PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

by Fran Chandler

Lawsuits Announced at Board of Trustees Meeting

At the November 2 Board of Trustees meeting, Chief Negotiator Teri Bernstein demonstrated what makes her such an excellent teacher, an effective negotiator, and a CPA to be reckoned with. Before a packed crowd of SMC employees, community members, students, and reporters, Bernstein announced that the Association will be suing the District for noncompliance with California's 50 Percent Law (see related article in this issue). Ironically, at the same meeting, a group of students, some of whom were 1997-98 Associated Student leaders, addressed the Board concerning their own lawsuit against the District. In a long list of charges, most notable are funds students say are missing from student government accounts as well as the co-opting of the bookstore, which was once operated by/for students.

Office Hours and Student Success

Board members at the November 2 Board of Trustees meeting were asked to put things in perspective. The following is a condensed version of my address to the Board:

 

Board members, on your agenda tonight under the heading "Information Only, No Action Required" are three grants requiring in-kind matching services of $728,199. While I do not question the worth of these grants, the casual nature in which you treat such large expenditures, or rededication of services, is the problem--$728,199 scheduled for automatic passage... without question...and, to a discerning public, seemingly, without thought.

I suppose when you manage such large budgets, you become jaded to what $700,000 really means to those of us in the trenches so I hope to put that in perspective for you. This amount, about which your adopted agenda prohibits you from questioning, is more than double the cost of the Association's original proposal to fund 98-99 office hours for part-time faculty. With less money than you approved for grants in just one month, you could fund a minimum of 91,000 opportunities for students to meet with their part-time professors over the next two years.

Lest you doubt this amazing figure, let me show you how it was computed: Multiply 2,600 (the approximately number of classes taught by part-time faculty in a two-year period) by 35 (the approximate number of students per class at SMC) and you get 91,000.

2,600 x 35 = 91,000

And the wonderful news . . . . . . . .the state pays for it!

You could apply for state funding for one half the cost of the office hours program, or you could pay for the whole thing yourselves by using some of the $1.8 million you already received for student success this year. In fact, the institution's own research shows the importance to students of being able to interact with faculty outside the classroom.

Yes, perspective is important. You have the chance to ensure the availability of 91,000 opportunities for students and faculty to work together over the next two years--and you have a choice of funding sources to pay for it. Now that's what I call a match!

President/Superintendent Evaluation

The Association has taken the initiative to evaluate the president/superintendent and will hand deliver the results to the Board of Trustees before its special closed session on Tuesday, November 17. Despite the fact that neither the approximate 950 faculty members nor the Association or the Academic Senate have been asked to provide input, the Association believes it is imperative that the Board hear faculty viewpoints on the effectiveness of the leadership provided by Dr. Piedad Robertson. Such viewpoints should be useful to the Board as it decides upon an extension of her contract for another year and before it determines an appropriate salary increase and appropriate compensation for such items as her car and its operation and maintenance as well as her entertainment expense account.