February 6, 2023

• Preference Forms:

  • Preference Forms for Summer 2023 are due today, Monday, February 6th.

  • Preference Forms for Fall 2023 are due Thursday, February 16th.

  • Remember, the more options you give the better!

• Safe College Online Training:  As with all mandatory trainings, it is appropriate to use your office hours to complete the latest round of cyber security training.  You can find this training from Vector Solutions here.

• Leadership Transition: The By-Laws of the Adjunct Faculty Association provide for an orderly transition of leadership in the event of the death of the President of the AFA.  The Vice President becomes the President for the remainder of the term of office (August 1, 2023) and appoints a Vice President for the remainder of the term.  As a result, Mary Hope Griffin from the Department of Humanities & Philosophy is now the President and expects to name a new VP shortly.  Elections for new AFA Officers will be held later this Spring.

• Meeting Pay: Since commitment forms for the meeting package were not due until February 1st, payment for attending the beginning of the semester Department Meeting are just being processed now. Course cancellation pay is also only being processed now. Please be patient, as several of the division offices are currently short staffed.  We are working with the administration to help facilitate a more efficient and timely process.

• Student Success Funds: Applications for the Student Success Initiatives (a/k/a 12 LHE Funds) funding are due on Wednesday, April 5th.  See Email from Ruth Williams from January 30th.

• Senior Lecturer Status: Applications for Senior Lecturer Status will be available soon.  Please watch for further information.  See section 9.5E of our current contract for details of who will be eligible.

• Contacting the leadership of the Adjunct Faculty Association:

Email:  afaoakton@gmail.com

Website:  oaktonadjuncts.com

Phone number/texts:  (224) 423-5144

Open Office Hours: First Friday of the month, 9-10am via Zoom

AFA President’s in-person Office Hours – Room 2110 DP:
Mondays 11-1, Thursdays 9-10:45

or by appointment with Mary Hope Griffin (either via Zoom or in person)

Text, email, or add an appointment to Mary Hope’s Oakton Google calendar.

• Remembering Cheryl: A Padlet board has been set up to honor and remember Dr. Cheryl L. Thayer, AFA President.  Please feel free to add to the board or leave a message on the AFA Office door.

November 23, 2022

A few important reminders from the Adjunct Faculty Association leadership as the semester winds down, but first a special shout out:

Congratulations to Shannon Sloan-Spice, winner of the Ray Hartstein Prize in teaching excellence, and

Tess Lesniak co-winner of the team award in High Impact Practices.

(President Smith, Shannon, Provost Lott, President of the Oakton Education Foundation. Second photo is Marion Staats with Tess flanked by President Smith and Provost Lott.)

Mandatory Compliance Training must be completed by November 30th.  It is appropriate to use office hours to complete these trainings.

Please click this link for detailed instructions on how to the training modules.

Tech Grant Funds are still available.  You must apply by December 1st. Funds are to support the purchase of software, tech licenses and, new this year, small technology purchases to support your teaching. Hardware purchases should be $400 or less.  Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.  For questions, please contact Mary Johannesen-Schmidt (mjohanne@oakton.edu).

Open Enrollment in the Healthcare Marketplace: expert help in navigating available for free at Oakton on December 1st.  See attached flier.

Absences if you need to cancel class, you must inform your division office as well as your chair.  If you know in advance that you will be absent, please arrange for a substitute; division staff can help you with this.  If you need to switch modalities for a particular class session, please contact your division office and your chair, as well.  These are all contractual obligations.

Orientation Week Participation Package  Mark your calendars now for Orientation Week, January 9-12.  Full Calendar will be available shortly, but see the attached flier for information about the virtual Faculty Retreat on January 12th.  If you sign up and attend 3 hours of sessions during the week, you will be paid 0.048 LHEs.

Schedules for Spring  If you have any questions or concerns about your schedule offer for the spring semester, reach out to an AFA Board member, attend our next open office hours on December 2nd via Zoom  or email us at oaktonafamembers@gmail.com.  Here is a way to consider and review your upcoming semester schedule of courses –

• Scheduling is affected by sections 2.4, 2.5, and Attachment B of our contract, with seniority being the primary driver for course assignment.

• Check your offer of courses to make sure you have been offered the appropriate number of LHEs.

