2023 DCFA Annual Convention: Agenda

 

46th Annual DCFA Convention 

Friday, November 10, 2023, 1:30 – 3:30 pm 

Agenda 

1. Call to order:  ~ 1:30 – 1:40 pm 

2. Welcome:  ~ 1:40 – 1:45 pm 

1. Reminder for those attending virtually to ensure that the full name that they used to join DCFA is indicated as their Zoom username. 

3. Motion for adoption of the agenda: ~ 1:45 – 1:55 pm 

As chair of the convention, I propose that we accept the agenda for this meeting, including the rules for debate and voting, developed in consultation with the parliamentarian, Jennifer Hudson: 

1.  Rules of Debate: 

1. For agenda items requiring consideration for a vote, debate will be limited to 2 minutes per person per agenda item. 

2. Debate for any one agenda item shall not exceed 10 minutes, after which the president shall close the discussion on that item. 

3. Resolutions from the Floor on items not specified on the agenda will be entertained – in writing – following the conclusion of all regular business listed on the agenda and time permitting, following the same limitations for debate as agenda items. 

2. Voting – how, when, and where: 

1. All resolutions from the floor are strongly encouraged to be submitted in writing by Thursday, November 9, 2023, at 8:00pm sent to the entire DCFA Council to be included in the discussion of that agenda item on Friday, November 10, 2023. 

2. Members who attend the Convention in person will vote from the floor by raising their hands. Members who attend virtually will use the “raise hand” feature in Zoom, keeping their hand raised until the Chair of the convention confirms that all virtual votes have been counted. 

3. Motion to Adjourn or Recess: 

1. After voting on proposed resolutions, the Chair will recognize the Parliamentarian to issue a motion to adjourn. 

“Are there any objections to approval of the agenda for this meeting, including the rules for debate and voting?”  If none, it passes by unanimous consent. 

4. Introduce new faculty; recognition of dearly departed. 

5. President’s Address, including introductions and recognitions:  1:55 – 2:05 pm 

6. Standing Committee Reports:  2:05 – 2:25 pm 

1. Communications (2 minutes) – Josh Rose 

2. Instructional Goals and Academic Freedom (2 minutes) – Jennifer Siemantel 

3. Political Information (2 minutes) – Andrew Tolle 

4. Convention Planning (2 minutes) – Denise Griffin 

5. Welfare and Benefits (2 minutes) – Erin Kelley 

6. Membership (2 minutes) – Sherry Boyd 

7. Budget and Finance (2 minutes) – Denise Griffin 

8. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (2 minutes) – Stacy Vasquez 

7. Treasurer’s Report:  2:25 – 2:30 pm (Denise Griffin) 

8. Adoption of the 2023-2024 DCFA Budget: 2:30 – 2:40 pm. 

1. Adoption of the budget through unanimous consent 

2. Motions to transfer funds 

9. Proposed Resolutions Submitted in Advance 2:40 – 2:50 (10 minutes per agenda item). 

1. Proposed Resolution ONE: On Extending the 2023-2024 Membership Deadline 

1. Whereas continued problems regarding School onboarding practices, HR data, Workday implementation, and campus assignments have contributed to confusion regarding the existence and location of many new faculty, 
   Be It Resolved, this Convention votes to extend the 2023-2024 membership drive through Friday, December 1, 2023 at 11:59 pm. 
   Be It Further Resolved, the DCFA MembershipWorks website will be reactivated to allow faculty to join or renew their membership through Friday, December 1, 2023 at 11:59 pm. 

10. Resolutions from the floor, if applicable: 2:50-3:20 pm 

1. Other proposed resolutions from the floor 

11. Closing of the ballot and Adjournment – 3:30 pm

Reminder: Last Day to Renew or Join the Faculty Association

 The title says it all: today, Monday, November 6, is the last day to join or renew your membership in the Faculty Association for the coming year. Don't lose access to all the benefits of DCFA membership such as camaraderie, advocacy, and - if needed - legal support.  You can join/renew at https://www.dccfa.org/join-here.

