FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING
Call to Order: F. van Hartesveldt called the meeting to
order at
Present: Nickie Alexander, Rick Barnhart, Jennifer
Batten, C. Lee Brown, Lyttron Burris, Mike Campo, Jim Chesla, Anita Cook, Larry
Crossman, Katie Danko, John Doane, Beth Foster, Fred Garbowitz, Dick Godfrey, Carolyn
Grin, Jim Hayes, Dan Hearn, Stacey Heisler, Tim Hoving, Brian Keelean, Amy
Kerkstra, Robert Long, Bernie Manker, Bob Monaldo, Brian Morris, Jeff Neumann, Kathleen
Owens, Wayne Rodgers, Jonathon Russell, Jeff Spoelman, Fred van Hartesveldt, Mike
Vargo (for Frank Conner), Doug Wabeke, George Zeeff
Absent: Marie Burns, Mark Saur, Joel Swets,
Agenda: Today’s agenda was approved as printed.
Approval of Minutes: Minutes
of the
· Add John Doane to the list of members present at the meeting.
· Correct the spelling of John Doane’s name (add an e) in the Negotiations Report.
Faculty Presentations
from the Floor
· Dan Hearn had an emergency appendectomy two weeks ago.
· Michael Brander, a current student and golfer, passed away.
· The GRCC scavenger hunt is underway.
Negotiations Report. J. Spoelman reported that the negotiation teams are meeting today and will continue to discuss disbursing the release time/extra-curricular money ($40,000) for department heads and program directors, calendars, and overload selection language. F. van Hartesveldt remarked that he and J. Spoelman have met twice on the academic credentials issue and have identified the parties’ interests in preparation for the next meeting. L. Burris reported that the Sub-committee on Accretion met and discussed the group’s concerns and interests.
President’s Report. F. van Hartesveldt’s report covered the
following items:
· Adjunct Faculty Issues—The Association learned that several adjunct faculty members were paid at the wrong rate last semester. Correction of the underpayments is at the dean’s office and yet needs approval of the provost’s office. A request for the payback of overpayments has been sent to at least one adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty members who have been asked to return overpayments are asked to contact F. van Hartesveldt or F. Garbowitz.
·
Department
Meetings—F. van Hartesveldt has met with all departments that requested a
meeting with him and will continue to do so upon request.
· Faculty Voice—Interviews by John Politi, the outside consultant hired to help the college with internal communications and strategy, were conducted as scheduled on February 16 and 17. Working in small groups of faculty, he presented several questions and then listened and took notes. His findings will be shared with President Olivarez for consideration as decisions about the college are made over the next 18 months.
· Board of Trustees Meting—At Monday’s meeting the BOT received the college mid-year budget report, a copy of which F. van Hartesveldt has and will make available to faculty upon request. State legislative representative Mike Sak attended the meeting and indicated he will advocate for community colleges and seek funding for community colleges equitable with the funding of universities. The GRCC enrollment report prompted one trustee to ask about declining enrollment in the Criminal Justice Department.
· Faculty Disciplinary Cases—F. van Hartesveldt has been involved in the three disciplinary investigations of complaints about faculty. The administration has proposed an agreement to the faculty member in one case and is awaiting the faculty member’s response. In the second case the administration, the Association, and the faculty member are working on terms of an agreement to resolve it. A third case that started a couple of months ago remains in limbo.
Discussion and Action
Retirement Coordinating Council Report. B. Foster’s update on the February 15 RCC Legislative Day included several major points:
· B. Foster and Alice Donahue visited the offices of Sen. Bill Hardiman (R-Kentwood), Rep. Glen Steil, Jr. (R-District 72), and Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland).
· The sessions with these legislators included several agenda items:
o The RCC’s opposition to HB 4947, which would require all new hires to be part of a graded scale premium and defined contribution pension program.
o HB 4030 to permit state employees to have the option of a defined benefit if they so choose.
o Support of a pension increase for oldest retirees, which would be a catch-up bill for teacher retirees who have been on fixed pensions since l980.
o MPSERS rate increase less than anticipated and no increase in school retiree health contribution due to influx of money from a variety of sources, especially from Medicare Part D.
o Thank legislators for helping RCC repeal the law sending retiree health care dollars out of state.
Faculty are encouraged to contact their representatives if interested in any of these issues.
Association Conferences. F. Garbowitz and F. van Hartesveldt briefly highlighted the conferences they attended.
o Labor Arbitration Institute (F. van Hartesveldt). It was a very worthwhile conference from which most of the Association negotiation team could benefit and which they should consider attending next year. The format included panels of arbitrators making decisions on hypothetical legal questions. Attendees were able to hear the arbitrators “think out loud” as they explained their decisions. Literature from the conference is available from F. van Hartesveldt upon request.
o Labor Law and Higher Education (F.
Garbowitz). A lecture on freedom of
speech and academic freedom cited numerous cases against schools in which
academic freedom and the First Amendment invariably prevailed. A session geared to community colleges
focused on arming security personnel, which the majority of responders
favored. A session on copyright laws and
violation indicated that judgment against the user or user’s institution is
very unlikely when (1) use of the copyright item does not result in profit, and
(2) the user has diligently attempted to contact the copyright owner.
The Association may
send a representative to a third approved conference. If interested in attending, contact F. van
Hartesveldt. The Association will
reimburse expenses up to the balance in the conference budget after payment of
expenses for the two conferences above.
Committee Memberships
and Reports
·
Ethics
Committee. The request is still
officially active for departments to appoint an Ethics Committee member in
accordance with the Academic Governing Council bylaws and Association bylaws.
· Finance Committee. C. Grin reported that the Finance Committee conducted an informal review of the Association financial records two weeks ago. This activity was acknowledged as the required annual internal audit.
Grievance Report. F. Garbowitz indicated that the Association is still waiting a response on Grievance #162.
New Business. Items for the next Council meeting agenda should be sent to F. van Hartesveldt.
Next
Meeting.
Adjournment. Motion to adjourn, D. Hearn; second, A. Cook. Adjournment at
Submitted by C. Lee Brown, Secretary