NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2005
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COLUMBUS STATE TRUSTEES CANCEL MEETING
AS FACULTY VOTE ON CONTRACT ISSUES
Within hours after students and faculty yesterday revealed plans for a march to the bi-monthly meeting of the Columbus State Community College Board of Trustees Thursday evening, administrators announced that the meeting was canceled.
In response to a noticeable decline in the level of service to students, members of the Columbus State Education Association (CSEA) and a number of students-some of whom are scholarship recipients-planned to march to the meeting and address the Board during the public participation portion of its agenda.
Comments would have noted continuing problems with the college's computer system that have affected registration and enrollment, elimination of the Strategic Enrollment Management office, and the college's disproportionate ratio of students to full-time faculty.
According to an administration source quoted in media reports, the cancellation was necessary because five Board members would not be able to attend the meeting.
However, according to CSEA President Steve Abbott, an ex-officio member of the Board, when eight of the nine Board members attended last Thursday's meeting of the Committee of the Whole at which the Board discussed the proposed agenda, no members expressed any scheduling conflicts for this Thursday's meeting.
"It's difficult to believe that Board members could find other things to do than hear directly from students the concerns they have about the current situation at Columbus State," Abbott said. "This excuse doesn't pass the smell test, especially since the agenda included an executive session to discuss contract negotiation issues."
The cancellation announcement came as faculty met to discuss and vote to accept or reject a "last/best/final offer" from the Board to settle negotiations on a second contract between the union and the Board. The college's administration has said that it will implement its own terms on all outstanding issues if teachers do not accept the ultimatum by this Friday.
Negotiators for the trustees broke off talks during mediation with a State Employment Relations Board mediator September 2, refusing to discuss two new proposals from the Association, which represents the college's 258 full-time faculty.
CSEA negotiators have recommended that faculty reject the Board's threat.
"If the Board intends to unilaterally impose terms rather than negotiate in good faith, it will have to live with the consequences," Abbott said.
Support staff from the Ohio Education Association will be on the downtown campus September 27 and 28 to meet with faculty and discuss issues related to any work stoppage.
Columbus State begins classes for its Autumn Quarter today.