Recently, I noticed an article titled,
Tradition and Transitions. I can’t remember the source so I can’t give proper
credit, but, I started thinking about those two words as they relate to our
common experience as teachers. For some that experience spans fifty years,
for others it may be measured in months. We all realize the tremendous
generational differences that exist within that comparison but there so many
traditions that continue to allow us to find common ground. Many of the
values that guided us fifty years ago remain intact. The student is still
at the center of the process; we still believe in the importance of a strong
and supportive professional community; we still believe we serve and nurture a
larger community; we still believe what we do is important and valuable.
As an organization celebrating 38 years of
service to our colleagues and to our students, we find considerable value in
the traditions that have been established. When our Constitution was
drafted 38 year ago, we first envisioned the shared values that have come to
characterize our organization and have provided the foundation for what have
become important traditions. Our meeting today is a part of that
tradition as are the reports that you will be hearing from our standing committees. These
committees provide input from the “grass roots” and allow us to incorporate
input from all of our faculties and our colleges as we plan for each year.
The work of our committees have been
particularly important during the last academic year. Their work provided
the foundation for many of the gains that reached fruition over the past few
months. More specifically:
1.
We worked closely with District leadership to develop a new compensation
program for faculty. This had not been done in nearly 30 years. While
there is still much work to be done, we think that the new schedule is a
significant improvement with higher salaries (especially for new faculty),
longevity increases, and more flexibility.
2.
Although we were not able to resurrect formula pay, we were able to negotiate
“premium pay” which does provide full-time faculty with the option to teach two
courses per year in any short semester at a higher rate of pay.
3.
Our leadership has been actively involved in the planning of the Chancellor’s
Faculty Fellow program which will be implemented within the next few
months. Planning for mentoring and professional development is ongoing.
4.
Planning is also beginning for a performance pay initiative which will soon be
a faculty option.
5.
We believe that we have been successful in building a more positive and
productive working relationship with District leadership and our Board.
6. Greatly Improved communication with the
development and implementation of the DCCFA blog. This has allowed much more
rapid and effective communication.
Thanks to Matt Hinckley for his efforts to make this a reality.
7. Improvements in our banking, accounting and
tax reporting systems that has brought about significant cost reduction. Thanks
to Dan Dao for his time and expertise.
Although a great deal has been accomplished
this year, there is still much to be done. As you consider the reports from
each of these committees this year, I think that conclusion will be evident.
The transitions that have taken place over
the past few years are a bit more difficult to describe. We have had a
significant transition over the past 18 months with our District
leadership. As a council, we were all convinced that it was extremely
critical for the future of the DCCCD that our new (then) Chancellor be given
every opportunity to establish his leadership and begin to grapple with the
many problems that we continue to face.
I think that I speak for all of the members
of our Council when I say that we have had a seat at the table in this
process. While we may not have been granted all of the considerations that
asked for, our voices have been heard. John Williams at BHC has always
said that “input without influence, is not really participation.” We have been
given the opportunity to provide input and have had influence on the decisions.
We continue to firmly believe that this shared governance approach is the most
productive and beneficial for the DCCCD.
In my experience with faculty
leadership—which began with Dr. Priest and has continued through Dr. May—I
think that this year we have achieved the most collaborative approach to
problem solving and decision making during my tenure. We have worked hard to
hold up our part of the bargain. There will never be 100% agreement on any
decision but I feel that we have done our due diligence and worked toward the
best course of action within the resources that exist.
Of course, when we consider transitions at
the State and National level, things look quite different. As Jacques Barzun
stated many years ago, “Teaching
is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition.”
The world has changed in its perception of
education. Time and space does not allow for the discourse needed to try to
explain this phenomena. The narrative—for whatever reason—has
changed. The value of education, for the first time in our history, is
being questioned. The external challenges coming at us show no sign of
abatement.
We all know the litany: decreasing State support: under-prepared
students, increased regulation, growing poverty, completion based funding, and
the list goes on.
We also know that challenges provide
opportunity. We have faced many challenges in our history and have prevailed.
We continue to be very fortunate to be in a community that has always supported
our efforts. For instance, in some rural
counties, they must exist on state funding alone. We have a growing and
supportive tax base.
If we continue to shape our own destiny—as we
have always done-- must stay engaged in the political process. Engaged at the
college level, engaged in our local community, and engaged at the State and
national level. It has been said that, “Apathy is the self-defense of the powerless.” We
must guard against that malady.
Our organization
has an outstanding tradition of active and positive involvement. We have seen many transitions over our 38
years—we will see many more. We will continue to be involved, at every level,
as we meet these challenges and support our colleagues in the important work that
we do with our students.
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