management Personnel, was issued. The purpose of administrator evaluations is to seek to increase the administrator's leadership ability and productivity so that educational opportunities for students are enhanced. (7.15) The exact process, however, is unclear. The administrator evaluation process, as described in Administrative Rules and Procedures 4120 (7.17) has been on hold since shortly after its creation. Current procedures being used are not described in a formal document.
Of the 41 full-time faculty respondents in Accreditation Survey, 78 percent agree or strongly agree that the evaluation process assesses job effectiveness, and 83 percent agree or strongly agree that the process encourages improvement in performance. (7.7)
Of the 26 part-time faculty respondents in the same survey, 69 percent agree or strongly agree that the evaluation process assesses job effectiveness, and 68 percent agree or strongly agree that the evaluation process encourages improvement in performance. (7.7) Since both full and part-time faculty are evaluated for excellence in working with students using identical forms and procedures, it is unclear as to why part-time faculty satisfaction levels were 10 percent lower than full-time faculty.
Of the 36 classified staff respondents in the same survey, 86 percent agreed or strongly agreed that the evaluation process assessed job effectiveness, and 78 percent agreed or strongly agreed that the evaluation process encouraged improvement in performance. (7.7)
Of the nine administrators who responded to the survey, 56 percent agree that the evaluation process assesses job effectiveness. No respondents strongly agree with this statement. Fifty-six percent also felt that the evaluation process encouraged improvement in performance, and again, no respondents strongly agree with the statement.
Survey results indicate that there is a high degree of satisfaction (more than 78%) among full-time faculty and classified staff in the current procedures for evaluation. A majority of part-time faculty also feel satisfied, but not as strongly as the full-time. Administrators are least satisfied with only a slim majority of satisfied respondents.
7B.3 Criteria for evaluation of faculty include teaching effectiveness, scholarship or other activities appropriate to the area of expertise, and participation in institutional service or other institutional responsibilities.
LPC has evaluation procedures for both tenured and untenured faculty as outlined in the Faculty Contract. (7.11) Faculty are evaluated by identified standards: Excellence in Working with Students, Collegial Participation and Professional and Personal Enrichment.
The mutual goal of the district, administration and faculty is to hire and maintain faculty who are expert in their subject areas and skilled in their professional responsibilities. The untenured faculty evaluation process described in Article 14 of the Faculty Contract and the Tenured Faculty Evaluation process described in Article 15, conform to provisions of AB 1725, Sections 87663 and 87664 of the Education Code, and Accreditation standards. (7.11)
Part-time faculty evaluations focus on the Excellence in Working with Students standard only.
The criteria used to evaluate faculty that are outlined in the Faculty Contract (7.11) meet or exceed accreditation standards.
7C. Staff Development
7C.1 The institution provides appropriate opportunities to all categories of staff for continued professional development, consistent with the institutional mission.
All full-time and part-time employees of LPC enjoy a variety of professional development opportunities. Faculty and classified can find Staff Development programs through publications such as the Faculty and Classified Handbooks, Staff Development newsletter, forms and flyers, and at meetings such as Faculty Orientation and the New Faculty Workshop series. (7.23-7.29) All new adjunct faculty participate each semester in an evening orientation, and starting in Fall 2001, all returning adjunct faculty are invited to a comprehensive adjunct faculty orientation meeting. College commitment to professional development is reflected in the collective bargaining agreements for both faculty and classified staff, in the institution's three-year Human Resource Development Plan, and in the Strategic Planning Values Statement and Principles of Excellence. (7.11, 7.13, 7.30) Twenty percent secretarial support is provided to the staff development committee.
AB1725 and the Telecommunication and Technology Infrastructure Program (TTIP) provide most of the funds for staff development. Additional funds are occasionally available through other sources. For example, the Vocational Technical Education Act (VTEA) has minimally supported staff development activities that meet VTEA funding parameters. Also, in Fall 2001-02, the President's office supplied College funds to support specific Staff Development Committee initiatives. (7.31and 7.32)
The Staff Development Committee, guided by its mission statement, (7.45) oversees the disbursement of funds through regular staff development proposals, mini-grant proposals and staff development initiatives. (7.30)
The Staff Development Program supports a wide range of professional, personal and organizational development activities. During the 2000-01, Staff Development supported offsite conferences, seminars, classes, research and retreats; technology training; department workshops; technical staff training; Classified and Faculty Flex Day workshops; Teachers Teaching Teachers Series; Great Teachers Seminar; Help-Desk-at-Your-Desk; California Community College Council for Staff Development (4C/SD) Regional and State Conferences; and the New Faculty Workshop Series. (7.33) The College also offered Summer Instructional Project Grants to full-time and part-time faculty. During 2001-02, the Summer Instructional Project Grant monies were shifted to fund training in developing distance education courses. Staff Development also provided professional resources such as software reference books, software licenses, the Teaching for Success Newsletter and computer support phone line stickers. (7.34)
The Staff Development Committee advertises opportunities and guidelines through flyers, newsletters, and announcements at Senate, division, and monthly, all-campus Town meetings, and via regular email.
The Staff Development Committee undergoes regular training to be effective professional developers through membership and participation in 4C/SD regional and state conferences. Interested committee members may receive copies of the 4C/SD Newsletter or participate in the 4C/SD list-serve.
Within financial constraints, the Staff Development Committee is supportive in advertising and funding opportunities that encourage staff members to pursue the goal of staying current in their fields of expertise.
Survey results indicate that roughly 70 percent of all full-time faculty, part-time faculty, classified staff and administrators agree that "all categories of personnel are provided sufficient opportunities to keep current in their fields." (7.7) Full-time faculty has the highest percentage of disagreement with the above statement. This may be due, in part, to factors such as limited financial resources to pay for attendance at conferences and limited library resources such as current academic journals and other publications.
Survey results indicate that nearly 80 percent of full-time faculty, part-time faculty, classified staff and administrators agree that "all categories of personnel are provided sufficient opportunities for continued professional development." (7.7) Part-time faculty has the highest percentage of disagreement with the above statement. This may be due to the transient nature of their positions, off campus work commitments and reduced eligibility for staff development funds. The strategic planning process has already begun to address problems associated with the transient nature of part-time teaching by having Academic Services host a well-attended orientation program for both new and veteran part-time faculty. The evaluations of this event are overwhelmingly positive. In addition, professional development workshops are scheduled to accommodate different teaching schedules.
While the Staff Development program has been greatly expanded since the last accreditation, insufficient financial and physical resources continue to impede the growth and overall effectiveness of the program. State staff development funds and thus, the AB1725 allocation for LPC have remained flat for several years, due to static state support, while staff at LPC has increased at least 30 percent in the last two years.
There are no longer sufficient funds to keep pace with the increased demand and cost of conference and travel expenses. When part-time faculty attend workshops on campus, they are eligible to receive a nominal stipend. In Spring 2001, Staff Development increased its standard for this stipend from $12.00 to $16.00 per hour. Despite this increase, the amount only represents approximately one third of their regular part-time pay rate.
