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Volume IX |
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Number Four |
In This Issue:
On November 14, 1994, the MCCC Negotiating Team and the presidents agreed to a financial proposal to send to the governor.
Based on statistical information prepared by the MCCC and the MTA, a joint proposal incorporating a 14.6 percent increase over three years with an additional amount in the first year (less than 2.8%) to cover the cost of a compacted salary schedule. The package will include steps based on a satisfactory evaluation, base rate increases, and a compacted schedule. Team Chair Dennis Fitzgerald will be computing a new compacted salary schedule between the existing 28 steps and our demand of 15 steps to fit 1) the 14.6% increase, 2) the additional amount in the first year for the compacted schedule, and 3) a remainder for base rate increases.
Why 14.6%? Because when the teams reviewed the figures, it was 14.6% (after the schedule was compressed) that brought us up to the industrial states' averages. Though specific dates and details are yet to be finalized, it remains the position of the MCCC Team that this proposal is retroactive to July 1, 1993.
Dennis and Henry Stewart, the presidents' chief spokesperson, will be writing a document to be signed by the parties and submitted to the Higher Education Coordinating Council, Administration and Finance, and the governor.
It will be up to the MCCC and the membership to formulate a
political action strategy, with the presidents, to get the funding.
In May 1994 a report was issued from the National Commission of Time and Learning called Prisoners of Time. That report focused on American education and compared it to primarily Germany and Japan. The report asserted that the use of school time must be changed in order to improve public education.
In November 1993 the Massachusetts Board of Education established the Massachusetts Commission on Time and Learning. The purpose of the Commission is to provide the Board with recommendations that respond to portions of the [Massachusetts] Education Reform Act of 1993 which required the Board to review the quantity, quality, and adequacy of school time in Massachusetts.
In September 1994 the Commission issued its report. It recommended. That 181 days or 5 hour/day for elementary and 5.5 hours/day at the secondary level be maintained; however, those hours would be used only for instruction in core subjects (native language and literature, math, science, history, civics, geography, the arts, and second and third languages).
Though physical education would still be required and other categories of school time such as additional, non instructional programs like lunch, recess, passing time, and study halls would remain, the only way to accommodate them is through an extension of the average day.
Elimination of scheduled early release days. Professional development, as required by the Education Reform Act, would have to be done outside the extended school day.
These changes and others are to be put into effect for the 1996 school year. The Commission, however, recommended that the elimination of the early release days, a reduction of time allowed for early graduation, elimination of release time during examinations, discontinuance of counting study halls as instruction time, scheduling of additional time to accommodate delayed openings, and a limitation on the number of programs that pull students out of core activities would take effect during the 1995-1996 school year.
As part of the process public hearings were held after the release of the report. Thanks to the MTA, additional hearings were scheduled. The response was overwhelming. Superintendents school committee members, principals, teachers, and students sent a message to the Board of Education which outlined why this report was not well thought out. The Commission apparently felt that these changes could be implemented without consideration to who was going to pay for all the additional time.
The Commission is scheduled to make its final report to the Board of Education at its December meeting. The final recommendations are then scheduled to go the legislature for implementation in January, 1995. However, because of the breadth of the reactions, it appears that the final recommendations will be put on a slower track to provide the Board with more time to sort out the complexities of this issue.
What about higher education in all of this? When this report was
issued, it appeared that all business and vocational programs in high
schools were slated for elimination since the entire 5.5 hours in the
day had to be devoted to core subjects. Or, the only schools that
would have career subjects and programs would be the vocational or
technical schools. That was not the intent. It was another piece not
thought through completely, and it left people with the feeling that
career programs were doomed. Because this issue, among many others,
will be discussed again, colleges might consider sending a letter to
Commissioner Robert Antonucci at the Department of Education urging
him and the Board to maintain career programs in the high
schools.
Last year the MCCC Executive Committee voted to pursue a comparable work suit against the Commonwealth on behalf of the professional staff unit. The premise was that generally lower wages were paid to members of the professional staff as compared to the faculty .
In a recent letter to MCCC President Tom Parsons, Karen Shaffer Levy, at attorney with Betty Gittes (sex - equity suit attorney), wrote, "The critical elements underlying a comparable suit are that certain jobs are compensated at a lower pay rate than other jobs at the same place of employment even though the jobs being compared require substantially similar skill, effort and responsibility; the jobs being compared are (or were historically) segregated by gender; and women are found predominantly in the jobs which are lower paid and men are found predominantly in the jobs which are higher paid.
