Our members deserve recognition and celebration

October 2020

Our members deserve recognition and celebration
Nic Pestieau

In his first year as FA president, Dante Morelli floated some refreshing new ideas to the Executive Council. He thought we should join forces with other locals across Long Island for a rocking May Day Music Festival. He proposed having a family day event at Citi Field for our members to enjoy a late spring evening watching the Mets with colleagues and loved ones.

These, of course, were pre-Covid days when fun social events did not extend an invitation to a deadly virus.

Dante and the other FA officers also proposed forming some new standing committees, including the FA awards committee. The mission for the awards committee would be to recognize and celebrate the valuable work done by members in the following areas:

Outstanding Mentoring

Excellence in Service to the FA

Community Outreach & Social Justice

Excellence in Adjunct Service

I was fortunate to be asked to chair this committee in early fall 2019. Quickly, the committee coalesced around a team of eight: David Clark (English, Ammerman), Sandra Gattuso (Counseling/Financial, Ammerman), Fabio Montella (Library Services, Eastern), Caitlin Parzych (Education and Human Services, Ammerman), Kevin Wirth (IT Services, Ammerman), Marta Szpak (Math & Science Labs, Eastern), Dante Morelli (Communication, Ammerman) and me (Mathematics, Eastern). Every committee member worked efficiently to set up the nomination and selection processes. Before long, all the mechanical bits had been figured out, and we were ready for action!

By early spring 2020, the criteria for each of the four awards we created had been finalized and our committee was about to roll out its new nomination form to our members at large. Because of the pandemic, however, our initial goal of seeking out nominations by a May 1, 2020, deadline had to be postponed.

We are now developing a new timeline for 2021 and hope to congratulate our first award recipients before the academic year is over.

Imagine this: Reliable vaccines and herd immunity have finally been established, the only masks you see are at the dentist’s office or displayed as mementos and a bunch of FA members are celebrating, hugging and hovering well within six feet of our first award winners at a luncheon somewhere on Long Island.

That's sure to happen in the near future. For now, for safety, we can opt for a safer Zoom ceremony. Our in-person vision will wait until Season 2, but this year more than ever, our members deserve to be recognized—so we are kicking this off right now!

Below is a description and a list of criteria for each award created by the FA awards committee. Any member who has served the college for at least two consecutive years at the time of nomination is eligible. Self-nominations are accepted. To nominate one member for more than one award, you must submit separate forms for each award.

Before December 1, use our awards committee nominations form to let us know which FA member you believe deserves recognition and celebration this year.

Contact me if you have questions.

Award	Description
Outstanding Mentoring nomination form	For FA members who demonstrate evidence of outstanding mentoring toward peers and/or students. Candidates should demonstrate involvement in programs or activities that enhance professional growth within members of the college community. Evidence of going above and beyond to make a positive impact for students or peers must be demonstrated in areas including but not limited to the following: Programs that support professional growth Pathways to increase involvement at the college Leadership roles assisting others in building their skills or increasing familiarity with the college environment New member efforts to foster positive growth.
Excellence in Service to the FA nomination form	For FA members who have shown consistent activity in the FA (e.g. participated in advocacy events on behalf of the FA, volunteered for ballot counting or other FA activities, etc.), have held at least one leadership position within the FA (e.g. EC representative, committee chair, NYSUT/AFT delegate, etc.), or have contributed to the union in other ways.
Community Outreach & Social Justice nomination form	For FA members participating in outreach that improves the lives of people on Long Island. Nominees for this award should demonstrate leadership or engagement with initiatives addressing social justice at SCCC and/or the county at large. Initiatives and outreach could address any of the following or similar issues: Domestic Abuse Substance Abuse Education Justice Hunger and Poverty Immigration Reform Labor Solidarity Racial Justice / Support for Human Rights Women’s Issues LGBTQ Solidarity
Excellence in Adjunct Service nomination form	For adjunct FA members who have been particularly active in their service to the college. Through exemplary service, nominees for this award should demonstrate a dedication to furthering the mission of the college and the community that it serves. Demonstration of these services might include but is not limited to the following: Outstanding dedication to student success within the classroom Involvement in student learning and development opportunities outside of the classroom Excellence beyond the formal role of teacher in advising or mentoring individual students or student groups Outstanding commitment to enhancing a culture of inclusive excellence at the college and within our community.