Insufficient physical resources at LPC make it difficult to provide space where staff members can continue professional development. For example, personnel in the PDC who do not have their own office and computer now occupy two of the nine computers in the center, thus limiting the number of computers available for staff training.
Time constraints, workloads and institutional culture at LPC make it difficult for all staff members to fully partake in professional development opportunities. For example, some classified staff find it difficult to attend workshops and flex days because they do not receive release time. No system exists to cover their commitments and job responsibilities while they attend staff development. For this reason, some administrators are often reluctant and sometimes refuse to allow classified staff to participate.
7C.2 Planning and evaluation of staff development programs include the participation of staff that participate in, or are affected, by the programs.
The Staff Development Committee is composed of faculty, classified staff, and administrators from various areas of the campus. The committee uses needs assessment surveys, Town Meetings, past participation rates, and shared governance input to help prioritize and budget Staff Development activities. Participants of Staff Development-sponsored workshops or activities complete an evaluation form or report that is used for review, planning and budgeting purposes. These reports are also used to increase awareness of the kinds of activities funded by Staff Development.
The Staff Development Committee prides itself on its open door policy. All faculty and staff are encouraged to approach the committee with new staff development ideas and suggestions.
Survey results indicate that full-time faculty, part-time faculty, classified staff and administrators overwhelmingly (84%) agree that "the planning and evaluation of staff development activities include the staff who participate in, or are affected by, the activity." (7.7)
Survey results indicate that full-time faculty, part-time faculty, classified staff and administrators overwhelmingly (86%) agree that "procedures to receive staff development funds are clearly stated and equitably applied." (7.7) Part-time faculty, however, have the highest percentage of disagreement with the above statements. This may be due to the lack of continuity of part-time faculty representation on the Committee.
These strong numbers demonstrate the Staff Development Committee's reputation for fairness, effective communications and commitment to the shared governance process.
7D. General Personnel Provisions
7D.1 The institution has and adheres to written policies ensuring fairness in all employment procedures.
The CLPCCD has in its Board Policy Manual written policies covering all employment procedures that fall within the Education Code as well as State and Federal employment laws. (7.17) The written policies pertain to hiring, job announcements, grievances, workloads, evaluations, discrimination, sexual harassment, and privacy of personnel files. The College Diversity and Equity Plan was revised about five years ago. When the voters of the state passed Proposition 209, the Chancellor did not submit the revised Diversity and Equity Policy to the Board for approval. (7.35)
Written policies ensuring fairness in employment procedures are contained in the bargaining agreements between the CLPCCD and the unions of Faculty/Adjunct and Classified Staff. They are also contained in the Faculty and Adjunct Faculty Handbooks and the Classified Staff Handbook. (7.23-7.25)
Copies of the CLPCCD Board Policy Manual are available in most major campus offices, the LRC, as well as the District office. Additionally, all Board policies are available on the campus computer network. Revisions to Board policy are forwarded to all recipients of Board Policy Manuals. Faculty, Administration, and Classified Staff Handbooks are also available in most offices, and on the campus computer network. Collective bargaining contract agreements are available in the Division offices, the LRC and are distributed to staff.
In accordance with District hiring policies, search committees are trained by the College Diversity and Equity Officer or designee in selection and interviewing techniques, relevant legal issues, and institutional diversity and equity goals and policies. The Diversity and Equity Officer or designee approves each screening component of the selection process and monitors the process for any noncompliance of Federal and State employment laws and Board policy. Faculty and staff members who have been trained as diversity and equity representatives are asked to participate in the hiring process to ensure that guidelines are followed. Screening and rating materials are directly related to the job announcements and descriptions. (7.36)
Classified contract and State law regulate workloads for classified staff. Duties and responsibilities are written in the bargaining contract, in the Board Policy Manual, in the job Descriptive Summary and in the Classified Staff Handbook. Changes in duties and responsibilities within the position must fall within the contract agreement. If a circumstance such as reorganization occurs, employees can petition for reclassification of their position to assure appropriate compensation.
Workload assignments for contract, regular and temporary faculty are written in the faculty contract. Schedule hours are specified in the contract for teaching faculty, counseling faculty, and librarians. Maximum workloads for adjunct faculty are specified in the contract. Faculty assigned additional responsibilities are either given release time from teaching assignments or may be assigned the position of Coordinator or Coach and be compensated appropriately for the assignment. Regular faculty can also bank hours accumulated over the regular teaching load and use them in a later semester or accumulate enough load for a semester leave.
Workloads for administrative staff are stated in the Board Policy Manual.
LPC follows Board policies, State and Federal employment laws and adheres to classified staff and faculty contract agreements ensuring fairness in all employment procedures. LPC staff respond positively in favor of College adherence to written policies ensuring fairness in all employment procedures in the Accreditation Survey wherein 20 percent strongly agree, 71 percent agree, and nine percent disagree. (7.7)
The College follows District procedures in the selection process. Committees are formed through consultation and approval of Faculty and Classified Staff Senates, the administration, and the Diversity and Equity Officer. The College Diversity and Equity Officer does appropriate training and monitors the entire process. Appropriate sign-offs and documentation exist at every level.
7D.2 The institution regularly assesses and reports its achievement of its employment equity objectives, consistent with the institutional mission.
The District does not have formal employment equity objectives, but is committed to staff diversity and gender equity. To accomplish this goal, the District Human Resource Officer advertises for applicants in the State Chancellor's Office Registry, Chronicle of Higher Education, Community College Week, Asian Week, Hispanic Outlook in Higher Ed, Black Issues in Higher Ed, Job Bank Registry, and the California Job Journal. (7.37) Job announcements are distributed through staff and are posted on the LPC website through a link to the District website. The District does not account for the number of hits to the job announcement site.
The District Human Resources office annually prepares a Faculty and Staff Diversity Expenditure Report that documents diversity recruitment expenditures and reflects District efforts to increase the number of qualified minority applicants for employment. The Chancellor and Board of Trustees review the report and include it in a district-wide summary submitted to the State Chancellor's Office. (7.38) In order to diversify its recruitment efforts, the Human Resources office may want to expand the source list to include colleges attended by underrepresented groups.
Although LPC does not have formal employment equity objectives, the College is committed to maintaining as well as increasing the diversity and gender equity it has already achieved among its faculty and staff. As of August 2001, from data collected by the Director of Research and Planning, employee gender percentages are 45 percent male and 55 percent female in comparison to August 1995, that was 41 percent male and 59 percent female. (7.2) The District should establish guidelines and procedures for the formal writing of employment equity objectives, and strengthen hiring committee members' understanding of the importance of employment equity objectives and committee members' responsibility for assisting LPC to achieve them.
The College
has increased in staff diversity by a small percentage over a five-year
period, August 1995 to August 2001. In comparison, over the same
period of time, student diversity percentage increase is fairly consistent
