TCNJFT - Local 2364
Minutes - General Membership Meeting - Wednesday, April 2, 2003 - 3:30 to 5 pm
The meeting was called to order by President
Edelbach at 3:30 pm.
Approximately 36 people were in attendance.
1. President’s Report – Reviewed minutes of
October 2, 2003 general membership meeting
Motion to approve made by Harry Hess, seconded by Joe Ellis - Approved
unanimously
2. Membership Report - John Krimmel reported on membership status. Report in membership packet
3. Treasurer’s Report – President Edelbach
reported treasurer Jose Valentin is not on campus today.
Treasurers report in meeting packet
4. Grievance Report – Grievance Officer Tony Evangelisto reported no grievances being processed at this time
5. Adjunct Faculty Report- President
Edelbach reported Glen Goldberg is replacing Carol Zetterberg as
Adjunct Faculty Representative until elections are held next month.
6. Local’s Newsletter - President Edelbach reported that the current edition was distributed on paper in an abbreviated form with the full text version posted on our website.
7. Old Business -
President Edelbach printed summary of meeting with Provost Briggs – (See newsletter) Budget is a major impediment to implementing plan. After finally receiving Briggs proposal – administration cannot agree to anything now since budget is in limbo. New FT employees would have to be here for 5 years before being eligible under their plan. Faculty being hired from a position where they have tenure and executive staff officers would be eligible from TRP immediately. All TRP students would have to meet “normal” admission standards. There would be no “automatic” admission plan (courtesy admission plan) for employees as currently exists. Steve Briggs position: Residential beds and most academic program are filled. If we take TRP students we are eliminating a tuition paying one, which would have a negative impact on the budget.
We need to know approximately how many employees might have dependents eligible for this program. Survey of unit will be conducted: Sample questions: Do you have a child here? Was child a “normal admit” or courtesy admit? Steve Briggs believes this effects only 8 employees until budget is form – not able to make decision. Budget to be voted at BOT in May. President Edelbach to post Steve Briggs’ counter proposal on Local’s web site.
Overload Issue – Will overload and adjunct faculty be discontinued? College cannot entirely eliminate overload – courses need to be covered. There will be a review for “alternate assignment time” for administrative duties some time soon according to the Provost. Less time allocated for overload
“Will overload be based on anything over 18 hours or 24 hours?” Overload is based on work above the “normal” 24 hours per year. The Administration has stated that a “normal load” load under the transformed curriculum will be 18 hours per year with 6 hours of “alternate assignment time” for all FT faculty.
Question: Doesn’t that mean that every professor on normal load will be teaching overload? Each 3 credit course becomes 4 credit?” Edelbach – No, normal load is still 24 hours, 18 teaching and 6 AA. If you teach above 18 hours, you will be compensated according to the overload formula as is the case now.
Question: Is everything negotiated locally? Edelbach: Some things are governed by our master agreement/contract. It states that the teaching obligation for FT faculty is 24 credit hours per year: College is willing to state basic load will be 18 credit hours.
Comments: Faculty
should be alarmed concerning this new curriculum.
Students will pay for 4 hours and show up for 3 hours. Faculty will have many
more hours. Professors will be forced do drop extra assignments. Students
will give poor evaluations. “A travesty.” BOT trusts whatever the
administration tells them. We are very valuable. This will change students
experiences.
How will education majors be certified? Educational Foundation courses will have a field experience. CFA document has wrong information. Student teaching loads based upon visitation (.15 per visit) CFA document says nursing faculty can visit hospital 6 times during semester. Students practice nursing under faculty license. Faculty responsible for all patient care student performs in hospital. Faculty are with students during entire clinical day not just 6 times a semester.
Will get fewer courses in History Department. I don’t mind change but I don’t know whether my students will do more. We sent information to the CFA committee we can’t rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic anymore. School of Education programs certifie4d by NCATE. “Trust us we are so elite that NCATE will go along with us.
AFT survey on transformed curriculum has been sent to all faculty, FT, PT and AF. Names must be signed on outer envelope or survey will not be counted. Voting process will be clarified via e-mail by President Edelbach.
Motion: Ed Rockel moved that “The Union protests the assertion of Provost Briggs that the transformed “teaching load for FT faculty will be 18 (contract says 24) teaching contact hours. We demand a written statement from Provost Briggs that teaching under the transformation will really be equivalent to the current 24 teaching credit hours.” Seconded by Joe Ellis
Discussion: President Edelbach – This motion cannot bind Local to any action relative to contractual matters. Negotiations and ratification only way that can be done. Motion is not clear.
Considerable discussion attempting to clarify intent of motion and what it might achieve.
Motion restated a few times in response to inquires.
Call for question - 23 yes 3 no Question is called
Vote on motion - 21 yes 7 no 2 abstentions Motion passes
Ed Rockel was asked to provide clearly written copy of motion to secretary
President Edelbach asked for volunteers to help tally surveys. Time and place to be announced.
8. New Business – postponed to next meeting
9. Meeting adjourned at 5 pm
Respectfully submitted by Roseann Conway, Secretary
Y:msword/aft/GeneralMembership/gm-040203.doc.