DCFA 2023 Annual Convention Information

 Faculty Association members are cordially invited to this year's DCFA Convention on Friday, November 10, 2023 from 1:30-5:00 PM at the Records Building downtown.  Here are further details:

WHO: All DCFA Faculty Association Members are encouraged to attend.

WHAT: The Annual Convention is where we discuss accomplishments, issues, present Standing Committee reports, approve the budget, and deal with amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws as well as resolutions.

WHERE: The Records Building downtown located at 500 Elm Street, Room 7Y11, Dallas, TX 75202. Underground parking is available at a cost of $10. 

 

The convention will also be live-streamed on Zoom:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87017993963?pwd=pF3DCRelXpKBpuMFtPIf5bdlkVSUpa.1

Meeting ID: 870 1799 3963

Passcode: 549321

Dial in: 669-444-9171

We look forward to seeing you on Friday, and make sure to stick around afterward for the reception at the El Centro Student Center from 5:00-7:00 PM!

 

 

Get Ready for the 2024 DCFA Convention on November 10!

All Faculty Association members are cordially invited to this year's convention on Friday, November 10 at 1:30 PM.  More information regarding the specific location will be submitted soon, but we wanted everyone to have the virtual information available as this will be a hybrid event again this year.  The Zoom link and information follow:

Topic: DCFA Convention 2023
Time: Nov 10, 2023 01:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87017993963?pwd=pF3DCRelXpKBpuMFtPIf5bdlkVSUpa.1

Meeting ID: 870 1799 3963
Passcode: 549321

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Meeting ID: 870 1799 3963
Passcode: 549321

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/ktHnBDFx8

TRS Cost-of-Living Adjustment (Prop 9) on 11/7 Ballot - Early Voting Open Thru Fri, 11/3

Dear faculty colleagues,

Proposition 9, regarding cost-of-living adjustments for TRS retirees, is on the ballot for the November 7, 2023, Texas General Election. You may vote early through Friday, November 3, 2023.

The proposition's full title is:

The constitutional amendment authorizing the 88th Legislature to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to certain annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

For early voting locations and election day polling locations, visit the Texas My Voter Portal.

For those of you residing within Dallas County, you may visit the Dallas County Elections Page for early voting locations and election-day polling locations.

Please budget time to vote on this important matter regarding TRS and help remind fellow Texan voters of the applicable deadlines.

Invitation to Join the October DCFA Business Meeting

Please use this Zoom link to join us virtually tomorrow for our monthly business meeting on Friday, October 20 at 11:00 AM.  You may view the agenda for the meeting online.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow on Zoom!

Base Salary Accuracy in Workday

Dear faculty,

Just a heads up -- if you log into Workday, you may notice an inaccuracy in your base salary. Administrators have been alerted and are working to correct this problem as soon as possible. In the meantime, please don't be alarmed if you notice your base salary is listed lower than what you know it should be. More information will be coming from the Operations team.

--DCFA Council

Invitation to Join the September DCFA General Business Meeting

Please use this Zoom link to join us virtually tomorrow for our monthly business meeting on Friday, September 08 at 11:00 AM.  You may view the agenda for the meeting online.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow on Zoom!

Membership Drive 2023: Join or Renew on the DCFA Website

 It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  No, not the holiday break, unfortunately, but when the DCFA membership opens on the official website.

Beginning today, September 1st, if you navigate to www.dccfa.org, you will find a new button on the page to either “Join” or “Renew” your membership.  Upon clicking that link, there are a few separate options: one is for those renewing a membership, and the other is for those joining for the first time (and for those who are, welcome! We are delighted you are becoming a member!). Other options include level amounts: Full-Time Faculty, Adjunct Faculty, and Emeritus Faculty.

Important Notes About Joining/Renewing

• The deadline to join or renew, per the DCFA Bylaws, is the first Monday in November (which also corresponds with the week of the Convention on that Friday).
  
  
• We have set the date for auto-renewal to September 08 so there was enough time between this going live on our site and everyone being able to check their auto-renewal option and payment options. (You can do this upon logging in to the site using the instructions above!)
  
