The Sentinel Voice of the ECC Faculty Association Local 3791/IFT www.eccfaculty.org September 2006 Officers Linda Hefferin, President Rick Green, First Vice-President Sue Ford, Second Vice-President Linda McEwan, Treasurer Crystal Kerwin, Secretary William Demaree, Sentinel Editor Armando Trejo, Webmaster Senators BUS/TECH Rick Green Clark Hallpike Roger Ramey CABS From the President Shawn Mikulay Rachael Tecza Carol Szabo Where Are We Going? LR/CON Linda McEwan And How Will We Get There? LVPA These are important questions for Robert Harmon the ECCFA to think about as we begin a Howard Russo new semester, contract negotiations, and a MSEH search for a new president. Yet it’s difficult Mary Arndt to determine our path for the future until we Daniel Kernler examine our past and see what we can learn. Miroslav Rezac Many of our faculty members are new to UAF ECC and new to the ECCFA. We provide an Rick Bonnom historical overview of the ECCFA for new Lynn Ducar faculty members upon their hire, but the real Sue Ford Crystal Kerwin message of how our hard-earned benefits Marcia Luptak were obtained doesn’t always come across Chris Newman in a short PowerPoint presentation. We must Mary Peterhans continually remind each other of the Cathy Tomasik struggle for each and every right we have Inside… (CRTL+Click to go to gained, as well as be ready to speak up and the story) hold each other accountable to fulfill our . Outreach Programs Planned for responsibilities in the workplace. Especially Area HS Students as our contact nears expiration, we all . ECC Art Faculty Active in Area should reflect back and thank past leaders of Programs the ECCFA like Walt Garrett, Ricky Bailey, . English Dept. Welcomes Two New Dave Sujak, and Cindy Hutman, for the Colleagues gains made during past negotiations. ECC Senators Go Culinary . ECCFA Dues Explained We are very proud of our newly elected Negotiating Team, who will be 1 spending countless hours in the coming months on our behalf with the goal of Bits and Pieces . obtaining a fair settlement. Thanks to the following faculty members who were We are always proud of our elected to serve on the team: BUS/Workforce ECCFA scholarship awards, but many of us Development: Clark Hallpike; CABS: contribute to scholarships outside of ECC as Jason Kane; COUNS/LIB: Arturo well. Join me in congratulating Tammy Vasquez; MSEHP: Dan Kernler; LVPA: Ray, who was awarded the 2006/2007 Robert Harmon; UAF: Kenneth White. In Northern Fox Valley Women in addition, First Vice President Rick Green, Management Scholarship. Tammy is Second Vice President Susan Ford, and I attending DePaul University pursuing a (Linda Hefferin) will be part of the team to bachelor’s degree focusing on innovative keep this rowdy gang in line. Negotiations technologies. with the Board team are expected to begin in October. Elizabeth Becker, Biology, was recently injured while riding her horse. In addition, thanks to Mary Ann Elizabeth had surgery and will be in a cast Tuerk (Math) and Gary Norden for several weeks. You’ll see that Elizabeth (Automotive) who are serving on the is back teaching (nothing can keep a good Presidential Search Committee. These two woman down!). However, if you see her, faculty members are committing many hours you might want to sign her cast! to this search process. Faculty Meetings. Meetings will In July, Clark Hallpike, Bill Pelz, be scheduled to communicate with our and I attended the AFT Convention in membership to provide general Boston. The theme of the Convention was, communications regarding negotiations. “Count Me In.” There are a number of These meetings will also provide an ways to be counted as a member of the opportunity for members to voice concerns ECCFA. Serving on committees is just one (or compliments!) regarding the association. way. Becoming a leader in the union is Notice regarding the day/time of the another. But there are many other meetings will be sent via e-mail. opportunities to stand up and be heard and to make a difference in the future of our IFT Scholarships. Do you have a association. One simple way to be counted is high school senior? If so, read on! December displaying the ECCFA Unity sign on your 1 is the deadline for the 2007 IFT office door as we begin negotiations. Just e- scholarship applications. The IFT Robert mail me if you need a sign. G. Porter Scholarship awards $6,000 ($1,500 per year for four years) toward the I remember a quote by President Ed cost of college at a public university in McElroy. “You and your colleagues who do Illinois to two recipients. The Carl J. Megal this work each and every day, you are the Special Education Scholarship awards power of this union.” The ECCFA has an $1,000 to a high school senior enrolled in a extensive and rich history as a faculty