MCCC Home | Year Index | 1997 Index

In This Issue:

• Contract Extension
• MCCC Elections
• Mass. Bay Teaching Center
• Bill Kelly Honored

MCCC Board

Recommends Contract Extension

On November 21, 1997, the MCCC Board of Directors voted to recommend to the membership an extension of our collective bargaining agreement with a three percent increase effective July 1, 1998. The following is the Memorandum of Agreement which has been agreed to by the MCCC and the Board of Higher Education (BHE). Once this Agreement is executed, the MCCC will put together a time schedule for ratification. It will probably be in February so that each chapter has an opportunity to meet and discuss this proposal prior to a ratification vote.

The initial discussion concerning a contract extension evolved from a meeting the MCCC Classification Team had with Chancellor Koplik over their concern about the delay in the Classification Study. Because negotiations with Coopers and Lybrand lingered, and eventually ended, the delay in hiring a consultant put the classification study on a collision course with negotiations of a successor contract. At that meeting, the MCCC suggested an extension, and the Chancellor, who was interested in the proposal, stated that he needed to speak with the BHE Chair James Carlin.

This proposal took a circuitous route before it was finalized. After the MCCC Board voted to recommend the extension, with the approval of the Board of Higher Education, an agreement was drawn up and signed by MCCC Negotiation's Chair Dennis Fitzgerald. Instead of signing, however, Administration and Finance entered into our bargaining and had the BHE add new language concerning the new payroll system the state will be instituting in 1999. The MCCC was notified that if it were to get an extension, it would have to accept the new payroll system without the ability to bargaining over its impact (The new system is a biweekly, direct deposit system-no paper checks.). Over the next month, conversations ensued between the MCCC and the BHE, and on Thursday, December 18 MCCC representatives met with BHE Chair James Carlin. At that meeting, an agreement was reached that the agreement as originally forged would go forward with an added discussion item of the new payroll system. On Wednesday, December 24, Christmas Eve day, Dennis Fitzgerald went to the Board of Higher Education to execute this extension with Chancellor Koplik.

This Memorandum of Agreement is entered into by and between the Board of Higher Education (BHE) and the Massachusetts Community College Council/Massachusetts Teachers Association (MCCC). This Agreement is subject to ratification by the MCCC membership. The parties agree as follows:

1. The Board of Higher Education shall extend the 1995-1998 Community College Contract for an additional one (1) year, from July 1, 1998, through June 30, 1999, with a 3% across the board salary increase.
2. A Joint Study Committee shall be established, upon ratification and execution of the Extension, consisting of an equal number of representatives from the MCCC and the Board of Higher Education to study carefully, completely, and with serious intent and report their findings and recommendations, no later than January 1, 1999, on the following six (6) issues:
   • Discussion of the system of tenure
   • Discussion of faculty workload
   • Discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the employment of full-time vs. part-time faculty
   • Discussion of the evaluation of faculty and professional staff
   • Discussion of the role of faculty in student advising and counseling
   • Discussion of measures and/or opportunities to increase productivity at the Community Colleges
3. Although this is to be a serious and carefully reasoned study, the findings and recommendations are not to be binding on either the Board of Higher Education nor the Massachusetts Community College Council.
4. The parties agree that they will enter into discussions regarding the implementation of the Commonwealth's Human Resources/Compensation Management System (including bi-weekly pay, electronic transfer, etc.) with the intent of including them in the next collective bargaining agreement.

MCCC Elections

Nominations are now open for MCCC elections for officers and delegates to the MTA Annual Meeting and the NEA Representative Assembly. Attached to this Newsletter is the nominating sheet. If you are running for office, it is necessary to collect at least 50 signatures of active members in support of your candidacy. The schedule for the election is as follows:

• Nominations close February 10, 1998, at 4 p.m.
• Ballots will be mailed March 6
• Deadline for ballot return is April 1
• Results of MCCC election of officers announced on April 3
• Results of MTA and NEA delegates announced April 10

Bill Kelly

Professor of the Year

Dr. William J. Kelly a professor of English at Bristol Community College was selected the 1997 Massachusetts Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The statewide award, co-sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Training, recognizes exceptional undergraduate teaching. The primary characteristic the judges consider is an extraordinary dedication to Undergraduate teaching, which should be demonstrated by excellence in the impact on and involvement with students, a scholarly approach to teaching, service to students and the institution, and support from colleagues and students. CASE is a national organization for institutional advancement open to all higher education institutions and only recently community colleges. While CASE previously sponsored an annual competition with one national winner, since the mid 1980's it also makes awards to one person from each state. Kelly is the first community college professor to receive this award from Massachusetts. Since the inception of the state award, only two other public higher education employee has received the award, both from U. Mass.

Kelly, a product of the public education system, began working at Bristol in 1984. He received is B.A. in English from Southeastern Massachusetts University (now U. Mass. Dartmouth), his M.A. in English from Rhode Island College, and his Ph.D. in English from the University of Rhode Island. Prior to coming to Bristol, Kelly was a teacher of English in Fall River for eight years.

"One of my primary goals during my years at Bristol has been to find a way to help students overcome difficulties with writing," states Kelly. After many years of teaching, he concluded that students had difficulty writing, "not from lack of ability, but rather from lack of experience." Kelly proceeded to develop a system that would provide students with a thorough understanding of the writing process and the practice needed to master it.