with LPC staff. (7.2)
4: Staff Diversity for Fall 1995 and Fall 2001.
Fall 1995
Fall 2001
Source: (7.2)
7D.3 Personnel policies and procedures affecting all categories of staff are systematically developed, clear, equitably administered, and available for information and review.
LPC personnel policies and procedures can be found in the Faculty Contract (7.11), and the Classified Contract. (7.13) They are also in the Faculty Handbook (7.23), and the Classified Handbook. (7.25) There is a systematic process for the development of personnel policies that can be found in the CCLPCD Board Policy Manual. (7.40) Any Board established policy could be amended, revised, suspended, or revoked by a vote of the majority of the entire Board of Trustees. Most revisions are initiated by changes in bargaining contracts or in the State Education Code.
Minimum qualifications for staff, faculty, and administrative positions are listed, along with job descriptions, in the job announcements for each position. These announcements are kept on campus for everyone who has been hired within the last 10 years. Personnel records are kept confidential and maintained at the District office, not at LPC. (7.43)
LPC has a systematic process for recommending policies and regulations, exclusive of collective bargaining issues, to the LPC President, the CLPCCD Chancellor, and the Board of Trustees. This process includes the Academic Senate, Classified Senate, IPC, administrative staff, and Student Senate. The process for recommendation of policies and regulations is open to faculty, classified staff, and administrators. Ample opportunity to offer suggestions, voice concerns, and share ideas on improving policies and procedures can occur in regularly scheduled meetings like Town Meetings, division meetings, union meetings, Board meetings, and Senate meetings. Administration maintains an open-door policy and allows staff members to express concerns at any time.
bargaining contract agreements for faculty and classified staff,
together with the District Board Policy Manual, Faculty Handbook
and Classified Handbook contain written policies describing the rights
and responsibilities of faculty and classified staff. These documents
also include evaluation procedures for all faculty and classified
staff and are distributed to all department Deans when a new contract
is ratified. They are available from the College Human Resources
office, the District Office of Human Resources, and in the LRC. In
addition, CLPCCD Board Policies can be found on the Chabot-Las Positas
Today Intranet Information Source web page for CLPCCD staff. (7.39) "Chabot-Las
Positas Today is an 'intranet' service that is aimed at an internal
audience and is only available on our campus and District office
networks." (7.39). The Faculty Handbook can be found on the
LRC web page. (7.42)
The College effectively maintains all personnel policies and procedures and makes them accessible for information and review with the assistance of a full-time support person.
7D.4 The institution makes provision for security and confidentiality of personnel records. Personnel records are private, accurate, complete and permanent.
The College adheres to the security and confidentiality of personnel records as covered in the California Education Code 87031, in the Faculty Contract (7.11, Article #16, Personnel Records and Files) and the Classified Contract (7.11, Article #10, Personnel Records and Files). No separate written Board policy exists for this. The District Office of Human Resources keeps personnel files in a confidential manner as defined by the California Education Code. LPC complies with California and Federal statutes requiring that colleges and universities protect the privacy of staff records. The College follows stipulations described under the Federal Privacy Act regarding privacy of public records and releases public or directory information only to authorized individuals. The Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) applies to all public and private colleges that receive Federal funds or whose students participate in federally sponsored financial aid programs. Contract agreements between the District and bargaining agents for faculty and classified staff also require that all personnel files be kept confidential. (7.44)
In accordance with District policies, the LPC Human Resources department maintains employment applications and all information related to screening and interviewing processes in strict confidence. Personal data files are kept current through employee submission of information forms available from the LPC Human Resources office and from the District office.
Provisions for privacy of information have been ensured by the District and the College through strict observance of state and federal codes, as well as in agreements with local unions. Sufficient policies and procedures are in place, as well as practiced at the College to provide appropriate privacy of personnel records.
References for Standard Seven
|List of Faculty and Staff recognized for outstanding contributions to teaching.
|Las Positas College Basic Employee Demographics for Fall 1995 and Fall 2001. Prepared by the LPC Office of Instructional Research and Planning September 2001.
|Las Positas College Accreditation Report 1996 4A.1
|Las Positas College Accreditation Midterm Report, November 1999, Response to Major Recommendation 2.1
|Las Positas College Student Accreditation Survey Results Spring 2001(All)
|Student Enrollment, Fall 2000, obtained from Student Services.
|Las Positas College Staff Accreditation Survey Results Spring 2001.
|California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office Report, Fall 1999 and Fall 2000. (91.7 FTE - 5.4 reassigned time = 86.3 FTE)
Las Positas College Organization Chart, Fall 2000, Administration DRM:MK 7/2000.
|Office of the Vice President Academic Services Reassignment Report, 10/8/2001.
|Faculty Contract - Agreement between the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District and the Chabot-Las Positas Faculty Association, July 1, 1997-June 30, 2000.
|Las Positas College Adjunct Faculty Handbook, Fall 2001, Class Visits.
|Classified Contract - Agreement between Chabot-Las Positas Community College District and United Public Employees Local 790 Service Employees International Union, AFL-CIO, July 1, 1997-June 30, 1999.
|Classified Senate Survey, prepared and administered by Bill Dunn,
|Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Board Policy 4120, Evaluation of Management Personnel.
|Las Positas College, Administrator Handbook, Fall 2000
|Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Board Policy Administrative Rules and Procedures, 4120, Evaluation of Management Personnel. Issued January 21, 1997.
Phone Interview with Karen Halliday, Vice President of Student Services, Interim College President, January 23, 2002.
|Las Positas College Report of Class Visit/Observation
|Student Evaluation Form A
|Student Evaluation Form B
|Student Evaluation Form C
|Las Positas College, Faculty Handbook
|Las Positas College Adjunct Faculty Handbook, Fall 2001
|Las Positas College Classified Handbook, May 2000
|Staff Development Newsletter, Volume 3, Issue I, August 2001
|Staff Development Proposal Procedures, June 2001
|Staff Development Mini-Grant Proposal Procedures, June 2001
|New Faculty Workshop Series Flyer
|Three Year Faculty & Staff Development Plan 2001-2004, June 2001
|Staff Development Budget Spreadsheets showing funding sources (2000-2001)
|Staff Development Proposed Budget (2000-2001)
|Sample Flyers: Help Desk, Great Teachers Seminars, Annex Training, New Faculty Workshop Series.
|Sample of professional resources provided by Staff Development: Software Manuals, Teaching for Success Newsletter.
|Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Board Policy, Affirmative Action Plan Draft
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Instruction to the Selection Committee (Human Resources)
|E-mail Sharon Trethan, Director of Human Resources
|District Expenditure Report, 1999-2000
|"Board Policies." Chabot-Las Positas Today: The Intranet Information Source for CLPCCD Staff. Livermore, CA: Information Technology Services, n.d. 30 October 2001 http://today/district/policies/table.htm.
|Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Board Policy
|E-mail from Sharon Davidson, October 23, 2001
|"Las Positas College Full-Time Faculty Handbook: Academic Year 2000-2001". LPC Library Faculty Resources. Livermore, CA : Peggy Carter, Reference Librarian, 24 October 2001 http://lpc1.clpccd.cc.ca.us/lpc/fhb/.
|Personal Interview with Martha Konrad in Building 100, LPC Campus, October 22, 2001
|Phone Interview with Lydia Escober at the District Office, October 19, 2001
Three Year Faculty and Staff Development Plan, 2001-2004
Interviews for Standard Seven
Escobar, District Offices
Sharon Davidson, College Administrative Assistant
Karen Halliday, Las Positas College President
Martha Konrad, Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Services
Sharon Trethan, District Director of Human Resources


