Soundings Volume 41 Number 3 June 13, 2014 In This Issue June 13, 2014 Volume 41 Number 3 “President Campbell, Vice-President Stevens, Senator Cantwell, Members of the Board, my beloved colleagues, our indispensable college staff, distin- guished guests, families, friends, and most importantly: the graduating stu- dents of Shoreline Community College on this our 50 th commencement cere- mony. Greetings! I would first like to take the opportunity to congratulate all the parents, friends, and loved ones here today. I know how proud you must be on this wonderful occasion. My wife and I will experience this same pride next Sat- urday when our son Andrew graduates from Western Washington University in Bellingham. I suspect that many of you here today are first generation college students like Senator Cantwell and me. I also know how it feels to be the first person in your family to go to college. Thirty-seven years ago I decided that I liked college so much that I never left. These robes don’t quite conceal that in college I also discovered pizza and beer. But most importantly, it was also in college that I found my passions, my lifelong friends, and an enduring sense of community. The word college itself encompasses the idea of community: In ancient Rome a collegium was a club or society, a group of people living together under a common set of rules (con- = "together" + leg- = "law" or lego = "I read"). The word has come to mean a body of scholars and stu- dents within a university. It is important for all of us here today to remember that no one here made it to this graduation ceremony on their own efforts alone. Throughout our lives we are supported and encouraged by those around us. Our teachers, our friends, our families, and yes, even the taxpayers of the nation and the state of Washington, not present here today, made this joyous occasion possible. (continued on page 4) Commencement: 50th Anniversary Calendar President’s Log 2 Let’s Talk Guns 3 Faculty Address (cont.) 4 Dr. Cheryl Roberts Interview 5 Commencement Montage 6 Community Read 10 PT Unemployment Benefits 11 Retiring Faculty begins on 13 WA Math Conference 15 SCCFT Election Results 16 SCCFT Membership Form 17 AFT WA Volunteer Form 18 Professional Development 19 SCCFT Local 1950 Resolution on GED Fairness 20 Don’t Third-Party the Union 24 UW ELF Talks Break Down 25 AFT Scholarship 25 AFT WA Electoral Program 26 SCCFT Executive Board 28 June Board of Trustees Meeting Wednesday, June 25, 4:00 pm Transcript of the June 8, 2014 Faculty Commencement Address given by Terry L. Taylor, Professor of History, Political Science, and International Studies
Transcript
Soundings
Volume 41 Number 3 June 13, 2014
In This Issue
June 13, 2014 Volume 41 Number 3
“President Campbell, Vice-President Stevens, Senator Cantwell, Members
of the Board, my beloved colleagues, our indispensable college staff, distin-
guished guests, families, friends, and most importantly: the graduating stu-
dents of Shoreline Community College on this our 50th commencement cere-
mony. Greetings!
I would first like to take the opportunity to congratulate all the parents,
friends, and loved ones here today. I know how proud you must be on this
wonderful occasion. My wife and I will experience this same pride next Sat-
urday when our son Andrew graduates from Western Washington University
in Bellingham.
I suspect that many of you here today are first generation college students
like Senator Cantwell and me. I also know how it feels to be the first person
in your family to go to college. Thirty-seven years ago I decided that I liked
college so much that I never left. These robes don’t quite conceal that in
college I also discovered pizza and beer. But most importantly, it was also in
college that I found my passions, my lifelong friends, and an enduring sense
of community.
The word college itself encompasses the idea of community:
In ancient Rome a collegium was a club or society, a group of people living
together under a common set of rules (con- = "together" + leg- = "law"
or lego = "I read"). The word has come to mean a body of scholars and stu-
dents within a university.
It is important for all of us here today to remember that no one here made it
to this graduation ceremony on their own efforts alone. Throughout our lives
we are supported and encouraged by those around us. Our teachers, our
friends, our families, and yes, even the taxpayers of the nation and the state
of Washington, not present here today, made this joyous occasion possible.
(continued on page 4)
Commencement: 50th Anniversary
Calendar
President’s Log 2 Let’s Talk Guns 3 Faculty Address (cont.) 4 Dr. Cheryl Roberts Interview 5 Commencement Montage 6 Community Read 10 PT Unemployment Benefits 11 Retiring Faculty begins on 13 WA Math Conference 15 SCCFT Election Results 16 SCCFT Membership Form 17 AFT WA Volunteer Form 18 Professional Development 19 SCCFT Local 1950 Resolution
on GED Fairness 20 Don’t Third-Party the Union 24 UW ELF Talks Break Down 25 AFT Scholarship 25 AFT WA Electoral Program 26 SCCFT Executive Board 28
June Board of Trustees Meeting
Wednesday, June 25, 4:00 pm
Transcript of the June 8, 2014 Faculty Commencement Address given by
Terry L. Taylor, Professor of History, Political Science, and International Studies
Seventh, the Federation is working with the administration
to restore program chair and department chair release time
that was lost during previous budget cuts. The workload for
program and department chairs is unsustainable at current
release time levels. The administration has agreed to re-
view release time for program and department chairs
across campus and make adjustments where needed.
