soundings
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This is the newsletter for Shoreline Community College's Federation of Teachers, AFT-WA Local 1950, for 3/12/12.TRANSCRIPT
I n the library, we talk all the time
about how to tell our story so people
get what we do. We fret that our com-
munity believes that libraries have be-
come irrelevant and that the Internet
is the new library. Librarians, faculty,
administrators, legislators, and the
business community talk about what
students need, so when the opportunity
arose for Corey Murata, a graduate stu-
dent in the Master of Communication in
Digital Media program at the UW, to
make a video story about the library,
he chose to do it from a student’s per-
spective—that of honors student Chisom
Chibuogwu, who transferred to Shore-
line after studying for a year at the
University of Puget Sound.
And what was most surprising from the
video story was Chibuogwu’s emphasis
on the library as a place where commu-
nity is formed. We hope you enjoy the
video and that it sparks ideas about
ways to incorporate library resources
into your courses.
AFT Local 1950 E-Board Meeting Monday, March 12 PUB 9202 3 to 5 PM
All-Campus Meeting Wednesday, March 14 PUB Main Dining Room 1 to 2 PM SCCFT Quarterly All-Federation Meeting Friday, March 16 2925 2 to 3:30 PM SCC Board of Trustees Meeting Wednesday, March 21 Board Room, 1000 building 4 to 6 PM
Volume 39 Issue 6 March 12, 2012Volume 39 Issue 6 March 12, 2012
calendarcalendar
in this issuein this issue Becoming
Who I Am
Claire Murata, Information Literacy Librarian [email protected]
President’s Corner 2
English Placement Test Scores Revised 4
Innovative Alternatives for Elementary and Intermediate Algebra 5
Changes Coming to a Grade Near You 5
COPE Donors Needed 6
Upcoming AFT Conferences & Workshops 8
Making Waves—the ceramics work of Sam Scott 10
SCCFT Executive Board 12
Click on the image
below to watch the
video on YouTube.
SoundingsSoundings
2
President’s CornerPresident’s Corner
O ngoing uncertainty best describes the forecast
for higher education funding in Washington State.
State legislators meeting in Olympia in regular session
were unable to agree on a supplemental budget to fill
the state’s revenue shortfall, and a special session will
convene at noon on March 12.
Anticipated adoption by House and Senate Democrats
of a majority budget that largely spared higher educa-
tion from additional cuts was thwarted by Senate Re-
publicans, who (with the support of three defecting
Democrats) approved a last-minute Republican budget
that upended the budget process. While higher educa-
tion cuts in the Republicans’ Senate budget amount to
a relatively-light
$30 million, and
House Democrats
passed a budget
that does not cut
higher education at
all, the political
impasse between
the parties in
Olympia delays
confirmation of
how much state
funding the college
can expect to re-
ceive for the com-
ing year.
This is unfortunate, because the college needs to move
forward despite the inability of legislators to agree to a
budget. Faculty can take some comfort in the fact
that amid the political wrangling, steep cuts to higher
education seem to be off the table, and eventual pas-
sage of a supplemental budget that avoids significant
cuts to higher education remains likely.
Looking at higher education budget scenarios at the
end of February that were not much different from
what now seems likely to occur, President Lambert said
he hoped the college could absorb this year’s projected
higher education cuts “without letting people go.” It
continues to be my hope as well that when a state
budget is finally adopted higher education cuts will be
minimal and layoffs will not be necessary.
Other faculty concessions should also not be under dis-
cussion this year. Faculty made substantial concessions
last year that reduced full-time faculty pay for summer
quarter instruction in 2011 and 2012, and suspended
sabbaticals for two years. These concessions total over
4 percent of faculty payroll for each year.
Individually, full-time faculty who teach during summer
quarter lost thousands of dollars in compensation for
summer 2011 and
sustained pay cuts
of 15 percent and
more of their sum-
mer pay. They will
suffer similar losses
for summer 2012.
