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, Marie Burns, Lyttron Burris, Jim Chesla, Frank Conner, Anita Cook, Larry Crossman, Katie Danko, Beth Foster, Fred Garbowitz, Dick Godfrey, Carolyn Grin, Tim Hoving, Brian Keelean, Amy Kerkstra, Diana Kooistra (for Mike Campo), Robert Long, Bernie Manker, Bob Monaldo, Brian Morris, Jeff Neumann, Kathleen Owens, Jonathon Russell, Mark Saur, Jeff Spoelman, Joel Swets, Fred van Hartesveldt, Doug Wabeke, Troy Walwood, George Zeeff
Visitor: Melissa Parsons
Absent: Jim Hayes, Dan Hearn, Stacey Heisler, Wayne Rodgers
Agenda: Today’s agenda was approved as printed.
Approval of Minutes: Minutes
of the
Treasurer’s Report. D. Godfrey distributed the March 2006 treasurer’s report (attached). Total expenses for March, $2,410.18. The March 31 checking account balance was $59,968.11; money market/savings, $111,984.76.
Negotiations Report. J. Spoelman said that JCC will not meet today since many administrators are absent for spring break. He updated Council on two JCC topics:
· Much of the time at the last JCC meeting on March 24 was devoted to discussing the $40,000 for release time. Both sides appear to be finally in agreement on which release-time positions will be placed in the contract and those to be placed in a memo of understanding, but actual language has yet to be written and approved by both sides.
· The 2007-2008 calendar is ready to be signed.
President’s Report. F. van Hartesveldt’s report covered the following items:
· Deadline Reminders— All faculty received an e-mail reminder of filing deadlines for longevity credit forms and applications. (N. Alexander noted that changes in salary for summer will only apply to overload.) Reimbursement requests (i.e. C-3 funds) should be submitted by June 30, the close of the fiscal year.
· Accretion of Lab Technicians—A hearing date with the Michigan Employee Relations Commission (MERC) still has yet to be scheduled. The administration only recently responded to MERC stating a willingness to negotiate with the Faculty Association for clarifying the unit determination clause and to have the accretion matter set for a hearing date.
· Faculty Association Office (509M) Lease—The Faculty Association entered its first semester-to-semester office lease with the Administration for 509M although the contract has always called for one. Review of the lease may be acquired by contacting the Association president or negotiating team members.
· New HR Investigation of Student Complaint—HR, having received a complaint of racial insensitivity against a faculty member, summoned the faculty member to an investigatory meeting on short notice. HR considered its involvement in the complaint mandatory since the allegation concerned one of the legally protected classes (i.e. race, gender, age, sexual preference, disability). The Association leadership and Council continued to express concern about HR’s role in student complaints against faculty.
DISCUSSION AND
ACTION
Budget Proposal 2006-2007. D. Godfrey presented the proposed Association budget for 2006-2007 (see attached). He noted that the Association is under budget this year partly because of cancelled JCC meetings and the corresponding expenses. The major change anticipated for 2006-2007 is negotiation expenses.
MOTION: Approve the proposed 2006-2007 budget. M. Saur; second, R. Long. Carried, unanimously.
MOTION: Continue Faculty Association dues for 2006-2007 at the same rate (0.5%) as 2005-2006. R. Long; second, M. Saur. Carried, unanimously.
Negotiating Team Membership. Considering feedback from adjunct faculty meetings with Association leadership this year and responding to an adjunct faculty member’s request, F. van Hartesveldt opened discussion on expanding the negotiating team membership to include adjunct faculty representation. The intent would be to maintain a 5-member team at the table, but to increase the size of the current 6-member working team. Council responses included the following:
· I and members in my department oppose the idea. Full-time faculty do committee work, curriculum work, etc. and have different needs than adjunct. The adjunct in their full-time places of employment would not want contract workers negotiating for them.
· My department sees very few positives. Adjuncts are represented well at the table; very happy with what they have. Some feel they dare not say anything.
· I (full time faculty) represent adjuncts in my department. Compared with other schools, they have much better. Somehow they need to feel and hear that they are appreciated and that their voice is heard.
· They pay dues and expect representation the same as others.
· Adjuncts feel used and abused. Let’s include adjunct representation in putting the contract together without enlarging the team.
· If the majority of faculty are adjunct, then communication and perception are very important. Including an adjunct on the team would indicate their importance.
· Contracts are traditionally negotiated for full-time faculty. Yes, adjuncts are represented well in terms of salary, but not so well in treatment, benefits, communication, etc. Having them on the team may or may not be the answer.
· Instead of increasing the team size, perhaps one of the current team members could be assigned to communicate with adjunct and to represent their concerns. Adjunct concerns (i.e. office space, telephones, computer availability) need to be put in front of administration. They are treated badly and as a commodity for GRCC.
· The Association Web page is being and can be used to address the issue of communication. We can keep the communication open between adjuncts and the team without adjunct membership.
· An adjunct faculty member could be on the team to voice adjunct concerns, but the current members could always sit at the table.
· Adjuncts have a very strong advocate at the table in N. Alexander who fights adamantly for adjunct concerns and issues. Apparently we need to better communicate this to adjuncts and full-time membership.