Eighth, although the position announcement was not yet
available at press time, the administration has agreed to
restore funding for a Faculty Professional Development
Officer. This position has not been filled since 2008, which
has resulted in a loss of administrative focus on faculty pro-
fessional development needs and a lack of opportunities
for faculty professional development both on and off cam-
pus. The restoration of this position will allow Shoreline to
participate in a proposed 5-Star Consortium faculty learn-
ing community on faculty professional development. Look
for a position announcement soon and consider applying.
As we move into a new academic year, the College will see
administrative changes that will offer additional opportuni-
ties for the Federation to work with the administration in
positive directions. Incoming President Dr. Cheryl Roberts,
who graciously accepted an invitation to respond to written
questions from Soundings editor Mike Wood (see interview
on page 5), has indicated her intention to work with the
Federation to address issues such as the stagnation of
faculty salaries.
A search for a new Vice President for Academic and Stu-
dent Affairs (VPASA) is underway with the College antici-
pating a hire by January 1, 2015. Beginning July 1, 2014,
the Interim VPASA position will be filled by Professor of
Economics and Acting Dean of Social Sciences Robert
Francis. Dean Francis’s experience as a tenured faculty
member, as a Federation member, as a dean, and as an
administrative representative on JUMC suggest that he will
be active in moving the Office of Instruction forward to ad-
dress issues and concerns raised by the Federation.
I look forward to working with Interim President Daryl
Campbell and Interim VPASA Bob Francis over the sum-
mer to assure a smooth transition during the next six
months to a new College administration that will work pro-
ductively with the Federation to support faculty success in
their efforts to support student success.
Another week, another shooting on a student campus. No exaggeration.
On June 10th, President Obama said, “My biggest frustration is that this society hasn’t been willing to take some basic steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who can do damage. We’re the only developed country where this happens. And it happens weekly. Our levels of gun violence are off
the charts.”
Shoreline Community College is talking about guns. Well, no, not exactly. But we should be.
What, exactly, should our campus be talking about: That SCC is the only school in the SBCTC system with-out a weapons policy? That so many campuses are experiencing gun violence? That we need a response
plan if someone starts firing a gun? Something else?
We need a conversation. Every campus needs to begin a discussion about weapons, about guns. About
building community and feeling safe. About the needs and concerns of everyone in the community.
My first awareness that students were permitted to carry guns on the SCC campus was when a Vet advised me that he was wearing a gun because he could succeed as a student only if he felt safe as he sat against
the wall in a corner with his gun. (Yes, he said, Security knows.) So it's complicated.
I don’t begin to say that I have any answers. I only propose that we—every campus—begin a dialogue. About fear. About how to handle conflict. About what to do if the next campus to experience a shooting
is your own.
Let’s Talk About Guns Sarah Zale, Associate Faculty English [email protected]
50th Anniversary Commencement address (continued from page 1)
My success in college and in life is the direct result of
all those who helped me along the way. Even people
who I will never meet or know directly helped me
and you to get here.
One of those people, who helped me and you, was
Senator Ralph Yarborough (D) of Texas, the only sen-
ator from the deep south to vote for the Civil Rights
act of 1964 (which is also having its 50th anniversary
this year). Six years earlier, Sen. Yarborough’s first
legislative victory in the other Washington was pas-
sage of the National Defense Education Act of 1958
(the same year that Senator Cantwell and I were
born, she in Indiana and I in Ohio).
In adopting that legislation, the Federal Government
for the first time in history supported the principle
that it should contribute to the expanding higher ed-
ucation system by making loans and grants available
to colleges and their students. I was one of those stu-
dents. I couldn’t have gone to college, and wouldn’t
be here today, without this act of Congress. Senator
Cantwell was also the first in her family to graduate
from college with the help of Pell grants named for
Sen. Claiborne Pell (D) of Rhode Island.
As an undergraduate, at Austin College in Texas, I
had a chance to meet Sen. Yarborough after his re-
tirement from the Senate when he gave a very spirit-
ed account of how he was able to pass the student
loan bill in 1958 by including the phrase “National
Defense” in the title. “In those days,” he recalled,
“if you had National Defense in the title, no one
would even read the bill before enthusiastically vot-
ing for it.” After Cold War passions faded, Sen. Yar-
borough’s legislation later became known as the Na-
tional Direct Student Loan program.
It would be remiss of me today not to note that
Washington as a state and the United States as a na-
tion seem to be retreating from the level of public
support for higher education that Senator Cantwell
and I benefitted from in the 1970s. This is a very dis-
turbing trend that we must all work to change. It is
important that you and other Washington college stu-
dents know that the unprecedented rise in tuition
you have experienced in the last few years is the di-
rect result of cuts in state support for higher educa-
tion, not the result of increases in the actual cost of
your education. We must strive to work together bet-
ter for the benefit of us all if we are to continue to
open opportunities for all students—first, second,
and third generation.
In closing, this academic year has been one of tre-
mendous and heart wrenching loss for the faculty
here at Shoreline. We lost our Erin, our Troy, our
Phyllis, our Karen, and our Marty. All of them left us
much too soon. But we can all take comfort and find
support in our collegium, our college, our communi-
ty. I know that their contributions will live on here at
the college and in the lives of the thousands of stu-
dents they touched.
I ask, as you celebrate here today, that you remem-
ber all those in your lives, even the people you don’t
know personally, who have made your future so
bright. Congratulations to you, our 50th graduating
class!”