"At the community colleges, there is the perception that the
professional staff is (and has been) comprised primarily of women
whereas the faculty, which is more highly compensated than the
professional staff, is comprised of men and women...Given that the
comparable work concept relies on demonstrating sexually segregated
job classifications, the question we raised concerned the
applicability of the concept when the jobs being compared contained
primarily, but not exclusively, men or women". At the request of the
attorney, the MCCC collected historical data on sex distribution of
the faculty and professional staff positions in 1976 to see if the
professional staff jobs was more clearly a women's job and the
faculty position a man's job at that time The data revealed that
though there were more men faculty in 1976, the numbers show that
more men than women held professional staff positions (55% men 45%
women). As a result, Levy stated,.."the argument that the
professional staff position was historically a woman's job just does
not hold up and an argument cannot be made as to the present effects
of past discrimination. While a disparity may exist in the wages paid
to faculty and professional staff, there is not sufficient evidence
to support the theory that sex discrimination is the basis for the
inequity. The likelihood of prevailing in a comparable work suit is
minimal. It appears that the only way to correct the situation is
through collective bargaining".
Have you or a colleague published book, coordinated a national conference received widespread recognition for a accomplishment?
Send it in to the Editor. A regular column will focus on areas like publications and/or adoption of books, awards (national or local), publication of articles, coordination of national or statewide conferences, or any accomplishment that is c note. Information should be as specific a possible and include college, home address and phone number. Send to:
At the October Board meeting, the Directors voted to rescind the
motion which would have instituted work to rule on November 1, 1994.
This motion was to go back to the campuses for a vote by the
chapters. The MCCC Negotiating Team made this recommendation to the
MCCC Executive Committee which then recommend it to the Board. The
recision of the motion was recommended since the MCCC and the
presidents were working together on a factfinding proposal and a
joint strategy to get contract funding. The motion would have
restricted the joint effort by putting a time constraint on any
outcome. Since the legislature would not be returning until after the
election, the Board felt it was prudent to rescind the motion.
Looking for a JobThe vacancies within the community colleges are easily accessible on the MTA Bulletin Board System (BBS). You can read, download, and/or print these vacancies at your terminal. If you do not have access to a modem, a printout can be faxed to you. Fax your request to the Communications Coordinator at 617- 236-0448. You must include the name of the college(s) where you work. to access the BBS from within Massachusetts dial
1-800-523- 8883. (enter your baud, 8 data bits; 1 stop; NONE
parity). Enter your name and password. Sequence: Check for
New File (N); LWBulletin-Q(uit) and enter. F(ile); 6
(Vacancies in community colleges); (F)files in this area;
(V)iew and type in full number on last entry e.g. 11-01-94.
Specific questions about the bulletin board go to the
systems operator (SYSop) Ron Miller, preferably through the
BBS. Questions about a particular aspect of a job go to the
individual colleges. |
The MTA is proposing 44 bills for the next legislative session, ten of which are new bills The following is a list of bills affecting higher education:
Refile. The MTA has filed over the past years a bill that would prohibit private college employees from serving as members of the Higher Education Coordinating Council to avoid any conflict of interest
The Government Relations Council voted to file a substitute motion that would add a non-voting higher education member to HECC. The Board voted to refile H1807 since the substitution did not address the issue--to prohibit private college employees from sitting on HECC. The substitution passed unanimously.
Refile. Early retirement bill.
Refile. Funding of continuing education from state appropriations.
Refile. Health Benefits for part-time higher education faculty (S670).
Refile. Sabbatical leave(H11 63). This bill would allow creditable service for any sabbatical leave.
Refile. Expansion of Group Insurance Commission Membership (GIC) (H957).
This bill would require that an MTA member be named as a voting member of the GIC.
New file. Reducing Telecommunication Costs for Schools. This bill would allow communities or higher education institutions to merge their telephone bills and thereby negotiate as one entity to enable them to pursue lowered telephone costs.
New File. This bill would create a voting position on each community college's Board of Trustees for an MCCC union member from that college.
New bill moved by the MTA Board. To amend the Optional
Retirement Plan bill that passed last year. Presently the bill only
allows faculty and presidents to participate in an optional
retirement plan (e.g. TIAA/CREF). The Board voted unanimously to
amend to allow all employees of higher education to participate.
The NEA Northeast Regional Conference will be held in Hartford, Connecticut on January 27-29, 1995.