text:
Shortly after the herding trial, we went for a small vacation to Somogyfajsz. Of course, it was all about having an active holiday, now spent with sheep herding and friends, the owners of Boomer and Mézi. The weather was excellent during our stay, so we could be outside the whole day. It was so amazing, that I wish we could stay for a couple of more days! :) Photos here.
And a short video of Meggy:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|01 Jun 2010
windows 7 ultimate 64 bit
probably late but try this, worked for me
How to Disable, Remove or Hide IE8 Search Box » My Digital Life
|My System Specs
|06 Jun 2010
Windows XP
Try removing Fake Bing toolbar such as "Search Toolbar 1.1"
One day I suddenly got this stupid Bing toolbar. I went to my control panel and checked Add/Remove Programs. I tried searching for Bing toolbar and could not find any. Also there was no list of Bing or any other toolbar when I click on View>> Toolbar list. After some thought I checked each and every program names listed under my control panel >> Add/Remove Programs option.
I found something called "Search Toolbar 1.1" and immediately went ahead to remove it. That work for me.
The Bing Toolbar is gone!!!
Beware of such fake Bing Toolbars!
|My System Specs
|13 Sep 2010
Server 2008 R2, x64... Heavily modded, plus all the 7 wizbang...
Mystery Bing Bar...
I found that my bing bar was installed by "Windows7Codec". Both without my consent, or knownledge. Its part of a developer tools package, and with UAC off, you'll recieve no notice of its install.
The registry keys at the following link have kept bing away. I'd give it a go if your as sick of bing as I am. "So BingBar installs automatically now?"
|My System Specs
|23 Oct 2010
"Search Bing for ..."
I have a related question which I hope is appropriate to post in this thread.
Firefox v. 3.6.11 and IE8 (64bit).
When highlighting text on a web page and then right-clicking (in both Firefox and IE) my option use to say Search Google for Now the option is Search Bing for I dont totally hate the Bing search results but Id like to know how/why this happened.
I did two installs/upgrades yesterday. Microsofts important Live Essentials 2011 and AVGs Free Edition 2011. I do not know which of these two installs (if either) changed my search with option. During all installs I always, always uncheck any options to install Bing or Yahoo toolbars, etc. I have nothing Bing or Bing related in my list of installed programs. I did allow AVG to install its toolbar.
BTW, I subsequently uninstalled every part of Live Essentials 2011 I could find. I, and it seems many others, hate the new Windows Live Mail look. Now, of course, Windows Update continues to remind me there is one important update to install. Any way to turn that nag off as I do not find Live Essentials 2011 essential?!?
|My System Specs
|23 Oct 2010
Found: Bing fix
No sooner had I made my post than I found my fix -- or at least one of my fixes!
Posting the link in the event it may help others. Note: this applies to Firefox only.
How to Remove Bing as Your Default Search Engine and Get Firefox to Work the Way it Used to | eHow.com
Following the (first part of the) directions I changed the Value at browser.search.selectedEngine from Bing to Google. It worked (Firefox) but I still don't know how to make the same change in IE.
|My System Specs
|15 Nov 2010
|My System Specs
|15 Nov 2010
|My System Specs
|15 Nov 2010
Can you be no specific?
|My System Specs
|15 Nov 2010
Bing keeps or hack-crakcs your seetings from ie8, you must unistall the bing from Internet explorer first, then unistall it from firefox, once you remove the add-on, still will be sticky in your "searches", the solution is unistall firefox and then install it again.
|My System Specs
|20 Mar 2011
win7 home prem. 32-bit
Bing Bar Removal
I, too, had this problem, though I am using IE8 my answer is still good for those of you using Firefox.
I'm running Win7 Home Prem. and I had removed Bing as the Search Provider in IE, and then went to Programs & Features (old Add/Remove Programs) and saw Bing Bar listed there. I clicked on it and then clicked on Uninstall and it took me to another page where I was offered to uninstall it by clicking on Continue. When I clicked on Continue, I received a message that I should close all browsers. There were no browsers open; so, like some other reports on this dilemma, Bing seems to have an opened file making it seem as if there is an opened browser.
My solution was this - and please don't leave this step out. You may have to go back and Import the registry file in case you delete the wrong key. Go to the Start Button and type regedit in the Search window just above the Start Button and hit return. When the window opens the Registry, go to File and in the pulldown click on Export. This gives you a chance to save the existing Registry file before you progress to the next action. It defaults a location in My Documents and wants you to assign a file name. I gave it: Registry 3-20-2011 (don't use forward slashes to separate mm-dd-yyyy - use hyphens).
After the Registry has been saved, click on the top folder in the Registry which is Computer to highlight it, and click on Edit and then Find. Type in: Bing Bar in the search window there and click on Find Next.
Each time it finds a hit, use the Delete Key on your keyboard to delete the Registry Key in the left pane. Hit F3 to find the next occurence deleting the Keys each time.
After it has searched the entire Registry, you'll get a message to the effect that the search is complete. At that point, it is safe to close the Registry.
There is one remaining step. You have to manually delete the folder under C:/Program Files/Bing Bar Installer in Windows Explorer. When you click on this folder you'll notice several sub-folders, but don't have to delete them individually. Delete the main folder and your work is done.
Don't be timid if you've never worked in the Registry, but then don't get over confident and mess up, either.
|My System Specs
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text:
E3, the annual video game trade show in L.A., has been maligned over the last two years because the Entertainment Software Association decided to scale back the show from its 70,000 attendees to just a handful of business and media insiders. But the ESA is scaling up again for its 2009 show, and fans will probably be able to get in again.
The show isn't exactly going to be open to the public, but the vetting process that kept everyone except for industry insiders and media from attending is being dropped. Translation: If you really want to get in, you'll probably be able to.
But the big question: If it's not too late for E3 to get its mojo back. Other summer gaming conventions have stepped in to take its place – most notably the Penny Arcade Expo in the Seattle area, which drew 60,000 people this year. And the ESA's anointed successor to E3, the Entertainment for All Expo, put on by IDG World Expo, has fallen flat.
Even more damning: Some game companies, including the industry's largest -- Activision Blizzard – pulled out of the ESA and E3 entirely.
See Also:
E3: Going, Going, Gone?