  
• We are requiring everyone to use a personal email address and contact information when setting up your profile and logging in. This is to make sure that all of your information on file is separate from Dallas College servers and IT restrictions.

 

Please take a few moments after joining/renewing to complete the “About” section of your account, which includes fields for home address and phone number. Having this information is critical because this collected data is critical for the Political Information Committee to contact DCFA members privately about elections without violating state and district laws and regulations.  (Regular email communications about DCFA and local FA business will still be sent through work email addresses, though!)

 

Why Join the DCFA?

• The Faculty Association is the voice of all faculty. Our voice is stronger if we all get behind the DCFA  
• The Faculty Council (Presidents of the DCFA) meets regularly with Provost Floyd, Chancellor Lonon, Vice Provosts, and other administrators to discuss the concerns of all faculty. Concerns range from organizational issues, cultural issues, compensation, faculty evaluations, and others. We all must make our voices heard through the DCFA.  
• The DCFA acts as an intermediary between faculty and administration when there is a grievance, a dispute, or other issues we cannot fight as individuals.   
• Being a member of DCFA gives you access to the Legal Defense Fund, which can be used to help pay for a lawyer if you find yourself in a dispute with the college and need one. We all need this protection with the recent and ongoing changes within the college.  
• Particularly after the re-org, it can be common to feel isolated. Joining provides a sense of belonging. We all need to join the Faculty Association and fight to keep the culture of our campus.  
• The Faculty Association will collaborate with "the schools of" representatives to champion common goals.

If you encounter any errors or issues with joining or renewing, please email dcfa@dcccd.edu to reach the entire Council and we can assist from there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faculty Pay Increase Approved By Board of Trustees

Today, the Board of Trustees voted to approve the FY2023-2024 budget, which includes a 5% increase to faculty salary base pay. 

During the Finance Committee earlier in the day, the Chancellor also proposed an increase to the adjunct rate, from $58 per credit hour to $65 per contact hour (PCH). Interestingly, Trustees noticed the rate of $66 PCH at Collin College, $66 PCH at Tarrant County College, and $77 PCH at Austin Community College, they expressed a belief that the presented recommendation to increase adjunct rates was too low. They discussed whether they should exceed Collin and Tarrant, to match Austin Community College, or to do something in between. They ultimately agreed to increase the Chancellor’s recommendation to $66, which put Dallas at par with its two neighboring counties.

Any further information about salary increases or adjustments based on the compensation report from Segal will come soon as the DCFA continues to meet with the Chancellor and upper administration this coming Fall semester.

Criminal Background Checks Update

We have some information regarding the issues surrounding the Criminal Background Check (CBC) requests.

Dallas College HR’s Sr. Director of Employee Relations reached out to the DCFA Council on Tuesday to inform us that she is working with the CHRO to address faculty concerns surrounding the CBC authorization language and the timing of the communications about them.

Currently, she is working with HireRight to “adjust the ‘authorization’ statement for the Basic Criminal Background Checks (CBCs).”  She committed that they will “ensure the language does not reflect a possibility that any other checks, such as a credit check, will be completed” in addition to the CBC. Until the language is updated, they have halted all communication from HR to faculty about the CBCs.

In addition, they are working during the remainder of the summer to ensure that any emails from HR that require action by faculty are sent primarily during the long semester terms (Fall and Spring).

We will let you know if we receive any further updates about these issues.

IMPORTANT: Criminal Background Check Requests from HR

Some of you may have received an email about a five-year renewal for a criminal background check.

If you got this, don't panic: this is simply pro-forma HR stuff. However, as faculty have completed the form, a few issues were noticed that the Council plans to meet with Acting CHRO Louis Burrell to discuss.

First, you have only five days to complete the background check. This is frustrating for faculty who are off contract in summer. HR is aware of this, and has been instructed to send follow-up messages while acknowledging faculty are being asked to do this while off contract.

Second, there was some concerning language in the background check documentation that suggested the company hired to complete these (HireRight) is authorized to go beyond a strict criminal check (such as looking into one's credit history or "mode of living"). We have been told by Acting CHRO Burrell that only a criminal check will be conducted, in case you have already filled out the background check paperwork.

