At today's meeting, the Presidential Screening Committee voted to send eight candidates forward for the PJC Board of Trustees' consideration. The finalists are:
Dr. Scott Elliott, currently serving as President, Meridian (MS) Community College.
Dr. Algie Gatewood, currently serving as President, Cascade Campus, Portland (WA) Community College.
Dr. Donetta Goodall, currently serving as Vice President for Academic Transfer and General & Developmental Education, Austin (TX) Community College.
Dr. Lars Hafner, currently serving as Provost (Campus President), St. Petersburg (FL) College.
Dr. John Holdnak, currently serving as Vice President of Administrative Services, Gulf Coast (FL) Community College.
Dr. James Martin, currently serving as Vice President, Student Affairs, Pensacola Junior College.
Dr. Ed Meadows, currently serving as President, Lurleen B. Wallace (AL) Community College.
Dr. C.B. "Bix" Rathburn, currently serving as President, Savannah (GA) Technical College.
During the next two weeks, the PJC Board of Trustees will be reviewing the candidates' applications and making the decision as to which of these candidates will be brought to the College for interviews.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! There is no guarantee that all eight of the candidates will be granted interviews. If there is someone you feel strongly about, let the Board know. While I will make individual entries on the blog for your posts, a phone call, letter or email to a Trustee lets them know in a personal way of your endorsements or concerns. Thank you.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
FIRST 2008 BARGAINING SESSION HELD
The first bargaining session of 2008 was held February 12 at 1:30pm in Room 416. Those attending for the Association were Chief Negotiator Paige Anderson, Cindy App, Charlotte Sweeney and Blaine Wall. Those attending for the Administration were Chief Negotiator Dr. Keith Samuels, and Interim Vice President Academic Affairs/Provost, Pensacola Campus Dr. Jeff Cantor.
This was a meeting to establish topics, time frames, and process for the negotiations. While this is an open book year - meaning that any part of the contract is open for discussion - there are certainly areas that will require more deliberation than others.
Ms. Anderson posed the question of whom we were negotiating with this year. Of course, the ultimate answer is the same as always - the Board of Trustees. Dr. Samuels assured the team that Dr. Delaino would continue to be completely involved until the new president is hired. When asked about having an administrative "team" at the table, Dr. Samuels said that it had been Dr. Delaino's decision to send solely the Chief Negotiator, but that he would carry the concern back to Dr. Delaino. Ms. Anderson asked whether it would be possible to have a member of the BOT attend the negotiations. Dr. Samuels' response was that it had not happened before but that he would also take that request to Dr. Delaino who also serves as Secretary to the BOT.
Dr. App discussed the desire of PJCFA to work in collaborative rather than confrontational environment with the mission of the college and the needs of the students as the measuring stick for our work. Ms. Anderson added that in upcoming years, the College might invest in training for interest based bargaining which has been successful at several colleges and universities.
Ms. Anderson listed several concerns that had already been raised by the faculty to be addressed during this year's negotiations and informed Dr. Samuels of the bargaining issue survey that was currently being conducted by PJCFA.
It was agreed to attempt to have bi-weekly negotiating sessions on Tuesdays. Ms. Anderson and Dr. Samuels will schedule the next session and inform the bargaining team of the date and time.
This was a meeting to establish topics, time frames, and process for the negotiations. While this is an open book year - meaning that any part of the contract is open for discussion - there are certainly areas that will require more deliberation than others.
Ms. Anderson posed the question of whom we were negotiating with this year. Of course, the ultimate answer is the same as always - the Board of Trustees. Dr. Samuels assured the team that Dr. Delaino would continue to be completely involved until the new president is hired. When asked about having an administrative "team" at the table, Dr. Samuels said that it had been Dr. Delaino's decision to send solely the Chief Negotiator, but that he would carry the concern back to Dr. Delaino. Ms. Anderson asked whether it would be possible to have a member of the BOT attend the negotiations. Dr. Samuels' response was that it had not happened before but that he would also take that request to Dr. Delaino who also serves as Secretary to the BOT.
