http://www.grccfaculty.com

November 14, 2008

Call to order:  F. van Hartesveldt called the meeting to order at 6:32 a.m., 120 ATC.

Present:  R. Barnhart, J. Hesse, J. Berlin, M. Campo, A. Cook, D. Cope, L. Crossman, M. DeVivo, K. Danko, J. Doane, B. Foster, B. Garlough, J. Greer, H. Hoare, D. Huisman, S. Knoppers, R. Long (for P. Laureto, A. Lussky, B. Manker, B. Morris, J. Neumann, M. Parsons, R. Ralya, A. Saldivar, J. Spoelman, D. Terhune, F. van Hartesveldt, D. Wabeke, G. Zeeff, F. Zomer.  

Absent: 
W. Acevedo-Ferrer, N. Alexander, L. Burris, F. Conner, D. Folkert, R. Montes-Sutton, J. Russell.

Approval of agenda:  Presidential Search was removed from the agenda. 

Approval of Faculty Council minutes from October 31, 2008:  Approved as written. 
 
Faculty presentations from the floor:

• D. Godrey was re-elected as Treasurer in Bloomingdale Township.
• K. Kalisz in English is expecting a child.
• N. Alexander is recovering and looking forward to returning, although no time is yet set.  Contact F. van Hartesveldt if you want her address to send her a card. 
• The Foundation is only doing one open house this year. 
• M. Swets, retired Dean and strong proponent of GRCC, is in poor health. 
• B. Elvey, former head of the Physical Sciences department, has cancer.
• D. Davis, Music, has announced his retirement.

Treasurer’s report:  J. Spoelman distributed the Treasurer’s report for September and October, 2008 (attached).  Total expenses for September were $1,309.08 and total expenses for October were 3,756.18.  A. Saldivar was added to the Finance Committee and will be responsible for verifying Association checks.  An outside audit will start on November 18, 2008, and will cost $3,200. 

President’s report:

• Letters in opposition to SB 1450 were sent out.  This bill would allow community colleges not to put new hires into MPSERS.  If you live in District 28, you are encouraged to contact Senator Jansen to oppose this bill and/or ask him not to rewrite the bill should it not pass.
• A new form has been approved to donate days to faculty who qualify for FMLA absences.
• AGC passed the faculty code of ethics.  At least two people from the Faculty Council will work with AGC faculty to develop a process for hearing ethics complaints.  If interested, contact F. van Hartesveldt.
• AGC recently reviewed a first draft of an ethics code for academic administrators. 
• The Dean’s office last year came up with compensation for training for those who teach academic service learning classes.  However, they did so without involving the Faculty Association.  The matter will be referred to the negotiating teams.
• Dean’s council minutes are now online.  There are some who attend Dean’s council who are not members but always are invited to attend.  It was asked that the Dean’s council minutes indicate who is a guest and who is a member.

Discussion report:

• Calendar Committee:
• An agreement is almost reached on the 2009 – 2010 calendar.  Another meeting is scheduled.  An unresolved issue resulted from the need to notify students who will be suspended between the end of the fall, 2009 and the start of winter, 2010.  To allow enough time, there will likely be a shift in the calendar to start the fall semester two days earlier.  The calendar will have the same number of work days.
• There was a suggestion to create a committee of faculty to address calendar issues.  An open invitation will be sent.
• Time-for-time trades:
• It was questioned whether administrators could require faculty to do a time for time trade rather than take a leave of absence under some other provision because time-trades cost the College nothing.  The answer is no.  Faculty members are also reminded that seniority doesn’t matter for a time-to-time trade and that adjuncts can do time-to-time trades. 
• RCC and loss of Capitol Services:
• The Association has signed an agreement with Capitol Services by which they will report to us about legislative issues related to retirement in higher education four times a year at a total cost of $2,000.
• It is cost prohibited to hire a lobbyist, and perhaps not possible to use union dues.

Negotiations report:

• Compensation study from the first study from Employers Association was not well done.  A joint study is being completed by a new group. 
• A few faculty members attended an interest based bargaining lecture.

New Business:  Submit items for the next Faculty Council meeting to F. van Hartesveldt.

Next Meeting: Friday, November 14, at 6:30 a.m., 120 ATC. 
             
Adjournment:  Motion to adjourn J. Hesse, seconded by M. DeVivo. 

Adjourned 8:08 a.m.

Submitted by K. Danko, Secretary.