However, the Council's current advice to all faculty regarding the background check request is as follows:

If you get a Background Check Request and it asks for anything other than a criminal background request, the Council does not recommend completing it. Please hold off as we plan to have more extensive, in-depth discussions with HR and Acting CHRO Louis Burrell soon.

As always, if you have questions and concerns, reach out to your campus Faculty Association President.

Premium Pay Error for Summer 1 2023

Last Friday, the DCFA Council became aware of an error with Premium Pay calculations for some faculty teaching this summer.  Once we alerted Payroll, HR, AST, and Operations Administration, everyone kicked into high gear to determine the cause and severity of the issue. 

Here is what we know

• Around 132 faculty were impacted with only a partial amount of their premium pay for summer teaching processed for June payroll.
  
  
• Impacted faculty were emailed directly by HR to note the error, how much the error came to monetarily (this was added after urging by the DCFA Council), and when the missing amount can be expected to hit affected faculty’s bank accounts.  Initially the presumption by HR and Payroll was that this error would not be corrected until the end of July (ie. during the next regular pay period), but we are now hearing it might be as soon as July 10th.
  
  
• If you received such an email, please double-check it against what is shown in WorkDay under the PAP (Period Activity Pay) and if you find any discrepancies, please reach out to Compensation@DallasCollege.edu (and feel free copying your campus DCFA President if you are so inclined). 
   
• If you did not receive an email, you are unaffected by this error (but it never hurts to double-check the PAP in WorkDay to be sure.)

This is, obviously, a huge issue, and one the Council worked on as fast as possible, including during a busy week involving the two-day Board of Trustees budget planning sessions and our own day-long DCFA Retreat on Thursday. 

How to check your Premium Pay and Summer Pay in WorkDay

For general information, here is how Premium Pay and Summer courses are now being listed in WorkDay/PAP and how to check them:

 

First, login to WorkDay and then click “Menu” at the upper left.  

 

On the popup menu, select “Benefits and Pay.”  In the Benefits and Pay screen, the PAP should appear at the bottom right (labeled as “Current Period Activity Pay”).

 

Unlike under the old Payroll Preview tool, the PAP breaks down summer teaching into two categories: the Premium Pay calculation itself (listed as “PREM-PAY” in the screenshot) and any summer sections taught (listed as “SUPP-EMP-CONT”).

 

 

 

As you can see in my example, I am teaching two Summer 1 sections currently at $2,784 each, and then the Premium Pay for BOTH totals $2,232.

 

If you click the blue link at the bottom of that widget (“View All Period Activity Pay”) you find a further articulated breakdown:

 

This view only shows my two Summer 1 sections, but the far right columns of “Scheduled Date” and “Paid Date” indicated when I can expect to receive these amounts in which paycheck.

 

We hope this helps, both generally with navigating the confusing world of WorkDay, and specifically for any faculty directly impacted by this Premium Pay error.  As always, reach out to the DCFA Council and/or your specific campus President with further questions and concerns.

Summer Updates: Contracts, Extra Service, and Brightspace Transition

As summer progresses, the DCFA Council continues to work for you!  Specifically, we wanted to make everyone aware of information regarding contracts, pay, and scheduling as well as the imminent shift to Brightspace as our new LMS.

No Summer Contracts and the PAP

Most of you are probably aware by now that after spring break, extra service contracts (or the SEA contracts as they used to be called) were phased out and the new way to see our extra service pay was through WorkDay and the PAP (Period Activity Pay).

This, we all know, has a ton of issues: first, the PAP only appears if you *have* extra service. Moreover, it only correctly shows your extra service pay–including Premium Pay–upon receiving the first paycheck with that pay in it.  It's on the back-end rather than the front-end, making checking it and even budgeting incredibly difficult.  The Council has made this known to anyone who will listen.

The possible silver lining…DCFA Vice President Jennifer Siemantel is participating in “Break Fix Payroll and Compensation,” an all-day meeting where she will be representing the faculty in July.

