San Mateo Community College Federation of Teachers, AFT 1493
Minutes of
General Membership/Executive Committee Meeting
Wednesday, January 16, 2013, at Cañada College
EC members present: Lin Bowie, Eric Brenner, Chip Chandler, Vicki Clinton, Salumeh Eslamieh, Nina Floro, Katharine Harer, Teeka James, Dan Kaplan (Exec. Secr.), Michelle Kern, Monica Malamud, Sarah Powers, Sandi Raeber-Dorsett, Joaquin Rivera, Anne Stafford, Suzuki, Elizabeth Terzakis, Lezlee Ware, Masao Rebecca Webb.
Other AFT 1493 members present: Jessica Kaven, Tania Beliz, Diana Bennet, Patty Dilko, Karen Olesen, Lorraine Barrales-Ramirez, Doug Hirzel, Ali Shokouhbakhsh.
Guests: Zev Kwitky (CFT field rep)
Meeting began at 2:30
Facilitator: Sandi Raeber-Dorsett
1. Welcome and introductions
2. Statements from AFT (non EC) members on Non-Agenda Items
The CFT President sent a letter to ACCJC calling the ACCJC out on process (for example, not posting agendas on time). CFT will continue to watch ACCJC closely and document irregularities in their processes.
3. Minutes of December 12, 2012 AFT meeting
Approved with minor corrections
4. PT parity campaign: comparison of different community college contracts in State
Sandi Raeber-Dorsett, Vicky Clinton, Rebecca Webb
Sandi, Rebecca and Vicky looked at the percentage that other districts use as their definition of parity- it varies considerably from district to district. They will send out an email to faculty asking them to participate in focus groups.
AFT has been in communication with the IRS about the fact that PT hours are not counted correctly for the purpose of eligibility for health care coverage.
5. Workload survey: Flyers, Posters, and EC member to lead the campaign
This is the main thrust of the union for this semester. The survey will be ready to be rolled out in a week. Time estimate to complete survey: 20-30’. Teeka will send the survey link for review. Goals of the survey:
a) gather data to define parity,
b) quantify workload of faculty (especially non-teaching tasks).
How do we get faculty to participate?
– Put out an email alert, informing faculty why it’s important to fill out the survey (Teeka)
– Have tables (campus co-chairs to organize)
– Prepare a flyer to distribute at tables (Dan and Lezlee)
– Send out reminders, but not on a daily basis
– Have a poster in division offices (Michelle)
– Announce it at division meetings
– Prices: gift certificate for lunch/dinner
– Front page story in the Advocate (Eric)
– Have survey close just after Flex Day, so we can make one last pitch for it then
6. Interview with possible candidate for the 2013 Board of Trustees election
Lin Bowie
Lin prepared and distributed an outline for a profile that we can use for each potential candidate, so that it will be easier for us to compare them.
In order to expedite the process, we can have a subcommittee that interviews potential candidates. Elections by district are cheaper than if done county-wide. If elections are by district in November 2013, then it may be better to focus on districts that do not have an incumbent running. Lin, Dan and Joaquin will work to get some names for people to contact.
7. District Shared Governance Council report and
11. Status of our demand to negotiate Board policies, including Academic Freedom
Teeka James, Joaquin Rivera
The first meeting of DSGC is first Monday in February.
Joaquin and Teeka are planning to meet with Harry Joel, to talk about the four policies that the union has demanded to negotiate. In 1997, an Academic Freedom policy was created, and it was even approved by the Board then. Joaquin and Teeka will talk to Harry Joel about the inclusion of an Academic Freedom clause in our contract.
8. District Academic Senate concerns regarding MOOC
Teeka James
On February 9th there will be a Board retreat on this topic. The Board already had a study session on this topic. Sebastian Thrun, one of the founders of Udacity, presented at this study session. San Jose State is starting a trial with Udacity. Udacity’s plan is to offer remedial courses at community colleges. Governor Brown is in support of MOOCs, and sees it as a way to solve, at least in part, the problem of insufficient funding to higher education in the state.
Concerns:
– outsourcing of faculty jobs
– two-tier education (online is cheaper, face-to-face if student can afford it)
– increased “flexibility” (i.e., continued over-reliance on part-timers).
Our contract does not have good language on distance education. Should we wait until something happens in our district or should we find out more about it? General consensus was to stay tuned to any developments in this area and encourage faculty to voice their concerns.
9. San Mateo County Community Colleges Foundation scholarship application draft discussion
Lezlee Ware
Lezlee distributed a draft of the Agreement between AFT 1493 and San Mateo Community Colleges Foundation.
We agreed on the following application requirements:
– an essay on a topic that deals with social justice
– any major
– require evidence of activism
– minimum number of units
– minimum GPA: 2.5
– one of the two scholarships will be for a student who started in Basic Skills classes
10. Concurrent enrollment update
Dan Kaplan and Teeka James
Dan and Teeka met with Susan Estes (VPI at CSM) and Jennifer Hughes. Concurrent enrollment students do not pays fees. Administrators will put together a Handbook for Concurrent Enrollment Students.
11. [Moved up with agenda item 7]
12. Performance Evaluation Task Force update
Lezlee Ware, Elizabeth Terzakis, Nina Floro
PETF members reported on their progress:
– They created a new “grading” system for the classroom observation form, to replace the current A-B-C system.
– They assessed time-line of their work, especially with reference to ACCJC demands for inclusion of SLOs in the evaluation process. A proposal that is being considered is to have faculty include their participation in SLOs in their self-assessment.
– They developed a survey to use at Division meetings asking for feedback on evaluation forms.
At this time, the proposals for the new “grading” system and inclusion of SLOs in faculty self-assessment are being presented to faculty in the three campuses in order to get feedback on them.
From now on, emails from PETF will be distributed district-wide, instead of by campus.
13. Compressed calendar survey discussion
Executive Committee
Tabled to next meeting.
14. AFT summer party/ scholarship fund raiser planning discussion
Executive Committee
Tabled to next meeting.
15. Statements from EC members on Non- Agenda Items
a) CFT Leadership Conference is February 8th-9th, in Oakland. It is free. Interested EC members please register and attend.
b) We need to plan extra meetings for this semester. Teeka will send out a Doodle poll to help select dates.
Meeting adjourned 4:55 p.m.