ADJUNCTS CAN BUY STATE HEALTH INSURANCE

Camden County College adjuncts, for the first time, are eligible to buy health insurance as part of the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP). CCC agreed to become a part of the SHBP instead of procuring health insurance privately. By New Jersey State law, this entitles adjuncts to buy into the package. You must be a member of the SHBP to join. This can be achieved through membership in either PERS or  the new Alternate Benefits Program.

This will be of limited benefit to most adjuncts. The law specifies that adjuncts must pay 110% of the standard premium as an “administrative fee.” In addition, the premiums are significant, putting this out of the reach of most adjuncts. Rate charts are available online at  www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/shbp.htm, and from the CCC Human Resources Office. 

 AFT also offers a Limited Supplemental Benefit Plan which is significantly less expensive, but whose benefits are extremely limited.  More thorough information information can be found at the AFT website, www.aft.org, under member benefits.

 

 

 

 

MENTORING PROJECT: PHASE  2

The Mentoring Program, Adjunct to Adjunct, was such a success that CCC decided to work in conjunction with the CCCAFF to expand the development of the program. Phase Two of the pilot program begins this fall semester. The program will be renamed “One Faculty” emphasizing the concept that at CCC we are one faculty working together to enhance the student’s college experience and learning.

 Phase Two of the pilot project will start with a small group of mentors; the group will be expanded after the need is assessed and evaluated. CCC has agreed to support the project in this pilot phase by offering a modest stipend to the mentors.

Executive Board Returned

The Executive Board was unanimously returned in last spring’s election. Officers are: Elaine Bobrove, President; Sharon Goldstein and Karen Feldman, Co-Executive Vice-Presidents; Larry DeVaro, Secretary; and Ernie Kiesel, Treasurer. Also elected were Martha Bachman and James Lawson, Executive Board members at large.

 President Bobrove said that the CCCAFF is always looking for members who would like to become more involved in the union. You can contact her at elbob5@comcast.net if you are interested in becoming more active. You don’t have to commit to a large job; much of the need can be met in short time periods.

CCCAFF GEARS UP

for

NEGOTIATIONS

The contract between CCC and the adjuncts is due to expire in December 2009. Planning for successful negotiations take a long time. Last fall the CCCAFF asked adjuncts to respond to a survey regarding negotiation priorities. The CCCAFF would like to expand on the survey by soliciting the members’ views in depth.

We are scheduling our annual meeting in the fall as a luncheon so that we will have time to more fully discuss negotiation priorities. We all know that pay increases are primary, but there are many other issues of importance. CCCAFF will send out an invitation to the meeting after all the plans are finalized, but for now,

 

SAVE the DATE!!

What: CCCAFF Annual Meeting

Program: Discussion of Negotiation Priorities

Where: Charlie Brown’s Restaurant, Blackwood

Tentative Date: Friday, November 14, 2008

Time: 1:30-4:00

Joining the Union 

Although adjuncts are welcome to join the Camden County College Adjunct Faculty Federation at any time, representational dues are deducted at the beginning of the adjunct’s second consecutive semester.

For information on becoming a CCCAFF member,  contact Karen Feldman at kfeldman@camdencc.edu. You must join the union to be able to participate in voting decisions and to be able to take advantages of AFT programs.

ACADEMIC FREEDOM:

For Adjuncts Too

A resolution endorsing academic freedom for all Higher Ed personnel was unanimously adopted at the AFT National Convention. The resolution is both a culmination and a beginning; the AFT Higher Ed Program and Policy Council had been working on an academic freedom statement for two years. The statement updates the AAUP’s work on academic freedom by reflecting the changes in the make-up of today’s colleges and universities where only 30 percent of the faculty have the job security afforded by tenure.

 Academic freedom goes beyond the freedom to discuss the subject matter of the course according to prevailing academic standards, and includes the ability to participate in the design of the curriculum. It includes the freedom to academic integrity in research and participation in the governance process.  For the actual statement and a more thorough discussion of the issues involved, check out  :  www.aft.org/pubs-reports/higher_ed/AcademicFreedomStatement.pdf .

  The statement is particularly important to contingent faculty because its language is inclusive, specifically extending the rights of academic freedom to full-time and part-time contingent faculty and not limiting academic freedom to tenured and tenure-track faculty.

 There will be an exploration of the meaning of academic freedom at CCC in a forum to be held in September to celebrate Constitution Day.  Participants will include representatives from the administration, faculty—both full time and adjunct—library staff, and students.

The CCCAFF encourages you to attend, and if possible, to invite your students.  Academic Freedom affects all members of the college community.