In addition to pay
concessions that
faculty voted to
accept locally, dur-
ing the past few
years faculty have
absorbed other
compensation loss-
es that are beyond our immediate control.
For four years, faculty received no cost of living adjust-
ments, a loss which alone is equivalent to a 12 percent
reduction in faculty income. And it’s been five years
since the legislature appropriated funding for the step
increases that are promised in our faculty contract.
The tiny amounts of increment funding available locally
through turnover dollars, welcome as they are, have
not begun to make a dent in the COLA and increment
funding the state has not allocated to faculty.
Total faculty payroll has been further reduced through
Ongoing Uncertainty
Amy J. Kinsel Professor of History & AFT Local 1950 President [email protected]
“An all-campus meeting is scheduled for
Wednesday, March 14, from 1:00-2:00 pm
in the PUB Main Dining Room. Announced
agenda items for this meeting are the
budget, organizational structure, and
campus-wide initiatives.”
3
layoffs and attrition of full-time faculty. During
the last six years, the ranks of tenured and tenure-
track faculty on our campus have fallen by 23 per-
cent.
These losses are felt not only in missing colleagues.
Associate and full-time faculty are doing more
work across the board as classes are filled to ca-
pacity and fewer full-time faculty remain to take
on everything from advising and committee work
to curriculum planning and program review.
Looking at the significant sacrifices faculty have
made to help sustain the college, nobody can rea-
sonably suggest to faculty that we have not done
our part to help the college through its financial
challenges by accepting salary concessions, endur-
ing layoffs, and taking on more work.
What faculty can offer now are not additional loss-
es of colleagues from among our ranks or further
reductions in our already-stagnant salaries. What
we can offer now is our expertise as first-rate pro-
fessional educators.
An all-campus meeting is scheduled for Wednes-
day, March 14, from 1:00-2:00 pm in the PUB Main
Dining Room. Announced agenda items for this
meeting are the budget, organizational structure,
and campus-wide initiatives.
Early afternoon is not a great time for a meeting,
but I urge those of you who are not in class or
working with students to attend. Faculty must be
involved in campus discussions and decision-making
about the college’s budget, its organization, and
its initiatives.
Faculty know and love this
college and its students.
S CCFT’s quarterly All-Federation meeting is scheduled
for FRIDAY, MARCH 16, FROM 2:00-3:30 PM IN ROOM
2925. All associate and full-time SCCFT members are
invited to attend this meeting. Federation membership
forms will be available for faculty who have not yet
signed on as union members.
The theme for this quarter’s meeting is Faculty Build
Colleges to Last.
Come to the meeting to discuss how you can advocate
effectively for associate and full-time faculty to be re-
spected and treated as professional educators during an
era of budget cuts and institutional change.
Agenda items will include:
advocating for our profession in challenging times;
news about the state budget and any cuts to higher
education that the legislature adopts for fiscal year
2013;
the latest information from administration about
college budget plans for the 2012-2013 academic
year;
an update from Chief Negotiator Karen Kreutzer
about faculty contract negotiations;
a report from COPE/Legislative Representative Gary
Parks about the AFT-WA political endorsement pro-
cess;
reports from Federation officers and division repre-
sentatives.
Please contact your division representative(s) if you
would like to add an agenda item for this meeting, or if
you would like to contribute a homemade snack.
Be sure to attend to get your Faculty Build Colleges to
Last button!
4
“Offering many opportunities
for success helps students
gain confidence in their math
skills that they may
otherwise never achieve.”
English Placement Test Scores Revised
Grading & Placement UpdatesGrading & Placement Updates
5
Innovative Alternatives for Elementary and Intermediate Algebra Lauren Sandven, Professor of Mathematics [email protected]
I f you’ve advised a frustrated student who just can’t seem to make it
through the developmental math sequence, you know the fast pace of
the traditional classroom experience isn’t a good fit for everyone. In the
Math Department, we are continually seeking creative solutions for our
students. In Winter 2011, after several months of development, we be-
gan offering an alternative pathway—Math 085 and Math 095. These self-
paced computer-based courses are equivalent to Math 080 and Math 099.