• Make sure you understand the modality and timing of the courses offered. Check if your course is a “reserve” section or already listed on the schedule.

• Per our contract, adjunct faculty have a responsibility to communicate in good faith with chairs and deans.

• Remember that course assignment and course re-assignment (also called bumping) are separate processes and have different guidelines. The preference form informs both of these processes, but provides guidance and does not dictate or limit assignments for either the administration or the faculty member.

Student Care Coordinator: a new coordinator has been hired.  Please see the attached information sheet with more details about how she can help you help your students.

Input Requested on Generic Syllabus: Fill out this brief survey about how our generic syllabus elements do or do not foster a sense of racial equity and inclusion in our classes and wraparound support services.

You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you.  What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. –Jane Goodall

Thanks for making a difference!

The AFA Board, Cheryl, Mary Hope, Linda, and Cindy

As you know, next Wednesday is College-wide Learning Day.  No classes are in session before 5pm.  If you are normally teaching during the day on Wednesdays or holding office hours, you are required to attend sessions during those hours.  Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the whole day.

You do NOT need to attend in-person even if you are usually teaching in-person on that day.  We have received clarification from the college on this issue.  You are encouraged to attend on-campus, as non remote staff are required to be on campus in an effort to create a sense of community.  As a further enticement, the college is providing both breakfast and lunch for free.  Any sessions you do attend can be counted toward your continued eligibility requirements.

Here is the registration link.  If you want food, you need to register by the end of the day today.

Looking forward to seeing many of you next Wednesday!

Mary Hope

Dear Adjunct Faculty Members,

The Adjunct Faculty Association has been informed that our Friday paychecks will include retroactive pay due to raises negotiated in the current AFA contract. The amounts of the payments vary, depending on how much you taught and where you are in the salary step scale in our contract. This amount will equal the difference between the current step and the step from section 9.1 of our old contract multiplied by the number of LHEs.

If you check your pay stub in banner, there will be a line that indicates what amount is for Retro Pay. You should receive a payment if you worked Fall 2021, Spring 2022, or Summer 2022 terms and were entitled to move up a step in the salary schedule. While our overall raise is 2.99%, the actual rate will vary by step, and the old step already represented a 2.9% raise. You can find the step schedule in section 9.2 of the AFA Contract. Should you have any questions about the retroactive pay, please send them to Human Resources (hr@oakton.edu). You are welcome to copy the AFA on your email.

You should also have received an email from the Center for Professional Development about mandatory Sexual Harrassment Prevention and FERPA training. According to section 3.3 of our contract, you may use your office hours to complete this training. Questions should be sent to cpd@oakton.edu.

Reminder, the AFA holds open office hours this Friday from 9-10am. Join us on Zoom.

We hope this information is helpful.

Happy Fall!

Cheryl L. Thayer, President Mary Hope Griffin, Vice President

Adjunct Faculty Association

Dear Fellow Adjunct Faculty Members,

Preference Forms for spring are due September 28th. You should have received a notification from your dean last week. You can find the forms in My Oakton (Home -> Resources by Area -> Academic Affairs -> Forms/Adjunct Faculty -> Adjunct Scheduling Preference): https://www.oakton.edu/facstaff/entrenous/facforms/adjfac.php

Chairs have until October 26th to provide assignment offers.

Mask Mandate will shift starting on Monday, September 19th. Masks are no longer mandatory but remain strongly encouraged. If you require accommodation as a result of this policy change, please contact HR immediately as indicated in the communication from the Covid Team earlier last week. You may not, however, unilaterally impose a mask mandate in your classroom.

The Continued Eligibility and Observations Schedule has been changed as a result of the new contract. In the end, it will be a more routine calendar (every 5 years, no more counting terms), but in the meantime, some observations may feel closer together. We ask for your patience with the process.

Faculty Happy Hour is Thursday 9/22 from 3 – 6 pm at Plateia, 9860 N Milwaukee Ave in Glenview. Hope to see you there!

As summer winds down, we wanted to bring a few important items to your attention and reiterate information you may have received from your division office.

1. Orientation Week August 15-18, 2022
   • Orientation Week Package: as part of the new contract, you can sign up to attend three session hours and be paid 0.048LHEs using this form: Orientation Week Package Form.  Mandatory department meetings and union meetings are ineligible. You must register for and attend sessions found in the Orientation Week Schedule.
   • AFA Meeting will be on-line on Wednesday, August 17th 5-6pm.