· Some adjuncts feel full-time faculty members cannot represent them as well as if adjuncts had their own voice in negotiations. For full-time faculty to speak for adjuncts could be patronizing.
· As an adjunct, I know adjuncts are represented very well, but communicating that back to adjunct is not done so well.
· Negative side of expansion — In the past, and in adherence to the constitution and by-laws, membership on both the Council and negotiating team required tenure in order to prevent retaliation against a faculty member. Several instances of retaliation in the past were cited. Adjuncts are at greater risk of retaliation than tenured faculty.
· Negative side of expansion — It would be hard to get consistency in representation with adjuncts since they are hired by the semester; negotiations typically span semesters. The nature of adjunct class assignments makes their availability unpredictable; the team builds meeting schedules in fixed blocks of time on an annual basis. With a mix of adjunct and full-time faculty on the team, the team could be starting over and updating adjuncts all of the time.
· At adjunct meetings with Association leadership, a significant majority of adjuncts were very happy wit their jobs at GRCC. Many complaints were primarily about class selection. Communication channels between Association and adjunct are established with an adjunct e-mail group and the Association Web page with Council minutes, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of reps and leadership, etc.
· Nothing in current constitution prohibits including an adjunct on the negotiating team.
· Most problems in our department can be resolved at the department level.
· Some of the adjunct complaints on the list from the adjunct/leadership meetings can be quickly resolved if we would “just do it.”
· In my department, adjunct faculty feel that being on the negotiating team could lead to termination of their jobs.
· The negotiating team is discussing creating a sub-team to deal with adjunct issues and some of the concerns they voiced at the adjunct/leadership meetings. This sub-team would be a meaningful vehicle for including adjunct in the process.
Sabbaticals. Faculty have applied for sabbaticals and discovered MPSERS retirement contributions and the option for overload are interrupted during the sabbatical. Administrators have stated that ORP contributions will continue during sabbaticals. In the past, faculty have taken overload while on sabbatical. One member has asked for clarification or correction of administration policy on sabbaticals.
Grievances. F. Garbowitz updated Council on three pending grievances:
· Grievance #162—Faculty member removed from adjunct class.
· Grievance #163—Individual negotiation with faculty on resignation package. Response from administration is pending.
· Grievance #164—FIP unilaterally given to faculty member. Met with assistant dean and faculty to review the FIP. Several contract violations in the FIP have been identified by the Association. Resolution is pending.
Next
Meeting.
Adjournment. Motion to adjourn, A. Cook; second, R. Long. Adjournment at
Submitted by C. Lee Brown, Secretary
GRCC Faculty Association
Treasurer’s Report
March 2006
Checking account balance March 1................................................................. $49,168.89
Deposits: Dues....................................................................................... $13,209.40
Expenses: Food ........................................... $ 464.28
Grievances................................................ 405.18
JCC ..................................................... 653.83
Legal ..................................................... 150.00
Office: Telephone...................................... 25.91
RCC ..................................................... 150.20
Taxes ..................................................... 550.78
Total expenses .............................................................................................. $ 2,410.18
Checking account balance March 31.............................................................. $59,968.11
Money Market/Savings March 31................................................................. $111,984.76
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Revenue & Expenses Year to Date
Revenue: Dues..................................................................................... $ 92,298.48 Interest 2,136.35
Expenses: Conferences....................................... $ 3,722.61
Donations/Flowers/Fruit baskets........... 1,050.22
Food...................................................... 3,963.48
Grievances............................................. 1,957.83
Insurance................................................... 471.00
Legal...................................................... 1,537.50
Negotiations/JCC................................... 2,858.60
Office: Postage.......................................... 39.00
Supplies........................................ 408.83
Telephone..................................... 202.60
Web-site....................................... 122.67
Officers’ pay........................................ 29,585.54
RCC ..................................................... 306.20
Taxes .................................................. 7,764.63
Total expenses ................................................................................. $ 53,990.71
Submitted April 7, 2006, by Dick Godfrey, Treasurer ...............
ACCOUNT CURRENT PROJECTED 2006-2007 BUDGET
05-06 EXPENSES 05-06 BUDGET
Conferences $ 4,000.00 $ 4,000.00 $ 4,000.00
Flowers/Gifts/Memorials 2,500.00 2,000.00 2,500.00
Food/Party 5,000.00 5,000.00 6,000.00
Grievance/Legal 12,000.00 6,000.00 12,000.00
Insurance 1,500.00 1,500.00 1,500.00
Negotiations/Contingency 25,000.00 12,000.00 35,000.00
Office Expense/Rent 3,500.00 1,500.00 3,500.00
Public Relations 200.00 0.00 200.00
Retirement Council 1,200.00 1,200.00 1,200.00
Salary - Officers 53,780.00 58,000.00 60,000.00
Special Events 200.00 0.00 200.00
Subscriptions 200.00 0.00 200.00
Taxes 30,000.00 30,000.00 30,000.00
Total $139,080.00 $121,200.00 $156,300.00
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Dues $150,000.00 (projected 05-06) (projected 06-07) =$154,500.00
Submitted April 7, 2006, Dick Godfrey, Treasurer