Students meet in a computer lab for two scheduled class hours per week.
In addition, at least twenty hours of open lab time are available to stu-
dents each week. Instructors provide one-on-one instruction and volun-
teer student tutors offer individual help as students work through the ma-
terial at their own pace. Each course is divided into five one-credit mod-
ules consisting of video lectures, online homework, oral quizzes, and a
proctored exam.
The self-paced courses have several advantages for students. One of the
biggest benefits is that students are allowed up to a year to complete
five credits, so they can work at a pace that is comfortable for them.
Because tests can be taken multiple times with no time limit, perfor-
mance anxiety is greatly reduced.
Offering many opportunities for success helps students gain confidence in
their math skills that they may otherwise never achieve. Students can
enroll or add credits through the seventh week of the quarter, and open
lab hours and many schedule options make the courses convenient for
busy students. Conversely, Math 085 and Math 095 also meet the needs
of students who are able to move through the material at a quicker pace.
The Math Department is currently evaluating the success of Math 085 and
095. One adjustment you can expect to see beginning summer quarter is
a numbering change that will allow better tracking of enrollment and
completion. Math 085 will become five individual one-credit courses:
Math 081, 082, 083, 084 and 085. A similar change will affect Math 095.
It is a challenge to make sure courses of this type adequately prepare
students for future coursework. We want to maintain the same high
standards in the self-paced individualized format as we have in our Math
080 and Math 099 face-to-face and fully-online classes. You can expect
to see the self-paced courses evolve over the next several quarters as the
Math Department receives feedback and modifies the courses to continue
to best serve and meet our students’ needs.
J ust a reminder to all faculty
that state institutions no
longer accept any grades below
1.0 for transfer credit. Keep
this in mind as you enter your
grades for Winter Quarter.
Faculty Senate Council has been
working this year on revisions of
the Grading Policy (6260) and the
Academic Dishonesty Policy
(5033). We plan to circulate
drafts to the campus early in
Spring Quarter and after final
revisions submit the new policies
to a vote of the faculty. Follow-
ing the approval of the entire
faculty, we hope to have all the
revisions complete and sent to
the Board of Trustees for their
information by the end of Spring
Quarter. Please feel free to
share any questions or concerns
with your division representa-
tives, Vice Chair Diana Knauf, or
me.
Changes Coming to a Grade Near You Terry Taylor, Professor of History & Faculty Senate Chair [email protected]
6
W ith races for Governor, Senator, Attorney General, and others in 2012,
it's an important political year for AFT. The Washington State Labor
Council and AFT-Washington recently endorsed Jay Inslee for Governor, Maria
Cantwell for Senator, and Bob Ferguson for Attorney General. The winner of
each of these positions could greatly affect the future of higher education in
our state. Can you imagine a Republican Governor (even one with a good Irish
name like McKenna) and an Attorney General at work in our state?
One concrete thing you can do to help labor-endorsed candidates this year is
contribute to the AFT Committee on Political Education (COPE) fund. COPE
is a program whereby union members can contribute funds to be used specifi-
cally to support candidates and causes important to education. COPE contri-
butions can occur through one-time donations or through payroll deductions.
Currently, our local union is one of the best COPE contributors in the state—
Thanks! Through payroll deductions alone, our local donates over $350 per month to the COPE fund
through about 25 members who donate anywhere from $5 per paycheck to $20 or more.
Please consider either starting or increasing your COPE donations. An SCCFT member will be approaching
each of you within the next month regarding COPE. With so many wealthy and powerful interests working
against us right now to re-shape education in ways that may not benefit students, these kinds of ground-
level efforts make a huge difference. If you are interested in either starting COPE donations or increasing
your current donation level, or if you need to know your current monthly donation amount, please contact
Gary Parks, AFT Local 19050 COPE/Legislative Representative, for more details and donation forms.
