College of Lake County Adjunct Faculty Organization
Welcome to Spring Semester: It may not look like spring, but soon we will begin to see robins, bulb plants pushing through the soil, grass, longer days, and even get a chance to poison a few pigeons in the park
(with apologies to Tom Lehrer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhuMLpdnOjY ).
ADJUNCT FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: This month we do a shout-out to two of our colleagues. Continue reading “February 2015 CLC-AFO Newsletter”
Dear Colleagues:
The Semester is Winding Down: The semester is ending and the holidays are upon us. We wish you a good last few weeks of the semester and a relaxing and enjoyable holiday season.
ADJUNCT FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: This month we have two outstanding achievements to showcase.
In this issue we recognize:
Penny Dawn Steffen of the English Department:
Penny, under the pseudonym Sasha Dawn, has released her 8th novel, OBLIVION via Egmont USA. It is a psychological thriller for ages 14 and up. Currently, it’s available in hardcover but the paperback may be released in the spring.
Additionally, she has sold her second thriller, TIGHTROPE. It will be available spring 2016, and she has had some interest expressed in its movie rights, too!
Ed Bates of the History Department:
Ed has developed a special topics class that is both interesting and very timely.
History 299 – 001 Special Topics in History: U.S. Immigration and Ethnicity
Spring Semester,2015; Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 – 1:45 PM
Ed told me: “The story of immigration to America is as Continue reading “December, 2014 CLC-AFO Adjunct Newsletter”
In Spring there will be only one mandatory orientation meeting on Thursday evening, January 15th. The union meeting will be at 5:00 in b159 and we will serve pizza and drinks before the meeting. Details regarding your Division’s times and rooms will be sent by your deans or directors. It would be wonderful if these meetings were not mandatory!
Please consider getting involved in your union. The position of Secretary is open and we will be holding an election during Spring Orientation session. It is a paid position, and union dues are reimbursed. See a full job description. But more importantly, it’s a chance to be involved and make a difference here at CLC. There is work involved, but a lot of benefits as well. On a lighter note: As Homer Simpson said when he ran for union president, “This is a chance to get a fair shake for the working man, and make life long connections to the world of organized crime…” (Last Exit to Springfield) Contact Marilyn Sarich or Brian Smith if you are interested.
On September 13, Brian Smith, Treasurer, and Marilyn Sarich, President, attended the IFT Higher Ed Conference. During the general session, attendees heard from Allison Aguilar, AFT Research and Strategic Initiatives, who spoke about Legislative Ideas to Address Declining Affordability, Rising Student Debt and the Disinvestment in Instruction and Learning. Steve Wojcikiewicz, AFT Educational Issues, gave a presentation entitled Raising the Bar: Aligning Teacher Preparation. Steve pointed out that legislation has been developed that creates more accountability for the manner in which K-12 teachers are trained and educated; he said that this trend will most certainly affect higher ed instructors too, in the not too distant future. More information on the AFT’s initiative, Raising the Bar, can be found at www.aft.org.
Toby Trimmer, IFT Director of Political Activities, gave a presentation on Candidate Rauner and how his platform would affect instructors. Toby called our choice for governor on election day “meat loaf or liver and onions”, but everyone understands that a Rauner victory would be devastating to public unions. Click here to see an IFT flyer that compares the two candidates.
In our community colleges break out session, the hot topic was pension reform. Representatives from Southwest Illinois Community College, Triton, Harper, City Colleges of Chicago and others discussed the impact that the changes to SURS have had on faculty and staff. And of course the upcoming election was also discussed. Nick Yelverton, IFT Legislative Director, provided insight into the current mood in Springfield and advised that politicians may be interested in specific stories of how people have been affected. The session ended with a plan for one of the representatives to write a position paper including such examples.