Registration: https://oakton.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0rd–urj0qE9OvJ6QGsSR7dUhrKs2F7tAH

• Orientation Session on the New Contract will be Wednesday 3:30-5pm: Registration: https://oakton.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYqdOmvqDsqEtBMqe3jYOmzYzchHtPHgGUh

Current Contract:

Adjunct Faculty Association Contract Final 7-14-2022

• Department Meetings: don’t forget these important and mandatory meetings.  Information about time/place is in the Orientation Week Schedule and will be sent out by your chair. If you plan to commit to attending 6 out of 9 division and department meetings and receive .25LHEs, use this form: Meeting Commitment Package Form. It is due September 1st.
• Gmail Sessions: Confused by your Oakton email?  Attend one of the gmail sessions during Orientation week.
• Information Fair/Scavenger Hunt about Faculty Resources will be Monday, August 15th, 3:30-5:30 in person in the 1600 Rooms on the Des Plaines campus.  Register or just come on by.  IT, library, advising, Wellness Center, etc. will all have representatives available.
• Link for the full schedule: Orientation Week Schedule

2. Payments for back raises, longevity bonuses, and special contract payments are scheduled to be made by the end of October.  Payroll is still processing staff payments.  We are advocating strongly for this to be done much more rapidly!
3. Covid Updates: masks are still required in classrooms, labs, and studios.  The testing/vaccination mandate has been ended by the governor.
4. Please Update Emergency Contact Information in myOakton (Teach & Advise tab, Self Service Banner, Personal Information or via Employee Dashboard under My Profile).
5. Faculty Seminars for Fall 2022:  compensated professional development opportunities offered through the Center for Professional Development (CPD).  D2L Bootcamp and Inclusive Teaching both look very helpful and practical for adjunct faculty members.

We’re here to help if you have any questions or concerns as the new semester begins!

Your Adjunct Faculty Association Leadership

New Contract Approved by Members:

Dear AFA Members:

On Friday, May 13, 2022, the results of the Adjunct Faculty Association contract ratification election were presented at a zoom meeting open to the membership.  The new AFA-OCC Contract Tentative Agreement 2021-2022 through 2024-2025 was approved by 85% of members who voted.

The Tentative Agreement must be approved by the Oakton Board of Trustees before the new contract agreement becomes official.  The Oakton Board of Trustees will have the opportunity to approve the AFA contract at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting which will be held on Tuesday, May 24th at 6:00 p.m.  We encourage all AFA members to attend this meeting.

Thanks to all of the members who took the time to learn about the new contract and vote.

Dear Fellow Part-time Faculty Members,

As the year winds down, there are a few important reminders.

1. Enrollment continues to decline, meaning fewer sections available for us to teach.  Please do your part and remind students to register.  You can find some “talking points” to share with your classes or post in your D2L course shells.
2. The AFA is hosting an end of the year gathering for all part-time faculty Sunday, May 22nd 1-4pm at North Branch Pizzeria in Glenview.  AFA members are free/non-members $35.  Please RSVP immediately.
3. Finally, voting to ratify our tentative new contract ends at midnight on Thursday, May 12th.  If you are an AFA member, you should have received a personalized link to vote.  Please email afaoakton@gmail.com if you believe you are a member and you have not received your link.
4. Mary Johannesen-Schmidt from the Center for Teaching Innovation at Oakton put together this helpful video on navigating the new MyOakton layout:  https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c3hQFbVrffe
5. If you have comments or suggestions about the new website, submit it via a new Web Update request system called Lytho. A link to the form to request website updates is available in the College Relations channel of the myOakton portal, titled “Web Update Request Form”  https://oakton.ignite.inmotionnow.com/work-requests/submit/10259814

Hopefully this summer will bring some rest and time to reconnect to our own senses of purpose and joy.  These have been a long few years and burnout is real.  Know your union leadership is always here to help make your life at Oakton better in any way that we can.

Cheryl L. Thayer-President

Mary Hope Griffin-Vice President

Adjunct Faculty Association

January 6, 2022

Dear Fellow Adjunct Faculty Members,

We hope this new year finds you healthy.  We have a few important pieces of information to share as we begin this new semester.

