SANTA MONICA COLLEGE FACULTY ASSOCIATION
REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY MEETING

March 12, 2009

Members present: Maria Alvarado, Rebecca Anderson, Vini Angel, Chuck Brinkman, Troy Cardenas, Giulio Dellarocca, Gail Edinger, Tracey Ellis, Dennis Frisch, Martin Goldstein, Irina Gromova, John Kennedy,  Daryl Keith Ogata, Ming Lu, Suzanne McDonald, Marilyn McGrath, Colleen McGraw, Mitra Moassessi, Eric Oifer, Nick Pernisco, Pauli Peter, Nick Pernisco, Tom Peters, Audrey Sandoval, Lisa Saperston, Lantz Simpson, Howard Stahl, Michael Strathearn, Sal Veas, Carol Womack, Janet Watts, Kayli Weatherford, David Zehr.

Excused: Ken Buckner, Becky Curtis, Eric Oifer, Jim Pacchioli, Jackie Scott, Kathy Sucher, and Odemaris Valdivia.

Absent: Diana Aghabegian, Jill Assadi, Garen Baghdasarian, Dianne Berman, Espy Bolivar-Owen, Sandra Burnett, Katarina Cerovic, Fran Chandler, Tom Chen, Anna Collier, Steve Contarsy, Gail Davis Culp, George Davison, Michael Dixon, Jim Downs, Ron Fitzgerald, Donald Gantner, Claudia Garcia, Keith Graziedei,  Richard Goldenson, Jeff Gordon, Ben Jimenez, Lesley Kawaguchi, Deborah Kraut, Matilda Krivan, Richard Lavallee, Ken Mason, Kym McBride, Fereshteh Mobasheri, Sue Moisin,  Jeffrey O’Connell, Franklyn Phillips, Paris Poirier, Juan Quevedo, Saul Rubin, Jenny Resnick, Elaine Roque, Michelle Scholefield, Michael Schwartz,  Mario Semere, Elisha Shapiro, Tara Shima, Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswin, Nina Theiss,  Esau Tovar, Frank Turner, Joy Tucker, Alicia Villapando.
.
I.  FACCC dues vote: special guests Bill Hewitt, FACCC President and Andrea York, FACCC Legislative Advocate.

Bill Hewitt reported that FACCC’s lobbying efforts kept an additional $83 million for the community colleges in the budget, and kept the categoricals intact.  The message that FACCC sent to the legislators was that the community colleges play an important role in providing workforce training for unemployed workers during times of economic crisis.

Andrea York explained FACCC’s new legislative proposals:
•    AB 385 would align the community college growth index more closely with the true unemployment rate, which currently caps growth at 2% when unemployment rises.

•    AB 381:  Would provide part-time faculty within a wall-to-wall bargaining unit the ability to participate separately in the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program.

II. President’s Report: Jo Kidd suggested that newly retired faculty should consider joining the California Retired Teachers Association (CTRA).

Michael Strathearn reported on the DPAC College Services Committee, which is conducting a tasting for the company that wants to take over Fresh and Natural’s place.  Emergency Procedures:  All faculty by law have to be trained.  Training will be put on line, for which faculty will receive four hours of flex time.  In the future, new hires must be trained.  Training will be noted on evaluations.

Parking Arbitration is set for September 29.  Dr. Tsang sent a letter to FA as a part of the college’s grievance response.  The letter is posted on the FA website: http://www.smcfa.org/
 
Smoking Policy Task Force: Two Designated Smoking Areas (DSA’s) have been proposed to Dr. Tsang.  Currently, there is a no smoking policy, but it is not enforced. 

Hourly Advocate publication ending:  see the final retrospective issue which contains some of the HA’s greatest hits.

SMC Budget Update:  The District is now saying they can save $3 million in contracted services over the next two years, a position of the FA for many years.

Respectfully submitted by Tracey Ellis,
substituting for Becky Curtis.
3/12/09