ADVICE ON WORKLOAD ISSUES
1. Extended Hours
The Union has grieved the unilateral decision by the College to extend the work day to 10:00 pm. The results from the survey of faculty on extended work hours (which may be seen on our web site at www.locallines.org) reflect an overwhelming concern for the negative impact extended hours may have on program quality, student success, and the personal lives of faculty and students.
Our advice:
(a) When you receive your Fall 2009 SWF, in the comments section add the following: “It is my expectation that I will not be scheduled beyond 6:00 at night.”
(b) When you receive your timetable (likely sometime over the summer), if it indicates teaching beyond 6:00 PM notwithstanding your SWF notation, then contact the Union office at 7716 immediately upon your return from vacation.
2. COMMS
The Union maintains that faculty have a legitimate right to ask for the assignment of COMMS related work to be put on their Fall 2009 SWF even if the work is to be completed this spring. Our experience is that when faculty have insisted that they have the COMMS work recognized on their SWF, management no longer insisted the faculty do the work.
Our advice:
Whether you are asked or told to do COMMS work, insist that the work be added to your Fall 2009 SWF. If the manager refuses to put the work on your SWF but insists on you doing the COMMS work, refer your SWF to the Workload Monitoring Group.
3. Curriculum Development (CD)
The May-June period is a non-teaching period for most faculty. That time is for you to do whatever work you feel as a professional needs to be completed for the upcoming academic year. However, your manager may direct you or ask you to do curriculum development.
Our advice:
Whether you are asked or told to do CD work, insist that the work be added to your Fall 2009 SWF. If the manager refuses to put the work on your SWF but insists on you doing the CD work, refer your SWF to the Workload Monitoring Group.
4. Revised Directive E33 and Learning Schedules
Recently the College issued a revised E33 which now directs faculty to include a “learning schedule” to be appended to the course outline. The “learning schedule” is what most faculty would refer to as the “weekly schedule.”
This change, like the move to extended hours, was also conceived without faculty consultation. The Union views the weekly schedule as something that is rightfully the responsibility of faculty and should not be mandated by the College. For one thing, it speaks to the erosion of academic freedom, to restrict the way classes are managed in a way each member feels is most appropriate. The other concern is that the weekly schedules may be used by the College in any future strike to hire replacement workers (also known as scabs). This very legitimate concern is supported by the actions of the College prior to and during the 2006 strike. Faculty who were present in 2006 are well aware of the attempt by the College (under threat of potential discipline if we did not comply) to have us turn over all marks prior to the strike start date. Our suspicions as to why the College wanted the marks were confirmed later when the College retained replacement workers (scabs), particularly for the graduating semester courses.
Our advice:
(a) If you are asked or directed to add a “learning schedule” to your course outline, insist that the work be added to your Fall 2009 SWF. If the manager refuses to put the work on your SWF but insists on you doing the schedule, refer your SWF to the Workload Monitoring Group.
(b) As there is no indication how much detail must go into a “learning schedule,” the Union believes it would be prudent for the schedule to be as minimalist as possible.
Please if you have any questions or concerns e-mail Pat Kennedy and /or