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Volume IX |
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Number Five |
In This Issue:
In an unprecedented action, the MCCC and the community college presidents presented jointly a financial agreement for our contract to Chancellor Stanley Koplik on December 8, 1994. Both parties implored the Chancellor to carry their message intact -- that he [Chancellor Koplik] secure HECC's approval for the financial package and urge HECC to pass it on to the governor.
MCCC President Tom Parsons commented on the confrontational nature of bargaining over the years, and pointed out that ..."this was the first time that the union and the presidents have come together with this kind of closure without engaging in campus activities surrounding negotiations. If this goes forward, it could change the relationship in the future. If this falls apart, it means we tried and it did not work. It is important that we have your support for this joint effort." Ed Sullivan, Executive Director of the MTA added, "Union and management should be applauded for this effort. It is a product of a lot of hard work on both sides."
President Andrew Scibelli (STCC) and chair of the presidents' negotiating subcommittee told Chancellor Koplik, "that unlike what has happened in the past, we are taking a new path in negotiations. Bargaining without money on the table is untenable, and we have gotten beaten up year after year. HECC needs to hear that we are not accepting that any further....Things have to be different." President Dan Asquino (MT. Wachusett CC) and a member of the presidents' negotiating subcommittee said, "When we have protracted negotiations, it has a negative affect on the students. This has not occurred this year; there is a sense that we are in this together, and that is good." President Gerard Burke, President of the Presidents' Council added his congratulations to the MCCC and the presidents' negotiating committee and noted that "this has been a breakthrough which can set the tone for future negotiations. I hope that HECC will see this as an equitable agreement and will push it for us.
But then, on December 21, 1994, the Higher Education Coordinating Council held its monthly meeting. The morning kicked off with a demonstration in front of One Ashburton Place by the state college unit members. Over 100 faculty and staff then packed the HECC meeting room. The first hour of the meeting consisted of faculty and staff urging Chairman Richard Wiley and the HECC board to put money on the table for the state colleges and to accept the community colleges jointly proposed financial settlement. All three union presidents spoke--Tom Parsons (MCCC), Bill Murphy (State College Assoc.), and Paul Joseph (Assoc. of Professional Administrators). Also STCC President Andrew Scibelli spoke in behalf of the community college presidents. When the speakers finished, the meeting continued with Chancellor Koplik's report. After being rebuffed from members of the audience for not addressing what had just occurred, Koplik jumped to another part of his report to address collective bargaining. Unfortunately, no encouragement or support was forthcoming. The meeting continued, the audience became vocally frustrated at HECC's apathetic and dispassionate attitude, but prompting everyone to get up and leave singing, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
Now the waiting game begins. What will the governor do with the University's contracts? What will the new Administration and Finance Secretary Charles Baker suggest? What will HECC do as our "advocate." Stay tuned!
POST SCRIPT
Congratulations to all the campuses for their efforts on behalf of the letter campaign. With reports of 14 campuses, over 1200 letters were mailed to the governor and to HECC Chair Richard Wiley.
The data has been compiled and the language completed. Congratulations to Team Chair Dennis Fitzgerald for the extraordinary job of putting together the data. Congratulations also go to MCCC Consultant Donna Sirutis and David Danning from MTA Research for their hard work and contributions.
Now the political activities will be needed to convince HECC, the
governor, and the legislature to fund our fair and equitable contract
fully. Relax, rest up, and get ready; the hardest part is yet
ahead.
Day and Night! No pun intended.
Day bargaining, for all intent and purposes, is completed though there remain items which need to be negotiated. The presidents, however, worked with the MCCC to bring bargaining to a close. The effort was joint and one of mutual respect. DCE bargaining. Describing DCE bargaining is like jumping from Dante's Paradiso to Dante's Inferno. The DCE contract expired 16 months ago. The presidents and their negotiating team not only had the nerve to offer a pittance of an increase, they compound the insult by making the increase prospective.