COPE Donors Needed! Gary Parks, Professor of English & COPE/Legislative Rep. [email protected]
Don’t Forget!
SCCFT’s quarterly
ALL-FEDERATION MEETING
is scheduled for
Friday, March 16
from 2:00-3:30 pm
in Room 2925.
8
A FT-WA’s 77th annual convention will be held at the Shilo Inn in Ocean Shores, Washington, on Friday, May 4
and Saturday, May 5, 2012. The convention theme this year is “Sea Change.” AFT-Washington aims with
this theme to emphasize the communities in which its members work and live. As the convention call states,
“Engaging our community, including our students and their parents, is critical if we want to build a positive nar-
rative about labor unions and the value of investing in education and other public services.”
Featured speaker for the convention is Eric Zachery, national AFT Human Rights and Community Relations Direc-
tor, who will challenge AFT members to participate in community activities that show the public what profes-
sional educators do and why we do it.
Other activities planned for convention include a short union leadership workshop, deliberation of resolutions
sent forward by locals, endorsement of political candidates, and consideration of an AFT-Washington request for
a per capita dues increase, the first such request since 2007.
AFT-WA has asked all locals to send at least one delegate who has never been to convention before and is a
newer member of our local. Based on a review of the Federation budget, E-Board will determine at its March 12
meeting how many delegates our local can fund to attend the convention. SCCFT (AFT-Local 1950) is eligible to
send up to 14 delegates, even if we are unable to fund expenses for all 14.
If you are interested in serving as a delegate from AFT-Local 1950 to the 2012 AFT-Washington convention,
please contact me or another member of E-Board as soon as possible. The deadline for reserving hotel rooms in
Ocean Shores is April 4, and SCCFT must send credentials and registration fees for its delegates to AFT-
Washington no later than April 14.
AFT-Washington Annual Convention Set for Ocean Shores
Amy J. Kinsel Professor of History & AFT Local 1950 President [email protected]
Get Linked InGet Linked In
A FT-WA invites you to “get connected” to AFT and its affiliates online to track current information about
“public education issues that matter to the economic vitality of our community.”
“Like” AFT-WA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aftwa. AFT-WA assures its fans, “Your privacy is im-
portant to us. When you click ‘Like’ on our Facebook page, you will become a fan. But your wall, photos,
and newsfeeds are not visible to any fans on our site, only to your ‘friends’ and others determined by your
privacy settings.”
John AFT-Washington’s social network for faculty at facultyforthefuture.ning.com. AFT-WA’s Faculty for the
Future website is a member-only site, and requests to join are approved by site administrators.
Follow AFT-WA on Twitter at AFTWA for behind-the-scene tweets from Olympia.
Check out AFT-Washington’s “Save Our Students, Occupy Education” website at save-our-students.net for
updates on AFT’s campaign to protect public education.
Visit AFT-Washington’s public website for general union information: http://wa.aft.org.
Be inspired by Seattle Community College District AFT-Local 1789’s “Enough Already” campaign: http://
teacherswithspine.org/about/.
“Like” our own AFT-Local 1950 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/AFT-Local-1950-
Shoreline-Community-College/315095181872012.
Visit SCCFT’s web page to read our contract and local news: http://www.sccft.org/.
Subscribe to SCCFT’s Soundings online newsletter: http://issuu.com/soundings/docs/soundings_2.21.12.
10
Making WavesMaking Waves
A ssociate faculty, Sam Scott, is an internationally
recognized potter and ceramic artist. He is one of
the many part-time faculty employed on the SCC cam-
pus, but you probably don’t recognize him since he pri-
marily teaches evening classes catering to working
adults. Scott likes teaching after sundown since he is a
night owl himself. It is a schedule he said he got into
when his kids were young—going to work in his studio
after he’d helped with dinner, and staying up frequently
until five a.m. to focus on his craft. Even though his
kids are all grown up and now have kids of their own,
the night owl schedule just stuck with him.
