Monday February 25, 2019 Faculty Assess AB705’s Faculty Association’s 2019 fafhda.org Downstream Effects FA Hosted Retirement Workshops by Kathy Perino, FA Chief Negotiator three courses leading up to a transfer level Open to All Foothill-De Anza Faculty Full implementation of AB 705 in Fall course), the funding rate of $3700 per FTES EWS 2019 is just around the corner, and FA is asked means a loss of about $148,000 to the college. It’s never too early to plan for retirement! The Faculty Association is host- FAF O O T H I L LN - D E A N Z A F A C U L T Y A S S O C I A T I O N weekly about expected and often unexpected However, if the students who are enrolled consequences of these changes. First, the in the transfer level course actually pass in ing three different workshops on both campuses; all are aimed at helping President’s Report workload associated with all curriculum the first year (a big “If”), the college gains faculty plan for retirement: changes and placement processes is colossal. funding from the Student Success Allocation part of the funding formula, at a rate of about Faculty are spending hours and hours develop- • California State Retirement System (CalSTRS) workshops for SLO Down!: A call for ing courses that will satisfy the legal require- $900 per student (the student success alloca- ments of AB 705 yet still support students. tion is based on headcount, or alternatively both part-time and full-time faculty Faculty are trying to invent tools for Guided bellybuttons, not FTES). If the number of critical self-reflexivity Self Placement (not to be confused with Self- students finishing transfer level math and • Financial planning workshops for all faculty that will provide Assessment method: Students were as- Guided Placement) without “testing” students English in the first year increases by 80 bel- by Tim Shively, FA President lybuttons, the college will increase that part tips and strategies for managing tax-shelter annuities and sessed on their ability to analyze through the on existing subject matter knowledge. deferred compensation plans as well as overall retirement As a yearly adjunct at Santa Clara Uni- means of short essay questions on an exam as Second, curriculum changes have as- of the funding by $72,000. Further, if 20 of versity back in the late 1990’s, I participated well as writing a paper in which they had to sociated workload changes in the form of those 80 successful bellybuttons are Promise planning. Vendor representatives will be on hand. in a program assessment of the English analyze one or more of the assigned texts. load factors. Non-credit load factors, credit Grant recipients, the college regains an ad- Department which looked holistically at Target for Success: Successful learning lecture and credit lab load factors are negoti- ditional $220 per Promise Grant bellybutton, • For full-time faculty, FA is providing workshops on samples of student writing, the syllabi for will be reflected by 85 percent or more of the ated. If, for example, or another $4400. Thus, in this hypothetical situation, the budget still takes a hit due to Article 18 (Pre-retirement reduction in load) and the courses from which they originated, the students producing passing level analysis. a 2 hour corequisite Article 19 (Post-retirement teaching) curriculum governing said courses, and the Assessment Data Summary: A total of 26 is added to a class to AB 705, but it can be mitigated some by the college catalog’s descriptors of the same students completed the final exam and paper. support the AB 705 Student Success Allocation, a loss of $148,000 along with degree requirements, etc., etc. It For the final exam, 25 out of 26 students students, faculty and becomes a loss of about $72,000. Financial and Retirement Planning for Early to Mid-Career was an immense undertaking covering not passed the final exam. For the final paper, 26 administrators must Undoubtedly, the monetization of our Full-Time Faculty only the individual components but their in- out of 26 students passed the final paper. be aware of the as- students feels wrong and is wrong. But when terfaces, requiring While making a tremendous effort to sociated load factors the state creates a system that does just that, Tuesday, CalSTRS, 11:30 - 1:00 pm, Admin 109, De Anza multiple “readers” ignore the mechanical prose style, I am un- and whether a full we have no choice but to stay informed and March 19 Financial Planning, 1:30 - 3:00 pm, Admin 106, De Anza to pore over all the able to escape the circular self-justification time faculty member use