The presidents must hear from everyone--day and DCE. All unit
members just received a bargaining update. A letter and a postcard is
in the mail. We are asking that everyone mail the postcard
immediately upon receipt. A week later all unit members will receive
a survey. Please fill out and return immediately. We must urge the
Presidents to offer an equitable increase. The state colleges, which
generate less income in their DCE's, have settled on a 26%-27%
increase with retroactivity. Just which administrators in the
community colleges are protracting DCE negotiations and exhibiting
penuriousness?
We need your help in compiling the first issue of the MCCC interdisciplinary journal, The Scholar!
Any MCCC member, full or part-time, may submit an article for consideration. The articles need to be submitted in APA style and should be from 1,000 to 3,000 words in length. The first issue will cover various disciplines and interests. We would like it to be a true academic sampler. We would like to include topics such as classroom research, pedagogy, assessment, productivity, cooperative learning, an analysis of various issues in particular disciplines, and other topics. Graphics may be included if they enhance the article. Opinion articles are not acceptable, and we are not considering fiction or poetry at this time. Book reviews, not to exceed 500 words, may be submitted. Book review should relate to general topics that would be of interest to all community college faculty and staff. Later issues of The Scholar may be thematic.
A review board has been established which will read and assess each of the articles submitted. If you have any questions, please call Dr. Peter Meggison, Chair of the Review Board, Massasoit Community College, One Massasoit Blvd Brockton, MA 02402 508-588-9100 Ext 1681. Five copies of the article along with a 3.5 inch disk containing the article should be submitted to Catherine Boudreau, Editor.
We are enthusiastic about providing this forum for our colleagues
who teach and work in the state's community colleges. Why not plan to
spend a couple of hours over semester break at this professionally
rewarding activity? You will be glad you did--guaranteed!
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).
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MCCC BYLAW CHANGES -FEBRUARY 1, 1995- TO: ERNEST THERRIEN, CHAIR, SPRINGIFELD TECH C.C. |
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:
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At Bunker Hill Community College the issue of classroom observations of DCE unit members who are in the seniority pool remains unresolved despite several grievances and apparent resolutions.
In 1991 a grievance was filed when the college planned to periodically observe seniority pool faculty. The step one decision found that this practice would be in violation of the contract. About a year later, Divisional Dean Michael McSweeney conducted observations of seniority pool faculty who, he claimed, had never been observed. Again a grievance was filed. In the process of litigation, the union found, in fact, that some of the faculty had been previously observed. Therefore, that grievance was resolved, and the parties agreed that one of the evaluations would be expunged. The college's attorney also gave a verbal assurance that Dean McSweeney would not conduct further observations under these circumstances. Within several weeks of expunging the files in question, however, Dean McSweeney and other divisional deans commenced, once again, to observe seniority pool faculty. In addition to observing pool faculty who did not have an observation on file, they also began to routinely observe unit members. This is the very action where the college was found violating the contract three years ago.
The matter of observing seniority pool faculty who have not had a classroom observation evaluation is scheduled for an expedited arbitration. As for the routine/at will observation of seniority pool faculty, the MCCC will file an unfair practice charge with the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission in the grounds of bad faith and unilaterally implementing a management bargaining demand while in contract negotiations.
It is unfortunate that with all the legitimate differences of
opinion that exist between faculty and administration, some college
administrators act with callous indifference toward the collective
bargaining process.
In a similar situation where the colleges agree to one thing and
then proceed to ignore their agreement, the MCCC finds itself back at
the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission (MLRC). The MLRC has
issued a complaint against Massasoit and No. Essex Community Colleges
alleging that they are in violation of state law. Last year an unfair
labor practice charge was settled at the Commission concerning
information. Management agreed to comply with the Association's
request for information by forwarding it to the MCCC. Within months,
however, these two colleges refused to forward requested information
relating to employees who may be teaching in DCE in violation of the
contract. The MLRC described these colleges as having " ... failed to
bargain in good faith by not providing information reasonably
necessary for the union to execute its duties..." and ..."[have]
derivatively interfered with, restrained and coerced its employees in
the exercise of their rights guaranteed by law ...." A hearing is
scheduled at the MLRC this spring.