That said, some important things to know:

• New practice: Premium Pay was applied automatically to any full-time faculty teaching in Summer for the first courses taught that were applicable. No request had to be made. (If you were told otherwise, please let your campus FA President know!)
• For more information on Premium Pay and ACH, see the SharePoint page for Premium Pay Processing in Workday for more information on this.
  

The Future of Contracts

The DCFA Council has been haranguing HR, Interim CHRO Burrell, Chancellor Lonon, and Provost Floyd, and any other admin who will listen about how awful this new pay process is.  Not only is this process terrible for budgeting, but as DCFA President Tolle discovered, it also goes directly against Board policy.

Thus, we have convinced administration that contracts must return.  And they will, in Fall 2023.  We did formally request that they work as hard as they can to actually switch back for Summer 2 if possible, to work out any kinks and bugs, but have not received confirmation on this timing yet.

More Good News: A Tool to Correctly See Your Load vs. Extra Service

The DCFA Council was informed last week that AST is working on a tool (called the Faculty Schedule Preview Application) that will be embedded into a Sharepoint page that will individually show your schedule and which specific sections are marked for load and which ones are marked as extra service (if applicable).  Once it is operational, it will update monthly as new schedules become live.

We are not sure when this will roll out, but the DCFA Council has been testing it out for a week now.  Be aware that this tool will not show your earnings, only ACH hours for each section. But, between this AST tool and the return of contracts, we are hopeful that these together will help solve many of the numerous problems we have had trying to know and understand what we are earning and how.

Spring/May Course Shell Migrations

Please be aware that the office of online learning is preparing for the migration of course shells from Blackboard (eCampus) to Brightspace D2L. While we do not yet have a timeline, we are encouraging you to export your course/templates from Blackboard prior to this migration to ensure you have copy of your course(s) that can be imported into Brightspace should this need to be done by you. Also, please know there is Faculty support for eCampus and course migrations and the office of online learning is available to aid in 1-2-1 sessions. Remember, you have OneDrive accounts where you can store these downloads

Please plan accordingly for the discontinuation of Blackboard as of August 16th. This is especially important for those who have students with incomplete grade contracts that extend beyond this date. Access to those Blackboard course shells is not expected to be present for those students. It is imperative that you prepare accordingly for your students to complete their course assignments outside of Blackboard beyond this date if needed.

Landing Page for eCampus Shifting to Brightspace

Currently, summer courses are in Blackboard and available through August 15, 2023. The landing page for eCampus.dallascollege.edu will update August 16, 2023 and automatically route students to Brightspace.
 
One concern the DCFA Council expressed to academic leadership was if students were being adequately prepared and notified of our shift to Brightspace. To that end, a March 23, 2023 Communication was shared through mass communications announcing Brightspace for students with public website information about Brightspace.

Students will automatically be able to access their courses the Wednesday of return week in Brightspace – it might be a good idea to reach out to them as soon as we return on Aug 14th to assist in the notification. You may want to prepare a short video explaining the LMS to them.

Please be aware all things student-related in Brightspace are led by the Office of Digital Engagement.

Final Grade Reporting and Student Progress Reports (SPR)

After much discussion and encouragement from the DCFA council, we are happy to report the following:

• For Final grades, the academic calendar allows for 3 days to submit grades following the last day of the term. For most long semesters, the term ends on a Thursday and faculty have until COB Monday to submit grades. For terms ending on Friday (Summer, etc.) faculty will have until Tuesday to submit grades.
• Effective for AY 23-24, the submission date for SPR will be adjusted from Sunday to Monday for all SPR reporting.

2023-2024 DCFA Officers and Committee Chairs

The DCFA Council met on Friday, June 02, 2023 in the Foundation Boardroom at the District Office downtown. We welcomed a new member, North Lake Faculty Association President Sherry Boyd, who was elected after long-serving faculty Keith Baker decided to not run again. A huge thanks to Keith for all of his service and expertise over the years, and welcome Sherry!

