Unearthing the DCCFA "Time Capsule"

During the August 28 DCCCD 50th Anniversary Conference Day, the Faculty Council opened a "time capsule" recently found at El Centro College.

Fred Newbury (Richland), Matt Hinckley (Eastfield), Ken Alfers (Mountain View) and Jessie Yearwood (El Centro) move the contents of the time capsule to a secure, undisclosed location in advance of the 50th Anniversary Conference Day.

District faculty eagerly await the opening of the DCCFA "time capsule" at the 50th Anniversary Conference Day.

 Fred Newbury explains some of the items "found" in the DCCFA "time capsule."

Tommy Thompson (Cedar Valley), Delryn Flemming (Brookhaven) and Ray Attner (Brookhaven) share stories from previous Faculty Councils.

In all seriousness, we found the minutes from the first meeting of the District Faculty Council, and the minutes from the first DCCFA Convention.

Welcome Back Message from DCCFA President Fred Newbury

…time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.

 - John F. Kennedy

Colleagues:  The pace this past year has been one of the most rapid that I can remember and one - without question - characterized by a significant amount of change. The Faculty Council agrees that most of the change has been positive, with definite progress on many fronts. 

Chancellor Joe May agreed last summer that a continuation of the monthly meetings with the Faculty Council was mutually productive and wanted to continue the tradition that began with founding Chancellor Bill J. Priest in the 1970s. We have found these discussions most beneficial and the forum provides us an opportunity to explore ideas and solve problems collaboratively. Certainly one of the most pressing issues has been an examination of faculty compensation; we all agree the DCCCD must offer salaries that will allow us to attract and retain talented instructors.

A very new faculty compensation model has emerged from these discussions. While we hope to see continuing improvement in overall compensation, we are encouraged by the proposed changes which were presented to the Board of Trustees in July. You can find the Power Point overview in the DCCFA blog post from July 9. We anticipate the new compensation plan will be presented for vote by the Board on Sept. 1. Details of how the compensation plan for 2015-2016 are available in this PDF document.

Discussions will continue at each of our colleges about this and other issues. As usual, your support and involvement is critical as we begin a new academic year.  We also hope you will attend the 50 Year Celebration Conference Day on August 28. One of the afternoon sessions will focus on the history of the DCCFA - all the way back to 1976. We have discovered a Faculty Association time capsule that was locked away in the El Centro basement since the late 70s. It will be opened for the first time at our meeting.

Much more information will follow.  Please bookmark the DCCFA blog and visit often, as our blog will be the primary means for the Faculty Council to communicate with our members.

Fred

Faculty Council Strategic Planning Retreat

The Faculty Council met Friday, August 14, for a Strategic Planning Retreat. During this meeting, the Council set Fall 2015 meeting dates, reviewed goals from the past year, and set goals for each of the five standing committees.

Engage with District Leadership on the following shared governance initiatives:

·          Meet monthly with the Chancellor

·          Meet monthly with academic vice presidents

Engage with District Talent Central on issues relating to:

·          Maintaining an equitable and competitive compensation structure for all faculty

·          Continued involvement in all policies that affect our work environment

·          Help to develop guidelines for performance pay

Engage with District Educational Policy leadership on the following academic issues:

·          Maintaining academic standards

·          Ensure faculty leadership of curriculum

Engage with DCCCD Retirees Association to:

·          Provide pertinent information relative to all local and state elections

·          Host campus forums for candidates for local and state office

Engage with the faculty through:

·          Regular updates on the DCCFA Advance Blog

·          Get 95% of all DCCCD faculty to join DCCFA

·          Each campus reaches 90% membership

·          Conduct and review a climate survey

Engage with college leadership through:

·          Regular meetings with college presidents

·          Regular meetings with vice presidents