April 2023
The FA has been busy this semester on a number of fronts. We have been working on securing a fair contract for members. While we do not have a timeline, we are getting closer to an agreement as we negotiate with the college and county. State level advocacy
Outside of negotiations, we have been advocating for fair funding for community colleges. Currently, the state budget has not been finalized, but both the Assembly and Senate are advocating for quality increases to their respective proposals. This is the result of great advocacy work by our state union, NYSUT. NYSUT has been working hard on the New Deal for Higher Education which asks the state to fulfill the promise of appropriate funding for our community colleges and four-year institutions in SUNY and CUNY. To support this, we ask our members to please send an electronic fax to your respective state elected officials to implore them to make a commitment to higher education for next year’s budget: Demand More State Support for Community Colleges. This work on the state budget is the result of advocacy that NYSUT and our members have been performing. Courtney and I were in Albany for Higher Ed Advocacy Day where we met with 13 of our elected officials from the Assembly and Senate who represent Suffolk County. I returned to Albany for NYSUT’s Committee of 100 to further advocate for the New Deal for Higher Education. Additionally, we assembled a group of 20 members and retirees to continue our message for appropriate funding for SCCC and our students.
Back here at SCCC, on March 15, the FA, Guild and governance leadership met with SUNY Chancellor John King about issues affecting SCCC, especially noting the imbalance between full-time and adjunct faculty across the college. Collaborating to building a community of care The week prior, on March 10, we organized and co-hosted—in collaboration with the Guild and administration—a professional development event called Building a Community of Care. We had nearly 70 FA and Guild members attend the workshop to have discussions about our changing student body. There were excellent discussions and presentations on how we can provide the resources students need to be successful at a time when students require more support, especially around mental health. Thank you to the following members for their participation in Building a Community of Care.
Some very useful materials were distributed during this event, which I share below in case you were not able to attend. FA members shine during Professional Development Day The week before Building a Community of Care, FA members were out in force for the February 28 Professional Development Day. I want to personally thank all of our FA members who presented for their excellent work in offering a range of workshops for our members and larger college community. While not a union event, as Courtney notes in “More promotion workshops, more successes,” it still shows how fully engaged our members are in the life of SCCC. Special thanks to Donna Krompinger for serving on the planning committee and to the following members for their presentations.
Don't forget to vote! Finally, please keep an eye out for your ballot for election for all FA officer positions and NYSUT/AFT delegates. Our acting elections chair Donna Krompinger has listed all of the pertinent information in her article, “FA elections: Remember to vote and welcome four new EC reps.” Be sure to complete and return your ballot to the FA's post office box before the deadline of May 4 at 12 p.m. |