text:
Build Guide by
Not Updated For Current Season
This guide has not yet been updated for the current season. Please keep this in mind while reading. You can see the most recently updated guides on the browse guides page.
Thank You!
Your votes and comments encourage our guide authors to continue
creating helpful guides for the League of Legends community.
Cho'Gath Build
Ability Sequence
Not Updated For Current Season
The masteries shown here are not yet updated for the current season, the guide author needs to set up the new masteries. As such, they will be different than the masteries you see in-game.
This build is my current by results with Cho'gath. This defensive build will permit you to manage your lane with no difficulty even in 1v2 until level 8 (even higher depending on the facing champions).
With this, Cho'Gath is a perfect mate of a Warwick jungle.
The défense focus on the magic resistance, this is basically the mains damages suffered by Cho'Gath since he can ffastky break any Melee Carry.


text:
October 12-14 2018 Oslo, Norway
The Globalisation Conference is the main program of NSF, and is the largest political workshop of civil organisations, labour unions and political parties in Norway. The conference is organised every other year in Oslo, and serves as a meeting place and forum for activists, trade unionists and other engaged in the communities in Norway to collaborate and work for a world where people, society and the environment are understood as more important than economic gain. The conference consists of plenaries, seminars, workshops, debates, cultural events and lectures that are organised with speakers from both Norway and abroad. Approximately 1000-1500 persons participate at each conference.
The theme for the 2018 Globalisation Conference is Makt in Norwegian, or Power in English.
For more information and ticket information, visit: http://globalisering.no/en/
Karibu is an observing member of the Norwegian Social Forum, and a member of the coordinating board.
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text:
Why Magento Is Favored Over Other Internet Business Stages
Maintaining an internet business isn't a simple errand and obliges you to put consistent endeavors and to strategize to build up a solid web nearness that helps you give an upper hand. While a few huge web based business stages are available on the web, Magento best suit the need to create medium and vast online business locales.
The stage offers everything that is required by a Magento web engineer to build a creative and highlight rich sites or online entrances. Regardless of the possibility that, you stall out in conveying the Magento site improvement, you can without much of a stretch locate a dependable Magento Development Company to complete your employment effectively.
The following are beat reasons that make Magento a solid internet business stage:
1. Worked For E-business
Magento was made principally to serve online business web improvement needs. Accordingly, the stage accompanies all the basic components that assistance in setting up an incredible online retail facade. A portion of the best Magento highlights worth considering are layered route, worked in shopping basket choices, lists of things to get, multi-store and a few different components.
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Regardless of how little or expansive your Magento web advancement venture might be, you can rapidly assemble altered arrangements that work in a state of harmony with your online business needs inferable from the adaptability of Magento stage. Be that as it may, you have to pick the privilege Magento support to manufacture something immaculate and remarkable for your business.
3. It is Mobile-Friendly
We are living in the versatile overwhelmed time. Thus your internet business webpage should be improved for the portable clients. Since Magento comes packaged with versatile agreeable elements, you don't have to stress much over making your online interface redid to serve portable clients needs.
4. Upgraded For Search Engines
Each Magento introduce comes pressed with implicit SEO highlights. The Magento controlled destinations are equipped for taking care of enormous page movement, page ordering, copy substance etc.
5. Shopping basket Options
Shopping basket is a standout amongst the most crucial segments of any internet business webpage, as it permits clients to buy their fancied items from any e-store. With Magento, you don't depend just on outsider shopping basket choices and rather can utilize the inherent trucking arrangements that permit clients to make buys from a store.
6. Make Multi-store Management
Prior to the approach of the Magento stage, store proprietors couldn't dream of dealing with different stores all alone. In any case, that is unrealistic with the assistance of Magento. To put it plainly, the stage empowers clients to deal with different stores from one administrator board. Moreover, a Magento store can likewise be implicit a recognized way by picking an extraordinary item list.
7. Similarity With Google Services
Magento has demonstrated itself as the main web based business stage by giving a few administrations of Google internet searcher mammoth. Put it basically, the stage is perfect with all the Google administrations like Google Analytics, Google Checkout, and so forth. Utilizing such administrations, you can without much of a stretch track the stream of movement on your site.
8. Give Detailed Reports on Website Performance
Magento regulates web based business locales without much bother contrasted with other accessible internet business stages. This is on account of point by point reports the stage give to clients in regards to their site execution.
9. Offers Plenty of Useful Add-ons
Each Magento establishment offers huge amounts of additional items like expansions, formats, advertising apparatuses that aides in building up a completely useful online store. The best part is that you can include any new augmentation or introduce another format without affecting your site's execution.
10. It's Free and Open Source
In conclusion, the open source nature of the Magento stage empowers to alter and utilize the code of existing sites for making your own web based business website. Furthermore, it's free of cost.
In this way, here are a portion of the main motivations that settle on Magento a well known decision among retail organizations for setting up their internet business website or online interfaces.
For a wide range of Magento Support you can contact our Magento Web Developer. Additionally you can employ Magento programmers, for any sort of web application advancement.