Early Retirement Dies AgainThe early retirement bill did not get overridden by the legislature. The MTA will begin anew in attempting to get an early retirement bill passed. In addition to MTA's refile, a few legislators have also filed early retirement bills. The biggest obstacle appears to be the House Ways and Means Committee and, in particular, Representative Tom Finneran, its chair. If there are any hopes of getting an early retirement
bill passed, it will depend largely on support from the
college presidents, participation from the membership, and
pressure on legislators to convince Finneran that an early
retirement bill is good for the community college system and
its revitalization. |
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 Abe Sherf, He is the community college representative on the Health
and Welfare Trust Fund. |
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.
Looking for a JobThe vacancies within the community colleges are easily accessible on the MTA Bulletin Board System (BBS) (1-800-523- 8883) 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. For the first time user. When you call into the BBS, you will need to provide some information to the systems operator. You can get on the BBS immediately and choose your password. Once you get on the BBS, follow these steps to get to the vacancy area. Enter your name and password, Select F(ile); 6(Vacancies in community colleges); (F)files in this area; (V)iew and type in the first two numbers of the last dated entry e.g., 42-11-1996 (You would type 42). Only questions specific to the MTA BBS should be directed
to the systems Operator (SYSop) Ron Miller, preferably
through the BBS. Questions about a particular aspect of a
job go to the individual colleges. |
Philip Mahler from Middlesex Community College has just had two Mathematics textbooks published by Wm. C. Brown College Algebra and College Algebra and Trigonometry. Two more textbooks, Intermediate Algebra-Alternate Edition and Precalculus will be published by Wm. C. Brown in 1995 and 1996 respectively. Except for Workbook to Accompany Essentials of Technical Mathematics which Mahler wrote himself, the other texts have been co-authored with Terry Wesner, a professor of mathematics at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Michigan. Their most recent book, College Algebra has the biggest market and is used in two and four year colleges across the country. In Massachusetts it is used by some faculty from Quinsigamond and Massasoit Community Colleges and Dean Junior College.
Mahler joined the faculty in the Math Department at Middlesex Community College in 1982 and is a professor of Math and Computer Science. He was chair of the Math Department from 1987 to 1989 and was instrumental in bringing the STEPS (Science-Technology- Engineering Pre-College Studies) Program to Middlesex in conjunction with two independent, noncollege agencies. In 1984 he created and continues to conduct a self-paced math program which covers all skills courses from arithmetic to precalculus. Students can currently study any one of seven of the college's courses at their own pace in his course. In 1989 the college awarded him a year's sabbatical. He wrote most of two textbooks and worked on projects for his self-paced mathematics course while living in Aix-en-Provence, France. He also taught 24 instruction hours of technical English to French computer science majors.
He is actively involved in the American and New England Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC and NEMATYC, respectively) and was chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for the National meeting in Boston in 1993. He has been president, vice president, and program chair of NEMATYC.
Over the past ten years, Mahler has given many presentations and conducted workshops dealing with creating printed mathematics materials with the computer. He was named Teacher of the Year at Middlesex in 1987 and was presented with the Jon Butler Award from the Massachusetts Community College Council for outstanding chapter president in 1993.
A graduate of Assumption College, he majored in German and Russian. After a four-year stint in the U.S. Navy, Mahler went on to earn an M.A.T. in Math at the University of Florida in Gainesville and took additional courses at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell when he returned to Massachusetts and before he went to teach Math at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Michigan.
In addition to his academic interests, Mahler has been active in
the union. In September 1977, his first month on the job, he was on
strike for a week with the Henry Ford Community College Federation of
Teachers (AFT). A couple of years after coming to Middlesex, he
became active in his chapter and is presently serving a second term
as chapter president. He has served as an MCCC director from
Middlesex for seven of the past ten years and has been on the MCCC
Executive Committee since 1992. He was chair of the successful
Contract Funding Campaign Committee (last contract) and the Committee
on Unfunded Promotions. He is presently on the MCCC Negotiating Team.