special education school, class, or program. association. But the truth is, Where would These applications can be printed from the we be without our members? You are the IFT website at www.ift-aft.org. Full details power of the union! regarding these scholarships are available at the website. Thanks to all of you who make the ECCFA what it is. You are determining Union Leadership Training where we are going as well as the method (ULI). The IFT’s professional development we will take to get to our destination! program for 2006/2007 is about to begin. These classes are taught by experienced union staff, most of whom are former IFT local leaders. The program is conducted over three weekend sessions throughout the 2 school year, with all three sessions required. with and to influence some area middle and ECCFA pays for the cost of the training. All high school at-risk students in our College classes are held at the Robert M. Healey community, many of whom desperately Center in Westmont, Illinois. Overnight need to be inspired in their educational accommodations on Friday evening are also pursuits. arranged if necessary. As anyone who has studied The following weekend classes will educational statistics knows, an be offered: Introduction to Collective overwhelming majority of our nation’s at- Bargaining, Grievance Administration, risk students are those of color. Did you Union Leadership Development, Positive know that almost half (45.9%) of the student Negotiations. population of area School District U-46 is African-American and Hispanic? Here are the dates for the classes: Consequently, we are in the process of October 28-29, 2006; February 3-4, 2007; coordinating two events aimed at reaching April 28-29, 2007. both African-American and Hispanic students in this neighboring school district. This year, five single-weekend The Hispanic outreach is scheduled for sessions are also being offered. The classes Friday, February 2. The African-American are as follows: Teacher Retirement System program is tentatively planned for another Inside and Out for Union Leadership Friday two weeks later. (Oct, Feb, Apr), Organizing for Power (Apr), Spreading Your Message Through District teachers believe their Print Media (Oct), Websites Made Easy young people need to be exposed to (Feb), Making Media Work for You different college majors and to realize that (Apr). going to college can be a reality for them. In this regard, you have the power to help Please contact Linda Hefferin if make these programs truly applicable to the you are interested in receiving more students. You can provide hands-on information about any of the classes. opportunities in your college classroom. Time is scheduled in the afternoon for the In Unity, middle and high school students to experience two different areas. By presenting a 30-minute interactive or hands- on session, you inspire these young people while showcasing your discipline. The same teaching session will be offered twice each Linda day. We invite all ECC departments to Inspire Young People While participate in this exciting endeavor. Just Showcasing Your Department think of all the possibilities! All available options will be presented to the visiting Susan Timm students in advance who then will be Office Administration Technology allowed to sign up for two classes each. So put on your thinking caps and see how you might inspire young people to study in your Those of us who have devoted our field. If your department has a student group lives to education have heard of stories in affiliated with it, then we encourage you to which a young person’s life was positively involve the ECC members in the planning impacted by a teacher. Indeed, the act of and implementation of the unit that you will adding value to another person’s life is often be teaching. What an excellent opportunity one of the main attractions to the teaching to mentor some of our ECC students in the profession. This Spring 2007, ECC faculty process! will have the perfect opportunity to connect 3 As you can see, we faculty have an excellent opportunity to showcase our Johanna Cummings departments while positively impacting young people in our immediate community. We also have the perfect occasion to highlight the tremendous value we bring to ECC as it reaches out to educate our area middle and high school students. Are you up to this exciting challenge? For more information, please contact Susan Timm (Ext 7916 or [email protected]). ECC Artists Participate in Conference, Exhibits If you have any questions about The following news comes from planning a wedding, Johanna may be the one ECC’s Art Department: to talk to. Her March 2006 wedding was held in New Orleans less than a year after Art teachers Joel Peck and Sigrid Hurricane Katrina.