that knowledge to influence policy deci- materials and add underlying the “results”: success will be based in that department sions made on our college campuses. Monday, Financial Planning, 12:00-1:30 pm, Hearthside 2313, Foothill their comments and on students passing the exam and paper the will be able to reach Regarding the Governor Newsom budget April 22 CalSTRS, 2:00 - 3:30 pm, Toyon Room 2020, Foothill and the chancelllor’s new student centered suggestions, both instructor has created. Since the instruc- “full annual load.” Financial and Retirement Planning for Part-Time Faculty in writing and in tor has also established the grading criteria FA is not suggesting Perino funding formula, the implementation plan group discussion. which determines what constitutes “passing,” that load factors drive for the new SCFF was to fund colleges using Tuesday, Financial Planning, 11:30 - 1:00 pm, Admin 106, De Anza It was an exhaust- therefore, the SLO assessment is successful the curriculum process; however, FA should a 70-20-10 percent model for 2018-19, and March 19 CalSTRS, 1:30 - 3:00 pm, Admin 109, De Anza ing yet illuminat- because I have designed it so. (Well, I teach be consulted so that everyone is aware of the gradually decrease the portion of funding ing undertaking, a Critical Thinking course you may wish to implications of such decisions. associated with enrollment from 70 to 65 Monday, CalSTRS, 12:00 - 1:30 pm, Toyon Room 2020, Foothill College and, significantly, avail yourself of before conducting any fur- Third, when fully implemented, AB 705 then 60 percent each year while increasing April 22 Financial Planning, 2:00 - 3:30,Hearthside Room 2313, Foothill faculty were com- ther SLO’s.) Even assuming that the exam and will have a significant impact on enrollment, the portion associated with “attainment” or student success factors from 10 to 15 then Pre-Retirement Planning for Full-Time Faculty: pensated for their Shively paper included analytical tasks, the potential and therefore, a similar impact on funding. Articles 18 and 19 participation. unspecified breadth thereof, the reductive The Foothill mathematics department fully 20 percent, ending with a 60-20-20 funding Fast forward twenty years later. FHDA, standard of student success, the lack of any implemented its AB705 curriculum changes model in 2020-21. Newsom’s proposal delays Wednesday, Foothill College, 12:00 - 1:30 pm, Toyon Room 2020 where I am now a tenured faculty member, objective criteria whatsoever—I’m sorry, this Fall and the impact on enrollment is al- this transition; it keeps the 70-20-10 model March 20 is heavily invested in the Student Learning but I’m not going to drink that Kool-Aid. ready evident. Course offerings in the “AB for 2019-20 by simply increasing each fund- Outcomes (SLO) enterprise, at the insistence I’m sure there must be SLO’s with turns of 705 transfer level” classes are way down, ing rate (whether FTES, degree attainment, Tuesday, De Anza College, 12:30 - 2:00 pm, Admin. 106 of its Accreditor, the infamously almost dis- phrase that practically sing off the TracDat, and class cancelations in those courses are completion of a certificate, etc) by the COLA April 23 accredited ACCJC. Both colleges provide and reasoning of such astuteness to make a up. Foothill’s overall enrollment is down of 3.46 percent. This decision, along with the release time for SLO coordinators, De Anza logician’s head spin. But this ain’t one of about six percent for Winter, with about forty provision that limits the increase in funding for the Student Success Allocation to only 10 College publishes an SLO newsletter, and them. To turn a page from Freud, sometimes percent of that associated with AB705 changes Professional Achievement Award (PAA) Workshops - Winter 2019 faculty, cajoled and badgered at every turn a frog is just a frog. in Math and English. percent year over year, brings into question to engage in the SLO process, in return are The foregoing raises one of the central The budget implications of enrollment the long term plan for the new formula. Per- Full-time faculty are invited to attend a Professional Achievement Award (PAA) work- offered...nothing. As for substantive com- difficulties in critically assessing the SLO en- decline due to AB 705 is complicated by the haps this Governor has reviewed the history shop. The workshop covers eligibility criteria, the application process, Professional mentary and discussion, I have my doubts terprise: the desire to avoid peeing on anyone Student Centered Funding Formula, which of performance-based