First, despite our repeated efforts, the administration’s decision regarding the offering of spring classes is final.  Classes for Spring 2022 begin on January 18th in the modality (F2F, online or synchronous online) assigned.  Please watch your email carefully for an invitation to an all faculty meeting sponsored by OCCFA to which President Smith, Dr. Lott, the Provost, and Dr. Brooks, the Vice President for Student Affairs to discuss student compliance with Covid protocols.  A syllabus statement about Covid-19 protocols has been approved and is also forthcoming from your dean.

If you have specific concerns, please feel free to reach out to the AFA at afaoakton@gmail.com or join us on Wednesday, January 12th 5-6pm for our meeting via Zoom at this link.  If you have a compromised immune system or other medical condition requiring accommodation, please complete this form and submit to HR.  The college will be providing KN-95 masks to all employees.

Secondly, On January 4th, you should have received an email from Academic Affairs with the subject “Course Enrollment Notification.”  This notification was to comply with a new legal requirement stemming from HB 0375 which was signed by the Governor on August 6, 2021. The bill was enacted into law as Public Act 102-0260, effective January 1, 2022.  You will receive such notifications 30 and 14 days prior to the start of each semester.  Read more about this at our website 

Finally, contract negotiations are on-going.  We are hoping that the end is in sight, but for now the provisions of our old contract remain in force. Please remember, only AFA members can vote on the new contract.

Have a safe and productive semester.  Remember we are here to help!

Why Did I receive an email “Course Enrollment Notification”

On January 4th, you should have received an email from Academic Affairs with the subject “Course Enrollment Notification.”  This notification was to satisfy a new legal requirement stemming from HB 0375 which was signed by the Governor on August 6, 2021. The bill was enacted into law as Public Act 102-0260, effective January 1, 2022.  You will receive such notifications 30 and 14 days prior to the start of each semester..

Essentially,   HB 0375/PA 102-9260 amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities and community colleges in Illinois. At least 60 days before the start of a term, requires the governing board of a public university or community college district to notify an adjunct professor about whether a class he or she was hired to teach has been canceled.

House Floor Amendment No. 1

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities and community colleges in Illinois. At least 30 days before the start of a term and again 14 days before the beginning of a term, requires the governing board of a public university or community college district to notify an adjunct professor about the status of the class the adjunct professor was hired to teach. Requires the governing board to allow adjunct professors to have access to the electronic class roster that displays enrollment to assess the status of class enrollment. Provides that the provisions do not apply if the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency or a natural disaster under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. Exempts collective bargaining agreements that are in effect on the effective date of the amendatory Act from the provisions.

Senate Floor Amendment No. 1

Removes the provisions allowing an adjunct professor to have access to the electronic class roster that displays class enrollment. In the provisions amending the Public Community College Act, provides that at least 30 days before the beginning of a semester or term and again at 14 days before the beginning of the semester or term, a community college must notify an adjunct professor about the status of class enrollment of the class the adjunct professor was assigned to teach (rather than at least 30 days before the beginning of a term and again at 14 days before the beginning of the term, the board of trustees must notify an adjunct professor about the status of class enrollment of the class the adjunct professor was hired to teach).

The email from Academic Affairs was sent in compliance with this Act.

Dear Fellow Adjunct Faculty Members,

We hope this new year finds you healthy.  We have a few important pieces of information to share as we begin this new semester.

First, despite our repeated efforts, the administration’s decision regarding the offering of spring classes is final.  Classes for Spring 2022 begin on January 18th in the modality (F2F, online or synchronous online) assigned.  Please watch your email carefully for an invitation to an all faculty meeting sponsored by OCCFA to which President Smith, Dr. Lott, the Provost, and Dr. Brooks, the Vice President for Student Affairs to discuss student compliance with Covid protocols.  A syllabus statement about Covid-19 protocols has been approved and is also forthcoming from your dean.

If you have specific concerns, please feel free to reach out to the AFA at afaoakton@gmail.com or join us on Wednesday, January 12th 5-6pm for our meeting via Zoom at this link.  If you have a compromised immune system or other medical condition requiring accommodation, please complete this form and submit to HR.  The college will be providing KN-95 masks to all employees.

