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Kim Ng Southard
Holiday greetings to all! This update covers FA union affiliations, member benefits, Brightspace resources and upcoming important dates. FA union affiliations In case you did not know, once you join the FA, you also become a member of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Local 39045, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 3038 and the National Education Association (NEA). Our other affiliations include the American Association of University Professionals (AAUP), the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the Long Island Federation of Labor and the Suffolk County Organization of Public Employees. We are an active NYSUT local. The FA attends the NYSUT Community College Conference with a large group of members every fall and the NYSUT Representative Assembly every spring with up to nine elected delegates. The FA is also active in our national union affiliations, AFT and NEA. We send up to nine elected delegates to the AFT Convention every other summer and are proud that AFT President Randi Weingarten attended our Equity in Education symposium last June. FA President Dante Morelli attends the NEA convention yearly and serves as one of their state directors (each state elects at least one). You can read more about our national, state and local affiliations on the FA website. The FA works relentlessly to negotiate better wages and benefits for you in every contract, and you also can access benefits through our union affiliations as an FA member. As per the FA website, here is a list of benefits available to you, many of which we know are not available to adjunct or contingent faculty at other colleges:
In addition, we are proud that we fought hard to secure higher wages and compassionate leave for you in the last negotiations. Finally, as members of NYSUT, AFT and NEA, you are also eligible for their member benefits: Visit our adjunct benefits page on the FA website for more information. Brightspace materials and resources While we look forward to finishing the semester strong and enjoying a restful break, keep in mind that the spring semester will be upon us in no time. Classroom faculty might want to get a head start on course design for the spring semester. The FA website has a page of Brightspace materials created and organized by FA Secretary Cynthia Eaton to help our members learn about Brightspace and build their distance education courses. The Brightspace materials page contains two ready-to-upload modules, “Course Syllabus” and “Help for Students,” along with instructions on the upload process and tips on revising the modules to fit your course needs. You also can find essential files and information to aid you as you build your course, such as posting course materials, setting up student assignments and communicating with students. The page ends with links to helpful WORD articles regarding Brightspace and what faculty need to know when using this learning management system and teaching online. Check out Cynthia’s most recent articles on Brightspace by following these links:
Look at our Brightspace materials page on the FA website for more information. Upcoming important dates
Do not hesitate to contact me at kimn@fascc.org if you have questions regarding the above or any other union-related issues. I hope you all get a chance to enjoy the holiday season and the new year. Best, |