_______________________________________
1. OED > college (n.) "body of scholars and students within a university," late 14c., from Old French college "collegiate body" (14c.), from Latin collegium "community, society, guild," literally "association of collegae" (see colleague). At first mean-ing any corporate group, the sense of "academic institution" at-tested from 1560s became the principal sense in 19c. via use at Oxford and Cambridge. 2. Senator Cantwell Press Release July 20, 2007, “With the help of federal Pell Grants, Sen. Cantwell was also the first member of her family to graduate from college.” http://www.cantwell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=45e2cf4f-511f-4be3-b511-f7c69bc4294b
Dr. Roberts, What do you see as a significant challenge facing you as
you begin your new leadership role at Shoreline Community College?
“There are many significant challenges facing higher education as its serves the needs of students as they find their success in a changing world. Shoreline will face these challenges along with the rest of higher education if we are to be rel-evant in our students’ educational lives. How we address those challenges is the real question. I believe that there is strength in numbers, that if we approach challenges together, with a unified sense of purpose and clear goals, we have a
better chance of helping our students succeed.
“By helping our students find success, we find it for ourselves. I am fortunate to have come from a strong family and learned the lessons of what can be achieved in such a supportive setting. I’m looking forward to
becoming a member of the Shoreline family and continuing to build on that sense of support and success.”
Shoreline has the lowest associate faculty pay in the state. In your experience, how can issues of
equity for associate faculty be more adequately addressed?
“Compensation is an issue that impacts all employees. The fundamental societal contract regarding all public education has been eroding for decades and was just accelerated by the economic crisis starting in 2008. I do
believe that the strain for all employees – and therefore the system – is unsustainable.
“This not just a Shoreline issue. My intent is to work closely with the Federation and the community of facul-
ty to address issues of compensation.”
What would you like to work toward as a legacy from your tenure as President of Shoreline Commu-
nity College? What would you like to accomplish as President in the next three years?
“As an educator, any question about legacy is answered by the success of our students. I do believe that set-ting goals and then working to achieve those goals is a powerful beginning. I look forward to joining the con-versations with the faculty and staff at Shoreline to build on our history of quality and academic rigor know-ing together we can help our students be as successful along their academic journey. If we can do that to-
gether, then it won’t be what I accomplish in the next three years, it will be what we all accomplish.
“Thanks for the opportunity to share my thoughts…I look forward to joining Shoreline in mid-August!”
(Image courtesy of Chemeketa Community College )
Sounding Board: Views from our new president
In June, 2013, former President Lee Lambert left Shoreline for the chancellor position at Pima Community Col-lege in Tucson, Ariz. In August of 2014, the College’s fiftieth anniversary year, Dr. Cheryl Roberts of Chemekta Community College will assume office as the new president of Shoreline Community College. Dr. Roberts took
time from her busy transition schedule to answer a few questions for the faculty readers of Soundings.
6
Commencement: 50th Anniversary June 8, 2014
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8
9
Commencement:
50th Anniversary
June 8, 2014
Commencement photography cour-
tesy of the Shoreline Community
College Public Information Office
10
Members of the SCC community recently fin-
ished the first Between the Lines Community Read of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. This book was well received on campus by faculty, administrators, staff, and students who participated in activities that raised our awareness about the life of Henrietta Lacks, her family, and the “untold story of how her cells were taken without her knowledge and have become one the most important tools in medicine.” Between the Lines, which is organized by the Center for Equity and Engagement (CEE), is sponsoring a second campus community read for Fall and Winter quarters 2014 – 2015. Based on input from the Equity and Social Justice faculty (ESJ) and support from the first Between the Lines Community Read book group, we are recom-mending that the campus community adopt Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi as part of their reading selection. Coming of Age in Mississippi offers opportunities to talk about race, gender, and social class within the context of the Civil Rights movement and, particu-larly, the work to establish voting rights for every-one in the American South and, by extension, the nation. All of these topics have resonance and rele-vance to issues in the news today. Additionally, this book provides a learning oppor-tunity that will shed light on the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Voting Rights Act and the Mississippi Free-dom Summer. These pivotal moments in our national history are worth remembering, if only to remember and honor those who were killed in racial violence
that summer, and understand the progress that has been made. We would like as many faculty and staff as possible to read Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississip-pi. Additionally, we would like faculty to select this book as a required or recommended course reading for next year. Currently four faculty members will be using the text either Fall or Winter quarters. This is not a new book—it was first published in 1968 and it tells the story of the Civil Rights movement through the eyes of Anne Moody, the daughter of sharecroppers who grew up in Mississippi in 1950s, and her growing involvement, as a student activist, first with the NAACP and then with CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). Moody’s autobiographical story comes to an end in May or June 1964 (50 years ago), just as civil rights workers headed to Mississippi to organize black vot-ers during Mississippi Freedom Summer. In Fall 2014, we plan to form a Between the Lines Committee that will help to develop processes, pro-cedures, and opportunities related to future Com-munity Reads. Please consider joining. Additionally, please let me know if you would be in-terested in participating in the Community Read of Anne Moody’s Coming Age in Mississippi – Fall or Winter 2014-15 ([email protected]). (More information here: http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-comingagemississippi/.)
