Know Your Rights
by Barbara Hanfling, FA, AFT 6157 Executive Director

Sabbatical Applications Are Due November 1^st

As always we encourage faculty to begin work on their sabbatical applications and get them into their deans before November 1, 2010 for the 2011/2012 academic year. One the gravest consequences of this economic crisis and stalemate in Sacramento are the lack of staff development money and opportunity for our faculty.

So we recommend all who are planning on taking a Sabbatical next year do the work and apply for the Sabbatical. These proposals will go through the Dean, President, and the PRC (Professional Recognition Committee) per the Collective Bargaining Agreement for recommendation to the Chancellor and the SJECCD Board of Trustees.

The only change is that because we are in tough times, we may again have to look toward salary savings in the year 2011/2012. With that in mind, although we continue to encourage and accept applications, their final approval with the Board will not be until March 1, 2011.

If there is agreement between the Union and District to postpone Sabbaticals for one year, Faculty members whose sabbaticals were recommended by the PRC, and were affected by the postponement will have first priority in 2012/2013. If there is no postponement, all those whose sabbaticals have made it to the Board of Trustee will move forward with their educational improvement in 2011/2012.

Know Your Rights
by Debbie DeLaRosa, Grievance Officer

Class Size

With the new semester here, it is always a good idea to review and understand the guidelines set for class size negotiated between the Faculty Association and the District. In 2006, the Class Size List was negotiated by the FA, AFT 6157 and the District. This list is used to set maximum class size for all classes where there is agreement between the parties.

Any changes to the 2006 Class Size List must be signed by both the District and the FA. When no agreement is reached, class size is set using a number of choices. One decision was to set class size at or near the historical range per past practice. Where the parties cannot agree on the class size per past practice, the lower maximum class size, the higher maximum class size or any number in between as specified in the 2006 Class Size List may be used by the college to set class size.

Changes in class size are implemented through either mutual agreement or the negotiating process. A deviation of 7.5% or less in any one semester was agreed to be within an acceptable range of fluctuation on a temporary basis. This deviation is intended to provide the District with the ability to respond to immediate student needs which are created by such circumstances as cancelled classes and imminent graduation requirements. It is not intended to provide the District with the right to unilaterally increase class size on an on-going or regular or even a frequent basis.

If the FA believes the District is using this as a means to alter maximum class size, the FA may request and shall receive a written justification from the Vice President of Instruction/Academic Affairs. Whenever possible the process for establishing class sizes for new courses or setting the class size for existing courses not on the 2006 Class Size List shall include benchmarking these courses to existing similar courses to determine the class size.

Negotiating Class Size
Finally, changes in class size and new course class size must be negotiated with the FA, after review of recommendations from each division discipline and the college curriculum committees. The FA shall be notified four (4) weeks prior to the course being placed on the Board Agenda. The class size committee consisting of Marc Sola, David Yancey, the 2 VP’s of Academic Affairs and Barbara Hanfling meet once a month to review new curriculum and determine new class sizes. Conversations with faculty are a necessary part of determining class size.

It is important to note that we negotiate class size with pedagogical and student centered reasons. If faculty members take many more students than the recommended class size, then our students suffer and the ability to adequately and properly respond to their needs becomes challenged. Please view the new class size by going to our web page; the class size list is on the right hand side. It was just updated in May 2010.