Announcements
Shared Governance Update & Concern
January 30, 2009
Colleagues-
The Academic Senate President, VP, and the CCCUE President met with President Dave Pelham and VPSL Cathleen Greiner yesterday to discuss our concerns regarding the current process to determine and prioritize budget reduction strategies, and we are pleased to inform you that we have agreed to slow down the process and work more collaboratively on solving our budget crisis. However, we also wish to inform you that, even though we now have determined a more collaborative process to make this decision, this whole experience has amplified our concerns about shared governance practices on this campus.
Late in the Fall 2008 semester, it was decided that a Joint Planning and Budget Committee (PBC) and Shared Governance Council (SGC) meeting would focus on determining possible strategies our campus community might implement to offset the state’s $1.4 million cut to our operating budget. Much of the meeting on Tuesday, however, was centered on the administration’s proposal to cut the summer session. The agenda did not include the proposal, any background information for this proposal, or supporting data, and we were neither consulted nor given reasonable advance notice that the purpose of the meeting had been changed. We did brainstorm some suggestions for cost reductions at the end of our meeting, but for a decision of this magnitude, we needed much more information to prepare for the meeting. We also needed more time to gather feedback from our constituent groups.
At our meeting yesterday, Dr. Pelham and Dr. Greiner agreed to our proposal to postpone our campus decision for cost reduction strategies. Also, the next Joint PBC/SGC Meeting on Tues., Feb. 3rd will focus primarily on a discussion of what to do with the Summer 2009 semester. At last Tuesday’s meeting, the administration proposed drastic cuts to this summer’s schedule and a strict limitation of campus operations to the use of three buildings. However, after our discussion with Dr. Pelham and Dr. Greiner yesterday, the idea of building reduction for Summer ‘09 is off the table. Instead, we were told that one proposal will be a 1/3 reduction across the board for Summer ’09, the specifics of which would be determined by each division chair in consultation with the relevant deans and the VPSL. The other option that we were told would be on the agenda is an elimination of the Summer ‘09 semester, and there may be other proposals regarding Summer ’09 on the agenda as well. CCFT, CCCUE and Senate leadership have asked for the specifics to these summer semester proposals, including line item estimates based on past summers for the cost savings to the District, and we have been promised that this data will be delivered to the members of SGC and PBC on Monday morning to help us have an informed discussion about Summer 2009 on Tuesday.
One other result from yesterday’s meeting is that we will reschedule a Joint SGC/PBC meeting four to five weeks after next Tuesday’s meeting; during the interim, we will have time to request other cost reduction strategies from our constituents that we may add to our final prioritization list. Last Tuesday’s 15-minute brainstorming session only provided us with a short, global list of cost reduction strategies, which we were being asked to prioritize on Tuesday, but we all agreed that it would be in the best interests of our campus community to slow down this process and make a decision instead in early March.
We believe that our campus decisions regarding cost reduction strategies in these challenging times must be fair, realistic, practical, and inclusive of all voices on campus, and we hope that the administration’s willingness to slow down the process of determining budget cuts signals their commitment to genuine collaboration in the future.
Regards-
Steve Leone, Academic Senate President Allison Merzon, CCFT President
Beth-Ann Dumas, Academic Senate VP Peet Cocke, CCFT VP
John Fetcho, CCCUE President Joel Carlson, CCCUE VP
URGENT ACTION ALERT
From CFT President Marty Hittelman
- Legislators may agree to “flexibility” in school budgeting
- Don’t let them: It will lead to cuts in some categorical programs
- Call and tell them your feelings
The Governor's budget proposal includes providing school districts with total flexibility in their use of categorical funds. When the governor speaks of school district "flexibility" he includes no requirement that employee unions be involved in the development of proposed uses of such funds.
The flexibility argument supports the belief that schools are well-funded and just need to use their funds more efficiently. Elimination of categorical programs by providing "flexibility" will NOT save the state one penny. It is just a way of cutting programs that local districts don't support.
The CFT believes that categorical programs such as Class Size Reduction, adult education, occupational programs, early childhood education, professional development funds, and a host of programs directed at the needs of disadvantaged students need to be protected. Many categorical funds came out of local lack of support for programs that served the needs of working class students and with the elimination of the mandates, the old problems will return.
These programs are under fire right now in the midst of the budget deliberations. Please CALL the leadership of the Assembly and Senate IMMEDIATELY and tell them how you feel about the wholesale lifting of categorical restrictions.
Senate Pro Tem Steinberg, 916-651-4006
Senate Budget Chair Ducheny, 916-651-4040
Senate Education Budget Chair Romero, 916-651-4024
Assembly Speaker Bass, 916-319-2047
Assembly Budget Chair Evans, 916-319-2007
Assembly Education Budget Chair Carter, 916-319-2062
Below are message points to use in your phone calls:
- Flexibility does not solve the problem of our under funded education system nor the proposed cuts to education. California is already 47th among states in terms of per pupil spending.
- Eliminating Class Size Reduction (CSR) is a step backwards and harms students with greatest needs
- Eliminating Adult Education or occupational programs is an attack on the work training programs that are desperately needed right now
- Cutting professional development in an era of accountability and demand for high quality teachers is a plan for failure
- Education must be properly funded and "monkeying around" with policy issues to solve a fiscal problem is a plan for failure.
- Reject the governor's proposal, say no to total and permanent school funding flexibility and properly fund education through fair and progressive tax increases.
Remember, two thirds of the funding for K-12 and community college classrooms comes from the state. The phone call you make is for your students, yourself, and the state’s future.
Marty Hittelman
President, California Federation of Teachers.
Fight for America's Future
January 29, 2009
AFT Members Urged To Wear Blue
for Feb. 10 Unity Event
On Feb. 10, AFT members around the country will be wearing blue to work to support the union's effort to pass the national economic recovery plan currently being considered in Congress. The effort is part of the AFT's "Fight for America's Future: It's Dollars and Sense" campaign.
The Feb. 10 event is a way to send a clear message: that strengthening education, healthcare and public services is crucial in order to restore and preserve opportunity in this country. Our schools and colleges, our healthcare and public safety systems, and es¬sential services are facing draconian cuts due to the economic crisis. The AFT strongly supports efforts like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan and is actively challenging proposed cuts to vital services.
An introductory flier promoting the national day of unity is available on LeaderNet and also can be customized by AFT affiliates on the Working Families Toolkit Web site. New users will need to register on the Working Families site. A second flier will be available later.
We're asking AFT leaders and members to take a picture of their blue-clad colleagues and e-mail it to aftphotos@gmail.com. Photos will be posted on the Fight for America's Future Web site.
Strong worker-employer relationships help stabilize our economy and strengthen our democracy. The Employee Free Choice Act would level the playing field by giving all workers the opportunity to form unions and bargain collectively for wages and benefits. Protecting workers’ rights is in the long-term interest of American business.
The California Labor Federations is asking locals to get involved in helping get this passed. The following files explain this issue and ask for your support:
Please email your suggestions to mcleeves@cuesta.edu