text:
- Download and install VLC.
- On 64 bit systems use
C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exeas Cmd.
- On 32 bit systems use
C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exeas Cmd.
- Set Params to
-I dummy --dummy-quiet --play-and-exit --no-loop --no-repeat "C:\test.wav"replacing
"C:\test.wav"with the path to your audio file.
Attention: the audio file path must include the file extension (like .mp3 or .wav for example) and be enclosed in double quotes.
- For automatic doorbell only usage, uncheck Save Full Video, uncheck Save Small Video and set Drop detections shorter than to 0 seconds.


text:
There are many models of interior & exterior lights of Astel Marine available. Let us present you the series ARCUS.
The ARCUS series is a very innovative multi-color RGB LED light built-in waterproof stainless steel casing with different front shapes and lighting angles. It is suitable for using as interior and exterior downlight and step or staircase light. The most advanced electronic design with built-in microprocessor enables network connection and simple control of complete group of the lights.
The ARCUS series is designed to light to floor under the angle of 45 degrees or straight. The main feature is that ARCUS allows changing of the color of lighting manually or automatically through the complete rainbow spectrum.
All models are designed for operating at extreme temperature and voltage conditions with thermal, transient and reverse polarity protections.
Freely contact ASTEL MARINE via request here or e-mail us to firstname.lastname@example.com for a catalog or quotation.


text:
Community Health & Wellness Center Invites You To Take Advantage of Our Always Our Free Consultation Offer For All New Patients
Find Out How We Can Help You Regain Your Health with the Integration of Chiropractic, Cox Spinal Disc Decompression, Acupuncture, Weight Loss Management, Physical Therapy and Massage Therapy.
If you would like to find out how Dr. Howard Dinner and Community Health & Wellness Center, Plantation, FL 33324 can help you regain your health utilizing our natural healing methods, just call us at our dedicated new patient line 954-370-7246 or CLICK HERE and take advantage of our new patient FREE CONSULTATION OFFER*.
*Value up to $195.00. Offers expires 9/30/ 2018 and is backed by our guarantee of satisfaction: The patient or any other person responsible for payment has a right to refuse to pay, cancel payment, or be reimbursed for payment for any other services or treatment which is performed as a result and within 72 hours of responding to this ad for the free service.