Community Read: Coming of Age in Mississippi Yvonne Terrell-Powell Director Equity, Engagement & Counseling Services, and High School Programs [email protected]
SOUNDINGS: Available by email delivery
SCCFT Local 1950 now has a Soundings email address to facilitate electronic distribution of this online
news source. To receive a link to Soundings directly in your personal email inbox, please send a message
from your personal email account to [email protected] with the subject line SOUNDINGS. We can
send direct links only to personal email accounts, not to shoreline.edu accounts.
As a part-time instructor in the community and technical colleges, when might I be eligible for unemployment benefits?
During a quarter in which you are not employed, or have a reduced workload.
During the summer if you are not employed (See 9-month and 12-month designation for more infor-mation).
During breaks between quarters if you have no guarantee of employment (reasonable assurance) in the upcoming term.
What is “reasonable assurance?” It’s easier to say what it’s not.
It is not simply a work history showing ongoing employment at a college.
It is not an offer of work conditioned on enroll-ment, funding or program changes.
It is not a promise of work in which there is no contractual language to back up the offer with some sort of guarantee of work/salary.
Am I draining money from the budget of my pro-gram if I collect unemployment benefits?
Absolutely not. Colleges get a specific allocation from the state to cover unemployment claims. If they don’t spend all of the money paying claims, they keep the extra and use it as they wish.
How do I know if I am eligible for unemployment benefits?
There isn’t a short answer for this. Read the en-tire section about this for complete information on “your base year.” Include all employment you have. There is a formula to help determine the total number of hours worked in your teaching position, not just class contact hours If you still fall short of the required number of hours, and you can document that you work more than this, do so. Working an average of 50% workload for 3 quarters a year should be enough to qualify.
Combine hours from all jobs worked, even from other states.
Can I open an unemployment claim and then go on vacation?
To collect benefits, you must file on a weekly basis, do a job search, be available to work, and be able and willing to work. If you cannot fulfill these requirements, simply report the infor-mation during your weekly claim. (They ask if you were available for work.)
How can I do a serious job search when there are few colleges with job openings and no work dur-ing quarter breaks?
To be eligible for unemployment benefits, an individual must be actively seeking work and im-mediately available to accept work. Contact with an employer that an individual knows is not hiring does not count as a valid job search con-tact. Normally, individuals are not required to look for work outside of their normal occupa-tion. But if that work is not available, they are required to look for other work that they have the physical and mental ability to perform. To be specific, if work as an instructor is not available during the summer, the individual needs to wid-en his or her job search to other occupations for which he or she is reasonably suited. It is also not acceptable for individuals to limit themselves to applying for work that begins in the next academic year (normally fall term). In Arima v. Employment Security, 29 Wn. App. 344, 628 P.2d 500 (1981), the Washington Supreme Court ruled that individuals who restrict their job search in this manner are not "available for work" as required under the unemployment ben-efit statutes. Finally, our WorkSource Offices are valuable re-sources in assisting individuals find work. If the individual applies for or is referred to a spe-cific job opening, that qualifies as a job
Q&A: Unemployment Benefits for Part-time Faculty Annette Stofer AFT Seattle Local 1789 AFT Local President, South Seattle College
12
search contact. If the individual attends a work-shop administered by the WorkSource Office, that qualifies as a "documented in-person job search activity" and can be counted toward the required three weekly activities.
There are additional services and resources available at the WorkSource Offices. Staff can tell individuals whether they qualify towards meeting the weekly job search requirements.
How does a 9-month or 12-month designation for my college affect my ability to collect benefits?
A 9-month designation means that summer is considered a vacation, not another term. To qualify for benefits during summer at a 9-month college, you need to have NO reasonable assur-ance of employment in the fall quarter. If you have an offer that is “contingent on enrollment or program needs,” you DON’T have reasonable assurance.
If I qualify for benefits in summer, how long should I continue to file my weekly claims and expect to receive benefits?
File until you return to work. Your benefits should continue throughout the entire period that you are unemployed. In the event that you aren’t employed in the fall term, keep your claim open and your benefits should continue uninterrupted.
After I open a claim, what happens?
Once you have opened a claim, either on-line or over the phone, you will receive mailings from Employment Security Department (ESD). An ear-ly mailing will be the “School Employee’s Ques-tionnaire.” The questionnaire does not always clearly relate to the situation of part-time col-lege faculty, so make this clear when you an-swer questions.
State that you are part-time and at which col-lege/s. State that you have no reasonable assur-ance of employment. Even if you have signed an offer of employment, if that offer is not a guar-antee and can be cancelled due to enrollment, funding changes or other factors, then you don’t have reasonable assurance.
Answer all questions honestly and clearly. A claim is good for one year. At the start of each claim year, there is a waiting week. You will not receive benefits during this week, but you must do the required job search. Each year, you must open a new claim, and each year there will be a waiting week. ESD will make a determination about your claim, either granting benefits or denying them on some basis.
If they deny your claim, read the denial careful-ly to determine whether they have inaccurate information about you. You have a right to ap-peal. When you file a claim, your college will be noti-fied. The HR department will supply information about your employment. They may challenge your claim to benefits. If you believe that the challenge is based upon inaccurate information or a claim that you have reasonable assurance that you don’t have, you have a right to appeal.
How do I appeal a denial successfully?
If you feel comfortable handing the appeal of your benefits by yourself, you have the right to do so. There may be union reps or colleagues who can support you in the effort.
You may contact the Unemployment Law Project for assistance. They may or may not be able to take your case.
