Frankly, My Dear, I Do Give a Damn by Ellen Schuler Mauk
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Volume 27 Number 2 November 2010 Frankly, my dear, I do give a damn by Ellen Schuler Mauk And I think you, too, should give a us for high taxes, tuition increases, and damn this November 2, Election Day. diminishing job prospects. Our professional livelihoods are This November’s election is probably literally at stake at both the national and the most critical election in which we’ve state levels. Public employees, especially had the opportunity to vote in the past teachers—including those of us in higher twenty-five years. We need to make education—have become the scapegoats sure we support those candidates who for all the ills facing our country. Too many really do share our values, who really do political candidates and incumbents cite understand the importance of what we our salaries, pensions and health benefits do, and who really will stand up for us as the reason for the state’s and nation’s when we need them. economic crisis. As many of you may know, NYSUT Already in places like New Jersey and changed its endorsement procedures this Michigan, public employees have been year by endorsing only those incumbent legislated a mandatory contribution of candidates who earned the endorsement. Committee. His knowledge of and salary toward health insurance premiums NYSUT is only supporting those advocacy for higher education in that despite collective bargaining laws that candidates who have demonstrated that committee has been critical for us because include health insurance as a mandatory they share our values. Candidates had he truly understands both what we do item of negotiations. In those states, as to demonstrate that they are willing to and why we do it because he’s done what well as others, retirement benefits are also stand up for working families, for public we do every day. It would be a real setback being altered retroactively. education, for public higher education, for us and all of higher education if we In the past, we were able to take and for protecting the benefits we’ve were to lose his recognized leadership comfort in the fact that we lived in New worked hard to achieve through collective and understanding of higher education York and the majority of our legislators bargaining. in this committee. and Congress people from both political One of the candidates who notably Another candidate, Congressman parties understood and appreciated the deserves our support is Tim Bishop, Steve Israel, who is running for reelection important work that we and other public candidate for reelection in Suffolk in the 2nd Congressional District, has sectors workers do. In the past, we did County’s 1st Congressional District. Tim been working with the college on a not feel the brunt of the attacks that so has proven himself to be an outspoken proposal for a Regional Manufacturing many of our union colleagues in other advocate for public higher education in and Renewable Energy Center parts of the country felt. Unfortunately, Washington. Having previously served Consortium facility to be located on the New York is no longer the safe haven as provost at Southampton College, Tim Grant Campus. This facility will be used from political candidates who blame asked to be assigned to the Education continued on page 7 1 Give a damn: Go vote! 4 One nation working together 8 Onward, upward, Excelsior 2 Leaders & activists: McCoy 5 New member profiles 10 In memoriam: Jack Schanfeld 3 FYI and other news of note 6 FA website revision 11 Holiday party invitation Profiles of FA leaders and activists by Cynthia Eaton featuring Kevin McCoy Professor of Library Technical Services (Ammerman) Webmaster, www.fascc.org Cynthia1. : You have maintained the use technology. It is hard FA website for several years now. to believe now, but when I How did you originally get interested started as an adjunct, SCCC in technology? had just acquired its first email system. Faculty and staff had to Kevin: I was the last generation to demonstrate a need for email Peterman by Kevin photo go through high school without to get an account. A group using a computer. In college I used of librarians created a class a typewriter until my senior thesis on how to use email that was project, which was on my mother’s distributed by email! Although Apple IIG. Being a poor typist, I the technologies have changed, immediately saw the advantages of my primary job is still figuring using computers. out how to use technology to help people find and organize In library school I learned how information. technology could help people find and organize information. It was Cynthia2. : I heard that you have a time of tremendous transition been awarded the 2010 Suffolk in libraries. Card catalogues and County Library Association’s print indexes were just starting to Excellence in Library Service be replaced by computerized data Award (ELSA). Congrats! Tell files. This was in the early days of me another thing that people the internet and the only place on might not know about you. song. Our claim to fame was that we campus you could access the internet played CBGBs twice; it was really was at the computer science lab. Back Kevin: I worked as a roadie and had cool to be on the same stage as some then you had to navigate the internet my own band in the 80s. The band I of the greatest punk bands. using text-based tools. worked for, The Mosquitos, played a lot of clubs in the city and went on Cynthia3. : What one word would Many schools wasted money on many college tours. They opened up you use to describe yourself? What technology because they bought for some well known acts, including one word would your friends use to the hardware but did not provide The Ramones, Buster Poindexter, describe you? Your wife? Children? training. Many of my first library and Chris Isaacs. My friend Vance jobs were teaching people how to started the band, and The Monkeys Kevin: Curious. There are two types used his song “That was Then, This of librarians: those who like to is Now” on their comeback album. organize stuff and those who like to Vance now plays with the 60s band find out about stuff. I am definitely Herman’s Hermits. in the second category. My friends might say empathetic. My wife would My band was called the Merry probably have plenty of adjectives to Cynthia Eaton .............. Co-Editor Pranksters (I was a big fan of Ken describe me, depending on the day. Joyce Gabriele ............. Co-Editor Kesey). We weren’t very good, but On most days I think she would say Kevin Peterman .... Photographer our bassist was also an accordion thoughtful. My kids are teenagers so I player who played Jimi Hendrix’s don’t even want to think what word “Are You Experienced” on accordion. they would use to describe me! I am probably the only person in the world that has written a punk/polka continued on page 6 page 2 FYI: Highlights from the Executive Council and other news of note • New Divorce Law: The office such as child custody, visitation and are available on the FA website at of Mirkin & Gordon, P.C., has support, economic issues of equitable http://www.fascc.org/de. notified us that on August 13, 2010, distribution of marital property, Governor Paterson signed into law spousal maintenance, and attorneys • Web Enhancing Your Classes: an amendment to the NYS Domestic fees have been resolved by the parties If you would like to have your on- Relations Law that became effective or determined by the court. campus class web enhanced, so that October 12, adding a long anticipated you have a Desire2Learn (D2L) class new ground for divorce based upon • Health Care Proxy Publication: website for that section, notify your irreconcilable differences. Prior FA members can review a document academic chair who can web enhance thereto, many parties were forced to titled “Making Medical Decisions for your course in Banner. Many faculty lie to obtain a divorce. Someone Else: A How To Guide” at have been web enhancing their on- this website: http://www.abanet.org/ campus classes so they can post their Although publicized as the aging/pdfs/genlproxyguide2009.pdf. course outline and class notes and introduction of “no fault” divorce in materials for students as well as use New York, the reality is different. Members may seek a health care the various communications tools proxy benefit through our legal with their students. Under the new law, a divorce may services program offered by Mirkin & be granted if one party swears under Gordon. • Distance Ed Mentors: The Office oath that the relationship between of Instructional Technology (OIT) husband and wife “has broken down • Distance Ed Proposals: The has announced that there will be irretrievably for a period of at least six deadline for submitting completed four 1.5-credit positions available for months.” proposals for a distance education DE faculty mentors in Spring 2010. (DE) course to the Office of Interested parties should contact However, a divorce may not be Instructional Technology is Monday, OIT at 451.4656. granted until all ancillary issues November 8. Instructions and forms Best to Be Wise in Use of Electronic Communication An Important Message for All Members Members are strongly encouraged to be cautious in the use of electronic communications and social networking. In particular we make the following recommendations: • Your SCCC email, although available for dual use (professional and personal) is the college’s resource and you have no rights to privacy. The college has verbally assured us that they are not systematically monitoring our electronic communications (e.g., Outlook, websites visited), but they can and have accessed member materials if complaints or concerns are raised.