Representative Assembly Meeting
September 10, 1998

Members present:

C. Atmore, M. Alvarado, C. Beckstead, E.Bermudez, T. Bernstein, E. Bolivar-Owen, L. Boylan, A. Buckley, K. Cerovic, F. Chandler, H. Cohen, K. Costello, G. Dossett, D. Doten, L. Emile, P. Halliday, L. Kawaguchi, F. Manion, K. Mason, M. Mazorow, J. McKay, J. McMullen, J. Mills, M. Moassessi, B. Price, T. Randall, V.Rothman, L. Shishido, L. Simpson, E. Singleton, M. Soldatenko, E. Spain, L. Staple, G. Strathern, K. Sucher, N. Theiss, B. Tholen, S. Veas, P. Wall, J. Watts, J. Yu

Members absent:

J. Bresloff, L. Bracamonte, J. Burris, H. Crane, D. Emery, G. Fouts, A. Freeman, M. Friedman, A. Gerl, C. Hughes, S. Kurvick, C. Limb, A. Maddox, J. Murphy, D. Nannini, C. Nelson, M. Padilla, J. Quevedo, K. Shamey, L. Singleton, H. Sobel, D. Thompson, H. Vishwanadha, B. Zimmerman

Members excused:

G. Heller, G. Lopez

I. President's Report - Fran Chandler

President Fran Chandler opened the meeting by mentioning the Faculty Association's new web page for which Kathy Sucher (ESL) was paid this summer to develop. Representatives were asked to view the site, which is linked to the college's web page or may be found at www.pacific.net/~smcfa, and offer recommendations for improvement.

At the FACCC Board Retreat held in August, the Board concentrated mostly on dealing with the replacement of Executive Director Patrick McCallum who resigned to work as a consultant for Los Angeles Community Colleges, He will also consult for FACCC until a new director is found and trained. Chandler assured the Assembly that FACCC's remaining staff and the Board of Governors are capable of fulfilling the terms of their contract with the Association and that they are eager to show SMC that our money is well spent.

At the September 8 Board of Trustees meeting, President Chandler thanked the Board members for hiring so many more full-time faculty this year than they had originally planned. In response to the Board's concern about the ramifications of performance-based funding and where faculty stood on the issue, Chandler informed the Board that a number of faculty worked to defeat the Governor and Chancellor's proposal and, once it became clear it could not be completely defeated, worked to make the performance measures less damaging to academic standards. Chandler also made a commitment to the Board that if they would fund office hours for part-time faculty members full-time faculty members would find a way to make it work; lack of facilities should not be used as an excuse for failing to pay for office hours needed so desperately by students. She protested the change in the Tuesday-Thursday scheduling getting rid of the 11 a.m. meeting time on the grounds that such a unilateral change violates the District's obligation to consult the Senate and the Association.

Representatives were urged to attend the FACCC budget seminar at Los Angeles Harbor College on Friday, September 18.

Lantz Simpson expressed concern that the Administration had taken a unilateral position in deciding to schedule classes at 11:00 Tuesdays and Thursdays. He believes that in accepting the decision the faculty would be giving up due process rights.

Dr. Robertson told the Board of Trustees that the decision had been taken after consultation, but it was announced to the chairs as an experiment.

President Chandler met Joseph Girard, the only non-incumbent candidate for the Board of Trustees. He is scheduled at noon today to answer questions posed by CSEA.

 

II. Election of Executive Board Representatives

Espy Bolivar-Owen nominated Eleanor Singleton. Ed Bermudez nominated Phil Wall. Teri Bernstein nominated Lynn Boylan. Bill Price nominated Kathy Sucher. Jan McKay nominated Pat Halliday. Jan McKay moved (seconded by Fran Manion) to close nominations. The motion was carried. The following were elected:

• Phil Wall
• Kathy Sucher
• Lynn Boylan

 

III. Negotiation Council Report - Teri Bernstein

As of September 1 the District has offered a pay increase of less than COLA and has asked for increased responsibilities for regular faculty. Their proposal for department chairs provides inadequate compensation. Their stand on domestic partners is alo unacceptable. Even worse has been their unwillingness to grant any concessions to part-time faculty. In short, after their encouraging remarks that the District made to the audience at the opening-of-school meetings, it was disappointing that in negotiation meetings the District only asked where the FA proposal is. Little progress has been made.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Nina Theiss

Recording Secretary