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June 2020

FYI: Highlights from the Executive Council and other news of note

 

News You Can Use
  • FA donates $2,500 to SCCC Covid-19 Emergency Donation Fund: The Executive Council voted twice to donate to the college's emergency donation fund for students for a total of $2,500. Knowing that over 1,000 students have outstanding balances of $600 or more, it is the sincere hope of the FA that these donations will enable students to stay at SCCC and continue their education.

  • Stay up to the minute on the news: The FA reminds members that SCCC provides NYTimes.com Pass to employees which includes complimentary access to NYTimes.com and NYT apps. As shown on the SCCC library webpage, SCCC users can use this link to create an account to get access. After clicking the link, log in to SCCC and follow the instructions to create your NYTimes account.

  • FA and Benefit Fund summer hours: While Anita in the FA office and Mary in the Benefit Fund are working remotely, both offices are open this summer. Please continue to call or email with your questions. All six officers are available all summer long as well.

  • Summer 2020 adjunct/overload pay dates: Faculty working during the summer sessions can expect to be paid as follows:

    - First five-week session: June 18 and July 2
    - First eight-week session: June 18, July 2, July 16, July 30
    - Second eight-week session: July 2, July 16, July 30, August 13
    - Second five-week session: July 30 and August 13

    PA, library and other assignments will be paid on the following five summer payrolls: June 18, July 2, July 16, July 30 and August 13.

    Counselors will be paid based on scheduled work assignments using the six summer payroll dates: June 18, July 2, July 16, July 30, August 13 and August 27.

  • 2020-21 holidays: The following represents the paid holidays for counselors, librarians, PAs, specialists and coordinators for the upcoming academic year.

    Fall 2020  
       
    September 7 Labor Day
    November 11 Veterans Day
    November 26 Thanksgiving Day
    November 27 Day after Thanksgiving
    December 25 Christmas Day
       
    Spring 2021  
       
    January 1 New Year’s Day
    January 18 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
    February 15 Presidents’ Day
    May 31 Memorial Day
    July 5 Independence Day (twelve-month faculty)


    In addition, there are three (3) unscheduled holidays for librarians, counselors, coordinators, professional assistants and specialists and three (3) unscheduled holidays for twelve-month faculty. The unscheduled holidays will be added to N or U days, which can be used for religious observances.

    The following is a summary of the 2020-21 N and U days:

    Counselors and librarians 37 + 3 = 40 N days
    Ten-month coordinators (lab) 42 + 3 = 45 N days
    Ten-month PAs and specialists 9 + 3 = 12 U days*
    Twelve-month coordinators (instructional) 7 + 3 = 10 U days
    Twelve-month counselors 35 + 3 = 38 N days
    Twelve-month PAs & specialists 7 + 3 = 10 U days
    * See Article IV.A.17

  • Fall 2020 classes start dates: Please note that day, evening and online classes for this fall begin on September 2, Saturday classes begin September 12 and Sunday classes begin September 13.

  • EC meeting dates: EC representatives should plan to attend monthly meetings in the upcoming academic year on the following dates, unless otherwise informed. Most meetings are held on Thursdays at 3:45. We anticipate that we will continue meeting via Zoom for the upcoming academic year.

    Fall 2020 Spring 2021
    August 27 at 10 am February 11
    September 17 (if needed) March 11
    October 8 April 8
    November 12 May 13
    December 10 May 28 at 1 pm

  • Student loan payments and interest suspended due to Covid-19 crisis: Mirkin & Gordon, P.C., our Benefit Fund legal providers, have advised us that as part of the recently passed CARES Act, Congress provided help to federal student loan borrowers, including suspending payments and interest during the 6 1/2 month period from March 13, 2020, through September 30, 2020 on federal student loans (not private loans). We encourage our members to contact their student loan servicer to make sure they have a loan that would qualify for the provisions that might include payments suspended, no new interest accrued or student loan debt collection suspended.

  • Major concern and setback for eldercare planning: Mirkin & Gordon, P.C., our Benefit Fund legal providers, also have advised us about a major concern regarding eldercare planning. A recent change to Section 366 of the New York State Social Services Law to impose a new thirty month look-back period for divestment of personal assets to be eligible for Medicaid coverage of community based long-term care services will impact elderly individuals who previously planned to stay in their homes with help from Medicaid to pay for critical services, but now may have to dip into their own pockets. We encourage our members to contact Mary in the Benefit Fund if you'd like to make an appointment (virtually) with someone at Mirkin & Gordon to discuss this.

  •   Claire Rubman volunteered at a Mother's Day food drive
     
    FA member Claire Rubman volunteered with SCCC students at a Mother's Day food drive. (photo courtesy Claire Rubman)
       
  • FA members contribute to "Mothers for Others" food drive: FA member Claire Rubman was among those from the SCCC community who participated in a contact-less Mother's Day food drive on Sunday, May 10. Rubman worked alongside SCCC students to donate hundreds of food and personal health items to Island Harvest's Food Pantry at St. Cuthbert's in Selden. The event was dedicated to all mothers everywhere but specifically to the memory of Christine Brown, the mother of Lorraine Brown, an SCCC student who lost her mother two years ago.