Check out their website or call them at 206-441-9178. Call them sooner rather than later, as they prefer to take cases in the early stages of the appeal process.
What happens if I receive unemployment bene-fits, then lose on appeal, and am told to pay back the money that I received?
If you are able to repay the money, you should do so. If you are in a financial position where you are unable to pay back the money, inform ESD of this. The requirement to make repayment is waived in cases where it would be a hardship to the faculty member. There are cases where
Unemployment Benefits (continued from page 11)
13
ESD requires the college/s to repay the amount
out of the funds they get to cover unemploy-ment costs.
Unemployment benefits are a legal right. No one should feel guilty or hesitant about taking ad-vantage of this legal right.
Most part-time faculty in the state of Washing-ton are quarter to quarter employees with no guarantee of continued employment. Colleges could change this situation by giving part-time faculty multi-quarter contracts or some other type of job security, but they choose not to.
If your Collective Bargaining Agreement does not offer you reasonable assurance of continued employment, then you have a right to apply for and receive benefits if you can meet the eligibility requirements.
Learn more at:
http://tinyurl.com/k5n9kjz
Elizabeth Hanson Recognizes Donna Biscay
Donna Biscay is retiring and all of us in ESL wish her the best! She has graced our
ESL program for over 18 years and gave to us a wealth of information that has im-proved the teaching and learning of thousands of ESL students, both immigrant and
international.
Donna earned a BA degree in journalism from Western Washington U and she worked as a copy-editor for a trade journal. So, Donna came to us having been in business, which gave her a skill set, perspective and expertise in “the real world” which some of us lacked. When we would talk about EFF contexts or stand-ards, she was able to say “yay” or “nay” when it came time to creating authentic dialogs or information concerning the business workplace. Prior to becoming and ESL teacher, she also taught office skills at San-ta Barbara City College. I imagine that she caught the “teaching bug” from that job. Donna lived abroad in
Spain and Japan where she taught ESL before attending graduate school.
She graduated from the School of International Training (SIT) with her MA in ESL. SIT is probably the most forward thinking and innovative teacher training program in the world. She shared with us things she had learned there in terms of teaching and the power of self-reflection. I recall one of her special interests be-ing vocabulary and she brought to us the importance of referring to the Nation’s vocabulary list among oth-er lists and the do’s and don’ts of dictionary usage. I personally learned a great deal from Donna and will
miss her.
Finally, Donna took on the task of being our ESL department chair and has done a great job over the last two years. Everyone brings something different to this position and Donna brought a sense of order and procedure. She also hired an amazing cadre of associate faculty and saw us through the seas of expansion. She never showed the stress of what she had to endure wearing multiple hats on a daily basis. She led with grace. I think the universe puts the right person in the right place at the right time. And it didn’t miss a
beat with Donna.
(continued on page 14)
Honor Roll: Retiring Faculty Tributes to Transitioning Colleagues, 2013-14
in mathematics education, and many other topics in
both education and mathematics (e.g., The Art of
Mathematics, Trig Without Words).
Besides being a lead planner, Rosalie Tepper gave
three session presentations: Practices for Math
Learning Centers, The DTA Agreement and Pre-
College Math Options (with Bill Moore of SBCTC),
and Conference Planning Tips (with Steve Bogart and
Mike Nevins).
Shoreline mathematics professor Fred Kuczmarksi
wrote mathematically challenging problems for the
annual conference contest; after the contest, Fred
gave a session illustrating The Math Behind the Prob-
lems.
The conference has been held annually since 1969 although Shoreline has not been a host school since 1985. The mathematics department is proud of its work and very pleased to have organized a smooth confer-ence full of interesting presentations and excellent networking opportunities, including a dedicated conversation room. More information, including a conference program, is available at http://www.everettcc.edu/programs/math-science/mathematics/conference.
Math Department Co-Hosts Wenatchee Conference Steven Bogart, Professor of Mathematics, SCCFT Local 1950 Science Division E-Board Representative [email protected]
(left to right) Steve Bogart, Rosalie Tepper (Shoreline CC),
Heidi Weiss-Green (Everett CC), and Mike Nevins (Everett CC).
SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FEDERATION OF TEACHERS: Membership Form/Records Update
Home address will be used for election purposes. Personal email addresses will be used for distribution of Soundings,
the SCCFT 1950 newsletter, and for direct communication with the union.
I wish to become a member of the Shoreline Community College Federation of Teachers. I am willing to share in the
privileges and obligations of membership in the organization. This form guarantees voting rights with no additional
cost.