funding and realizes Growth Activities, evaluations and college/district service requirements. Faculty are about any assessment system which reduces else’s parade. No one wants to dis the work includes additional funding when a student it has no clear record of changing outcomes. encouraged to read Article 38 before the workshop; this may be found under the Agree- to individual sentences the supposed mastery their colleagues so dutifully engaged in; we completes transfer level math and English in If anything it encourages educational institu- ment tab at fafhda.org. students take away from successful comple- want to support their efforts. But the culture of the first year. The colleges are hoping that tions to game the system to survive. tion of a course. Nonetheless, summoning acquiescence fostered thereby ultimately has the loss of funding due to a drop in FTES The May revise is months away and PAA Workshops at De Anza College: my critical sang froid (or as much of it as I all faculty pulling out their umbrellas against is mitigated by the funding available in the typically includes significant changes to the Monday, March 4, 2:00 - 3:30 pm in Admin 106 can muster in the present context), I submit stuff coming down from on high. While I’m Student Success Allocation. Hypothetically, January budget proposal. FA will continue to Tuesday, March 5, 2:00 - 3:30 pm in Admin 106 the following “model” posted to an FHDA willing to play the young lad who calls out if college enrollment drops by 40 FTES in work with Faculty Association of California Dept. listserve as a completed SLO “cycle” the emperor’s lack of clothes, remember that English and Mathematics departments due Community Colleges (FACCC) and California PAA Workshops at Foothill College (the actual SLO and accompanying “brief in at least one version of the original he’s ig- to AB 705 (the students only need to take Community College Independents (CCCI) to Wednesday, March 13, 12:00 - 1:30 pm in Altos Room 2019 reflection” omitted to preserve anonymity): nored as the emperor’s retinue doubles down one transfer level course rather than two or advocate for funding that serves the students, Thursday, March 14, 2:00 - 3:30 pm in Altos Room 2019 (see Page 4) part-time faculty, and all faculty.

FA 1 FA 2 FA 3 SLO Down . . . FA Retreat Agenda Highlights Class Cancellations, Advocacy After Janus (from Page 1) was, however, willing to pay for two duties marketing and scheduling decisions. Dean the value of the contract.” les, Denver, and Oakland, all in lieu of “years on controlling the narrative. If there’s going outside the classroom: office hours and SLO by Steve Howland, FA News Editor to be an honest, uncompromising investiga- Ram Subramaniam spoke of scheduling an The means of providing representation of austerity, privatization, tax ‘reform’” participation.” There’s no shortage of theories about entire year for math courses in advance—and for faculty range from the relatively informal and more. As an experienced organizer, he tion of SLO’s, it has to be a unified effort, the reasons behind our district’s enrollment not deterred by threats of Program Review of using the money left on the table to add (conciliation) to the formal (investigations reminded FA to “know your stakeholders”, This was what led to the inclusion of crunch: an increasingly time-consuming drive classes back in, with other divisions in mind. of formal complaints, and grievances) to including local businesses and residents and or the reduction of release time. So let me SLO’s as an optional “professional con- from East San Jose, where De Anza’s recruit- start with a confession. (Year-scheduling also offers income predict- communicating to the Board and commu- politicians. And remember: Chancellors work tribution” (as opposed to a required “pri- ment efforts have been centered in recent ability for part-time faculty). nity. A “Conciliator Theater” presentation for Boards, and Boards work for voters, and Back in 2009 as English Dept. Chair at mary duty”) for full-time faculty, and its years; the red-hot service labor economy and De Anza, I led our Dept. faculty in the produc- The degree of candid interaction in this offered lively role-playing scenarios, each “you can get movement” if the community requirement as a part-time duty. As Perino the siren lure of a steady paycheck; district session should set the table for further shared more ramified than the last—a suggestion takes a board to task. tion of SLO’s statements during an Opening explains, and regional demographic changes (read: Day