Secondly, On January 4th, you should have received an email from Academic Affairs with the subject “Course Enrollment Notification.”  This notification was to comply with a new legal requirement stemming from HB 0375 which was signed by the Governor on August 6, 2021. The bill was enacted into law as Public Act 102-0260, effective January 1, 2022.  You will receive such notifications 30 and 14 days prior to the start of each semester.  Read more about this at our website

Finally, contract negotiations are on-going.  We are hoping that the end is in sight, but for now the provisions of our old contract remain in force. Please remember, only AFA members can vote on the new contract.

Have a safe and productive semester.  Remember we are here to help!

Why Did I receive an email “Course Enrollment Notification”

On January 4th, you should have received an email from Academic Affairs with the subject “Course Enrollment Notification.”  This notification was to satisfy a new legal requirement stemming from HB 0375 which was signed by the Governor on August 6, 2021. The bill was enacted into law as Public Act 102-0260, effective January 1, 2022.  You will receive such notifications 30 and 14 days prior to the start of each semester..

Essentially,   HB 0375/PA 102-9260 amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities and community colleges in Illinois. At least 60 days before the start of a term, requires the governing board of a public university or community college district to notify an adjunct professor about whether a class he or she was hired to teach has been canceled.

House Floor Amendment No. 1

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities and community colleges in Illinois. At least 30 days before the start of a term and again 14 days before the beginning of a term, requires the governing board of a public university or community college district to notify an adjunct professor about the status of the class the adjunct professor was hired to teach. Requires the governing board to allow adjunct professors to have access to the electronic class roster that displays enrollment to assess the status of class enrollment. Provides that the provisions do not apply if the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency or a natural disaster under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. Exempts collective bargaining agreements that are in effect on the effective date of the amendatory Act from the provisions.

Senate Floor Amendment No. 1

Removes the provisions allowing an adjunct professor to have access to the electronic class roster that displays class enrollment. In the provisions amending the Public Community College Act, provides that at least 30 days before the beginning of a semester or term and again at 14 days before the beginning of the semester or term, a community college must notify an adjunct professor about the status of class enrollment of the class the adjunct professor was assigned to teach (rather than at least 30 days before the beginning of a term and again at 14 days before the beginning of the term, the board of trustees must notify an adjunct professor about the status of class enrollment of the class the adjunct professor was hired to teach).

The email from Academic Affairs was sent in compliance with this Act.

1. Vaccine/Testing Compliance: You can now check your compliance status when you log into MyOakton.  All faculty who come to campus (even just for a meeting) are expected to either submit proof of vaccination or weekly testing results. Tests can be done at Oakton or you can upload test results from other places, as long as they are not at-home tests. If you are in non-compliance, on the third offense, you may be suspended for one day without pay.  On the fourth offense, you can be terminated by the College.  For more information:   Oakton Covid Vaccine/Testing Compliance
2. Learning Day:  All classes before 5pm on Wednesday, October 27th are cancelled (both face to face and synchronous).  If you teach or hold office hours on Wednesdays, you are expected to participate in Learning Day during those hours.  Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend as Oakton develops its next strategic plan. Adjunct faculty’s voices matter!  Learning Day 2021 Registration
3. Sexual Harassment Training: A new round of mandatory sexual harassment training must be completed by the end of November.  It is appropriate to use Office Hours to complete this training.  Check your Oakton Email for a notification from SafeColleges Online Training.  The subject is “Vector LMS.” Questions should be addressed to cpd@oakton.edu.
4. Contract Negotiations are on-going.  Please note that only Adjunct Faculty Association members are eligible to vote to ratify the contract.  Want to check your membership status?  Email: afaoakton@gmail.com.  Want to join?  Go to this link: Membership Forms
5. Office Equipment: All adjunct office spaces have now been equipped with webcams and have personal headsets available.
6. Mask Wearing on Campus: Everyone is required to wear a mask on campus unless you are in a private working space or have a medical accommodation. If you have a student unwilling to comply, this is a Conduct Offense.  If classroom management techniques have not worked, you can report the situation here: Non-Academic Violation/Behavioral Incident Report. You can reserve a private office using this link.  Space Request Form or email: slawacki@oakton.edu.
7. Funds to purchase educational technology/software:If you are interested in purchasing software to improve students’ learning experience, the Center for Teaching Innovation has secured a grant, especially for adjunct faculty members to purchase such software. Center for Teaching Innovation Grant Information

Hi Everyone,

It has been a long time since we have had contact.  I wanted to emphasize the College’s invitation to join us at the Fall Opening Breakfast.  I will be there and hope to sit with you at our adjunct/part-time table.  We can have time to catch up.

