Governance provisions of the contract allow P-fac members to participate in the business of the union--local, state, regional, and national-- and of Columbia College via its departments and schools, and through College Council and its committees. Participation in governance gives part-time faculty individual and collective voices in college and union affairs.
Department representatives: Every department at Columbia is entitled to one representative per ten faculty (or a minimum of one for smaller departments). Departments may hold elections each (more)
Steering Committee: The Steering Committee consists of seven officers, elected each fall, who take office each spring. Each fall, the entire membership votes for four officers. The top four vote-getters (more)
P-fac meetings: P-fac always holds an all-membership meeting in November to announce Steering Committee election results and update members on issues of concern. There is also at least (more)
Committees: The contract provides that P-fac appointees will serve on the College Council (VI,3) and its governance committees. Most appointments are for two years. P-fac compensates appointees (more)
Representative Assemblies: As a member of the Illinois Educational Association and National Educational Association, P-fac is entitled to delegates to the annual Representative Assembly of each group. (more)
Region 67: IEA (like all state associations within NEA) is organized by regions. Each region has officers elected by members, and an IEA staff member, the Uniserv director, to assist with contract (more)
Every academic department at Columbia is entitled to one representative per ten faculty (or a minimum of one for smaller departments). Departments may hold elections each fall for reps, but since most departments are underrepresented, the process of becoming a rep is usually more informal: contacting the current department reps and/or the P-fac office to express interest. Department reps and the Steering Committee communicate about issues that arise within departments as well as those of concern to the part-time faculty as a whole. Department reps assist colleagues with intradepartmental issues. They also meet each semester with their department chair, a right guaranteed by the contract (VI,1), to discuss part-time faculty concerns. Departments are also required to hold at least one joint meeting of full-and part-time faculty each year (VI,2), to post fulltime faculty openings where part-timers can find out about them (IV, 3A), and to provide a teaching availability form in advance of each semester’s scheduling (VII,4). Department reps are in the best position to make sure their departments follow these and other contract requirements.
Current members of the P-fac Steering Committee
Arvis Averette (HHS), President
Julian Brown (AEMM), Vice President and Grievance Chair
Lyn Wolfson (AEMM), Secretary
Pete Insley (Science/Math), Treasurer
Joe Laiacona (IAM), Negotiations Chair
Christine Pfeiffer (English), Publicity Chair
Wanda Barlow (Science/Math), Membership Chair
The Steering Committee consists of seven officers, elected each fall, who take office each spring. Each fall, the entire membership votes for four officers. The top four vote-getters become President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer as the Steering Committee itself agrees. Three specialized positions are chosen by a vote of the department reps: Negotiations Chair, Membership Chair, and Publicity Chair. Because people interested in the specialized positions may also be among the top four vote-getters in the general election, this sometimes results in other candidates “moving up” into the four generally elected positions. The purpose of this system is to allow individual Steering Committee members to make best use of their expertise and preferences.
Duties of officers: The President officially represents P-fac at meetings with the administration and meets regularly with the administration’s liaison with the part-time faculty (currently the Academic Vice President), and also serves on the College Council. The Vice President
assists in these functions and currently is also the Grievance Chair who expedites any potential grievances over contract violations, misinterpretations, or misapplications. The Secretary keeps minutes and the Treasurer handles finances, including dues. The Membership Chair handles membership records and sends new Bargaining Unit members appropriate information about P-fac. The Negotiations Chair is busiest during periods of contract negotiations, but at all times keeps track of contract issues (and sometimes chooses to serve as Grievance Chair). The Publicity Chair is editor of the newsletter, P-fac News, and also handles internal and external publicity and media communications.
The Steering Committee is a cooperative group, not a hierarchical one. It usually meets every two weeks during the school year and several times during the summer. Decisions that affect P-fac and its members are made via discussion and voting of the entire Steering Committee.