Dr. App discussed the desire of PJCFA to work in collaborative rather than confrontational environment with the mission of the college and the needs of the students as the measuring stick for our work. Ms. Anderson added that in upcoming years, the College might invest in training for interest based bargaining which has been successful at several colleges and universities.
Ms. Anderson listed several concerns that had already been raised by the faculty to be addressed during this year's negotiations and informed Dr. Samuels of the bargaining issue survey that was currently being conducted by PJCFA.
It was agreed to attempt to have bi-weekly negotiating sessions on Tuesdays. Ms. Anderson and Dr. Samuels will schedule the next session and inform the bargaining team of the date and time.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
LATEST PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH INFORMATION
Before we get to that, you may notice that my profile is that of the PJC Bioethics Committee. I'm working on a different blog for them and thought that each profile would stay separate. Until I learn how to fix it, just please ignore the profile and the posted signature. It's still the PJCFA blog with me posting. Thanks!
Dr. Hockaday, the consultant hired by the PJC Board of Trustees to assist in the presidential search, today gave the Screening Committee members his recommendations. Those on the list are (in alphabetical order, no ranking):
1. Dr. Edythe Abdullah
2. Dr. John Astrab
3. Dr. Wayne Branch
4. Dr. Henry Dunn
5. Dr. Scott Elliott
6. Dr. John Ganio
7. Dr. Algie Gatewood
8. Dr. Donetta Goodall
9. Dr. Lars Hafner
10. Dr. Frieda Hill
11. Dr. James Martin
12. Dr. Ed Meadows
13. Dr. C. B. Rathburn
The resumes, applications, etc. for each of these applicants are on file in the Institutional Research and Grants Office in Bldg. 7 and are open to any interested party.
Members of the Presidential Screening Committee have until Monday, February 25th to submit additional candidates for the committee to consider. These candidates must come from the current qualified applicant pool.
On February 28, the Screening Committee will meet again with Dr. Hockaday. At the end of that meeting, the Committee will submit 4 - 8 candidates for consideration by the Board of Trustees.
On the morning of the 29th, the Board of Trustees will meet with Mr. Hockaday to discuss the next steps to take. The BOT will be given the resumes, applications, etc. of each candidate for study. The Board will then hold a special meeting to determine which of the candidates - or additional candidates they wish to interview -will be given interviews.
After that determination, Human Resources will begin scheduling candidate interviews. During the interviews there will be a series of announced meetings/forums to give students,faculty, staff, and the community opportunities to meet and question the candidates.
The process is moving forward. Thank you for your interest and please continue to post your comments or to contact me at 484-2007 or csweeney@pjc.edu.
Dr. Hockaday, the consultant hired by the PJC Board of Trustees to assist in the presidential search, today gave the Screening Committee members his recommendations. Those on the list are (in alphabetical order, no ranking):
1. Dr. Edythe Abdullah
2. Dr. John Astrab
3. Dr. Wayne Branch
4. Dr. Henry Dunn
5. Dr. Scott Elliott
6. Dr. John Ganio
7. Dr. Algie Gatewood
8. Dr. Donetta Goodall
9. Dr. Lars Hafner
10. Dr. Frieda Hill
11. Dr. James Martin
12. Dr. Ed Meadows
13. Dr. C. B. Rathburn
The resumes, applications, etc. for each of these applicants are on file in the Institutional Research and Grants Office in Bldg. 7 and are open to any interested party.
Members of the Presidential Screening Committee have until Monday, February 25th to submit additional candidates for the committee to consider. These candidates must come from the current qualified applicant pool.
On February 28, the Screening Committee will meet again with Dr. Hockaday. At the end of that meeting, the Committee will submit 4 - 8 candidates for consideration by the Board of Trustees.
On the morning of the 29th, the Board of Trustees will meet with Mr. Hockaday to discuss the next steps to take. The BOT will be given the resumes, applications, etc. of each candidate for study. The Board will then hold a special meeting to determine which of the candidates - or additional candidates they wish to interview -will be given interviews.
After that determination, Human Resources will begin scheduling candidate interviews. During the interviews there will be a series of announced meetings/forums to give students,faculty, staff, and the community opportunities to meet and question the candidates.
