The Word from CSEA
Columbus State Education Association Newsletter of January 18, 2012
COLLEGE COMMITTEE TO REVIEW PROMOTION AND TENURE PROCESSES
CSEA is pleased to announce that Antoinette Perkins, Brad Trimble, Gilberto Serrano, Heather Johnston, Holly Finnegan, Lydia Gilmore, Mary Insabella, and Tracy Little have been selected to serve on the College committee to review the promotion and tenure process. This committee is formed as part of an agreement reached during contract negotiations, and the details of the rationale for change and the committee's charge can be found on pages 68-70 of the faculty contract. If you wish to provide any input to the process, please contact one of the committee members.
FULL-TIME/PART-TIME RATIO AT COLUMBUS STATE
For many years, faculty have expressed their concern about the over-reliance by the College on adjunct faculty. While our adjunct faculty generally do an outstanding job in the classroom, due to time, space, and wage constraints, they are often unable (and not expected) to perform the many other duties which contribute to student success. Advising students on academic and career matters, being available during scheduled office hours for questions about course content, designing up to date and relevant curricula, and creating appropriate assessments are all activities which have been shown to correlate with student success, and are responsibilities which fall primarily on the full-time faculty.
CSEA has also pointed out the irresponsible (and less than honest) fashion in which the College historically has reported its full-time/part-time faculty ratio. In addition to counting sections actually taught by full-time faculty as part of their regular full-time load (as it should), the College had counted reassigned time provided to full-time faculty, overloads taught by full-time faculty, and even vacant full-time faculty positions, toward the number of sections taught by full-time faculty. [Several years ago, after an early retirement incentive, there were 19 vacant full-time faculty positions. The College included the 19 x 16 = 304 hours that those retired faculty would have taught as being taught by full-time faculty, even though adjunct faculty were teaching those 304 hours.]
It is therefore pleasing to learn that the College has decided it will no longer include reassigned time or vacant positions in their computation of sections taught by full-time faculty. The Office of Academic Affairs now counts only those sections actually taught by full-time faculty as "sections taught by full-time faculty." In doing so, we find that during Autumn Quarter 2011, 34.5% of class sections were taught by full-time faculty (this still includes overloads by full-time faculty).
By being honest in its use of the data, the College will be able to have meaningful discussions about appropriate numbers of full-time faculty, and the correlation that full-time faculty ratios have with various measures of student success (including graduation rates, transfer rates, retention rates, and course completion rates).
WELLNESS INITIATIVES
A reminder that this fiscal year, all employees are expected to participate in the wellness initiatives in order for the College to continue to pay 80% of their health insurance premium next fiscal year. Those employees who do not participate in the wellness initiatives this fiscal year will only have 70% of their health insurance premiums paid by the college during the next fiscal year. The following fiscal year, employee spouses will also be expected to participate to maintain the college's 80% portion being paid. We encourage all faculty who use the College's health insurance plan to complete the required wellness steps early, and not wait next April/May to scramble to get these done by the May 15 deadline. Those steps include (eight points, of eleven possible points, required):
- Schedule an annual visit with your physician. When scheduling your annual visit, let your physician know that the visit should include a biometric screening, cholesterol test with Full Lipid Panel and hemoglobin A1c test, a blood pressure check, and a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation. If your physician does not calculate the BMI, this can be done online at myuhc.com. [3 points]
- Have a dental cleaning. Your regular 6-month dental cleaning will be documented automatically when your dentist submits the insurance claim. [2 points]
- Complete a health risk assessment. This is done online at myuhc.com, and takes a few minutes to answer a series of questions intended to identify any behaviors that may present a health risk and suggest possible interventions to deter such risks. [2 points]
- Complete age-appropriate preventative care. This may include having a mammography, cervical cancer screening, colon cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, etc. [1 point]
- Complete online coaching program. This may be done if age-appropriate preventative care is not necessary. [1 point]
- Condition management. This could include enrolling in a disease management program (asthma, diabetes, coronary artery disease, etc.). [2 points]
The deadline for completing these wellness activities is May 15, 2012. There are two exceptions to this timeline, which representatives from Human Resources have confirmed will be allowed: 1) because your insurance may only cover one physical examination per year, if you had an annual physical during July or August of 2011 (prior to when the wellness initiatives were rolled out by the college), you may use that visit for this year; 2) if you had an annual physical between May 16, 2011 - June 30, 2011, you will be able to schedule a physical between May 16 - June 30, 2012 (past the May 15, 2012 deadline) and have that count for this year as well. Contact Deborah Robinson in Human Resources (drobins5@cscc.edu or x2177) to coordinate these exceptions to the timeline.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE TO THE COLLEGE
Faculty are needed to volunteer for several committees. These include:
- College Academic Calendar Committee
A faculty member is needed to serve on this committee, which will be taking a long term look at the academic calendar (the first two years of the semester calendar has been established). If you are interested in this committee for College Service, contact Darrell Minor atdminor@cscc.edu or at x5310.