A short while ago, I sat down with Scott before his even-
ing class in SCC’s glaze room to chat about the work he
created for the upcoming National Council on the Educa-
tion of the Ceramic Arts conference. The actual confer-
ence hits Seattle March 28 – 31, but there are opportuni-
ties to see ceramics work all over town before, during,
and after the official conference weekend. While sever-
al Art faculty and staff members—including Laura Ward,
Bruce Amstutz, Brendan Fuller, and Natalie Niblack—will
show their work at the conference, as well as in an exhi-
bition open from
March 7 to April 8
in our own gallery
in the 1000 build-
ing, Scott will have
nine pieces show-
cased at different
venues and exhib-
its during NCECA.
As Scott said, “This
is the time if you like clay . . . [the NCECA conference]
is the most important venue . . . to see work and have
work shown in the ceramic world.”
One of the six pieces Scott will show at the Bellevue Arts
Museum is a plate called Push Play (which also happens
to be the theme of the exhibition). He said that he real-
ly enjoyed making the plate since it visually mixes clas-
sic ideas about what constitutes play—jacks, dice,
chess—with contemporary versions of play—remote con-
trol, computer chip, Pac-Man. The centerpiece to this
contradiction is the inclusion of versions of the iconic
Pixar characters Buzz Lightyear and Woody from the Toy
Story trilogy. Buzz represents a newer version of tech-
nologically advanced “play” and Woody represents a
more analog version. NCECA was so impressed with
Scott’s interpretation of the theme that they included
this plate in the cover art for the conference program.
Scott’s interest in
ceramics stems all
the way back to his
high school days
when he decided
that working with
clay was a good
alternative to tak-
ing a typing class.
(Plus there was a girl he was interested in who happened
to like making pots as well.) After graduating from
Shoreline Community College in 1972, Scott went on to
earn his BFA in ceramics at the UW in 1975. Initially, he
said he hadn’t been interested in teaching. However, in
1975, he decided to accept a part-time position teaching
at Everett Community College, which he held for 25
years. He’s been at Shoreline since 1999. He enjoys
teaching part-time and loves the opportunity to interact
“When they are digging up civilizations, they are digging up pots.”
Ruth Gregory, Associate Faculty of Cinema & Digital Filmmaking [email protected]
“This is the time if you like clay. [The NCECA
conference] is the most important venue . . . to
see work and have work shown. . . .”
11
Making WavesMaking Waves
with other people interested in his area of expertise.
Scott feels that one of his strengths as an instructor
comes from the fact that he is a model for students
struggling with questions of how to make a living from
their craft. He also sees his night owl schedule as a
benefit for students coming to his evening classes
straight from work since he is still fresh and ready to
talk about clay.
All of Scott’s work as a faculty member and artist fit
into his current goals for what he calls the “third” part
of his career (aka the “end” or post-kids era). He is
concerned about making sure that his legacy as an art-
ist is documented, and that future generations are
aware of his large body of work. Part of his interest in
getting the word out about his work is that “{w}hen
they are digging up civilizations, they are digging up
pots.” Undoubtedly, having his work shown in so many
venues during the most prestigious annual conference
for ceramics can’t help but cement his legacy.
In the column Making Waves we take a closer look at what is going on with our faculty peers across campus. What sort of research are you working on? What unique activities are you employing in your classroom? Got a performance coming up? An exhibition of your work? Let Soundings know how you are “making waves” on campus and in the community.
