Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Policy Updates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ascension Parish policy committee adopts AI and tech rules, expands seasonal employee hours
Summary
At a policy committee meeting, members approved four policy changes: expanded hours for seasonal employees under policy GBA; additions to technology/AI language in IFBGA; a standalone acceptable-use policy IFBGB; and revisions to student absence rules to align with state law. All items passed by voice vote.
The Ascension Parish policy committee voted to approve four policy updates during a brief meeting, approving amendments to contracts and compensation, adding artificial intelligence language to technology policy, adopting a standalone acceptable‑use policy, and revising student absence rules to comply with state law.
Chair Betty opened the meeting and introduced the first item, policy GBA on contracts and compensation, which the presenter said was a request from a department to allow seasonal employees to work more hours through a longer work period. The presenter said the change would "allow us to have them, work more hours than a traditional work needs for that seasonal period." A motion to approve the policy was made by Louis Lambert and seconded by Ganda Francis; the committee carried the motion by voice, with no opposition recorded on the transcript.
The committee next amended policy IFBGA to add "and artificial intelligence" to the title and related language. The presenter said a district committee reviewed existing state AI policies and adjusted them to local needs, adding sections on ethics, privacy and security, academic integrity, professional development, student/parent education, and monitoring and enforcement. "The words and artificial intelligence are added because that is what's going to be able to handle this file," the presenter said. Karen Roe moved to accept the amended policy; Louis Lambert seconded. The committee approved the change by voice vote.
Members also approved IFBGB, a standalone employee and student acceptable‑use policy that the presenter said contains the same AI-related language adopted in IFBGA; John Murphy was recorded as the seconder and the motion passed by voice.
On the final agenda item, the presenter described revisions to the student absence and excuse policy to align it with state law, noting the changes were intended to ensure that suspended students are permitted to make up missed work. A motion on the item was made and seconded by Karen Grove; the committee voted by voice and the motion passed.
The meeting record shows each item was approved by voice vote; no recorded roll-call tallies or formal vote counts appear in the transcript. The presenter referenced several district and staff contributors (including Dr. Jeremy Hughes/Houston, Dr. Lucey and Dr. Simmons) and said an HR attorney drafted portions of the policy language. The committee had no additional public comments and adjourned.
What happens next: the committee approved the policy language on the record; the transcript does not specify implementation dates, additional review steps, or whether the full governing body must ratify these committee approvals.