You need to complete the registration below by August 11.  Please, if you would like to come and join us, please do.  Be sure to bring & wear your mask.  Consider attending other Orientation Week programs, as they count toward your Continued Eligibility.

You should have received an email calendar invitation for our Fall Orientation Week Meeting.  We will be gathering via Zoom on Wednesday, August 18^th at 3:45. We will cover Negotiations, College-wide Committees, remembering colleagues, and any concerns you might have. Please join us.  Meeting Zoom Link

Take care and see you soon!

Cheryl Thayer

President, AFA

1.AFA Open Office Hours: Fridays, July 9th and 30^th at 10am.

2.Drawer Contents in Adjunct Faculty Offices in DP: When the offices were painted two years ago, were your belongings boxed up?  You must claim your belongings from James T. in Room 2180 by September 30^th or they will be disposed of.

3. Diversity Council: Interested in serving on the Diversity Council?  Interested in serving on another committee? Contact us at afaoakton@gmail.com.

4. We’re Here to Help: Do you have concerns about returning to campus?  Are you having trouble getting paid?  Do you have questions about course assignments?  Drop in to Office Hours or email us at:  afaoakton@gmail.com

1. AFA Open Office Hours are this Friday, April 2^nd, 9-10 via Zoom. Come with your questions and suggestions as we begin contract negotiations.
2. Congratulations to Yasmin Cordero who will be representing us this summer at the National Education Association Regional Assembly.
3. Interested in serving on a college-wide committee next year?  We are collecting names now.  Please email us at: afaoakton@gmail.com
4. You may have noticed a new procedure this year for the re-appointment of department chairs and program coordinators.  Your dean is seeking your input.  Please share your thoughts.  See email from your dean.
5. Next AFA Board Meeting, Friday, April 9^th at 10am.  Contact us if you would like the link.
6. Save the date, Adjunct Faculty Meeting Wednesday, August 18^th, 4-5:30pm.  More details to come.

March 28, 2021

Election Results for NEA-RA Delegate from the Adjunct Faculty Association at Oakton Community College, Spring 2021

39 ballots were cast in an election that ran from March 23 to March 27.
Votes by Candidate:
Mary Hope Griffin: 26 votes (66.7%)
Yasmin Cordero: 7 votes (17.9%)
Catherine Willis: 5 votes (12.8%)
Randy Felsenthal: 1 vote (2.6%) [write-in]

Mary Hope Griffin wins with 66.7% of the vote.

Call for Nominations for NEA-RA Representative

Dear members,

The 2021 National Education Association Representative Assembly, (the NEA-RA), will be held from July 2nd – July 6th, 2021. The 2021 NEA-RA will be held entirely virtually. The Oakton AFA will send one elected representative to the NEA-RA, as we have every year. Please consider nominating yourself or another member of the AFA to attend this meeting.

NEA RA delegates will be responsible for approving the NEA budget, establishing a dues amount, modifying the Legislative Platform and Bylaws and conducting other business of the Association.

The election for this position will be held electronically. You will receive an email March 23rd with a link to your secure, secret ballot. The link will remain active for you to vote until March 27th.

Before the election, we need you to nominate candidates. An AFA member may either nominate a colleague or himself/herself for this position by completing and returning the attached document OR using this online form: https://forms.gle/nSM9rvXA9dErMAjL7. Required information includes the Nominee’s name, address, phone, and email address.

To be included on the ballot, all nomination information must be sent to the AFA Elections Committee Chairperson Nelson Wainwright. You may use the online form https://forms.gle/nSM9rvXA9dErMAjL7 OR

DOWNLOAD the NEA-RA 2021 NOMINATION FORM , complete and send to oaktonafaelections@gmail.com.

All nominations must be received by March 5th. Nominations received after 11 pm on Friday, March 5, 2021 cannot be included on the ballot.

