The Word from CSEA
Columbus State Education Association Newsletter of August 16, 2007
CSEA MEMBER MEETING NEXT WEDNESDAY
There will be a CSEA member meeting next Wednesday, August 22, from 3-4 p.m. in Nestor Seminar D. Agenda items include an addition to the CSEA Constitution that addresses filling of vacant offices, discussion of some needed clarifications to be made to several current promotion/tenure categories in which there is currently considerable "overlap", as well as clarification of appropriate activities for "community service". Please mark your calendar and plan to attend.
OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLEGE SERVICE
Faculty are needed to serve on several committees and/or task forces, including a task force to develop college-wide guidelines for Peer Review Teams (to be part of the promotion/tenure process); volunteers to help lead workshops on assembling promotion/tenure portfolios (to be conducted jointly with college administrators); a volunteer to serve on the college's Cross Functional Leadership Group; and various other college-level committees. If you are interested in serving on any of these, contact Darrell Minor (x5310).
UPCOMING CHANGE IN PAY SCHEDULE FOR SUPPLEMENTAL CONTRACTS AND ADJUNCT PAY
On the recommendation of a committee comprised of faculty, staff, and department chairs, Dr. Moeller has approved a change in the pay schedule for adjunct faculty and full-time faculty with supplemental contracts.
Historically, adjunct faculty have had to wait four or more weeks, depending on the quarter, to receive their initial paycheck. This frequently created some hardship for adjunct faculty whose primary or sole source of income is their employment at CSCC.
Based on responses to a survey issued Spring Quarter, a committee recommended that, effective Autumn Quarter 2007, adjunct faculty who have taught during Summer Quarter will receive their pay in 6 pays beginning on the last day of the first full month following the beginning of each quarter. In Spring Quarter of each academic year, pay will be issued in 5 pays beginning on the last day April, with the final pay for Spring Quarter issued on June 30.
Adjunct faculty who taught Summer Quarter, as well as full-time faculty with supplemental contracts, will receive their Autumn Quarter pay in 6 equal pays on the following dates: October 31, November 15, November 30, December 14, December 31, and January 15, 2008. Adjunct faculty who did not teach Summer Quarter will receive their pay in 5 equal pays, with the first pay date on October 31 and the last on December 31.
The new process is not without difficulties. Although it will produce smaller paychecks on each pay date, it will provide a paycheck in the second week of each new quarter and result in more take-home pay because less tax will be deducted. The solution is not ideal for everyone. Clearly, it will require some adjustment to budgeting for some. Nonetheless, it addresses a long-standing issue, one raised a decade ago by the former Faculty Senate's Standing Committee on Adjunct Faculty Affairs.
We extend our thanks to members of the committee for their efforts: Michele Arnold, Program Coordinator/Faculty Contracts; Dick Bickerstaff, Chair, Engineering Technology; Lisa Schneider, Chair, Communication Skills; Jay Benedict, Administrator of Curriculum Management; Steve Abbott, Professor, Communication Skills; Dr. Tim Davis, Assistant Professor, Humanities; Thomas Woolley, Adjunct Instructor/Mathematics; and Dr. Darlene Alberts, Adjunct Instructor/Modern Languages and Humanities.
STAFF AFFECTED BY RETIREMENT SYSTEM CHANGES
We include the following information because it affects staff and the Ohio Education Association represents staff at many educational institutions.
The SERS Board has voted to make major revisions to the controversial "740-hour rule." As originally established, the 740-hour rule would require future SERS retirees to have worked at least 740 hours during a school year, in order to receive credit for a year of service for the purposes of determining a retired employee's health care premium subsidy. OEA representatives had repeatedly asked SERS to reconsider this action, citing complaints that the rule was to be applied retroactively, did not recognize partial credit, and would likely be administered unevenly based on a potentially inaccurate record-keeping system. Prior to agreeing to the changes to the 740-hour rule, the SERS Board defeated a motion to repeal the rule completely.
At the SERS Board meeting on July 19, 2007, the Board voted 6-1 in favor of making substantial changes to the 740-hours rule. The rule will no longer be applied retroactively to years worked prior to implementation of the rule and will pro-rate service credit applied to health care for those who work fewer than 740 hours. The 740-hour requirement will apply to school years beginning with 2008-09. All prior years' service will be counted for health care premium purposes, regardless of the number of hours worked. For those years that a member worked less than 740 hours, the member will be given pro-rated credit. For example, if a member worked a total of 370 hours in a year, he or she would be given one-half of a year's service credit for health care purposes.
The changes affect only the amount of the premiums to be paid, not who is or is not entitled to participate in the health insurance program. In July 2008, employers will be required to start reporting hours paid each month as part of the monthly payroll reporting process.
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