Mahler resides in Carlisle with his wife Marguerite, a professor of
Romance Linguistics at Framingham State College.
Peter Meggison, chair of the Office Administration Department and professor in the Business Division at Massasoit Community College, joined the faculty at Mass. Bay Community College in 1974. While at Mass. Bay he coordinated the Word Processing Degree Program and was chair of the Office Technologies Department. In 1986, Meggison transferred to Massasoit Community College, and in 1987 was elected chair of the Office Administration Department, a position he still holds.
A graduate from all Massachusetts' public higher education segments, Meggison first received an A.A. in Business from Bristol Community College. He went on to receive a B.S. in Business Education from Salem State College, an M.A. in Business Education from Rider College in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, an M.Ed. in Guidance from Salem State College, an Ed.S. in Business Education from the University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire, and an Ed.D. in Occupational Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. During the summers, Meggison would travel to take courses from distinguished academicians in the Business Education field. He took courses at Northern Arizona University and No. Texas State. During the 1980's Meggison began his involvement in a number of professional organizations. Delta Pi Epsilon (DPE) is the National Graduate Honor Society in Business Education. In 1 980 he was president of the Epsilon Chapter, Boston University, chaired a number of committees, and was on the Editorial Board for the DPE Journal and Instructional Strategies. He was its National Historian from 1992-1993 and is presently the National Treasurer of Delta Pi Epsilon.
He is actively involved in the Massachusetts and National Business Education Associations (MBEA and NBEA, respectively). He was president of the MBEA for two years and was a board member for seven years. At the national level, he was Editor of Information Processing for the Business Education Forum . I n 1990, Meggison was named Post-Secondary Teacher of the Year by the National Business Education Association. Locally, he was secretary and a board member of the New England Business Educators Association and was the recipient of the Research Award in 1984.
Meggison is presently on the State Committee of Practitioners in Voc.Ed., a committee under the State's Department of Education. This advisory group was established under the authority of the Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, and he represents the Mass. Teachers Association on this committee. In addition, he chairs the MCCC Review Panel for the MCCC's interdisciplinary journal, The Scholar, which will publish its first issue this year.
One of the most important committees, he feels, that he has been a part of is the Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education. He was a commission member from 1991-1994, and its chair from 1993-1994. This is a national commission whose responsibility is to identify and to define both existing and emerging issues in business and economic education. Each year the Commission issues a statement on critical issues in education and business. This Commission is comprised of 15 members, is an independent advisory board separate from its sponsors, and assists business, governmental, and educational communities in understanding such issues and focusing attention upon them. In 1993 he chaired the writing of that year's statement, This We Believe About the Role of Business Education in Tech Prep. Meggison has published numerous articles, two MBEA Yearbooks and is coauthor of the second edition with Burton Kaliski from New Hampshire College of Management of Administrative Office Systems, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. This book is widely used in a number of two and four year colleges across the country. He is an adjunct professor at Suffolk University, and within the past year alone, has spoken to teachers in Minnesota, Missouri, Wyoming, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts on business education- related topics. Currently he is doing research for the National Business Education Association on exemplary/unique Business Education programs at various educational levels throughout the country.
He lives in Holbrook with his wife, Sandy, a legal secretary, at
Hale & Dorr.
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Jan. 15 |
Part-time faculty summary due |
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Jan. 15 |
First year professional staff College Service & Student Advisement evaluations due |
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Jan. 15 |
First year professional staff work performance evaluation due |
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Jan. 17 |
Earliest a professional day can be assigned |
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Jan. 23 |
Earliest spring semester can begin |
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Jan. 23 |
Faculty submit office hours |
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Jan. 23 |
Faculty receive College Service and Student Advisement evaluations |
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Jan. 23 |
Student evaluation summaries due |
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Jan. 27 |
Full-time schedule changes due to chapter |
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Jan. 27 |
Faculty post office hours |
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Jan. 29 |
First year professional staff post evaluation conference |
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Jan. 31 |
Faculty receive summary evaluations |
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Jan. 31 |
First year professional staff receive summary evaluations |
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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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