The process is moving forward. Thank you for your interest and please continue to post your comments or to contact me at 484-2007 or csweeney@pjc.edu.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Colleges could turn away 60,000
Click link to read St. Pete Times article online:
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/05/State/Colleges_could_turn_a.shtml
Colleges could turn away 60,000, report says
Doors to higher education are being closed to all, says a group that focuses on minorities.
By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER, Times Staff Writer
Published February 5, 2008
_____
TAMPA - Between 40,000 and 60,000 students - many of them minorities - could be denied an education in one of Florida's 11 public universities, thanks to years of insufficient funding and complicated political factors that have college presidents preparing to slash enrollment for the first time in decades.
So concludes ENLACE Florida, a grant-funded group that promotes college access and readiness for minorities, in a report sent today to lawmakers and education officials across the state.
"When this is happening, we can't really talk about the value of diversifying the student population, because the doors are being closed to everyone," said Paul Dosal, executive director of ENLACE Florida.
ENLACE officials conclude their report, "Florida's Higher Education on the Brink," by urging lawmakers and college educators to convene a summit that produces bold solutions. State university leaders have recently discussed the need for such a forum.
"The problems in higher education here are so complicated that they're not likely to be solved in a regular legislative session," Dosal said. "So we felt like the best recommendation was to say, 'Listen guys, sit down and figure this out.' We just feel like we're either in crisis or on the brink of a serious one, and something needs to be done."
Dosal's group is particularly concerned with enrollment cuts' effect on minorities. Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority group in the university system, going from less than 14 percent in 1997 to 17.3 percent last year.
"With enrollment freezes and cuts, the competition will intensify, so the minimum test scores and GPAs grade point averages will go up," Dosal said. "And that will make it harder for some of our underrepresented student groups, who tend to score lower."
ENLACE's conclusions are no surprise to university leaders, who have wrestled with the consequences of freezing and cutting enrollment.
"For me, this has caused countless hours of concern," said Carolyn Roberts, chairwoman of the board that oversees Florida's public institutions. "But we're saying that, with this budget, for us to be able to educate our students and give them a competitive degree, we have to limit the institutions to the size they are today."
The Board of Governors, faced with $147-million in cuts to the system this year and up to $171-million next year, last month gave college presidents the green light to cut enrollment, lay off faculty members and take other cost-cutting measures. The move marked a dramatic shift in policy, ending a decade in which universities expanded enrollment at a rate of roughly 3 percent a year. Today, the system enrolls 300,000. The four largest state institutions, including the University of South Florida, are among the nation's largest, with more than 40,000 students each. But that kind of continued growth is unlikely now, as budgets shrink and the Board of Governors fights the Legislature for control over tuition.
"By just growing class size, and having a poorer faculty-student ratio, you are just filling more seats," Roberts said. "You are not educating them better." (Emphasis added)
For the ENLACE report, Dosal used data in the university system over the past decade, coupled with growth projections, to determine the potential "college access gap." He concluded that if universities simply freeze enrollment through 2012, there will be 340,000 students trying to get into a system that holds 300,000. If universities cut enrollment, there would be 340,000 students trying to get into a system that has room for less than 280,000. That estimate is based on a hypothetical enrollment cut of 1.5 percent a year for the next five years. Universities have not yet set an enrollment target.
"It was arbitrary, but we tried to come up with a reasonable number in between," Dosal said.
If all of those turned away go to a community college instead, the already crowded two-year institutions would be taxed even more, ENLACE warns. Enrollment could grow from about 385,000 today to 445,000. And unlike in past years, universities might not have seats for students when they finish their two-year degrees.
Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler can be reached at svansickler@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3403.
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/05/State/Colleges_could_turn_a.shtml
Colleges could turn away 60,000, report says
Doors to higher education are being closed to all, says a group that focuses on minorities.
By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER, Times Staff Writer
Published February 5, 2008
_____
TAMPA - Between 40,000 and 60,000 students - many of them minorities - could be denied an education in one of Florida's 11 public universities, thanks to years of insufficient funding and complicated political factors that have college presidents preparing to slash enrollment for the first time in decades.
