NTT Committee Meeting 10/18/17

NTT Committee Meeting 10/18/17

We went over the agenda for the meeting: to address updates to website that still need attention and to discuss the updates to the instructor neighborhood situation.

Instructors Valerie Fazeland Paulette Stevenson were in attendance to update us on developments for the neighborhoods and how the instructors are working on the new arrangements for the enclaves and managing their own neighborhoods.

Concerns for the instructor neighborhoods

Individual desks, lightning (too much reliance on natural light) and noise are among the instructors’ primary concerns. Instructors are cautiously optimistic about having more control over their neighborhoods in terms of working together for the best practices and arrangements; they at least have more control and freedom over how they use their neighborhoods though it also puts more responsibility on the instructors to negotiate office management in addition to teaching responsibilities.

The laminated signs posted in some areas are part of a test to determine if they will be effective for labeling student areas to keep them out of the instructor work areas, which remains an issue. There is still some uncertainty about how to use the open areas, on both the second and third floors, since they still go largely unused by faculty and students. There is hope that the signs will encourage students to use those areas and wait in them rather than going into the neighborhoods for a quiet study area.

The lack of individual/personalized desks in the neighborhoods continues to be problematic for instructors. The desks look like library spaces for individual study, which adds to the problem of keeping students out of them. The instructors still want to have individual desks with locking drawers for the neighborhoods to give each instructor a clearly designated space. The practicality of having these spaces and the morale of instructors make this a top priority for the neighborhoods.The instructors would also need clarification about how the neighborhoods will be assigned from year to year, to allow them to store books and materials in their locking files in the neighborhoods over the summer break.

The enclaves and collaborative spaces, particularly on the second floor, continue to generate noise concerns for faculty working on the floor. Valerie noted that just two instructors holding meetings in those areas create a lot of echoing noise in the dome of the neighborhoods. The second-floor enclaves are used more frequently now that the instructors have control over them (rather than the Outlook reserve system), and instructors have been very respectful of each other in using the spaces.

There is some concern that the construction workers might be leaving the neighborhood doors open/unlocked, which allows students to wander in. The lack of consistency with workers closing and locking doors has been an issue for some of the private offices of staff and faculty as well. There have been additional concerns about security in the neighborhoods and offices in light of the textbook resellers coming through and entering offices without permission or badgering faculty about going through their books. (Nota bene: Bradley Ryner has since taken up this issue and is contacting faculty about their issues with the person who was disturbing faculty in their offices/neighborhoods this week.) The fact that this person seems to have unfettered access to faculty is troubling to many instructors who feel very exposed in their neighborhoods.

Some of the lateral files in the neighborhoods had to be moved due to the concerns about objects potentially falling over the short retaining wall unto the floor below. This change means that faculty in those neighborhoods might have to go to different areas beyond their neighborhoods to access their locked files.

There is concern about the private telephone room on the first floor not being soundproof, allowing the conversations to be heard from outside.

The instructor survey and concerns have been sent to Doris Warriner for communication to the college, but the results of that meeting earlier this week are still forthcoming.

The committee will hold off on the amicus brief for now, waiting to hear about the outcomes of Doris’s meeting with the dean.

Other NTT faculty matters

Jackie noted that she is also on the Academic Senate Sub-Committee for NTT Faculty and the issue of a lack of consistency in promotion matters has been a concern for them this year. There will be discussions of creating promotion opportunities for instructors, perhaps similar to that of the lecturers (senior and principal promotion opportunities). There are questions about how that would happen and what the promotion would include in terms of additional value for instructors. The committee wants the position to increase the visibility, knowledge and contributions of those instructors who demonstrate service, expertise and leadership beyond the requirements of their rank.

The issue of multi-year contracts for lecturers who have been promoted to senior/principal has also been raised. The committee discussed the overly complicated language and procedures involved in requesting multi-year contracts, and the committee has decided to move forward in drafting a letter asking that the chair request multi-year contracts for all lecturers who have been promoted. We noted that the three-year contract constitutes a good-faith gesture to faculty who have demonstrated good work and dedication.

Old Business

The website updates will proceed with Jackie compiling changes for the contacts section. Heather will contact Bruce about adding a tab for our minutes and meeting schedule, and for possibly moving the site to the Faculty Resources so it is more easily discovered on the department site. Steve recommended that we also make the bibliography from the report more prominent and perhaps include a blurb for the promotions materials to contextualize them.

Moving forward

We will address the old business of the website.

We will draft and circulate a letter for requesting the chair address multi-year contracts for promoted lecturers.

We will continue to consider the amicus brief once the word from the meeting between Doris and the dean