It was also time during the Council meeting to elect officers and committee chairs.  The results are as follows:

Officers

• PRESIDENT: Andrew Tolle  EFC
• VICE-PRESIDENT: Jennifer Siemantel  CVC
• SECRETARY: Erin Kelley  RLC
• TREASURER: Denise Griffin  ECC

Committee Chairs

• BUDGET & FINANCE: Denise Griffin  ECC
• COMMUNICATIONS: Josh Rose  BHC
• CONVENTION PLANNING: Denise Griffin  ECC
• DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION: Stacy Vasquez  MVC
• INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS & ACADEMIC FREEDOM: Jennifer Siemantel  CVC
• MEMBERSHIP: Sherry Boyd  NLC
• POLITICAL INFORMATION: Andrew Tolle  EFC
• WELFARE & BENEFITS: Erin Kelley  RLC

On behalf of the entire Dallas College Faculty Council, we look forward to serving you this coming academic year!

CANCELLED - Invitation to join DCFA Monthly Business Meeting on Friday, May 19th, 2023

CANCELLED: The fifth DCFA Council Monthly Business Meeting of Spring 2023 is scheduled for Friday, May 19^th, 2023 at 11:00AM 

The council will provide up-to-date reporting on meetings with the Provost and Chancellor (in addition to regular business). 

Here is the link to the meeting agenda. Below you will find the meeting links along with call-in/passcode information. 

Date/Time: May 19th, 2023 11:00 AM – 12:20 PM 

Topic: DCFA Open Business Meetings 2023

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/96016480264?pwd=WGhFemw2bzljMktTVHhqSWtZRHk3Zz09

Meeting ID: 960 1648 0264

Passcode: dcfa2022b

One tap mobile

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Meeting ID: 960 1648 0264

Passcode: 422153252

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kdj6Njycnm

Blog Update - Shared Governance

At the May 2, 2023 Board of Trustees meeting, the Dallas College Trustees will be presented with a first reading of updated policy drafts related to academics and faculty.  One of these is an entirely new policy concerning Shared Governance.  The DCFA Council wanted to bring to the attention of the Faculty Association membership the developmental process of the new policy being presented.

As many of you know, Dallas College currently has no formal Shared Governance policy codified by the Board of Trustees. The DCFA Council became aware that the SACS Leadership Team intended to write one; the Provost, the DCFA Council President, and General Counsel were listed as “policy owners” on this task.  Thus, the DCFA Instructional Goals & Shared Governance Committee (IGAF) took the lead on drafting one. IGAF based its draft on Shared Governance policies across Texas public higher education institutions and shared governance practices across accreditation bodies.  The IGAF committee and the DCFA Council reviewed and edited the draft on a very tight timeline, as the meeting when these policy drafts would be discussed between the DCFA Council and the Provost was scheduled for Friday, April 21. You can read the final policy we (IGAF/DCFA) drafted at this Google Doc.

Considering the April 21 discussion was to be about these revised policy drafts, including the new Shared Governance draft, the DCFA Council and IGAF were surprised to discover that Provost Floyd was not provided a draft of the internal Shared Governance policy (the separately conceived draft written by Dallas College’s Legal Department) until hours before the meeting.  This meant that Provost Floyd was unable to provide the DCFA Council with the draft until the meeting itself; this was exacerbated by the DCFA Council not being allowed to take draft copies out of the meeting (and we received no digital version).  DCFA President Andrew Tolle noted he was keeping his  copy of Legal’s draft  since he is serving on the SACS Accreditation Review committee. This single physical copy was all the DCFA had to use for review of the policy to see how it compared with our own.

Additionally, Legal only gave the DCFA until end-of-business, Tuesday, April 25 to provide comments, after the Provost requested the Faculty Association have time to review.. Considering we received this on a Friday morning, with meetings booked through the afternoon, the expectation was rather stark that we were only being provided less than two full working days to gather DCFA constituents and provide comments on a Shared Governance policy. The DCFA  also requested  the same timeframe for comments by Legal on our own IGAF draft policy as well; no follow-up or comments were ever provided on our draft.

Suffice to say, the draft going before the Board today has a few additions based on the feedback IGAF and the DCFA provided, but in the spirit of “shared governance,” we wanted Faculty Association members to be able to look at what IGAF and the DCFA Council produced and be able to compare to what was being presented to the Trustees so you could decide for yourselves how they are similar or different.