- College Promotion and Tenure Appeals Committee
Faculty holding the rank of Professor are needed to serve on the College Promotion and Tenure Appeals Committee. Two faculty from each division, along with another faculty member to serve as an at-large member, are needed for this committee. To volunteer, contact Carmelita Boyer in Human Resources at cboyer5@cscc.edu or at x2407.
- Faculty Governance Committee
Two faculty from each division are needed to serve on a committee to research various faculty governance structures at other colleges, and to make recommendations on a faculty governance model to the President of the College. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please contact Darrell Minor at dminor@cscc.edu or at x5310.
PAY SCHEDULE UPON CONVERSION TO SEMESTERS
With the conversion to semesters, and the fact that autumn semester will begin earlier and the spring semester will end earlier, the corresponding pay periods for both the academic year and for summer terms will be changing to align with the calendar period that each semester spans.
Following are the expected changes to the pay periods for the regular (non-overload) pay for full-time faculty:
- For this summer only (Summer Quarter 2012), due to the shortened summer term, faculty will be paid their regular pay over four pay periods on July 13, July 31, August 15, and August 31.
- Beginning this autumn (Autumn Semester 2012) and each academic year after that, faculty will be paid their regular annual salary over eighteen pay periods (2 per month from September through May).
- Beginning next summer (Summer Semester 2013) and each summer after that, faculty will be paid their regular pay over six pay periods (2 per month during June, July, and August).
Following are the expected changes to the pay periods for overload pay for full-time faculty (as well as for adjuncts):
- For this summer only (Summer Quarter 2012), due to the shortened summer term, faculty will be paid any overload pay over five pay periods on July 13, July 31, August 15, August 31, and September 15.
- Beginning this autumn (Autumn Semester 2012) and each autumn semester after that, faculty will be paid any overload pay over eight pay periods, with the first pay being on/about September 30 and the final pay being on/about January 15.
- Beginning next spring (Spring Semester 2013) and each spring semester after that, faculty will be paid any overload pay over eight pay periods, with the first pay being on/about February 15 and the final pay being on/about May 31.
- Beginning next summer (Summer Semester 2013) and each summer after that, faculty will be paid any overload pay over seven pay periods, with the first pay being on/about June 15 and the final pay being on/about September 15.
Note that this will result in a one month "gap" in pay for overloads/adjuncts between the final pay for autumn (January 15) and the first pay for spring (February 15). This gap may require full-time faculty teaching overloads, and adjunct faculty, to budget accordingly. In the past (under the quarter system), there was a gap in pay for overloads/adjuncts between the final pay for summer (September 30) and the first pay for autumn (October 31). This gap will no longer exist upon conversion to semesters.
DID YOU KNOW…?
On Monday, Americans observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day, honoring the memory of the great civil rights leader of the 1950's and 1960's. One of King's most famous speeches, of course, was his "I Have a Dream" speech delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963, and became a defining moment in the civil rights movement.
But did you know that toward the end of the speech, King strayed from his written notes and shared with the crowd remarks that later became among his most famous words spoken? Among those sitting on stage that day was gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. As King appeared to be coming to the end of his speech, Jackson is heard yelling out "Tell them about the dream, Martin!" King was the last scheduled speaker at the event, and the crowd had been moved by King's eloquent speech. As the crowd shouted their approval, King continued with his prepared remarks. Jackson again is heard yelling out "Please tell them about the dream!" King then strayed from his written remarks, and drawing upon some of his past sermons and speeches, he shared the following, and the rest, as they say, is history:
…so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
The Word is produced by the Communications Committee of the Columbus State Education Association. We welcome your comments, news, and insights.
Darrell Minor, President/ x5310
Kevin James, Vice-President / x5008
Judy Anderson, Secretary / x5453
Phil MacLean, Treasurer / x5308
Ingrid Emch, Parliamentarian-elect / x5824
Gil Feiertag, Senior Association Representative, Career & Technical / x5861
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Steve Abbott, Senior Association Representative, Arts & Sciences / x5096
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T.J. Duda / x5309
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Gilberto Serrano / x3863
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Beth Barnett / x2593
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Bill Cook / x5364
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Mort Javadi / x5635
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Jackie Miller / x2601
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Mark Mitchell / x3612
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Keith Sanders/ x5288
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Mike Schumacher / 5482
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Cindy Evans / x2435
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Dr. Antoinette Perkins / x5754
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Eric Neubauer / x5698
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Amy Brubaker / x5068
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Dr. Sue Longenbaker / x2430
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