The Word from CSEA

Columbus State Education Association Newsletter of October 1, 2007

WELCOME TO NEW FULL-TIME FACULTY

CSEA welcomes new full-time faculty colleagues who have been hired for the new academic year: Lisa Briggs (Business Management/Prison Programs), Melinda Cooksey (Biological & Physical Sciences), Julie Cronk (Biological & Physical Sciences), Katherine Fernandez (Social & Behavioral Sciences), Rebecca Fleming Safa (Communication Skills), Sue Hargrove (Developmental Education/Math), Adam Keller (Biological & Physical Sciences), Cameron Kishel (Developmental Education/Math), Mark Koerner (Biological & Physical Sciences), Karen Krimmer (Hospitality Management), W. Daniel McDonald (Human Services), Scott Millsap (Communication Skills), Margaret Owens (Construction Management), Michelle Persinger (Mathematics), Dan Schmidt (Computer Information Technology), Fauna Stout (Medical Assisting), and William [Gene] Strickland (Marketing).

We look forward to your active participation in your faculty association.

REMINDERS RE: OFFICE HOURS AND REASSIGNED TIME

Full-time faculty by contract must keep 10 office hours: 7 that are posted and kept during specific times and 3 that can be flexibly scheduled. These 3 hours do not have to be posted since they allow for online availability from home as well as adapting to the changing needs of students.

Also, faculty with reassigned time for work as program coordinators, lead instructors, or special project activities are not required to post reassigned hours. These reassigned hours demand constant activity that often can not take place in the office. In addition, for each hour of reassigned time that a faculty member receives, s/he may reduce weekly office hours by ½-hour as well as weekly Mission and Learning Support time by ½-hour.

If you have questions about these issues, contact your Association Representative (see list below) to discuss the matter.

MEMBER MEETING

There will be a CSEA member meeting on Thursday, October 25, at 3 PM in a meeting room to be determined.

Agenda items will include adoption of the annual budget; election of Association Vice-President and Parliamentarian, half of our Association Representatives (stewards), and 3 delegates to the OEA Representative Assembly; voting on an amendment to the CSEA Constitution; and preliminary discussion of proposals for contract negotiations next spring.

We encourage all members, and especially new members, to attend if possible. The meeting should last about an hour.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE FORMING FOR ELECTIONS

The Nominating Committee for candidates for the positions noted above is forming now. Committee members will solicit prospective candidates as well as accept self-nominations before presenting members with a slate of candidates later this month.

Contact Mary Morgan at x5768 if you are interested in serving your Association in any capacity.

Article VI, Section 2.3 of the CSEA Constitution, as amended by members last year, provides that members unable to vote during poll hours when elections are held may use absentee ballots. More information will be forthcoming.

SPECIAL PAY-HEALTH CARE

Faculty members employed Spring Quarter but who did not work Summer Quarter should look for an additional $500 line item on their October 15 pay vouchers. This amount was included as part of negotiations in 2004 and is intended to offset increases in health care premiums. Faculty who worked Summer Quarter should have seen this additional pay on their July 15 pay voucher. If you have questions about this aspect of your July 15 or October 15 pay, contact your Association Representative.

BOARD ACTION ON CAMPUS POLICE FIREARMS

At its meeting last Thursday, the Board of Trustees voted to begin a screening, training and qualifying process that will lead to campus police carrying firearms in the future. The Fraternal Order of Police, which represents the College's 16 sworn officers in collective bargaining, had worked with the Board for many months on the issue.

UPCOMING CHANGE IN PAY SCHEDULE FOR SUPPLEMENTAL CONTRACTS AND ADJUNCT FACULTY PAY

A change in pay processes will affect adjunct faculty and full-time faculty being paid for supplemental /overload contracts beginning this quarter.

On the recommendation of a committee comprised of faculty, staff, and department chairs, Dr. Moeller approved a change in the pay schedule last spring.

Historically, adjunct faculty 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 faculty survey issued Spring Quarter, a committee recommended that, effective Autumn Quarter 2007, adjunct faculty who have taught the preceding quarter will receive their pay in 6 pays beginning on October 31 (Autumn Quarter), January 31 (Winter Quarter), or July 31 (Summer Quarter). In Spring Quarter of each academic year, pay will be issued in 5 pays beginning on the last day of April, with the final pay for Spring Quarter issued on June 30.

Adjunct faculty (and full-time faculty on 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 possible 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. Adjunct faculty members should consider the tax implications of having less tax withheld and consider making adjustments in their IRS W-2 deductions with the Payroll office.

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