text:
Organic farming – environmental benefit, yield cost?
August 27, 2013
By David Granatstein
While most consumers may choose organic foods for their potential health characteristics (e.g., lower chance of pesticide residue and potentially greater nutrient value), these same consumers generally believe that organic farming is "good" for the environment and thus worth supporting. But is the assumption of environmental benefit correct? And is there a cost? Let's take a look at how the newer studies compare to older research findings.
Many studies of the environmental effects of "organic" versus "conventional" have been done, and organic often does show environmental benefits. In 2000, Stolze et al. attempted to synthesize the then-available data and knowledge on this question with regards to European countries. They surveyed specialists in 18 different countries as their primary source, and did an extensive literature review as a secondary source. They found organic systems generally increased soil organic matter and soil biology, but information on soil erosion was scarce. There were similar or lower levels of nitrate leaching with organic systems and no water quality contamination from synthetic pesticides since they were not used. Organic had lower emissions of CO2 per hectare, but higher emissions per unit of product due to generally lower yields on organic farms. The trend for N2O was similar based on limited data. Ammonia emissions were lower with organic systems. Organic systems typically had a nutrient balance near zero (inputs equaled outputs). Thus, organic systems did appear to provide environmental benefits, more so for some parameters than others.
Since that time, much more research has been done. A recent paper by Tuomisto et al. (2012) reports on their meta-analysis of published research regarding the environmental impacts of organic farming in Europe. Tuomisto and colleagues found that soil organic matter was an average of 7% greater on organic farms, mostly due to higher inputs (+65%) of organic materials, often manure. Nitrate leaching was 31% lower per unit area with organic, but 49% higher per unit of product. There were no significant differences between systems in field studies, while modeling studies predicted the greater leaching for organic, and may in fact be overestimating this. N2O emissions were 31% lower per unit area for organic and 8% higher per unit of product. Energy use averaged 21% less on organic farms per unit of product, with wide variation among products and studies.
The main conclusion of the 2012 paper was that organic farming generally has positive environmental impacts per unit of area relative to conventional systems, but not necessarily per unit of product, something Stolze et al. alluded to in 2000. On average, Tuomisto and colleagues found that organic crop yields were 75% of conventional yields looking at 13 crops. Variability ranged widely among crops. For potato, organic yields ranged from 11-132% of conventional, with a mean of 68%. For spring wheat, the range was only 70-87% of conventional, with a mean of 78%. So while environmental benefits are evident in organic systems, lower yields remain a factor to consider, especially when looking at land use. In this study, the lower yields and crop rotations that included non-harvested crops (e.g. green manures for nutrients) meant that organic farming would require 84% more land in Europe to produce the equivalent amount of harvest as conventional. Clearly, not a lot of new land is being made; is the tradeoff sustainable? Or perhaps the question is: how can yields be improved without compromising the environmental benefits of organic systems?
Increasing yields in organic systems would help address the contrasting findings between per area and per unit of product results, but the push to increase yields could also erode some of the benefits. Soil nutrient deficiencies were cited as a major cause of reduced yields, something that can be addressed through better use of the range of organic residuals available. The authors noted that in experiment station trials with high soil fertility, yields were more comparable between the two systems. Yields were also often reduced by inadequate control of weeds, insect pests, and diseases. Thus, there is clearly opportunity for research and education to help improve organic crop yields, which will lessen the environmental impact per unit of product and address the question of the increased land area needed for organic systems to produce the same food output as conventional. Yields do matter, and better data on yields from a large number of organic farms would help improve our understanding of this issue.
Stolze M., Piorr A., Härring A., Dabbert S. 2000. The environmental impacts of organic farming in Europe. Organic Farming in Europe: Economics and Policy; Volume 6. University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany. 143 pp. https://www.uni-hohenheim.de/i410a/ofeurope/organicfarmingineurope-vol6.pdf
Tuomisto H.L., Hodge I.D., Riordan P., Macdonald D.W. 2012. Does organic farming reduce environmental impacts? A meta-analysis of European research. J. Environmental Management 112:309-320.
Filed under Global Environment, Organic Farming, Sustainability
4 comments on "Organic farming – environmental benefit, yield cost?"
Chuck Benbrook said on August 27, 2013:
Good post and set of observations. From my work and recent travels, the gap between conventional and organic crop yields is narrowing on successful, commercial farms, and indeed is usually not over 10% on equally well-managed farms in the same region. When the gap is larger, it is because of either a weed management problem or lack of usually N on an organic farm in a particular year, or unusually high yields on conventional farms, because of near-perfect weather and ample N. Sometimes a virus, like early blight, wipes out an organic crop. However, when comparing equally well-managed, rain-fed organic and conventional farms, organic operations tend to have a yield advantage in dry years. It is also important to recognize the typical decline in nutrient density as yields go up, brought on by the dilution effect. Overall, this factor makes up for a share, perhaps 1/2, of the average yield difference, when the comparison is "pounds of nutrients/nutrition" harvested per acre instead of "pounds of crop harvested." Work by Preston Andrews in the hort dept at WSU on tomatoes produced data suggesting that organic production on healthy, rich soils can raise the point of the yield curve where the dilution effect kicks in. In general, this makes sense, given that most vitamin and antioxidant nutrients are complex molecules that contain several micro-nutrients in soil. Healthier soil tends to have higher levels of bioavailable micro-nutrients, along with various enzymes etc that contribute to nutrient density.
Bruce Scholten said on August 28, 2013:
Thanks for a good article by Dave Granatstein & response from Chuck Benbrook. This reminds me of a 2002 Colloquium of Organic Researchers at University of Aberystwyth in Wales, when Prof. Willie Lockeretz from Tufts gave a plenary on strategies for organic research. Lockeretz suggested the gap between organic & conventional yields could close, but first we need more scientifically designed studies, as you suggest.
Bruce, http:durham.academia.edu/BruceScholten
Pingback:August Food & Farms in the News | PCC Farmland Trust
Veronica Wicker said on February 27, 2018:
One thing not mentioned is that the organic food is more nutrient dense so less would be needed to feed one person. Since the average person in a developed country eats more calories and less nutrients than is healthy, a smaller more nutrient dense crop doesn't sound bad. Is it really not capable of feeding as many people?
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UPDATE! Since this blog was posted, Granatstein published a journal article showing some techniques that increase organic fruit yields and income. Click HERE or on the image for link to article.
Recent data are presented in this poster on relative yields for various organic and conventional crops in WA State.
Interested in related research? Please browse our Organic Conferences & Proceedings and our BIOAg Conferences & Proceedings for videos, posters and abstracts. Also, don't miss our Grants Database where you'll find abstracts and reports from our recent funding investments in sustainable ag research.
Organic Statistics – Data and statistics from the organic sector in Washington agriculture are available here.


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iLuv ArtStation Pro review
The iLuv designers are clearly trying to take a leaf out of Apple's old-school design book with the ArtStation Pro. This new speaker system is designed primarily for use with the iPad, and when you slot the iPad into place, the whole unit ends up looking rather like the dear old G4 iMac, which had its monitor mounted on a similar adjustable arm.
There's also a more expensive 'Pro Plus' model that comes with a Bluetooth keyboard and effectively turns the iPad into a little desktop computer (which is almost certainly more powerful than the old iMac it pays homage to). The adjustable arm can be rotated into either portrait or landscape mode, so it's handy for watching video as well as simply listening to music. There's also a small holder that fits an iPhone or iPod, along with an Aux-In connector around the back for other types of audio device.
The audio quality is good, with stronger bass than we'd expected from the relatively compact 107x300x145mm speaker unit. It's not quite loud enough to power a full-scale party, and the higher frequencies do start to get a bit harsh as you approach maximum volume. However, it's more than adequate for listening to music at home in the evening or for setting the mood when you're having some friends over for drinks or dinner.
Our only minor complaint is that the remote control is a bit basic. It simply provides volume and playback controls, with no options for navigating through the various music menus on your iPad screen.
The recommended price of £150 is a little steep, but we've already seen the ArtStation Pro on sale on Amazon for £100 and it's well worth picking up at that price – especially if you're looking for a relatively compact speaker system for use with an iPad.


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Perfect Match; Reasonable Price
Your review: I am a newbie when it comes to gas appliances and so I was concerned about this being the right part (especially since my fireplace is so old). Fortunately, after chatting with a salesperson, I got the right valve. It came quickly, fit perfectly, and works like a charm.


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Halfway finished with removing dozens of trees in the footprint of a proposed airport outside of Peotone, the Illinois Department of Transportation this week said the culling should make it easier for the agency to lease the vacant, state-owned land to farmers.
But some local residents charge the tree cutting is IDOT's latest tactic in an ongoing campaign to intimidate locals at its land management office near the proposed airport site on West Eagle Lake Road.
"They're tearing our heart out," said Bill Wachowski, who moved to his home on Egyptian Trail Road in 1982, attracted by the prospect of country living.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Western New York Local Restaurant Week began today. Tagged "A Bit of WNY Culture in Every Bite," the weeklong event celebrates the local food industry and, founders say, "Offers the public an incomparable opportunity to experience our region's culinary depth and excellence."
Pictured is Macri's Italian Grille in Lewiston, one of the participating eateries. Click here for a full list of local restaurants.
Western New York Local Restaurant Week continues through Saturday, April 3.


