From: Jim Mahler <aftjim@mac.com>
Subject: Re: Adjunct Office Hours
Date: January 24, 2024 at 12:49:16 PM PST
To: Lynn Neault <lynn.neault@gcccd.edu>
Cc: Grossmont Faculty <GrossmontFaculty@gcccd.edu>, Cuyamaca Faculty <CuyamacaFaculty@gcccd.edu>
Dear Chancellor Neault,
I’m afraid you are mistaken. Although the program was due to expire when the contract expired on June 30, 2023, the District did extend the program last semester, this creating a new binding practice. Although I will agree the continuance of this program is fair game as we initiate our contract negotiations for a successor agreement, you don’t now have the legal authority to unilaterally suspend it.
Furthermore, the intent of the “pilot” was to ensure we received the anticipated reimbursement for the program from the State, which we have been regularly receiving.
As many of my colleagues have stated to you, this program is essential to continue if serving students and ensuring student success is truly a priority of the District.
Unilaterally terminating a program that has without question provided a benefit to students in order to save a few hundred thousand dollars out of a budget in excess of $150 million is shortsighted at best.
We hope you will reconsider your position so that we can continue to serve our students in the best way possible, and so that we can continue to provide our adjunct faculty with working conditions that approach those of our full-time faculty.
Sincerely,
Jim
Jim Mahler, President
AFT Guild, Local 1931
On Jan 24, 2024, at 12:33 PM, Lynn Neault <lynn.neault@gcccd.edu> wrote:
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back to the spring semester. It was nice to see some of you at the Convocations this week.
I wholeheartedly agree that students benefit immensely from meeting one-on-one with their professors. We hear repeatedly from students about the importance of engagement with faculty, staff and each other on campus. Unfortunately, I think there is some confusion. The District is not terminating or cancelling the adjunct office hour program. The program was initiated as a limited-term pilot program under a negotiated agreement with the AFT in 2020, that expired in June 2023. We are hopeful that we can get to the bargaining table as soon as possible to negotiate this program, as well as other important matters key to student success.
Thank you for reaching out.
Lynn
Lynn Ceresino Neault, Ed.D.
Chancellor
Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District
Transforming Lives Through Learning