The Word from CSEA

Columbus State Education Association Newsletter of May 7 , 2007

CSEA MEMBER MEETING WEDNESDAY

The CSEA member meeting this Wednesday, May 9, at 3 PM will be held in DE 121.

Agenda items include a proposed budget adjustment for the current year to permit an executive committee discretionary fund, a proposal for a temporary reduction of our local dues assessment next year, brief updates on campus and other Association activities, and a discussion of defining an Association position on whether campus safety forces should be allowed to carry firearms. Your input on all of these issues is valuable and encouraged.

BRIGHT SPOTS FROM THE BEACON

CSEA has begun production of a print newsletter to highlight activities and accomplishments of faculty, supplementing The Word and the Association's website, www.cseafaculty.org. Look for it soon in your mailbox.

You can send information of interest to faculty about your colleagues' or department's awards, recognitions, and upcoming events to Ingrid Emch at iemch@cscc.edu.

VIRGINIA TECH MEMORIAL

We acknowledge and thank Assistant Professor of Developmental Education Brenna Michelis, who spoke on behalf of all faculty at the memorial gathering in the plaza April 30 to honor students and faculty slain at Virginia Tech. Several hundred students, faculty, and staff attended the noon event.

The speech offered our collective sympathy and encouragement for all to "reach out with a compassionate hand to help another" and not turn away from those who are distraught and marginalized. Composed as a collaboration with faculty colleagues in the Developmental Education Department, her address included the following call to hope and action: "It is easy to wallow in the 'whys' of tragedy, even easier to seek blame and revenge. But that, in the end, leads us to despair and powerlessness. Despair is a lie, for there is always hope when we unite. Powerlessness is false, for there is strength in our numbers."

The complete text of her address will appear in its entirety in an upcoming edition of The Beacon, CSEA's new print newsletter.

Several students, Provost Dr. Kay Adkins and Timeka Rashid, director of student activities and athletics, also spoke. Thanks to Timeka for her work in organizing the memorial.

NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

CSEA salutes the faculty, staff and chair of the Nursing Department at the beginning of National Nurses Week, which begins each year on May 6 and concludes on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. May 8 is National Student Nurses Day.

GRIEVANCES SETTLED AND PENDING

CSEA Association Representatives have recently settled several grievances at Step 1 or Step 2 in the grievance process and filed another to clarify interpretation of language in our current work terms.

A grievance on the Mathematics Department settled at Step 1 (meeting/discussion with the department chair) in response to an adjunct faculty member receiving reassigned time, which by definition is a "decrease in the contractually required 16-hour teaching load for full-time faculty." The incident was an unintentional violation and will not be repeated. Thanks to Association Representative Gilberto Serrano for his handling of the grievance that led to an amicable settlement.

A new grievance has been filed to determine why a new faculty member did not receive release time for college-sponsored professional development activities, as required in the Appendix of the current work terms. This was apparently done at the direction of the Provost and not the department chair.

SPRING FLING WITH CSEA

CSEA will sponsor an informational table at the college's Spring Fling event on May 17 between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM. If you are willing to help out with staffing the table, please contact Gil Feiertag at x5861.

The Word is produced by the Communications Committee of the Columbus State Education Association. We welcome your comments, news, and insights.

Darrell Minor, President and President-elect/ x5310
Amy Brubaker, Vice-President / x5068
Susan Moran, Secretary / x5453
Phil MacLean, Treasurer / x5308
Mary Morgan, Parliamentarian-elect / x5768

Steve Abbott, Senior Association Representative / x5096
Gil Feiertag, Senior Association Representative / x5861
Judy Anderson, Association Representative / x5822
Liz Betzel, Association Representative / x5329
Mark Bocija, Association Representative / x5049
Dave Busch, Association Representative / x5079
T.J. Duda, Association Representative / x5309
Dr. Charlie Gallucci, Association Representative / x5499
Cindy Evans, Association Representative / x2435
Bob Mergel, Association Representative / x5034
Dona Reaser, Association Representative / x5475
Gilberto Serrano, Association Representative / x3863
Leslie Smith, Association Representative / x5302
Kathy Struve, Association Representative / x5330
Dr. Wendy McCullen-Vermillion, Association Representative / x2693