NAME PERSONAL PHONE ( )
HOME ADDRESS CITY ZIP
PERSONAL E-MAIL
DIVISION FT PT OFFICE PHONE
OFFICE ROOM NUMBER DEPARTMENT OR SUBJECT AREA(S) __________________________
SIGNATURE OF EMPLOYEE___________________________________________________
DATE_____________________
#1950 WFT/AFT/AFL-CIO ⋅ 2014 ⋅ Shoreline Community College ⋅ 16101 Greenwood Avenue North ⋅ Seattle, WA 98133 ⋅ USA
Honor Roll: Retiring Faculty Tributes to Transitioning Colleagues, 2013-14 (continued from page 14)
Marcia Liaw Recognizes Barbara Snow
Barbara was hired in 1991 as a full-time accounting instructor. She came highly recommended from
the University of Washington. She, along with Carla Hogan and Larry Packwood, were a great Accounting team. After having her son, Tyler, she taught for 8 years and then in 1999 decided to retire and spend more time with her family. She returned as an associate faculty in Business Technology to teach the CEO (Career Education Option) class and accounting classes. Barbara did an outstanding job with the CEO students. She was very dedi-cated and went the extra mile to help them succeed. The CEO office told BusTc when we started this class many years ago that 50% completion was considered really good success. Barbara exceeded that and often had 60-70% completion rate due to her dedication to teaching and to this student population. Actu-ally I think Barbara liked teaching these students because she could bring them “candy” in class. We of-ten would find candy wrappers in her office – she was a “closet” candy lady. Barbara also answered a question: What did you like best about teaching at Shoreline: Hands down, the people. I cherish them. Everyone is a person who puts a smile on my face when I think of them. I don't know, since I am adjunct now if I get to be a Professor Emeritus, but even if I don't, I'll be coming back to encourage the teachers and students at Shoreline the rest of my life.
Whereas, the General Educational Development (GED) test has been a time-honored method of granting High School Equivalency certification to generations of Americans who have not completed high school;
and
Whereas, high school dropout rates in the United States remain persistently high; and
Whereas, securing access to fair low-cost testing for High School Equivalency helps to reclaim the promise
of education in the United States; and
Whereas, tens of thousands of Americans have earned their High School Equivalency certificate, more commonly called the General Education Development certificate, each year by taking and passing a test
called the GED test; and
Whereas, having a high school diploma or passing the GED test is often a requirement in the United States
to become employed, attend college, and be eligible to receive financial aid; and
Whereas, Americans who have earned neither a high school diploma nor a GED certificate face increased
difficulties achieving their personal and career goals; and
Whereas, in January 2014, a new and dramatically more academically challenging GED test designed by a
for-profit corporation called Pearson VUE was introduced in the United States; and
Whereas, numerous states have adopted the Pearson VUE GED test as the sole test available for students
in those states earning a High School Equivalency certificate; and
Whereas, the pass rates for the new Pearson GED test are dramatically lower than the pass rates for previ-
ous GED tests; and
Whereas, taking the Pearson VUE GED tests costs students about twice as much as taking the old GED test;
and
Whereas, there is a fairer High School Equivalency test called the HiSET test that is normed to the abilities of graduating high school juniors and seniors in the United States and is available from the College of Edu-
cation at the University of Iowa; and
Whereas, taking the HiSET test costs students significantly less than taking the Pearson GED test; and
Whereas, the HiSET test has already been adopted as a High School Equivalency testing option in 12
States:
RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers and its affiliates fully support the restoration of fair-ness and hope for high school dropouts in every state through adoption of fair and cost-effective High
School Equivalency testing; and
RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers and its affiliates fully support allowing high school dropouts in every state the opportunity to use the non-profit IOWA HiSET High School Equivalency test to demonstrate their educational achievements rather than the for-profit Pearson VUE GED High School Equiv-
alency test.
Submitted to the American Federation of Teachers by Shoreline Community College Federation of Teachers Local 1950 (SCCFT Local 1950). Resolution adopted by SCCFT Local 1950 Executive Board on May 30, 2014.
AFT Resolution: Adopted by SCCFT Local 1950
“Reclaiming the Promise of GED Fairness in the United States”
21
Pam Dusenberry and Karen Kreutzer Recognize Diane
Clifford
Diane Clifford started at Shoreline 18 years ago in 1996. She liked teaching read-
ing/writing/grammar to immigrant students but she taught several quarters of the
higher levels, too. Diane was a lawyer before she returned to school to get her Mas-
ter's in ESL.
Diane was very active in the Union; she was VP for part-timers for several years, and
she was a negotiator on at least one contract. Diane was the driving force behind Af-
filiate status for part-timers. She also worked unceasingly for part-timers pay equity
and was responsible for the 12- step associate faculty schedule that mirrors the full-
timer faculty pay scale.
Diane lived in Italy for several years and maintains her Italian language. She loves Ital-
ian cinema—particularly any film featuring Marcello Mastroianni.
Ruth Duffy and Marcia Liaw Recognize Anita McEntyre
Anita graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a MBA. Before teaching, she
worked as a sales manager, a technical writer, and a 7th grade English teacher. She
came to Shoreline in 1996 and began teaching business math. Since then, Anita has
taught in numerous programs -- Business Administration, Business Technology and 50-
plus. She was also pivotal in the implementation and delivery of Shoreline’s IBEST
Office Technology Certificate program. Without a doubt, Anita has brought a high-
level of professionalism to the business programs at Shoreline.
For Anita, the most memorable moments are when every student is involved in the
lesson, and at the end, one of them says, “thank you.” One memorable student is
Lisa Hickey; she was always a stand out. What Anita has liked best about teaching at
Shoreline are the kind and dedicated co-workers.
When Anita is not teaching, she can be found enjoying her other passion – mu-
sic. Anita has been playing the violin for over 55 years, and the viola for 10 years.
Regularly performing with a piano trio throughout the greater Seattle area has ena-
bled her to stay connected with all the beautiful music written for the violin. Anita
says she is “looking forward to retirement, so she can play even more music!”
