On November 1 our union Chapter Board and representatives from Administration held our first effects bargaining session. Under labor law, an employer has a right to make operational decisions and the union has a right to negotiate over the effects of those decisions on working conditions. While we may not have a legal right to negotiate over decisions about the direction the Dominican administration decides to take the University, our union can be a voice for raising broader concerns that we have.
Big changes are coming to Dominican and we adjuncts stand to bear much of the burden of these changes. The Dean of the Faculty, Nicola Pitchford, began by laying out the reasons for changing 3-unit classes to 4-unit classes (which will result in students taking fewer classes), increasing the student-faculty ratio (from 9:1 to 14:1) and increasing average class size to 20 students per class.
Dean Pitchford said that these changes are both pedagogical (four-unit classes allowing for greater depth) and fiscal. Dominican, like many small, private colleges, has seen decreases in enrollment because of broad demographic trends, which has made financial sustainability difficult to achieve.
While much is unclear about how soon these changes will be implemented, it does seem likely that adjunct jobs will be sacrificed in order to keep the doors open. Mills College has faced similar, though much more difficult financial challenges. Mills has chosen a different path than Dominican to address their issues. Mills has chosen to end some programs, has laid-off some full-time faculty and, most daringly, has cut tuition by almost 40% in order to attract more students. Dominican will not cut full-time faculty, programs or administration and plans to continue increasing tuition. Some might prefer the Mills model and some the road that DU is taking, but the point is that DU’s path is not the only way to address fiscal challenges.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/15/mills-college-slashes-tuition-amid-financial-crisis/
What can we adjuncts do? Right now, much work is being done at the departmental level to restructure classes to 4-units and to revamp Majors to require fewer units. Please email your department chairs and ask to be invited to participate in these meetings. You can be compensated for attendance from our Faculty Development Fund. If your Chair is unresponsive or tells you your presence is not welcome, please contact your Chapter Board (emails below). Adjuncts have an enormous amount of skill and experience that should be utilized. Our students are best served if we remain involved in helping to shape their education.
Change is difficult, but there may be opportunities for new classes in our redesigned GE. Four unit classes will result in higher compensation for some adjuncts. For adjuncts who do suffer adverse consequences, we will bargain hard to ease the difficulties that result from Dominican’s plan.
Please write back to let the chapter board know your thoughts on the following:
You can email any of us on the Board, or leave a comment below.
In Unity,
Dan Carraher, President, [email protected]
Robin McCloskey, Vice President, [email protected]
Bobby Bradford, Secretary-Treasurer, [email protected]
Sister Aaron Winkelman, Chief Steward, [email protected]
Stephenie Hendricks, COPE delegate, [email protected]
Diego Santileces, Field Representative, [email protected]
Big changes are coming to Dominican and we adjuncts stand to bear much of the burden of these changes. The Dean of the Faculty, Nicola Pitchford, began by laying out the reasons for changing 3-unit classes to 4-unit classes (which will result in students taking fewer classes), increasing the student-faculty ratio (from 9:1 to 14:1) and increasing average class size to 20 students per class.
Dean Pitchford said that these changes are both pedagogical (four-unit classes allowing for greater depth) and fiscal. Dominican, like many small, private colleges, has seen decreases in enrollment because of broad demographic trends, which has made financial sustainability difficult to achieve.
While much is unclear about how soon these changes will be implemented, it does seem likely that adjunct jobs will be sacrificed in order to keep the doors open. Mills College has faced similar, though much more difficult financial challenges. Mills has chosen a different path than Dominican to address their issues. Mills has chosen to end some programs, has laid-off some full-time faculty and, most daringly, has cut tuition by almost 40% in order to attract more students. Dominican will not cut full-time faculty, programs or administration and plans to continue increasing tuition. Some might prefer the Mills model and some the road that DU is taking, but the point is that DU’s path is not the only way to address fiscal challenges.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/15/mills-college-slashes-tuition-amid-financial-crisis/
What can we adjuncts do? Right now, much work is being done at the departmental level to restructure classes to 4-units and to revamp Majors to require fewer units. Please email your department chairs and ask to be invited to participate in these meetings. You can be compensated for attendance from our Faculty Development Fund. If your Chair is unresponsive or tells you your presence is not welcome, please contact your Chapter Board (emails below). Adjuncts have an enormous amount of skill and experience that should be utilized. Our students are best served if we remain involved in helping to shape their education.
Change is difficult, but there may be opportunities for new classes in our redesigned GE. Four unit classes will result in higher compensation for some adjuncts. For adjuncts who do suffer adverse consequences, we will bargain hard to ease the difficulties that result from Dominican’s plan.
Please write back to let the chapter board know your thoughts on the following:
- What questions do you have about the restructuring process or plan?
- How do you think the academic restructuring will be good or bad for Dominican students?
- What are your biggest concerns about the plan?
- What do you think our position should be on the plan as a unionized adjunct faculty?
- What is your main priority for us as we negotiate over the effects on working conditions?
You can email any of us on the Board, or leave a comment below.
In Unity,
Dan Carraher, President, [email protected]
Robin McCloskey, Vice President, [email protected]
Bobby Bradford, Secretary-Treasurer, [email protected]
Sister Aaron Winkelman, Chief Steward, [email protected]
Stephenie Hendricks, COPE delegate, [email protected]
Diego Santileces, Field Representative, [email protected]