activity devoted to that purpose. We were problem-solving. FA concerns included those of how real-world complexity eludes easy Attendees were also treated to informa- fewer college age children); the state chancel- expressed by President Tim Shively, who solutions, and of why Grievance and Con- tive role-playing demonstrations by FA staff- actually being compensated, I reasoned, since “It was a somewhat complicated nego- lor’s gutting of repeatability and community we were contractually required to participate suggested that “another way of addressing the ciliation are so necessary. Grievance Officer ers related to recruiting new FA members— tiation based on the way a full-time faculty classes; and the cycling out of the system en- enrollment slump is a targeted way of growing Nicole Gray, who was joined by conciliators each script seasoned with dramatic realism in Opening Day activities. And for the most member’s job duties are categorized. Our tirely of students who are de-prioritized under part, our work, which consisted of “adapt- classes; I wonder if we’re not overstating the Harman Dhaliwal (De Anza) and Karen as well as levity and irony and surprise. agreement with the District is that FA in- the statewide enrollment model, while four reduction without funding growth.” Others Erickson (Foothill), reminded us that strong One recruitment takeaway was that the 5 ing” (i.e. cutting and pasting) existing SLO’s structional faculty spend about 77.5 percent year schools identify and target with greater from other college catalogs to our own lists, wondered why we aren’t using the District Conciliation is necessary to enforce the con- percent salary increase from last year that of their time in actual instruction (class, prep, precision some of their former high school Stability Fund to help us through this difficult tract, and is required before proceeding to FA is fighting to make permanent will far seemed fairly innocuous. Little did I suspect grading), about 10 percent (4 hours per week) peers, accelerating the bifurcation of society we were forging the chains that would bind transition. According to FA Chief Negotiator Grievance—but most conciliation interviews exceed the contributions of 0.60 percent for in office hours, and the other 12.5 percent in educational attainment and income. Kathy Perino, “there seems to be a disconnect are informational, an opportunity to clarify the full-time faculty and 0.45 percent for part- us to SLO’s into the future. doing other faculty duties. This is why we’re Some of the above explanations rely on But there were rumblings. Foothill was between the productivity number and what we contract. In rare cases when there’s been a true time faculty—in the second case, 45 cents currently at 83.5 percent PT parity, 6 percent anecdote more than social science, but too have to do to serve the needs of our students.” violation of faculty rights or a misapplication per every one hundred dollars. Among the far ahead of De Anza in this crusade, and at higher than the 77.5 percent associated with narrow a focus on data—which can obscure Executive Council I would frequently hear It was also suggested that the district should or misinterpretation of the contract, it goes other discoveries of the Member Recruit- classroom work.” as well as reveal—and you’ll miss the forest check FTE along with productivity: in some to grievance—and if that fails, arbitration is ment Roleplay was that one FA staffer, upon complaints about “load creep” and the endless for the trees. work required to fulfill increasingly expanded instances, a class with students twenty or also an option. whose visage a smile is hardly unknown, But I don’t think anyone could have At FA’s annual retreat in early February, below might make budgetary sense as well as In cases where a complaint has been convincingly morphed into a glacial-faced SLO demands. The District, however, had an anticipated the lengths to which the statewide three of the eight, ninety minute sessions interest in seeing that production goals were preserving program-continuity. And former brought against faculty, faculty have a right “libertarian, not ideologically predisposed SLO forces were willing to bend faculty to were devoted to Class Cancellations. In the FA President Richard Hansen reminded us that to union representation at the investigatory to become a member of a union” and who met, and FA eventually attempted to leverage their will. At a recent De Anza Academic first, a shared discussion, we were joined by this interest to achieve some of its own