NCECA Invitational Exhibition: Push Play
Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA
January 19 - June 17, 2012
Opening reception: March 29, 6-9 pm
Drink Me: Use and Imagination in the Ceramic Vessel
Shoreline Community College Art Gallery
March 8 - April 17, 2012
Opening reception: Thursday, March 29, 5-8pm
Extreme, Extraordinary, Exquisite:
Teapots On The Edge
Bellevue College Gallery, Bellevue, WA
March 5 - April 5, 2012
Opening reception: March 28, 1-5pm
Bridging the Gap: Faculty of Puget Sound’s Community
Colleges
Art/Not Terminal - Sub T Gallery, Seattle, WA
March 3 - April 4, 2012
Opening receptions: March 29, 6-9pm
The Clay Edge: Ceramic Artists from the Northwest
Designer Craftsmen
Northwest Woodworkers Gallery, Seattle, WA
March 22 - April 22, 2012
Opening reception: March 29, 5-9pm
Pots with a Purpose
Throwing Mud Gallery, Tacoma, WA
March - April, 2012
Opening reception: March 27, 12-6pm
Contemporary Northwest Ceramics Collection at Har-
borview Medical Center
Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA
Norm Maleng Building, Ongoing.
Vessels
Glenn Richards lower level Gallery, Seattle, WA
March 25 - 31, 2012
Opening reception: March 27, 4-8pm
NCECA Gallery Expo
Exhibit from 18 Hands Gallery, Houston, TX
WA State Convention Center, room 606-609,
March 27 - 30, 2012
Opening: March 27, 6:30-8pm
Venues where you can check out Sam Scott’s work during NCECA:
12
SCCFT Executive BoardSCCFT Executive Board
Office Officer Email Phone President Amy J. Kinsel [email protected] 206.546-4679 1st Vice President/Parliamentarian Kira L. Wennstrom [email protected] 206.546-4578 2nd Vice President Rachel David [email protected] 206.546-4760 3rd Vice President Bonnie Frunz [email protected] 206.546-6987 Secretary Elizabeth Hanson [email protected] 206.546-4555 Treasurer Shannon Flynn [email protected] 206.546-4705 COPE/Legislative Representative Gary Parks [email protected] 206.546-4785 HO/PE/BUS Rep. 1 Alison Leahy [email protected] 206.546-5891 HO/PE/BUS Rep. 2 Sueanne Seegers [email protected] 206.546-4710 HO/PE/BUS Rep. 3 (Open) Humanities Rep. 1 Ruthann Duffy [email protected] 206.533-6766 Humanities Rep. 2 Dutch Henry [email protected] 206.546-5807 Humanities Rep. 3 Ruth Gregory [email protected] 206.546-4789 Math/Science/Auto/Mfg Rep. 1 Steve Bogart [email protected] 206.546-6986 Math/Science/Auto/Mfg Rep. 2 (Open) SS/ES/LIB/Media Rep. 1 Betsey Barnett [email protected] 206.546-4680 SS/ESJ/LIB/Media Rep. 2 Tom Moran [email protected] 206.546-4774 King County Labor Council Rep. 1 Tim Payne [email protected] 206.546-4706 King County Labor Council Rep. 2 T. Sean Rody [email protected] 206.546-6983 The following positions do not include E-Board membership: King County Labor Council Rep. 3 Jonathan Betz-Zall [email protected] 206.546-6939 King County Labor Council Rep. 4 Elizabeth Hanson [email protected] 206.546-4555 King County Labor Council Rep. 5 Amy J. Kinsel [email protected] 206.546-4679
W e welcome submis-
sions of articles to
Soundings. Priority will be
given to information that
aids faculty in their profes-
sional pursuits, informs them
of union-related issues and
their understanding of the
contract, or provides infor-
mation about campus-
related news and events.
Any other information is
printed on a space-available
basis.
All submissions may be edit-
ed for length, factual accu-
racy, spelling, and grammar.
We also reserve the right not
to publish any submissions
that are potentially libelous
or which may violate a per-
son’s right to privacy. All
submissions must include the
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To submit an article, please
send it is as an email attach-
ment to the editor of Sound-
ings, Ruth Gregory.
Soundings submission policy Soundings staffSoundings staff
Assistant Editor
Ruthann Duffy
Professor of ESL
Editor & Production
Designer
Ruth Gregory
Associate Faculty of Cinema & Digital
Filmmaking
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