Faculty Open Forums

Intended audience: All Sierra College Faculty.
Purpose: For SCFA to gather questions and concerns from faculty.
Result: SCFA will get answers and report back to faculty.
Where: Zoom. Check your college account for an email from SCFA President.
Dates

1. September 12th,  4pm to 6pm
2. October 12th, 1:30pm to 3:30pm
3. November 14th, 4pm to 6pm
   

In the News

• Social Security benefits and you: Repeal WEP GPO
  • "Late last month, the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) reached a new milestone in the House of Representatives: 294 co-sponsors. Per House rules, bills with more than 290 co-sponsors are automatically placed on the Consensus Calendar, effectively ensuring a floor vote following the chamber's recess." Source: smartasset.com Continue reading this article.
  • What is WEP and GPO? How does it reduce my Social Security benefit?  Learn about it here.
    
• Two new bills that will help part-time faculty
  • Read the EdSource article
  • Assembly Bill 1856: allow part-time faculty to teach up to 85% of a full-time teaching load. Read the bill.
  • Assembly Bill 1752: would create pay equity between part-time faculty and full-time faculty. Read the bill.
• Lawsuit: Part-time faculty sue Long Beach Community College District
  • Claim: required to do work for which they are not paid, such as grading, preparation, and meeting with students.
  • Read the article.
  • Read the CTA article
• Working conditions and health care
  • Assembly member Jose Medina on the EdSource investigation into California Community College part-time working conditions.
  • From CalMatters: on funding and health care for Part-Time faculty. Read here.
• EdSource investigation
  • A three part series on part-time faculty and the gig economy, health benefits, and tenured positions. Read here.
• CFT surveys part-time community college faculty on healthcare.
  • Read the article.
  • CFT Part-Time Faculty Survey Report (footnoted version). Download.
  • CFT Part-Time Faculty Survey Report -- Data Toplines. Download

If You Filed and Have Not Heard Back From EDD
The California Employment Development Department is apparently so overwhelmed that many folks are reporting that they filed weeks ago and still have not had any response from the EDD, even after multiple emails. If several weeks have gone by and the EDD has not processed your claim:

• Do not file again. This will not help, and may create more confusion.
• Contact your California state senator or assembly member.

Because the EDD is so backlogged and unresponsive, many CA legislators have hired additional staff to help their constituents in dealing with the EDD. In fact, many of them have a link on their home page that goes to a form that you can submit to ask for help with unemployment. (The Democratic caucus developed the form, so if your senator or assembly member is a Democrat, there is a good chance you will see a link to this form on their home page.). Continue reading  at contingentworld.com

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Video source: EdSource and the gig economy

Update on AB 375
Raise PT faculty load to 85% of FT load

On October 8, 2021, Governor Newsom vetoed the bill. Why? Read the governor's explanation.

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Full-Time faculty

• Visit the CCEBT website to learn who can participate, how to become eligible, and more.
• Flyers:
  • ccebt_active_flyer.pdf
  • ccebt_retirement_flyer.pdf

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Sierra College Faculty Association Resolution

In Support of Black Lives and Racial Justice

Read the Resolution

Learn more about Sierra College Faculty Association

• Come to a meeting
  
• Know your rights
• Unemployment and Part-Time Faculty
• Do you know?
  

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We want to hear from you

Have a question? An idea? A concern? Maybe you seek clarification on the contract or info on the changes we are all experiencing. We need to know so we can better serve you and the members of SCFA. 

Your SCFA Representative Council welcomes you to join us at a SCFA meeting.

Why? We are here to listen to you and learn about your concerns.

• By sharing with us what is on your mind we can better serve you and the membership.
• By attending a SCFA meeting you will get the answers you seek and get current information.
• Everyone benefits. So, come join us.

How? It is easier than ever to attend a SCFA meeting. Check your college email for a message from SCFA President Michelle Macfarlane. It will include the agenda and a Zoom link.  We hope to see you online.

I don't like making waves. We respect that. Another option for you is to contact a Representative Council member or an SCFA Officer. Your concern will be shared at the meeting, but your identify will not. See a list of SCFA Contacts.

Did you receive a call from your dean about a problem, or were you asked to come to the office to talk?
Could you be facing disciplinary action?
Know your Weingarten rights and have a member of the SCFA dispute resolution team attend your meeting with your dean.
Learn more.

Before the semester ends learn about the unemployment application process.

• Are you eligible? 
• What is required?

Learn more.

Do you know about the following?

• Academic freedom
• How to advance on the salary schedule
• The types of leaves beyond sick leave

The above are in the SCFA contract, and more. What you learn could be useful.