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Nanotech to Answer the Call of a Surging Europe Molecular Diagnostics Market
The classification of proteins and nucleic acids within the molecules of a patient's body samples is commonly termed as molecular diagnostics. This field makes use of genome and proteome analytics through biological markers and creates a complete expression of the genetic code from the samples taken. To do so, the researchers in molecular diagnostics apply a mix of concepts from medical testing to molecular biology. These methods are extremely useful in detecting the early stages of diseases and also to create a healthcare strategy for a patient's treatment.
The Europe molecular diagnostics market is a place where researchers are competing to perfect the art of predicting diseases, how they develop, and what drugs will work best on them. This can even include extremely special cases in medicine, including pharmacogenomics, certain cases in oncology, and the typing of human leukocyte antigen.
Why Should Investors Consider the Europe Molecular Diagnostics Market More Seriously?
In simpler terms, any investor trying to attain a chunk in modern medicine only needs to look at the statistics of the Europe molecular diagnostics market. This market was previously valued at US$1.6 bn in 2014. From there, the Europe molecular diagnostics market has skyrocketed onward at a CAGR of 11.4% between 2015 and 2023. By the end of 2023, this market is expected to reach US$4.2 bn.
There are a myriad of reasons for the proliferation of the Europe molecular diagnostics market, but none more obvious than the need for this market's growth itself. It is a fact that the number of patients stricken with serious illnesses is increasing across the world. Whether it is due to the rising temperature and pollution levels or simply because of the rising population in certain parts of Europe, the truth remains that this region's healthcare industry is in dire need of some solid developments in order to support the increasing number of the sick.
How Can Nanotechnology be Used to Better the Europe Molecular Diagnostics Market?
It will work in the same way it has for other fields. The option of using nanotechnology in molecular diagnostics is a fairly recent one, but the gains in development shown by researchers have been tremendous. The use of nanotech to make the lab-on-a-chip has allowed biological testing to be conducted at exponentially faster rates. At the same time, the use of magnetic nanoparticles is becoming common in molecule labeling.
Browse Research Release:
Where Will the Future of Europe Molecular Diagnostics Market Lie?
Although it is difficult to pinpoint the true utilities of molecular diagnostics in the future, we can draw several accurate conclusions looking at the recent market data and current trends. For instance, the use of molecular diagnostics has so far been the highest in infectious diseases, owing to their high prevalence in Europe, one of the strongest regions in this market from a global perspective. The current socioeconomic scenario shows an increase in the healthcare expenditure of individuals, while the environmental and social issues continue to plague mankind in the form of various diseases. The use of molecular diagnostics will therefore be highly consistent in the treatment of infectious diseases in the near future.


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Kathrein Supports Rosenheim's Junior Ice Hockey Talents
"We consider it an essential part of our corporate responsibility to support sports-loving kids and young people from our area," underlines Anton Kathrein, CEO of the Kathrein Group. "Ice hockey has a long tradition in Rosenheim and we want to contribute to the team's future success." Instead of sponsoring them indirectly via the stadium, they want to give the money directly to the Starbulls team.
The support the Starbulls get from Kathrein is very important for building up the junior programmes. "We are very happy that Kathrein will actively support Rosenheim's flagship club and back up our talent hotbed," says Marcus Thaller, member of the club´s executive committee. Rosenheim has been a training stronghold of the German ice hockey for decades. "Our success shows in the Starbulls First Team. More than half of the players of the DEL2 team were recruited from the Rosenheim junior team."
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All published press releases and photos are to be used for editorial purposes only. KATHREIN SE reserves all rights. If press photos are duplicated or changed, they have to be marked with "Copyright © KATHREIN SE Rosenheim".


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The Eastern and Southern Africa Anti Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) intends to recruit a Financial Sector Expert. The Expert will work in the ESAAMLG Secretariat in assisting the ESAAMLG member States in the development and implementation of anti-money launderin(AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) laws and regulations that comply with the required international standards. The Expert will be based at the ESAAMLG Secretariat Headquarters in Dar es Salaam and will report directly to the Executive Secretary. The closing date is 31 August 2013
Posted: December 1st , 2016
|Memorandum of Understanding - MoU
|Strategic Plans
|Mutual Evaluations
|Risk , Methods and Trends
|Country National Strategies
|Development Strategy Implementation
|Annual Work Programmes
|Annual Reports
|AMF/CFT and Financial Inclusion


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You may think there is no relationship between DVD and Nokia X6 phone because Nokia X6 can't play DVDs. Yes, Nokia X6 is only a mobile phone. It doesn't have a DVD drive, MPEG-2 decoder, so it can't recognize DVDs. And what's more, DVDs are copy protected. But what will happen if we rip DVD movies to Nokia X6 supported video format using a DVD ripper? Then we can play DVD on Nokia X6 as our wishes!
Choose a good DVD Ripper for Nokia X6
There are many DVD ripping tools available on the market; users may get confused with so many programs. From the experiences of a DVD movie fun like me, basic criteria of a good DVD ripper should contains the following points.
1. Fast speed and high quality output video. It is the primary factor for a DVD ripper because people don't want to spend much time on waiting for the process or get low quality videos.
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3. Safety. A good DVD ripper doesn't contain any virus, spyware, malware.
Based on the above criteria, CloneDVD for Mobile is your best choice. It can rip DVD movies to Nokia X6 with fast speed and excellent output effects in a safe way.
Guide on how to rip DVD to Nokia X6
1. Download the DVD ripper, install and run it on Windows.
2. Load DVD onto the ripper. The program will automatically show the DVD information on its main interface.
3. Choose the output format. Here we choose 3GP smart Phone because Nokia X6 can support 3GP videos.
4. Choose a ripping mode. Main movie is suggested.
5. Specify an output folder if you feel the default directory is not convenient.
6. Start to rip. Click "Start" button to begin the DVD to Nokia X6 conversion.
It is super easy and fast to rip DVD to Nokia X6. After the process has been finished, transfer the video to Nokia X6, then you can play DVD on Nokia X6 now. It also can support ripping DVD to BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod, PSP etc.


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Purchasing the extremely very best Memory Foam Mattress for Your self
mattress sales
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