TO:                 Faren R. Siminoff and Paula Wheeler Carlo and the NCCFT

FROM:          Richard Glass Ph.D.

RE:                 NCCFT Negotiation Survey Spring 2008

 

 

 

            Although I appreciate the attempt at suggesting contract bargaining points, I must strongly object to some of the public comments made by my esteemed colleagues in the History Department.  I also offer additional suggestions that I hope bargaining unit will consider.

 

 

            In reference to point #2, the Educational Differential,   I do believe that time for that has passed.   I would like to suggest a monetary honorarium for faculty who publish or present at conferences independent of their degree.  For example, stipends  for a peer-reviewed publication and reimbursement for travel, registration and housing for presenting at local , state, conference, national and international conferences be awarded to all faculty.  Such stipends would be far less than a blanket payout for degrees and in addition, faculty would be encouraged to engage in scholarly activities and the College would receive the added benefit of the professional recognition in the academic community.  It is a win-win situation for both the faculty and the College.  Additionally, the $50 per faculty member for professional development / travel is antediluvian and often does not cover registration fees.  That fund should be increased.

 

 

            I am deeply disturbed by the innuendo of point #3.  As a reader, my only logical conclusion is that working a 3 day week would allow faculty to obtain an additional job.  This statement implies that faculty as a whole is doing nothing more than meeting their classes and growth days are devoted to growth only in ones bank account and have 'free time'.  If the cash-strapped faculty are finding it difficult due to high cost of living, then I strongly suggest that they either seek another career or re-locate to an area with a lower cost of living.

 

 

            I strongly disagree with #5.  I believe the time between promotions should remain the same.  We are lucky in the fact that it is only five years because a majority of the local institutions require seven or more years between promotions.  As for the time for full professor, the standards are to reach out beyond the College.  It takes time to develop outside connections or to become a leader in an area.  In fact, I believe the qualifications to be promoted should be strengthened.  For example, promotion should not be based on attending of some random on-campus (or off) event.  The applicant should also demonstrate how attendance at that event benefited or was applied to their job or professional growth before receiving promotion credit.

 

 

 

 

 

            I am totally confused by #7, the approval of reassign time.  Re-assigned time is given to those individuals who are performing tasks in lieu of their contractual duties.  Those entities granting the re-assigned time should have control over it.   

 

            As for your other points, I find it extremely insulting and unprofessional the implication that the grading and work I do for my classes is of  far less quality or easier than what is done in writing classes.  Who are you to decide that the grading of a science laboratory report, verifying a computer program or grading mathematics homework is easier to grade than only reading a paper?  Insulted?  Well now you know how I feel reading your treatise.  Do I agree with the perk that the English department receives?  No, I believe they should be teaching 15 contact hours per week for 15 weeks.  On another note, are you willing to verify that ever instructor in every section in your department gives writing assignments?  Before you answer that, remember, I have been the secretary of the CWCC for over 9 years and have a copy of every course proposal ever submitted for the past decade including that History course that only had multiple choice exams as the only grade.  Here is a hint, Phil was the representative and the course was a distant learning course.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts:

 

            I am deeply disturbed that you do not address the fact that there are faculty at this institution that need to meet the same criteria for promotion as you and I but are not afforded the 30 weeks per year, 4 days per week work schedule that you and I are.  Many of them teach classes, hold degrees equivalent to ours but are disenfranchised as a group.   

 

 

As a first approximation in this contract, I suggest that:

• The terms classroom and non-classroom be stricken from all contracts and MOAs and only the terms instructional faculty and  professional faculty  be used.
• All faculty (including the former non-classroom faculty) be granted one growth day per week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Create your own educational wiki!Support CommunityPublic, Gold wiki Privacy Policy RSS