Sunday, September 25, 2011
K-20 Labor Issues around the country.
If you are interested in following a candidate or house bill, please go to www.educationvotes.nea.org. There you can stay caught up on K-20 education issues. Other states have similar problems, or problems we don't want to come to Oregon.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
47,000 conversations
The OEA is doing a survey in order to update their strategic plans. Monique has posted the documents for the survey. If everyone one of us could interview at least one person, we could help contribute to the survey. It's actually a fun survey where you get to know the other person. Once done, send me the survey via intercampus mail (Harmony ESL dept) or snail mail (7338 SW 29th, Portland OR 97219). I can always send you the survey via email too, but I'd rather do it on a private email. Some things don't belong on the college servers. Thanks everyone!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
OEA website
At today's membership meeting (!), Brett Nair of the OEA gave a talk about political issues that affect higher ed. The OEA vets politicians who are running for office, and grades them on their performance (in terms of being pro-education). I just wanted to let everyone know that they can easily read the public website info and/or become an OEA website "member". You'll need to request an ID and password, which you can do here:
http://www.oregoned.org/site/apps/ka/ct/contactus.asp?c=9dKKKYMDH&b=181061&en=lsLNIUPCJeJMKZNEJ7IRJ8NQKoKXI5MELcKVLfOYG
You should also become a member of OEA, if you are not one already. I'll get some OEA membership forms up on this blog site, so you can do that. Thank you!!!
http://www.oregoned.org/site/apps/ka/ct/contactus.asp?c=9dKKKYMDH&b=181061&en=lsLNIUPCJeJMKZNEJ7IRJ8NQKoKXI5MELcKVLfOYG
You should also become a member of OEA, if you are not one already. I'll get some OEA membership forms up on this blog site, so you can do that. Thank you!!!
‘A’ New Adjunct Movement
Hello everyone! I sure miss being part of the CCC community. I ran across this article today in my reading and thought it was an interesting way to advertise adjuncts. Joey
‘A’ New Adjunct Movement
September 21, 2011, 9:47 am
By Isaac Sweeney
If you see a red “A” on a colleague’s door, it probably doesn’t mean “Adultery.” The “A” is for “Adjunct.”
I first heard of this movement from Katherine Burke, a part-time instructor in the School of Theatre and Dance at Kent State University, who posted the idea on the Con Job: Stories of Adjunct and Contingent Faculty Facebook page. She didn’t come up with the idea originally, she says, but she is committed to raising awareness, especially among students. You can see a photo of Burke’s “A” at her blog.
A red “A” signifies that you are an adjunct, some other contingent faculty member, or that you sympathize with contingent faculty members. The idea is to signify some level of unification and to spread awareness. Imagine if a student sees more and more red letters on faculty doors. The student may even see a room full of letters, or letters mysteriously attached to hallway desks (because there is no office or door). Eventually, a student is going to ask someone what it means.
When I’ve talked to students about the working conditions of many contingent faculty members and the pennies they are paid, the students seem appalled. Many students just aren’t aware of the contingent situations some of their instructors are in. This is important because students are, supposedly, the ones with the real power in academe. They are typically energetic and willing to advocate for change when they feel passionately about something, and some of them sit in high places on campuses across the country.
The trick to this, though, is that people have to be willing to answer questions when students or colleagues ask about the red “A”. Contingent faculty members have to be willing to stand up, to take that first plunge, to put that “A” where it can be seen. And supporters who aren’t contingent faculty have to be willing to put themselves out there as well. In the past, staff and faculty –- contingent or not -– have been afraid to stand up against the overuse of contingent labor in higher education. But maybe this simple symbol can alleviate some of that fear.
‘A’ New Adjunct Movement
September 21, 2011, 9:47 am
By Isaac Sweeney
If you see a red “A” on a colleague’s door, it probably doesn’t mean “Adultery.” The “A” is for “Adjunct.”
I first heard of this movement from Katherine Burke, a part-time instructor in the School of Theatre and Dance at Kent State University, who posted the idea on the Con Job: Stories of Adjunct and Contingent Faculty Facebook page. She didn’t come up with the idea originally, she says, but she is committed to raising awareness, especially among students. You can see a photo of Burke’s “A” at her blog.
A red “A” signifies that you are an adjunct, some other contingent faculty member, or that you sympathize with contingent faculty members. The idea is to signify some level of unification and to spread awareness. Imagine if a student sees more and more red letters on faculty doors. The student may even see a room full of letters, or letters mysteriously attached to hallway desks (because there is no office or door). Eventually, a student is going to ask someone what it means.
When I’ve talked to students about the working conditions of many contingent faculty members and the pennies they are paid, the students seem appalled. Many students just aren’t aware of the contingent situations some of their instructors are in. This is important because students are, supposedly, the ones with the real power in academe. They are typically energetic and willing to advocate for change when they feel passionately about something, and some of them sit in high places on campuses across the country.
The trick to this, though, is that people have to be willing to answer questions when students or colleagues ask about the red “A”. Contingent faculty members have to be willing to stand up, to take that first plunge, to put that “A” where it can be seen. And supporters who aren’t contingent faculty have to be willing to put themselves out there as well. In the past, staff and faculty –- contingent or not -– have been afraid to stand up against the overuse of contingent labor in higher education. But maybe this simple symbol can alleviate some of that fear.
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