PFAC always holds an all-membership meeting in November to announce Steering Committee election results and update members on issues of concern. There is also at least one all-reps meeting in the fall to elect the three specialized Steering Committee members, usually held in conjunction with the all-membership meeting. Additional meetings may be called during the year, including meetings on specific topics of special concern.
The contract provides that P-fac appointees will serve on the College Council (VI,3) and its governance committees. Most appointments are for two years. P-fac compensates appointees for meeting attendance and expects reports on committee activities.
Currently these positions are:
College Council (five positions, one occupied by the President of P-fac, one at large, the others representing each School at the College)
Arvis Averette (HHSS and Pfac President); Peter Insley (Science & Math, At Large); Robin Morrissey (English/Liberal Arts and Sciences); Miriam Gonzales (AEMM/Fine & Performing Arts); Diana Vallera (Photography/Media Arts)
Evaluation Committee (two positions)
Dale Chapman (Film/Video), Robert Gordon (Art&Design)
Excellence in Teaching Awards (two positions)
Mary Lou Carroll (HHSS), Mary Lou Wade (English)
Teaching and Learning (two positions)
Fern Valfer (Art&Design), Kristen Orser (English)
Academic Affairs (one position)
Julian Brown (AEMM)
Strategic Planning (one position)
Lyn Wolfson (AEMM)
Budget and Priorities (one position)
Joseph Laiacona (IAM)
The contract also provides that P-fac appointees will be seated on search committees and other non-governance committees of the College (VI, 4-8). The College will pay these appointees $50 per attended committee meeting.
As a member of the Illinois Education Association and National Education Association, P-fac is entitled to delegates to the annual Representative Assembly of each group. These IEA/NEA legislative meetings play a vital role in determining the priorities, budgets, and activities of the organization, and operate much like a state or national legislature.
The election for IEA delegates is held each fall, and the Representative Assembly takes place in Rosemont, IL each March for three days (Thursday through Saturday).
The election for NEA delegates is held each spring, and the Representative Assembly takes place for a week including July 4 in a different city every year. This assembly of as many as 15,000 people is an exciting but time-intensive event enabling educators from the entire United States to gather and discuss issues. Caucuses of various interest groups (including Higher Education) also meet during the RA.
Representative Assemblies enable P-fac delegates to meet fellow educators from across the state or nation and to learn much more about the workings of the state and national unions. Any full member may run for delegate. While delegates nearly always find these experiences valuable, candidates should bear in mind that an RA (especially the NEA-RA) is a serious commitment of volunteer time, as well as an obligation to represent the interests of P-fac and of adjunct faculty on a statewide or nationwide scale. Expenses such as travel, hotel, and meals are covered (within limitations) by Region 67 and by P-fac itself.
IEA (like all state associations within NEA) is organized by regions. Each region has officers elected by members, and an IEA staff member, the Uniserv director, to assist with contract negotiations, legal services, and other union needs.
As of May, 2009, P-fac is part of a new Chicago higher education region, the first in IEA. Other region members are the United Staff Association of Columbia College (US of CC), the Roosevelt (University) Adjunct Faculty Organization (RAFO), the City Colleges (of Chicago) Labor Organizing Committee (CCLOC), and the Triton College Adjunct Faculty Association (TCAFA). The Region 67 IEA Uniserv director is Bryant Warren. See the “Links” section for connections to these and other IEA/NEA affiliates.
The new region was a goal for many years of a consortium from these (and some other) IEA-affiliated colleges meeting as the Higher Ed Leaders Group. Until May 2009, the colleges now united in Region 67 were distributed among other regions dominated by K-12 school districts. Region 67 will now be able to develop its own programs and priorities focusing on contingent higher education faculty and higher education staff needs. It will also be easier for members to compare contracts, strategize, and discuss citywide and unionwide issues.
Officers for 2009-2010 are President Frank Brooks (RAFO), Vice President Julian Brown (P-fac) and Minority Representative Mike Bright (USofCC). Additional posts will be filled during fall semester 2009.