Bristol Community College Council

A Chapter of the MCCC

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March 28th Minutes

03-28-2022

70 members

  1. Update on MCCC election (Emily)
    1. 13% Turn Out
    2. Pres, VP, Secretary Delegate at large
      1. MCCC President: Claudine Barnes
      2. MCCC Vice President: Joe Nardoni
      3. MCCC Secretary: TIE!!!  VOTE FOR COLLEEN.  BOLO for the new election communication, which will be coming soon in mail.  Election period April 1 – April 24
      4. DCE At Large: Paul Johansen, Mark Linde
  2. DCE TA results (Catherine)
    1. Passed with 98% of the vote
    2. More votes cast in this ratification than election. Food for thought.
  3. Meeting Modality for Fall – Action (Emily)
    1. Strategies?  We have 12 pages of comments about keeping some meetings online. We brought this up at MACER, but Suzanne said that she wanted to keep things as is and will reassess in fall.
    2. Survey for faculty and staff AND AFSCME?
      1. Followed by a petition
    3. Member comments:
      1. Is there a way to compare attendance to meetings before Covid
      2. Also, could we assess cost to travel?
      3. Could survey include list of meetings and their modalities?
      4. Transportation to and from Bristol 70% of carbon emissions produced by the college
      5. Admin complains of engagement in virtual meetings
      6. Are attendees in f2f meetings engaged?
      7. Stakeholders were not consulted in these decisions—top down
      8. Was there feedback from March professional day? Letter for how we should engage…
      9. Many screens off at opening day; less at professional day
      10. Cost of opening and professional days is very expensive, esp. with meals (heat, etc.)
      11. Numbers and feedback have been much better virtual; reviews show more engagement virtual   
      12. FYI: Meetings that will remain virtual:
        1. All College
        2. Assessment Day
        3. March PD Day
        4. Councils/CGC
        5. NECHE
      13. Meetings that will be Face-to-Face:
        1. Opening Days
        2. Bristol EXP Day
        3. All Academic meetings
        4. All-SSEM meetings
        5. Academic Area meetings
        6. Department meetings
        7. Staff meetings
        8. Chairs/Coordinator meetings
        9. MACER meetings
  4. Grievance Report (Autumn)
      1. Distance ed. grievance
        1. Faculty paid for each modality
        2. Admin agreed to add summer work to
        3. Asked Joe Rizzo
          1. Enough grievances to last the rest of the year
      2. NUP appointments without searches
        1. Circumvented search process
        2. Management agreed to not do again
      3. Advisors not allowed on search
        1. Resolved: management changed decision
      4. Problematic Student Senate Proposal
        1. Students are able to make proposals that violate our contract, which we realized with a proposal regarding ASL 101 courses.
          1. That was Resolved at Step 1
          2. Kate O’Hara and Joe Di Maria are going to revise the process, among other remedies
        2. Reassigned Time/Job Descriptions
          1. 05 vs 20.06, but “other duties as needed”
          2. 06 program have outside accreditors or not
          3. All others are 20.05
          4. Management will write specific descriptions for each chair
          5. Departments should align with FT Seniority List, but that’s a problem
            1. Because do not match, which way to align?
          6. Renewable chairs/coordinators each year, no need to post
            1. Only fill when there is a vacancy
            2. If there are issues, please reach out to union leadership
  2. Reassigned time on E5 – disputed by management
              1. Statewide clear that E5 should have ALL service
              2. Account for 4 hours per week of college service and reassign time
              3. Management disagrees
                1. Argue only four hours of college service
  3. Conversations with people who were hired as coordinators (Johanna, Sandy, Priscilla, David, Carlos, Elizabeth)
    1. Working individually to resolve with management  
    2. For anyone else, taking it case by case.  Job descriptions should be no longer than before without more reassigned time. 
    3. Management said it should be a “Zero sum”
    4. Union maintains that is not what contract says
      1. Could be grieved in future if not resolved
    5. Member questions/comments
      1. Contract specifies those hired for coordinator of program or work areas
      2. Difference: outside accrediting agency
      3. One on one meetings: union filed a cease and desist order
        • Let union know if still happening
      4. Search committees for chairs or coordinators?
          • Programs: similar, but still chosen by department (nominated by president)
      5. What is the rationale for only faculty for some roles?
            • None that we know of; maybe has to do with reassign time
            • What will happen with NECHE service?
      6. What will happen with NECHE service?
            • NECHE is college service
            • Anything outside of teaching, advising, or prof staff duties is college service

