Santa Monica College Faculty Association
Representative Assembly Meeting
October 7, 2004
Present: Maria Alvarado, Vini Sandi Burnett, Fran Chandler, Elizabeth Chavez, Tom Chen, Steve Contarsy, Gail Edinger, Don Emery, Kathy Flynn, Peter Geltner, Martin Goldstein, Julie Greenfield, Carolyn Holmes, Josh Kanin, Lesley Kawaguchi, Emily Lodmer, Ruth Logan, Ed Markarian, Ken Mason, Suzanne McDonald, Colleen McGraw, Mitra Moassessi, Brenda Ness, Krystyna Oakes, Eric Oifer, Jim Pacchioli, Pauli Peter, Juan Quevedo, Toni Randall, Judith Remmes, Brian Rodas, Jacqueline Scott, Elisha Shapiro, Lantz Simpson, Eleanor Singleton, James Smith, Michael Soldatenko, Howard Stahl, Michael Strathearn, Kathy Sucher, Sumy Takesue, Andrew Walzer, David Zehr, Linda Zwang-Weissman.
Absent: Vini Angel, Fletcher Beasley, Fariba Bolandhemet, Juanita Burris, Troy Cardenas, Tim Cramer, Jim Croxton, Gwen Dophna, Tracey Ellis, Mark Foster, Anneliese Gerl, Pierre Goueth, Patricia Halliday, Craig Hammond, Cecile Hanrahan, Ben Martin, Melissa Michelson, David Phillips, Genee Pytlewsky, Ruth SanPietro, Michael Schwartz, Peter Sheridan, Rita Soshnik, Steve Soucy, Marci Spiegler, Esau Tovar, Joy Tucker, Sal Veas.
Excused: Alan Buckley, Tom Chen, Brenda Ness, Dennis Frisch, Kym McBride, Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein.
Guests: Lynne Boylan; Richard Mednick; Richard McColl; Espy Bolivar-Owen.
I. Approval of Minutes – June 3 and September 9.
Corrections to September 9th minutes: Doug Willis is currently a member and mainstay of SMRR; Susan Aminoff is the chair of the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild Joint Labor/Management Benefits Committee; Richard LaValle from Physical Science asked if he shouldn’t be included on the list of Representatives. Approved as corrected.
II. President’s Report
A. FACCC Conference will take place this weekend. Faculty are encouraged to attend; on Saturday morning at 8:30 am Lantz will be on a panel about difficult districts in the state.
B. Campaign Update – PAC Fundraiser will be on Sunday. Contributions to Board candidate campaigns are now listed on the Santa Monica City Clerk’s website http://pen.ci.santa-monica.ca.us/cityclerk/disclosures/index.htm and it’s clear that the SMC administration is contributing heavily to the Quinones campaign.
III. Negotiations Update – Mitra Moassessi
The Administration and the Negotiating Team are meeting every Tuesday, discussing in particular Article 6. The District is in takeback mode, even over part-time faculty items that are not cost relatated. At the last Board meeting, the 04-05 budget was adopted. The 03-04 budget ended with $6 million in reserve (they had predicted $1.8 million, so they underestimated by 3.6 times), and this is only the unrestricted portion of the budget. With regard to actual expenses, they overestimated expenditures by $3.8 million, and underestimated revenue by $1.8 million. So they ended up with a lot more reserves that had been projected. In the restricted portion of the budget, they overestimated by 12.9%, or $1 million. Technically, we can never have reserves in the restricted portion. The unrestricted reserves is what’s used to get off the watch list, and this year the administration doesn’t want to be on the watch list. (SMC needs a 5% reserve to stay off the watch list).
Additionally, the 03-04 budget showed that end-of-year actual expenses were actually lower than those listed for the third quarter. (Parking fees went down by $457,000 between the third quarter until the end of the year. Noncredit revenues declined. Financial aid declined.)
See Board Agenda http://www.smc.edu/admin/trustees/meetings/2004/2004-10-04-Agenda.pdf page 17.
IV. Approval of 2004-05 Executive Committee
All were elected by acclamation. Ken Mason moved; Fran Chandler seconded. Passed unanimously.
3 members of the assembly were nominated to serve at-large: Josh Kanin, Kym McBride, David Zehr.
Committee Chairs
Professional Rights and Responsibilities Ken Mason
Finance Tracey Ellis
Instruction Toni Randall
Public Relations, Legislation and Political Action Ken Mason
Faculty Benefits Sandi Burnett
Nominations and Elections Dennis Frisch
College Environment Howard Stahl
Hourly Faculty Andrew Walzer
Social Maria Alvarado
Web Site Kathy Sucher
Department Chairs Rick Russell
Immediate Past President Fran Chandler
Academic Senate Lesley Kawaguchi
V. Addendum to the FACCC Contract
FACCC will give us a rebate on some of our dues. Any FA that has been an institutional member for 5 years or more will be eligible for a rebate of approximately 7% (which amounts to about $5,000 in this case) once every five years.
MOTION: SMCFA approves of the addendum (dues rebate) to the FACCC contract.
Ken Mason moved, Howard Stahl seconded. Passed unanimously.
MOTION: Take the money from the FACCC dues rebate and pledge it to the PAC.
Motion: David Zehr, Second: Jim Pacchioli. Passed unanimously.
VI. Approval of Contract with Olson, Hagel and Fishburn
This law firm in Sacramento specializes in election law. Our regular attorney is not an attorney in this field. This firm is advising us. Fees will be about $500-$1,000.
MOTION: The SMCFA approves the contract with Olson, Hagel, and Fishburn to advise us on election law matters.
Motion: Ruth Logan, Second: Martin Goldstein. Approved unanimously.
VII. For the Good of the Order
1. Equity Money (a line item in the state leg budget): The District has delayed distributing this money. The arbitrator in this case ruled that both parties need to return to the bargaining table to resolve this.
2. Ken Mason met with Sunset Park Neighborhood Association – They want to work with the Faculty Association.