The Elections Committee recommends that should you choose to nominate someone else, please make sure he/she wants to be nominated and can attend this Assembly. The NEA-RA will be held from July 2nd – July 6th, 2021 and will be an entirely virtual conference.

The AFA needs your nominations, your votes, and welcomes your participation.

AFA Elections Committee
Nelson Wainwright
Ruth Whitney

2021 NEA-RA Election Timeline

• 2/22 – Call for nominations for AFA delegate to NEA – Representative Assembly
• 3/5 – Nominations deadline
• 3/23 – NEA – RA delegate election begins
• 3/27 11:59 pm – Last day for voting

AFA Office Hours  Please join us for drop in AFA Officer Office Hours

Friday, March 5th, 9-10am

1.  AFA Board Meeting Friday, February 19th at 10am.  Join us via Google Meet.

1. Legal Advice:  The AFA is part of the Illinois Education Association.  As a dues paying member, you can receive free legal counsel for issues related to your employment.  If you have questions about our contract, the best source of information is always an AFA Officer.  No need to crowdsource!
2. Covid-19 Vaccines:  Please take a moment to sign this petition encouraging the state of Illinois to prioritize higher education in the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out.  This is a real issue for several of our members who are currently required to teach face-to-face. Follow this link: Vaccine Petition
3. Call for 12 LHE Adjunct proposals 2021-22 (1) 12LHEs are available.
4. Listen Session Follow Up:  We received a follow-up email from the Council of Deans outlining the issues they heard at our Fall Listening Session.  They expressed their support and gratitude for all the efforts adjunct faculty have made during the pandemic.  We were also provided some data about the hiring of adjunct faculty for FT positions at Oakton.  On the last 20 hires 9 were of current adjunct faculty members (3 nursing, 3 math, 1 cannabis).  We asked for a more comprehensive data set as that does not seem to reflect overall or historic trends.
5. Email Use:  Before you hit “reply all” remember that the Faculty List has over 500 people on it.  Here are the College’s guidelines on email use:  Email Use Policy
6. Professional Development:  Please Check out the Center for Professional Development’s (CPD) list of options for faculty.  There are a few Faculty Seminars still open for registration for which you can be compensated for attending.  They have also added more D2L trainings.  All of these count toward your required Continuing Eligibility.  CPD Schedule Link
7. Wellness:  Check out the offerings on our website:  Wellness Link

Dear Adjunct Faculty Members,

Call for 12 LHE Adjunct proposals 2021-22 (1)

As you may know, a pool of 12 LHEs has been designated for leadership and/or participation in student success initiatives or initiatives that are seen as priorities of the college for the academic years of the contract. The following initiatives have been determined jointly by AFA and the College and are eligible for consideration:

• Integrate a high impact practice into course content and activities (that reduces opportunity gaps and encourages success for all students; e.g., service learning, problem-based learning, community-based project).
• Develop and lead a project that increases adjunct faculty engagement and inclusion within a discipline, department, division, or college-wide.
• Develop and deliver open educational resource materials (OER).
• Lead a student success initiative within a discipline, department, and/or division (e.g. premajor/pathways development or major revision, organizing co-curricular events).
• Develop content-specific online course materials or interactive student activities that can be shared with faculty within a department/program (persons that received LHEs to develop these materials as part of an online course would not be eligible).
• Research, using data from an Office of Research and Planning request (My Oakton: Employee: Faculty-Staff Links: Research Request), any learning equity gaps in the courses you teach and develop and implement an action plan to address those gaps.

The 12 LHE Committee, comprised of faculty and administrators, reviews applications and responds within a 3 week time frame to applicants. The decision of the committee may be appealed to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The current Committee is Cheryl Thayer, Ruth Williams, and Nelson Wainwright.