MACER update (Emily and Colleen)

        1. Budget Update seemed bad (specifically 2024), Steve Kenyon will be presenting soon- YOU SHOULD ATTEND
        2. Vacant positions, moving AFSCME work to MCCC
          1. 22 positions vacant
          2. Management reports that enrollment is down so no new positions needed
          3. However, administrators up 5% since 2019
          1.  
        2. Full time faculty down 1% since 2019
        3. Full time professional staff up 10% since 2019 (depends on the department)
        4. DCE course offerings down 20% since 2019
        5. Brought up in-person/online meeting modalities (as reported above)
        6. Change of modality in response to safety (specific situation with student)
          1. If course needed to be moved, could be with agreement of faculty and students
  1. SSEM standing meeting (Emily, Colleen, Autumn, Amy)
    • . Meeting functions as a SSEM MACER – bring us your concerns
    • “Subordinates” on Search Committees- win for the Professional Staff, but will be a continued concern, rationale: internal candidate
    • Advising Assignments – in progress, concerns contact Joe Di Maria directly. 
      • What happened to our advisees
      • Joe—tried to use a computer program to assign advisees
      • Asked for patience and flexibility while they sort out
      • Faculty held harmless for low workloads
    • Weekly reports – never meant to be evaluative, tool to allocate resources, NECHE self study coming up and we need data for that
        1. Union asked for alternate way of collecting data
      1.  
  1. College Service options (Colleen)
    1. Default is 4 hours – faculty should look at their workload calculations
    2. College service is everything that’s not teaching, advising, and the things you do for reassigned time, e.g. department meetings, search committees, professional development, etc.
    3. April Lynch presenting at some other possibilities for college service upcoming meeting
  2. Call for volunteers (Emily and Colleen)
    1. MCCC annual meeting
    2. April 23rd
    3. Sign up by letting me know
    4. 23 Spots
    5. Need to know ASAP
    6. New Member Liaison to MTA
    7. Paid position $350
    1.  
        1.  
        1. Attend statewide meetings (Zoom)
        2. Share MTA information to members
        3. Nomination and election committee
        4. BrCCC Chapter Election Committee
          1. Need at least 3 members ASAP (Chair, 2 members)
        5. Open Positions
            1. Elected: 
              1. BrCCC Chapter President
              2. BrCCC Chapter Vice President
              3. BrCCC Chapter Treasurer
              4. BrCCC Chapter Secretary (Robyn is willing to run again)
              5. BrCCC DCE-At Large to the Executive Committee
            2. Appointed positions:
              1. BrCCC Director – Representative to the MCCC Board; BrCCC Grievance Coordinator (not elected); BrCCC Representative to the MCCC Professional Staff Committee (not elected); BrCCC Representative to the MCCC Adjunct Committee (not elected); BrCCC Representative to the MCCC Strategic Action Committee (not elected)
      1.  
  • This is your union. We have been honored to serve, but we ask you to step up. We will be here to support you, you won’t be alone. This is important work, and we need you to put your name forward for election. Please get in touch with any of us if you have questions regarding the duties of each position.
  • Emily is not running, Colleen can’t if she wins. Amy is not running again (though may run for professional staff rep). Colleen has been standing in for Shelly- but we need this position to fill. 
  • If we have no one step up, what happens?

Member concerns/questions 

  • Any date for college to let faculty know about “A” sections?
    • Must be notified by March 31 for fall semester

Need new member to sit on CGC; takes the place of council assignment; let Robyn Worthington know if you are interested