Anita will be missed by her students, faculty, and staff. She has helped provide a sol-
id foundation for learning in the Business Division. We will all miss her!
(continued on page 22)
Honor Roll: Retiring Faculty Tributes to Transitioning Colleagues, 2013-14 (continued from page 17)
Anita McEntyre
Diane Clifford
22
Alicia Zweifach Recognizes Jeanne Streick
Jeanne Strieck came to Shoreline Community College in 2004 and was awarded
faculty tenure as a Counselor in 2007. She provided Personal, Career, and Educa-
tional Counseling to students and taught Human Development classes through
Counseling Services where she served as lead counselor prior to retirement.
Jeanne has served on numerous college committees and provided consultation
and workshops for faculty regarding counseling and advising issues. She received
a B.A. in Music from the University of Washington in 1980 and her M.A. in Psy-
chology from Antioch University in 1987. Other designations she received in her
field include Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Approved Supervisor for Counse-
lors working towards Licensure in the State of Washington, and Jungian Psycho-
therapist. Prior to coming to SCC Jeanne had a counseling career that included
work in private practice, in agencies, and as a counselor at Bellevue Community
College. She is a loving mother and grandmother, enjoys the expressive arts,
outdoor activity, animals and is committed to working towards preserving our
beautiful planet.
Kathy Langer Recognizes Louise Lindenmeyer
Louise Lindenmeyer arrived at Shoreline in March 1972 with the opening of
the 3000 building to begin her 42 year career here! Her first assignment was with
seven different preps for physical education classes including gymnastics, mod-
ern dance, swimming, volleyball, body conditioning, life guarding, and water
safety instruction. She developed women’s sports clubs that transitioned into
Athletic sports programs for the College which included tennis, swimming, water
safety instruction, cross-country and down-hill skiing, and fitness, and she
coached our SCC Volleyball team.
Louise summed up her experience at Shoreline this way, “I’ve had a ball! I’ve
been delighted to have known so many students and been touched by their expe-
riences. I’ve enjoyed having multiple generations of families coming through my
classes. I’m lucky and blessed to have some phenomenal friends. My life at
Shoreline has been a study of persistence as we’ve weathered so many changes
here. I love this College!”
What’s next? Louise is soon leaving for a road trip on a National Parks tour in-
cluding Bryce and Yellowstone. In the fall she is heading for China to be part of a
movie production. She’ll also be busy refurbishing her new houseboat on Lake
Union.
(continued on next page)
Honor Roll: Retiring Faculty Tributes to Transitioning Colleagues, 2013-14 (continued from page 21)
Jeanne Strieck
Louise Lindenmeyer
23
Rachel David and Ernest Johnson Recognize Betsey Barnett
Betsey Barnett (center front) with her partner
George Meserve along with friends and colleagues
at a ceremony held May 30, 2014 to dedicate a tree
in Betsey’s honor on the Shoreline CC campus.
At a May 30 tree planting ceremony in her
honor, and later at an all-campus retirement
event, colleagues of Betsey Barnett spoke
about how her work at Shoreline influenced
and nurtured them.
At the tree planting event, Rachel David
(Gender & Women’s Studies) thanked Betsey
for being a great teacher and mentor. Rachel,
along with more than a few other Shoreline
faculty, staff, and administrators, enrolled in
Betsey’s multicultural studies courses and
took her diversity training to heart. Betsey’s
mentoring of fellow faculty included collabo-
rative work on best practices for online in-
structional pedagogy and course design as
well as multicultural content.
Aside from her teaching and mentoring abili-
ties, Rachel praised Betsey as a wonderful
mother to her son, Lucas Meserve. Betsey’s
colleagues watched Lucas grow into a fine
young man who combines his mother’s intel-
lect and multicultural competence with her
athleticism and adventurous spirit.
It is these qualities of athleticism and adven-
turousness that Ernest Johnson spoke of in his
tribute to Betsey at a June 9 all-campus
lunch. Ernest recounted Betsey’s years of bike
commuting, her two-year sailing adventure to
points south and back, her devotion to yoga,
and her love of kayaking. Neither rain, sleet,
snow, nor hurricane seems to deter Betsey
from her appointment with bike, water, yoga
mat, or wave—although it must be admitted
that she prefers sun and sand to fog and rain.
Her friends and colleagues at Shoreline wish Betsey well wherever her next journey takes her. Betsey’s
special gifts as a supportive teacher and mentor will be missed in her division and across campus. But as
she and her partner, George Meserve, head south to sunny Baja for further adventures, we can picture
Betsey kayaking, sailing, and biking in the sun, and smile.
24
(April 17, 2014) — When was the last time you heard
someone ask, “What does the union do for me?”
Pretty recently, I would bet and, if you’re like me, it’s not a question that makes you feel good about being a union supporter. If that question rubs you the wrong way, there’s a good reason for it. Think about what that
question assumes:
1) The role of a union is to do things for members.
2) Members judge their union based on what it does for
them as individuals.
3) Most importantly! THE union is an outside organiza-tion. It isn’t the employer, but isn’t the workers either.
It’s a third party in the employment relationship.
This is called “third-partying the union” and it’s some-thing that employers love to do. Especially when workers are trying to form a new union, employers will talk about how THE union will make it impossible for workers and employers to speak to each other directly; how THE un-ion just wants to take dues money from workers but can’t really help them; and how THE union is really just made up of a bunch of self-interested fat cats who want
to support their lavish life styles. Sound familiar?