So concludes ENLACE Florida, a grant-funded group that promotes college access and readiness for minorities, in a report sent today to lawmakers and education officials across the state.
"When this is happening, we can't really talk about the value of diversifying the student population, because the doors are being closed to everyone," said Paul Dosal, executive director of ENLACE Florida.
ENLACE officials conclude their report, "Florida's Higher Education on the Brink," by urging lawmakers and college educators to convene a summit that produces bold solutions. State university leaders have recently discussed the need for such a forum.
"The problems in higher education here are so complicated that they're not likely to be solved in a regular legislative session," Dosal said. "So we felt like the best recommendation was to say, 'Listen guys, sit down and figure this out.' We just feel like we're either in crisis or on the brink of a serious one, and something needs to be done."
Dosal's group is particularly concerned with enrollment cuts' effect on minorities. Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority group in the university system, going from less than 14 percent in 1997 to 17.3 percent last year.
"With enrollment freezes and cuts, the competition will intensify, so the minimum test scores and GPAs grade point averages will go up," Dosal said. "And that will make it harder for some of our underrepresented student groups, who tend to score lower."
ENLACE's conclusions are no surprise to university leaders, who have wrestled with the consequences of freezing and cutting enrollment.
"For me, this has caused countless hours of concern," said Carolyn Roberts, chairwoman of the board that oversees Florida's public institutions. "But we're saying that, with this budget, for us to be able to educate our students and give them a competitive degree, we have to limit the institutions to the size they are today."
The Board of Governors, faced with $147-million in cuts to the system this year and up to $171-million next year, last month gave college presidents the green light to cut enrollment, lay off faculty members and take other cost-cutting measures. The move marked a dramatic shift in policy, ending a decade in which universities expanded enrollment at a rate of roughly 3 percent a year. Today, the system enrolls 300,000. The four largest state institutions, including the University of South Florida, are among the nation's largest, with more than 40,000 students each. But that kind of continued growth is unlikely now, as budgets shrink and the Board of Governors fights the Legislature for control over tuition.
"By just growing class size, and having a poorer faculty-student ratio, you are just filling more seats," Roberts said. "You are not educating them better." (Emphasis added)
For the ENLACE report, Dosal used data in the university system over the past decade, coupled with growth projections, to determine the potential "college access gap." He concluded that if universities simply freeze enrollment through 2012, there will be 340,000 students trying to get into a system that holds 300,000. If universities cut enrollment, there would be 340,000 students trying to get into a system that has room for less than 280,000. That estimate is based on a hypothetical enrollment cut of 1.5 percent a year for the next five years. Universities have not yet set an enrollment target.
"It was arbitrary, but we tried to come up with a reasonable number in between," Dosal said.
If all of those turned away go to a community college instead, the already crowded two-year institutions would be taxed even more, ENLACE warns. Enrollment could grow from about 385,000 today to 445,000. And unlike in past years, universities might not have seats for students when they finish their two-year degrees.
Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler can be reached at svansickler@sptimes.com
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
NEW BENEFIT FOR PJCFA MEMBERS
AFT Advantage is the latest benefit available to our members on the AFT members-only Web site at www.aft.org/members.
Members who have activated their new AFT membership cards have full access to the AFT Advantage—discount shopping online from top retailers. Members can shop for electronics, jewelry, women's clothes and accessories, children's clothes, wine and travel (just to name a few products) at discounted prices.
Other online benefits include:
AFT Member Account Information—Correct member data is vital to the success of the union. Members can make sure the AFT has their latest contact information.
AFT + Member Benefits—Discover all the discounts, services, insurance, financial and travel programs available to AFT members as a benefit of membership.
AFT Voices—Members are invited to speak out on a variety of topics, from workplace safety to early childhood education.
Reminder: Members in the AFT-NEA merged states of Florida, Minnesota, Montana and New York have membership cards from their state federations(FEA for PJCFA members); these members also can log in at www.aft.org/members for exclusive member benefits.
Read a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the new AFT membership cards.
