DCFA Annual Convention 2021 – Proposed Agenda and Key Information

Friday is our Dallas College Faculty Association annual convention. The proposed agenda has been posted in the DCFA SharePoint site. Please review the agenda and all of the proposed motions to amend the constitution, motions to amend the bylaws, and resolutions, before Friday’s convention begins.

WHAT IS THE CONVENTION? The DCFA is required to host one annual convention every year in early November. This is where the entire members (the “legislative body”) makes decisions about the DCFA for the year, including approving the budget and deciding whether to change our constitution or bylaws, etc.  This year, there are major changes to our structure and constitution and bylaws under consideration, so it is more important than ever that faculty members participate and vote.  If you have questions about any of the proposals, feel free to reach out directly to the authors listed as offering that proposed amendment or resolution. Take the time to read all the proposals and consider them carefully yourself before the convention begins.  No additional motions to amend the constitution or to amend the bylaws can be proposed at the convention, but resolutions can still be offered from the floor.

 

Please note: The DCFA Council plans to offer one resolution from the floor, time permitting, to extend the membership deadline December 3.  This is the language of that resolution:

 

Whereas, ongoing confusion with regards to the campus assignments of some faculty, particularly new faculty, complicated membership recruitment efforts by the Membership Committee and the Council;

 

Be It Resolved, this Convention votes to extend the 2021-2022 membership drive through December 3, 2021.

 

Be It Further Resolved, the DCFA MembershipWorks web site will be reactivated to allow faculty to join or renew their membership through Dec. 3, 2021.

 

 

If any members plan to offer a resolution from the floor during the convention, it must be submitted it in writing to the DCFA Secretary (Peggy Mason) and DCFA President (Tommy Thompson) before it is presented at the Convention in order for it to be considered.  We strongly recommend you submit your resolution from the floor by email to dccfa@dcccd.edu prior to the start of the convention to ensure it is received.

 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: The DCFA Convention will be live, virtually, from 1:30 to ~5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 12 on Zoom. You can use this Zoom meeting link to join us or if you need the full Zoom information to call in or the password, that information is available in the DCFA Convention Invitation.  You do not need to attend the Zoom meeting to vote, but there may be early decisions made by unanimous consent (such as approving the agenda) that will only be made by those in virtual attendance through Zoom.  Additionally, if any motions, such as the agenda or new resolutions, or any motions to amend the current motions are made, an interim ballot may be required if those motions are not passed by unanimous consent. This may affect the timing of the entire convention, so I encourage you to at least log into the Zoom meeting for the afternoon so you can hear what is happening, even if you are working in the background.

 

HOW TO VOTE: The primary vote will be conducted in a single ballot through Microsoft Forms that will be sent out just prior to or at the start of the convention but will not become active until near the end of the convention when vote is opened by the chair. We anticipate the voting will begin around 4:00 or possibly as late as 4:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon. All active members (voting eligible) for the 2021-2022 AY should receive a ballot by email on Friday afternoon, but you can reach out to your campus president or to your Convention Planning Committee representative for assistance if you do not receive or can’t find your ballot on Friday afternoon. Once it begins, the voting ballot will only be open for 45-60 minutes, so please be paying attention on Friday afternoon to ensure that you do not miss your opportunity to vote! If you are not in attendance on Zoom, please check in every 10-15 minutes from 3:30 p.m. onward until the ballot opens or ask a friend who is attending to let you know when the ballot opens.

 

WHAT IF YOU WANT TO VOTE, BUT CAN’T BE ONLINE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON? You must designate your proxy in writing to the DCFA Secretary at least one hour prior to the start of the convention.  The DCFA Secretary, Peggy Mason, will accept proxies via a Microsoft Form beginning 48 hours prior to the start of the convention (so Wednesday, November 10, 1:30 p.m.) until 1 hour prior to the start of the convention (form closes at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, November 12). The full announcement and the form were posted in the preceding Advance Blog post.  Please note: If you can get online on Friday afternoon, you can cast your own vote – a proxy is NOT necessary unless you cannot get into your Microsoft account and cast your own vote on Friday afternoon when the vote opens around 4:00 or 4:30 p.m.  You do NOT need to be in the Zoom meeting to vote.