The NEA Higher Education Conference will be held in Tampa, Florida on March 3-5, 1995. The conference will focus on a variety of topics, including the balance of teaching, research and service, the impact of technology on campus work, equity issues, reward structures, financial constraints, and the future of higher education. The conference begins Friday, March 3 at 1 p.m. and adjourns Sunday, March 5 at 1 p.m. There are pre conference activities which begin on Thursday March 2 as well as the National Council for Higher Education Annual Meeting beginning on Thursday evening (7-10 p.m.) and Friday 8 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Registration fee is $110 prior to December 16 and $135 after. The
conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Westboro, and the fee
includes coffee breaks, luncheon and reception Friday, continental
breakfast and lunch Saturday, brunch Sunday, and materials. Upon
receipt of the registration form, the NEA will send out a hotel
reservation card. Rates are $119 (single or double).
This year elections will be held for delegates to the MTA and NEA annual meetings. Attached to this newsletter is a nomination-form page which must be filled out for each position. If anyone is running for both MTA and NEA, then two forms must be completed. This form will be included in the December and January issues of the Newsletter.
The deadline for filing nomination papers is Friday, February 10,
1995, at 5 p.m. No nomination papers will be accepted after that time
regardless of postmark or fax time stamp. Papers must be in the hands
of Elections Committee Chair, Allan Peck, Springfield Technical
Community College, One Armory Square, Springfield, MA 01 105. If you
are interested in faxing, send papers with a cover sheet to the
college's fax, 413-781-5805.
DCE Bargaining UpdateThe MCCC/DCE Bargaining Team has made a counter proposal
on salary to management's offer of 2% per year over the next
three years. The association's proposal reflects the notion
of retroactivity and moves toward the goal of parity. While
the college presidents have this matter under consideration,
it is important for DCE faculty and local association
leaders to urge their College presidents to accept the
union's offer and bring negotiations to a speedy
conclusion. |
Articles and Graphic Designs Wanted for Journal° Articles. Dr. Peter Meggison from Massasoit from Massasoit Community College, chair of the community college interdisciplinary Journal, The Scholar, has sent a letter to all chapter presidents asking them to distribute a request for articles for the first edition. The journal, due out in the Fall, will be an academic sampler. If any unit member has published an article that he or she would like to have printed in the journal, Please contact Peter Meggison at Massasoit (One Massasoit Boulevard, Brockton, MA 020). ° Graphic Design. A letter was sent to
Graphic Arts Department Chairs in the community college
inviting unit members to submit a cover design for the
journal. Anyone interested in submitting a Proposal should
contact the Journal editor, Catherine Boudreau for the
criteria for the design. Award: $300 plus credit in the
journal. |
Such would be the annotated version of Jules Ryckebusch's editing of this anonymous, doggerel folk jingle about American's most notorious unsolved murders which took place in Fall River, Massachusetts, on August 4, 1892. But how did it all begin for Ryckebusch?
In 1966 Ryckebusch was hired as a professor of English at Bristol Community College. Because of the college's location, most of his students were from Fall River or New Bedford. It seemed natural and obvious to him to assign a composition on a local historical event that would be of interest to his students. And what better local event than the most notorious, unsolved murder case in U.S History, the Borden case. What he received in return was an enthusiastic response from his students.
"Their reaction was terrific," says Ryckebusch. "The murders took place in Fall River, and the trial was in New Bedford. One student whose mother worked in the Fall River School Department came in with Lizzie's high school academic record. She never graduated. Another student, whose father worked for the Police Department brought in a complete set of autopsy photographs, some of which had never been published because they are so ghastly and horrifying."
What began as an attempt to motivate the students quickly developed into a situation where the students became the motivator of the teacher--he had to learn more--and the race was on! In the 1970's Bristol had established a Lecture Bureau, and Ryckebusch was invited to speak to many groups such as the Rotary and Lion's clubs and various women's organizations. He was also invited on radio shows, and each August, on the anniversary of the murders, local papers would feature articles on the Borden murders. Fall River was becoming more willing to talk about its blemished reputation.
When Ryckebusch began his studies, not very many scholarly books had been published. But in 1967 Victoria Lincoln wrote a book which sparked a renewed interest in Lizzie and her ax. Ryckebusch was convinced that something as heinous as these murders do not just happen." So, he began to pose his own theories as to why or how any person could do such deeds. He was sure that Lizzie Borden had committed the murders, but the question remained as to why.
Throughout the 1980's Ryckebusch continued to delve deeper into Lizzie's life, and he soon realized that interest in the Borden case extended far beyond Fall River and New Bedford. "I would travel through Europe, and people would ask where I was from. They either never heard of Fall River, or would ask, 'Isn't that where Lizzie Borden...?' Even people from England, Australia, and France were aware of Lizzie Borden."
