Monday, March 2, 2009

Dr. Meadows Interviewed by The Independent News

Read the entire interview "PJC Prez Speaks Out On Cuts, Progress of School" by Sean Boone at http://www.inweekly.net/article.asp?artID=9609.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did it say that Dr. Meadows is amused that faculty is taking credit for something he did, people retiring or finding other jobs?

The budget is being cut 20%?

No place he has ever been has our reputation? O.K. that one I definitely believe. You could see why.

Anonymous said...

Since when did the legislature MANDATE that community colleges offer four-year degrees? If I recall correctly, the college applied to offer such degrees. They're not required to do so. Is this man capable of telling the truth? Or does he just say whatever he needs to in order to make himself look good.

Anonymous said...

Oh, laugh at us all you want, Great Wizard of Oz. Perhaps some in the community might read this and buy the bull, but internally folks know all that stuff was just decided in the past two weeks. Reading the rest of the commentary and directions from All College Day it seems likely that you'll continue to make unilateral moves and decisions without informed and proper input from the smart and thoughtful folks at the college who could prevent disasters before they occur (such as us dumb "teachers just focused on the classroom"). We'll have to keep cleaning up your spilled milk behind you if you don't quit operating alone from behind the curtain.

Anonymous said...

How much money is being spent on the impasse situation? for lawyers and hearings?

Anonymous said...

Don't understand why such a stand has to be taken at this time when not even the first person at this college has receive a pay increase since July 2007 and may not get one until 2010 or later. I've read and heard it all but it seems like the personal attacks and criticisms are the wrong play when support and forward thinking are what should be our priorities.

Anonymous said...

What thing is he doing that you'd like for faculty to support him on?

Anonymous said...

PJCFA declared impasse on MORE than just salaries! If you think that's all that the impasse concerns, you must have been listening to Great Wizard of Oz's speeches without doing any checking on your own.

Anonymous said...

The petty name calling is embarrassing.

Anonymous said...

What you are asking is for is that faculty not say anything when the president of the college does not follow protocols and acts to inspire fear in college employees. That is not going to happen. He is called the wizard of oz because he is never seen, lacks character, and attempts to get people to act based on fear.

Anonymous said...

I've heard the same comments about some members of the faculty!

Anonymous said...

no one answered the question--what is the union spending on the impasse?

Anonymous said...

What is the union spending on impasse?

If you are a faculty member, ask one of the board members or negotiating members. They'll answer your question. Love you. Kiss, Kiss. If you are a friend of faculty, ask one ofnthe board members or negotiating members. Love you. Kiss, Kiss.

If you are not a friend of faculty, please visit a different blog.

Anonymous said...

"no one answered the question--what is the union spending on the impasse?"

It is hard to get at what the writer is exactly asking. I asked one of the officers this morning. The union has spent nothing on impasse. UFF pays for the unions legal fees. If the question is what is impasse costing the college, the officer said that attempts were made prior to impasse to go to mediation. Mediation would have cost the college nothing. Mediation was refused. The union has spent nothing on impasse and attempted to avoid the college spending money on impasse.

My take: The college probably is spending lots of money on legal fees that could have easily been avoided.

Anonymous said...

My take: The college probably is spending lots of money on legal fees that could have easily been avoided if the faculty did not declare impasse for a salary increase when funds were clearly not available in the first place.

Anonymous said...

When I said state, I should have said state level union--UFF. It's not the state that pays for PJCFA's legal. It is UFF.

Anonymous said...

Mid-term grades were part of negotiations. Mid-term grades could have handled without going to impasse, but administration wasn't going to talk with faculty about it. The choice to not to faculty is going to be expensive for the college.

Anonymous said...

We are also at impasse over OPA language and hours, and increases to overload, educational incentive, and promotion pay. PJCFA tried to negotiate a salary plan that called for a 0% raise for this year with gradually increasing raises for the next 5 years.

The College refused to discuss any such plan---so, no, we aren't at impasse just because we didn't get a base salary raise.

It's the administration's decisions which have led to impasse---and the costs it is incurring.

Anonymous said...

"Mid-term grades were part of negotiations. Mid-term grades could have handled without going to impasse"-----
What happened when it was decided NOT to post mid-term grades? Was that negotiated? I thought we were told "don't do mid-term grades any longer".

Anonymous said...

I haven't heard that.

Anonymous said...

We were told not to post mid-term grades, but then we were warned that we could be charged with dereliction of duty, so we were told to wait until a decision was made with the impasse.

Anonymous said...

WHO told faculty not to post midterm grades? I've never heard this from anyone in administration or from the leadership of PJCFA.

Anonymous said...

Midterm grades are not a part of the impasse. THe admininstration refused to negotiate midterm grades, claiming that administration had a right to add this job requirement. The midterm grades are a separate grievance, currently being pursued by PJCFA.

If you do not wish to be charged with insubordination (by refusing to do something admin has told you to do), you must post midterm grades. The grievance hearings should be coming up very soon (we're waiting to hear the date). Once the arbiter has made his decision on the midterm-grade grievance, his decision will be binding.

Anonymous said...

Mid-term grade----long ago we posted mid term grades on paper rosters. At some point, we stopped doing that. When did that occur and how was it negoiated? That's what I meant when I asked the question. (I think I remember Dr. Bedics saying "we won't have mid-term grades) and that was it. So, the policy of no mid-term grades was just announced. So why do we have a grievance over this issue when it was not a grievance issue years ago when it was stopped? (the "don't post mid-term grades" comment was history, years ago, not currently.) I am just curious about this issue.

Anonymous said...

I have no idea when in the past mid-term grades were required to be posted, not in the 20 years I've been teaching at PJC for sure.

However, since assigning grades is a prerogative of the faculty and we are only required to post final grades, adding a requirement to post midterm grades is adding to our terms of employment. Thus, it is something that must be negotiated.