Members who have activated their new AFT membership cards have full access to the AFT Advantage—discount shopping online from top retailers. Members can shop for electronics, jewelry, women's clothes and accessories, children's clothes, wine and travel (just to name a few products) at discounted prices.
Other online benefits include:
AFT Member Account Information—Correct member data is vital to the success of the union. Members can make sure the AFT has their latest contact information.
AFT + Member Benefits—Discover all the discounts, services, insurance, financial and travel programs available to AFT members as a benefit of membership.
AFT Voices—Members are invited to speak out on a variety of topics, from workplace safety to early childhood education.
Reminder: Members in the AFT-NEA merged states of Florida, Minnesota, Montana and New York have membership cards from their state federations(FEA for PJCFA members); these members also can log in at www.aft.org/members for exclusive member benefits.
Read a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the new AFT membership cards.
Monday, February 4, 2008
The Family Medical Leave Act Expanded for Military Families
President Bush has signed into law legislation that expands Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) coverage for family members of employees called for military service. The expansion, included in a broader Department of Defense spendingmeasure, requires employers to offer up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to employees when a spouse, child or parent is on active duty or is called up for active duty. Leave could be for any “exigency” as defined by regulations to be drafted by the U.S. Labor Department.
Additionally, the new law allows employees who are the spouses, children, parents or next of kin of a service member to take up to 26 weeks of leave under the FMLA to care for the service member who incurred an injury during military service when that injury results in the service member being unable to perform his or her duties. The expansion is the first for the 1993 law, which requires employers to allow employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave after the birth or adoption of a child, to care for a sick child, parent or spouse or when an employee has a serious illness. The new provisions are effective immediately.
Other Regulations Proposed
On January 24, the Department of Labor sent proposed changes to the FMLA regulations to the White House's Office of Management and Budget. The text of the changes has not been released, but it is reported that employees would need to notify their employer in advance of the need for leave, and would no longer have one or two business days after missing work as currently provided in the regs.
Instead the proposed regulations would:
(1) require employees to give employers notice before talking leave, with exceptions for extenuating circumstances, and
(2) allow employers to require an employee to provide an annual recertification from a doctor that the employee has a “serious health condition.”
DOL declined, however, to narrow the definition of a serious health condition, as some employer groups had hoped.
The proposed regulations could be published in the Federal Register in February, 2008. The DOL anticipates that the regs will be finalized before the end of the year.
The text of the FMLA, with the changes in bold italics, can be reviewed: http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/fmlaAmended.htm
The DOL FMLA page can be viewed at : http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/
The FEA Legal Services Department will provide an update on the FMLA regulations upon dissemination along with the other proposed changes to the FMLA regulations.
Additionally, the new law allows employees who are the spouses, children, parents or next of kin of a service member to take up to 26 weeks of leave under the FMLA to care for the service member who incurred an injury during military service when that injury results in the service member being unable to perform his or her duties. The expansion is the first for the 1993 law, which requires employers to allow employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave after the birth or adoption of a child, to care for a sick child, parent or spouse or when an employee has a serious illness. The new provisions are effective immediately.
Other Regulations Proposed
On January 24, the Department of Labor sent proposed changes to the FMLA regulations to the White House's Office of Management and Budget. The text of the changes has not been released, but it is reported that employees would need to notify their employer in advance of the need for leave, and would no longer have one or two business days after missing work as currently provided in the regs.
Instead the proposed regulations would:
(1) require employees to give employers notice before talking leave, with exceptions for extenuating circumstances, and
(2) allow employers to require an employee to provide an annual recertification from a doctor that the employee has a “serious health condition.”
DOL declined, however, to narrow the definition of a serious health condition, as some employer groups had hoped.
The proposed regulations could be published in the Federal Register in February, 2008. The DOL anticipates that the regs will be finalized before the end of the year.
The text of the FMLA, with the changes in bold italics, can be reviewed: http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/fmlaAmended.htm
The DOL FMLA page can be viewed at : http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/
The FEA Legal Services Department will provide an update on the FMLA regulations upon dissemination along with the other proposed changes to the FMLA regulations.
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