In 1990 Ryckebusch seized an opportunity. Realizing that the 100th anniversary of the events would be forthcoming in 1992, Ryckebusch sat down with Bristol Community College President Eileen Farley and proposed a national conference on the Borden murders. He put out a call for papers and set to work organizing a three-day conference for August 3, 4, and 5, 1992. The conference attracted scholars and the curious from throughout the nation and from several foreign countries. After the conference the Mayor and City Council of Fall River gave an award to Ryckebusch for reviving interest and scholarly debate about the city's history and its role in the Borden case. Never before have the people, the culture, and the history of Fall River during the 1890's been so scrutinized. The city was thankful. Some even proposed establishing a Lizzie Borden museum.
Since then Ryckebusch has been interviewed by National Public Radio, National Public Television, USA Today, L.A. Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, U.S. News and World Report, New York Times, and CNN. The nationally syndicated television show "Unsolved Mysteries" has expressed interest in the Borden case, and Ryckebusch has been approached to help them produce a re- enactment. The Smithsonian Institute has used him as a consultant.
In 1993 King Philip Publishing came out with Proceeding: Lizzie Borden Conference edited by Jules Ryckebusch. The book is a compilation of the papers presented in 1992 at the Bristol Community College symposium. It contains Ryckebusch's bibliography on the Borden case which is considered the most comprehensive in existence. Moreover, Ryckebusch has travelled throughout the country lecturing on Lizzie and the murders. In September The Discovery Channel aired a production on the Borden case and featured Ryckebusch. He recently completed an interview on Lizzie Borden for the syndicated "Biography" series produced by the Arts and Entertainment network. That show is scheduled for broadcast in early 1995.
Twenty-eight years have passed since Jules Ryckebusch first assigned a composition on Lizzie Borden for his students at Bristol Community College, and now Ryckebusch is an acknowledged expert on the subject. So what remains?
According to Ryckebusch, "There is still one major piece missing. George Robinson was Lizzie's defense attorney, the best attorney money could buy. He was from Springfield and was a former governor of Massachusetts at the time of the trial. His law firm still exists and holds all of the defense papers, trial notes, and his diary from the trial." The papers have not been released because of resistance from the Massachusetts Board of Overseers concerning a possible violation of the lawyer/ client privilege. "I hope," says Ryckebusch, "that someday we can find a way around this concern. After all, Lizzie had no family or children of her own. We are looking at an event that happened over 100 years ago."
In October 1994 The Knowlton Papers: 1892-1893 was published by the Fall River Historical Society. It is a collection of previously unpublished letters and documents from the files of the prosecuting attorney Hosea Morrill Knowlton. Ryckebusch hopes that the Robinson law firm will follow suit and release the defense attorney's records "Who knows? maybe they contain evidence that will solve the mystery for once and for all."
Ryckebusch lives in New Bedford, near the courthouse where Lizzie
was tried. He is a Professor of English and Communications and the
Director of the Communications Program. Ryckebusch's wife Margaret is
a professor of English and Speech at Bristol and is the MCCC Director
and a former chapter president. For the past two years, Ryckebusch
has published with his colleague Kenneth Sousa The Lizzie Borden
Quarterly which has readers in seven countries.
Report your Blue Cross Dental Woes?Anyone having a complaint or concern about the Blue Cross Dental plan and coverage should direct his or her comments to North Shore Community College. He is the community college representative on the Health
and Welfare Trust Fund. |
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Nov. 21 |
Leave of absence decision for spring |
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Nov. 30 |
Unit Personnel Practices Committee (UPPC) elected |
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Nov. 30 |
Spring tentative assignments to faculty |
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Nov. 30 |
Student evaluation materials distributed |
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Dec. 21 |
Faculty submit College Service (E4) and Advisement (E5) forms |
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Dec. 23 |
Latest fall semester can end |
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Dec. 23 |
Part-time (day) student evaluation summary |
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Dec. 26 |
Part-time teaching assignments |
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Dec. 30 |
Professional Staff submit College Service (E4) & Advisement (E5) forms |
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Catherine A. Boudreau MCCC/MTA Newsletter |
The MCCC Newsletter is a publication of the Massachusetts Community College Council. The Newsletter is intended to be an information source for the members of the MCCC and for other interested parties. The material in this publication may be reprinted with the acknowledgment of its source. For further information on issues discussed in this publication, contact Catherine Boudreau, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA 02402. |
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