goals, Foothill/DeAnza had a history of incredibly interview. Teachers have a right to any de- insisted on being addressed as not Bob but Senate meeting, an SLO “Assessment Veri- Academic Senate representatives. There are high productivity; students flocked onto our rogatory information about them if it will “Robert”, if you don’t mind. such as pay parity for part-time instructors. fication Form” was introduced requiring all anecdotal instances of students finding a new As Chief Negotiator Kathy Perino puts it, campuses from all over the Bay Area; “what’s affect their employment, though districts FA recognizes that the concrete situation five year revision curriculum initiators to section of a cancelled course on the same a realistic goal that keeps the institutions in ignore this; FA legal counsel Bob Bezemek is everything. The best plans for advancing include documentation of SLO work and, day that their course is cancelled—calling a quality mode, when we are shrinking to reminded us in his presentation that his office faculty interests grow out of deep working “FA had sought 100 percent parity (i.e. a “if an SLO had not been assessed in the past into question the rationale for cutting classes single salary schedule) with part-time faculty the point where we might tip over into Basic has pending cases in multiple districts, and knowledge and strong institutional memory. five years,” to add “an explanation as to why early “to allow students time to find another Aid funding?” that this right is only enforceable through FA work frequently involves a dogged will- simply paid according to load factor as a this is, along with a detailed plan to assess section.” The new emphasis on hitting the percent of the full-time salary schedule, thus As detailed by Faculty Association of the lawsuits. Re-employment preference for part ingness to pursue the concrete situation, in them within the next two years.” This would, maximum class size, not merely exceeding California Community Colleges (FACCC) time faculty is often what’s at stake; for full all it ramifications, to its conclusion. That allowing part-time faculty to attend meetings, in effect, require all faculty to participate the minimum, underscores a hyperfocus on serve on committees, write curriculum, etc. Executive Director Evan Hawkins, in recent time faculty, their protection is all a matter is to say, staffers are in it for the long haul— in potentially extensive SLO work since productivity. But an issue with the “Prod” years major changes have been pressed upon of negotiated contract language. defending the contract and advancing faculty But the District refused to pay part-time curriculum revision is one of our required number is that the formula for determining faculty to do those things. The District the colleges without much faculty input: Nationally, labor-related developments working conditions and professional status. primary duties. it is incomplete, or at least doesn’t reflect AB705, Guided Pathways, the new Funding in higher education are significant. Julian The shared sense of cause is its own reward. This form had apparently been previ- the full picture as it ties into the budgeted Formula, Online College. FHDA faculty are Peeples, California Teacher’s Association If you are interested in joining FA—in staff ously approved by the Curriculum Commit- instruction expenses. heroically working to tailor the first two for lead writer of scripts, speeches, articles, or committee work or in running for the tee—at least that’s what was claimed in De Guests at the retreat included Executive our purposes, but what emerges is a top-down gave us a sweeping tour of recent successful Executive Council—be sure to contact an Anza’s official response to the Accreditor’s Director of Institutional Research and Plan- philosophy of a leaner and yes, meaner CCC teachers’ strikes across the nation, from West FA staffer you know or the FA office 650- recommendations in the school’s Follow- ning David Ulate, presenting data on the fall system which could very well perpetuate Virginia to Oklahoma to Arizona to Los Ange- 949-7544. Up Report. But it didn’t take much digging registration status of students after one or Volume 43, Number 5 rather than mitigate some of the very same to discover that the form had not even been more of their classes were cancelled—and problems that our system was created to ad- EWS presented to the Curriculum Committee SLO’s . . . NFOOTHILL-DE ANZA FACULTY ASSOCIA- of 1,317 students impacted by 189 cancelled dress. Walmart is a big funder of the Online TION