Here’s the rub. When we let union members talk about THE union, we’re going along with how employers see unions. We’re letting union members “third party” their
own unions!
And what gets ignored? How about the fact that unions are democratic organizations where being a member means having a voice? How about the fact that unions are the only organizations that give workers equality with the employer in negotiation and enforcement of terms and conditions of employment? How about the fact that unions are often helping organizations that put on food drives and build wheelchair ramps? There are so many ways in which unions are supporting the quality of work-ing people’s lives in some obvious, and some more subtle ways, but you’d never know it when you start hearing
people talking about THE union.
So how do we get out of the trap of “third partying” THE
union?
Well, first of all, let’s talk about replacing the article with a pronoun. It’s not THE union — it’s OUR UNION. This simple shift in language shrinks the distance be-
tween the people and the organization. The members are their unions and we should use language that reflects
that.
Second, let’s think about analogies. One of the worst analogies for a union is the insurance company. What image does that conjure up? It’s a for-profit business that’s taking people’s money, whether there’s a problem or not, and might or might not be there to help if some-thing goes wrong. Who trusts an insurance company? In the relationship between you and your doctor, who gets to decide whether the care that you and your doctor both believe you need is going to get paid for? The insur-ance company! When you get in to an auto accident, who gets to decide whether you will come through it OK, or end up in bankruptcy without a car? The insurance com-
pany!
Why would we want our unions to be thought about in this way? Union contracts are not insurance policies and union dues are not insurance premiums. If you let people think this way, why shouldn’t they ask you, “What has THE union done for me lately?” (That’s a question I’d like
to ask about every insurance company!)
Then what happens when you ask them to step up and be active in support of their union? I bet a reply you would recognize goes, “Isn’t that what I pay my dues for, so someone else will do this for me?” And why shouldn’t they ask that if they are looking at union representatives and staff as insurance agents? That’s no way to build a
strong, worker-led, democratic organization.
Here’s an alternative analogy for you — the gym mem-bership. You can pay your gym membership month-in and month-out, but if you don’t work out, it’s not going to do
a damn thing for you.
We need active union members who are building power-ful collective bodies and minds. We need workers who claim their unions as positive and influential organiza-tions in their lives and their communities — and commit to fixing them when they don’t work the way they
should.
We don’t need THE union — THAT corrupt, ineffectual, politically motivated, out-of-touch organization that just takes our money. We need OUR UNIONS — healthy,
strong, and ready to win!
Sarah Laslett’s column — “A Working Education” — is a
regular feature of The Stand. Learn more about the La-
bor Center here.
Don’t third-party THE union… make OUR UNION stronger By Sarah Laslett, Director of the Washington State Labor Education and Research Center at
South Seattle College (article originally appeared in The Stand, April 17, 2014,
The application process for the 2014-2015 AFT Washington/Schwerin Campbell Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt Scholar-ships is under way! At least two $1,000 education scholarships are available to AFT Washington locals’ members in
good standing and their family members or dependents.
Our scholarships program began in 2006 when the principals of the Seattle-based labor law firm approached AFT Washington, asking us to partner with them to improve access to higher education and the awareness of labor rights among our members and their families. This is the ninth year of the cooperative program, with 27 students receiving
scholarships thus far. You can read more details here.
Qualified applicants must plan on attending an institution of higher education during the 2014-2015 academic year to earn a degree or credential at any level from associate to graduate. The scholarship application deadline is Friday, June 20, 2014. Eligibility requirements, application guidelines, and the scholarship application form can be down-
loaded from our website here.
For more information, or to receive application materials via mail or email, contact Christine Landon at 206-432-
2014/15 AFT Washington/Schwerin Campbell Bernard Iglitzen &
Lavitt Scholarship
June 12, 2014
Seattle – English Language Faculty at the University of Washington (UW) today announced talks have broken down again on their negotiations for a fair contract with the UW administration. After two weeks of progress, the sides are stuck over what amount of compensation will recompense these workers for the years of underpayment they have experienced. These faculty teach classes at the UW’s Educational Outreach International English Language
Program.
Historically this group’s starting salaries were less than the UW’s published minimum salary scale. Sometimes they did not receive the same raises as other employees. Their low wages subsidized their program by as much as
$200,000 a year.
According to AFT Washington president Karen Strickland, “It is unconscionable that after more than two years at the
table, the UW is unwilling to recognize and act on the value of these faculty, especially the most senior faculty.”
The International English Language Program is administratively top heavy with 33 budgeted positions in program administration. There are currently only 75 budgeted faculty positions, a ratio of nearly one administrative staff for every two faculty. Figures like these have been cited in recent studies to show where the hefty tuition increases of recent years in universities have gone. The UW negotiators say the program cannot afford higher increases than
they have already offered, while giving higher than normal raises to several administrators in the program.
“The administration chooses to spend a disproportionate amount of money on administrative costs and are wasting state resources by extending the negotiations process,” Strickland said. “One must question their commitment to
the public good in light of these circumstances.”
The Extension Lecturers are the only employee group at the UW which has not received a wage increase since 2008. Their increases are being held hostage in hopes of pressuring them to cave in to a less fair settlement than they de-