Margaret Ryckebusch, a professor of English and Speech and chair of the Languages, Arts, Humanities Department says, "Bill Kelly is a fine teacher. His enthusiasm for his work is obvious. All of us at Bristol Community College were thrilled when Bill was named Teacher of the Year. When I congratulated him, in typical fashion, he said that he was accepting his award for all community college teachers. His students, his faculty colleagues, and all members of the Bristol Community College community hold Bill in the highest regard."

Nominated by Eileen Farley, President of Bristol Community College along with a number of other administrators, Kelly is considered one of the most talented and enthusiastic professors at Bristol. Farley stated, "Bill is a real example of the kind of excellence you find in community college teachers. He demands hard work from his students and in return he gives them his best effort. He offers them the encouragement and patience that helps them to succeed. He is a very active participant in the life of the college. He is a terrific teacher!

Note: Professor Kelly was also featured in the MTA Today.

Nota Bene

Educational Needs

All activities must be completed by January 1, 1998. All receipts for educational needs activities must be submitted by February 1, 1998.

Proposed Bylaw Changes Due

Any suggested changes in the MCCC Bylaws must be received by theBylaws and Rules Committee no later than February 1, 1998. All proposals must be sent to:

You do not have to put a proposed bylaw change in its proper format. You need only to submit the idea and the committee will put it in the proper language.

NEA Higher Education Conference

The 1998 NEA Higher Education Conference will be held in Savannah, Georgia on March 6-8, 1998. This year's theme is On the Cutting Edge of Quality: The Power of Collective Action in Higher Education. Workshops will focus on post-tenure review; role of governance and the unions; quality teaching with technology; temporary appointment faculty; mentoring and staff development; creating partnerships; and funding policies for technology and higher education.

The Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Savannah Hotel, part of the Riverfront Plaza. The rate is $125 per night (single or double), and deadline for reservations, along with registration fee of $135 is January 30, 1998.

Preconference activities include a Leadership Workshop on March 5 (You must preregister for this workshop.), and the National Council for Higher Education meeting beginning Thursday evening, March 5 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and continuing on Friday, March 6 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

If you need information, call NEA at 202-822-7162.

Mass Bay

Opens Teaching Center

Mass Bay Chapter Executive Committee
Front row: L-R Nancy Morello, Chapter President, Maxine Elmont
Back row: L-R Judy Pelletier, Suzanne Aymes, Ed McCourt, Tish Allen, Bob Nunes, Elaine Wojak

It was just an idea that began when Ruth Goldman, since retired, was chapter president at Mass. Bay Community College. Goldman thought that a place where unit members who were committed to the profession of teaching could gather, discuss and share ideas, exchange materials, and have resources to enhance and develop new teaching techniques, a place where professional development activities could abound. "There was no place on campus for professional development, no opportunities for learning new teaching methods or innovations. The college was not providing this so the chapter felt the need to fill the void" said Goldman. But Goldman was very busy with union work, and then she retired. Nancy Morello became the new chapter president and picked up where Goldman left off to formalize a plan of a teaching center. Goldman says, "Nancy is really the person responsible for bring this project to fruition." She convinced the college to provide the space and with the help of Tish Allen and Elaine Wojack, a grant proposal to the NEA was prepared."

Nancy Morello committed herself to getting this center up and running. She stated at the opening, "This center will integrate our professionalism and our unionism and show how they are linked.

This space will be for a gathering of individuals who are interested and committed to the teaching profession and will provide a forum for constructive criticism to help unit members. It will also unite "old" unionism with the "new" unionism."

On October 16, 1997, Morello received a letter from the NEA informing her that the chapter had received a Higher Education Competitive Membership Grant for $ 10,000 for the development of the teaching center.

On November 12 the Teaching Center officially opened. MTA President Steven Gorrie presented Morello with the $10,000 check from the NEA. Herb Gross, a well known speaker and faculty member from Bunker Hill Community College spoke of the role of community colleges. Gross, who just received a Rosenbaum grant, believes that the real education of this country goes on in the community colleges.

The chapter hopes to have a coordinator from the union to oversee the Teaching Center and its upcoming activities. Morello gave special thanks to her Executive Committee, MCCC President Susan Dole, and MTA Consultant Michelle Gallagher for their help and support.

Report Your Blue Cross Dental Concerns

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. Please speak slowly and clearly when leaving your name and number.

Herb Gross Awarded Rosenbaum Foundation Grant Herb Gross, a professor of Mathematics at Bunker Hill Community College was awarded a prestigious grant from the Chicago based Rosenbaum Foundation. Similar, but on a smaller monetary scale to a MacArthur grant, the Rosenbaum Foundation has an endowment of approximately $1 million and gives grants to people connected to worthwhile causes in education, arts and theater, education, etc. Individuals cannot apply. "They find you," according to Gross. In addition to nearly $10,000 for equipment, Gross was given $25,000 to continue his work in developmental math, and his award has been renewed for next year. This is just one of the many recognitions Gross has received for his years of work in developmental math. Founder of the American Mathematics Association of Two-Year-Colleges (AMATYC). Gross has spent his professional career teaching, and educating students, colleagues, administrators, businesses, and anyone connected with education of the importance of community colleges along with his specialty--the teaching of developmental math.

Know Your Contract

Dec. 23	Full-time tenured and part-time faculty student evaluation data summary
Dec. 24	Part-time faculty receive teaching assignments
Dec. 30	Professional staff submit E-4's and E-5's
Jan. 13	Earliest assigned professional days can begin
Jan. 14	Sabbatical Committee recommendations due
Jan. 20	Earliest classes can begin

N.B. Dates may vary depending on first day of classes. Also, most of these dates are "last date" standards.
In many instances, the action can he accomplished before the date indicated.