until months after the Accreditation report sections district-wide (133 full-time equiva- College, and naturally there is concern that was signed off. (Talk about the return of (from Page 4) saddle faculty as a whole with these labors. FA News is published nine times during the academic lent student losses) approximately 68 percent Walmart will exert influence on the nature reaucratic compliance. As a colleague from In the end, what is curiously missing from year by the Foothill-De Anza Faculty Association, an the repressed! Like murder, I guess, false of these cancelled FTEs were regained from independent California corporation certified by the and variety of the curriculum. College of Marin has written in a critique of the SLO enterprise (and I don’t use that word representation will eventually out.) Needless post-cancellation registrations. And for winter FA legal counsel Bob Bezemek Skyp- California Public Employment Relations Board as the to say, FA was on this post-haste: I presented the ACCJC’s participation in the movement lightly) is any real measure of self-reflexivity. exclusive employee representative for the faculty of the quarter, our district has scheduled about 200 ing in from his Oakland office reminded the my findings to the Senate, which body agreed towards the privatization of higher education, At what point is the critical lens turned on Foothill-De Anza Community College District. classes fewer than Winter 2018. gathering that school districts are not obliged that not only the form itself but the effort SLO’s are “an attempt to usurp the faculty’s SLO’s as a methodology? Must we be forever Letters and articles from District faculty are invited. Foothill Vice-President of Instruction to inform employees, even in an investigation, traditional roles of establishing objectives for yoked to a hegemonic and flawed model as FA, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022. to use curriculum as an end run to require Kristy Lisle detailed a new data tool for stra- Ph: 650.949.7544 Email: [email protected] that they have a right to both union member- their classes and evaluating their students. we chase after ridiculously asymptotic goals faculty SLO participation was inappropri- tegic enrollment management—particularly ship and to union representation—that is, rep- Website: http:fafhda.org ate, and ordered the form removed from the SLO’s trivialize and restrict education by (e.g. the 100 percent student success rate that FA Ex e c u t i v e Co u n c i l Mem b e r s : with regard to the state’s new, very student- resentation even without membership in this Curriculum process. allowing only certain objectives and methods De Anza once insisted upon as its SLO target Steve Batham (FH) Kathy Perino (FH) specific funding formula. Productivity post-Janus decision world. But many faculty not so many years ago)? Whether it result Karen Erickson (FH) Eric Reed (FH) SLO’s, however, remain, and left of evaluation. In so doing, they strengthen bu- concerns can sometimes take a back seat to are nonmembers through inattention or lack of reaucratic control, and threaten the quality of in reaffirmation, readjustment or outright Donna Frankel (FH) Katherine Schaefers (FH) unchecked, remain a threat to faculty self- the needs for gateway courses in Math and information—not by choice. Meantime, there Nicole Gray (FH) Susmita Sengupta (DA governance. They intrude into every aspect education.” While there’s a large distinction rejection of SLO’s, a meta-assessment of the Steve Howland (DA) Tim Shively, Pres. (DA) English to proceed, and Foothill Associate are now 40 lawsuits around the country seek- of instruction, often displacing focus upon between assessment in general and SLO’s in “frame” itself would certainly be one way Melinda Hughes (DA) Robert Stockwell (DA) VP of Instruction Paul Starer suggested ing backfees for former “agency fee” payers, to reinvest faculty participation in insuring Lisa Markus (DA) Sue Yoes (DA) the actual work of teaching in favor of bu- particular, some faculty do find SLO work ful- that the tool not only allowed for “predic- and thirteen cases nationally challenging the filling, and more power to them. At the same that student success lies at the center of our Sean Negus (FH) Nicky Yuen (DA) tive analytics,” but also could help inform Kim Palmore (DA) Bill Ziegenhorn (FH) (See Page 6) right to representation, which could “destroy time, their choice to participate shouldn’t work, regardless of the approach. ADMIN. ASSISTANT: Susanne Elwell FA NEWS EDITOR: Steve Howland FA 4 FA 5 FA 6