2016 DCCFA Convention Summary

The Nov. 11, 2016 annual convention of the DCCFA was a success. Faculty are invited and encouraged to peruse these linked documents:

Agenda of the Convention

Minutes of the Convention

State of the Association Address

Communications Committee Report

Political Information Committee Report

Welfare and Benefits Committee Report

Instructional Goals and Academic Freedom Committee Report

Membership Committee Report and Approved Addendum Introduced by Elizabeth Huston


DCCFA Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Budget, Adopted by majority vote

Newly revised DCCFA Bylaws, Adopted by unanimous consent


In addition to voting to approve the motions adopting the agenda and convention rules for debate, adopting the annual DCCFA budget, and adopting the Bylaws revisions, the convention unanimously approved the following motions:

To charge Faculty Association officers at all DCCCD Colleges to review and revise their Constitutions and By-Laws to ensure compliance with the DCCFA Constitution and By-Laws.

To express the DCCFA’s sympathy to the DCCCD Community, especially the DCCCD Police, related to the tragic events of July 7, 2016.

To thank Chancellor Joe May for changing his travel plans specifically to address the DCCFA convention.

FLRG Update #5: Nov. 21 Meeting Summary

Please see this attached document for the notes from the Nov. 21 meeting of the Faculty Load Review Group.

Of particular interest is a forthcoming recommendation from the ALPHA sub-group, to replace the current lecture-lab grid (that counts labs for only two-thirds of a lecture hour in calculating full-time faculty load) with a 1:1 lecture/lab model. The ALPHA sub-group also is expected to recommend that continuing education contact hours be treated equally to credit contact hours when calculating full-time faculty load.

Update on Chancellor’s Faculty Fellows Task Force

The Chancellors Faculty Fellows Task Force met Oct. 31 to review all of the feedback received regarding the program, to discuss the revisions proposed, and to prepare a formal recommendation to send to Dr. May for review. 

The Task Force concentrated its efforts on crafting recommendations regarding only the recruitment and hiring processes for Chancellor’s Faculty Fellows; a review of the Boot Camp and Mentoring curriculum will take place in the spring of 2017. 

The feedback the Task Force received, in two separate installments, can be seen in this document (from Oct. 9) and this document (from Oct. 30). The formal recommendations are in this document; the cover letter to the Chancellor is here. 

FLRG Update #4: Nov. 7 Meeting Summary

The Faculty Load Review Group (FLRG) met Monday, Nov. 7. The following meeting summary was written and submitted by Chief Talent Officer Susan Hall, at the request of FLRG tri-chairs Ken Alfers, Zarina Blankenbaker, and Matt Hinckley:

During the 3rd meeting of the Faculty Load Review Group meeting on November 7, 14 out of 15 members were in attendance.  Progress reports were provided by the following teams:

• Alpha - The group held its first meeting, and has a conference call planned for November 18.  Membership will be confirmed.  Goal remains to propose a plan based on contact hours with equal percentage of load assigned to both lecture and lab hours.  External best practice models are being reviewed.  Team expects to make formal recommendations in early December to larger group.

• Bravo -
• Team includes Shirley Thompson (NLC), Margo Silva (MVC), Audra Barrett (CVC), Eddie Tealer (NLC), Kathy Yates (RLC), Shazia Ali (EFC), Victor Soto (MVC), Charles Cadenhead (BHC), Gerardo Vega (CVC), Lupita Navarro (CVC),Don Martin (ECC) and Shane Baxter (BHC)
• Group has been working through the assigned questions from the last meeting, and have accumulated 91 responses from across the District.
• Will be using information from Discipline Committees to identify appropriate class size by course and modality. 
• Have requested Schedule 25 report to consider inventory of class rooms by campus, but information available is not consistent among colleges.
• Next meeting is scheduled for November 16.

• Charlie -
• Team includes Shawnda Floyd (NLC), Bill Hammerschlag (BHC), Ruben Johnson (CVC), Lisa Ehrich (BHC), Kim Lowry (EFC), and Michael Bailey (BHC)
• Current review of faculty coordinator/chair roles being reviewed, internal and external.
• Researching methods for faculty load monitoring, whether digital or other method; and whether responsibility is managed at VP or Dean level when scheduling decisions are made.
• Work of this team is dependent on Alpha and Bravo, and then may need discussion with technology representatives.

Other topic discussion included:

• Data
• Richard Plott will provide an inventory of systemic reporting available.
• Example of Data Depot information related to "Top 10 Classes Taken" was provided and discussed.
  
  
• Charge to Discipline Committees
• Formal charge language draft was reviewed, with request to the full committee to review the updated information electronically and confirm for release
• Input will be gathered from the AVPs and final charges will be send out by the Office of Educational Affairs to the Discipline/Program Curriculum Committees prior to the Thanksgiving break
• Specific requests include: review of current policies and practices regarding class size, review of correlation of class size to student success, bench marking with other like institutions, and formal recommendation on section size/enrollment caps by course, by January 25.
  
  
• Communication
• Continue to share notes widely.
• Post a blog update via Faculty web and Talent Central.
• Use the team site on the DCCCD portal.
• Request a lead story on the work in a future e-newsletter.
• Encourage continued efforts by Vice Presidents and Presidents to raise awareness of the issues and intent of review.

The next meeting is planned for November 21.