If you are interested in pursuing one of these initiatives for the 2021-2022 academic year, please complete the application by Friday, February 12, 2021 by 5pm. If needed, projects can begin in summer 2021. Priority will be given to proposers that have not been awarded LHEs through this program. Here is a list of past proposals awarded LHEs:

• Online and On-Site Tutoring and Support for Chemistry Students and Planning for Academic Continuity, 2 LHE
• Integrating a High Impact Practice into Course Content and Activities, 0.5 LHE
• Gamification, Reframing Case Studies and Patient Management into Problem-Based Assessments that Spur Enjoyment as well as Learning, 1 LHE
• Reflective Practice to Connect Theory and Practice in the Biological Sciences, 1.5 LHE
• Is it LEGIT? Critical Thinking Online and Social Media Services, 2 LHEs
• How Individual Face-to-Face Conference between Students and the Instructor can Drive Students’ Success in Writing Courses, 2 LHE
• High Impact Practices in the Teaching of Psychology, 2 LHE

Attached is the evaluation rubric the Committee will use to evaluate proposals (pages 3-5). We will be hosting a session during orientation week to go over the application and answer any questions you may have about your project. The session is Wednesday, January 13, 2:30pm-4:00pm. Please register through the Center for Professional Development.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.

Cheryl Thayer

Ruth Williams

Nelson Wainwright

The last few months have been difficult ones as we have navigated working under new conditions during a global pandemic, a period of heightened racism, and a polarizing election. Many of us are feeling the strain of learning new technologies at work, while managing the shifting terrain of home life, including care-giving responsibilities, isolation, and fear for our own health and economic security.

We want to acknowledge this challenging period by listening to your experiences, particularly your needs and concerns. We hope that by listening to each other as a community, we can focus on life outside of our students, teaching, and paperwork and focus more on supporting one another to begin restoring balance to our lives.

Come and join in the community discussion scheduled for 4pm on Tuesday, December 1st; use this as a time check in and talk with your colleagues and friends. This time is for adjunct faculty members only and members of the College’s administration will be there as listeners. You can access the meeting with the following link:

[Zoom Link Omitted For Security reasons–email oaktonafa@gmail.com or check Oakton email for link]

If you need assistance with a specific concern see the resources listed in the attachment, drop us an email, or come to the listening session. Starting in the Spring semester, the AFA will be holding regular drop-in office hours for informal conversation.

We thank you for your dedicated work during these incredible difficult months. We need each other to continue the work ahead for our students and for our own well-being, the well-being of our families, and the College community. We hope you can participate in this listening opportunity to support each other.

Sincerely,

Ileo Lott, Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ruth Williams, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of Curriculum and Instruction

Cheryl Thayer, Ph.D, President, Adjunct Faculty Association

November 19, 2020

Dear Members,

The 2021 Illinois Education Association Representative Assembly, otherwise known as the IEA R.A will be held on March 11-13^th 2021. At this time, the IEA R.A.is scheduled to be held in-person in Rosemont, Illinois. The Oakton AFA will send elected representatives to the IEA-RA as we have every year.  Please consider nominating yourself or another member of the AFA to attend this meeting.

Nominations received after 11:00 pm on November 20, 2020 cannot be included on the ballot.

To be included on the ballot, all nomination information must be sent to the AFA Elections Committee via email at oaktonafaelections@gmail.com

Nomination forms are attached to this email.  

IEA R.A. delegates will be responsible for approving the IEA budget, establishing a dues amount, modifying the Legislative Platform and Bylaws and conducting other business of the Association.

A member may either nominate a colleague or himself/herself for this position by providing the information on the attached form. Required information includes: Nominee’s name, address, phone, and a non-Oakton email address.

The Elections Committee recommends that if you choose to nominate someone else, please make sure he/she wants to be nominated and can attend this Assembly. Our delegates will need to be present at all meetings to represent the AFA. Remember, the 2021 IEA R.A, will be held on March 11-13^th 2021 in Rosemont, Illinois.

Again, nominations received after 11:00 pm on November 20, 2020 cannot be included on the ballot.

The election for IEA-RA delegates will be online from Saturday, December 5th – Friday, December 11th, 2020. You will receive an email with a link to your ballot.

The AFA needs your nominations, your votes, and welcomes your participation.

Nelson Wainwright

Election Chair, Oakton Adjunct Faculty Association

1. Compliance Trainings: There are several mandatory trainings that all Oakton employees are required to complete by November 16th.  Please see the attached FAQ for more information.  Yes, we are asking the college to compensate adjunct faculty for the hours required to complete these trainings, but in the meantime you must get them done.  FAQ

3. Memorandums of Understanding on Faculty Observations:  Please got to the AFA website to check out the full text.  AFA Website
4. Election Information:  The 2021 Illinois Education Association Representative Assembly, otherwise known as the IEA R.A will be held on March 11-13^th2021. At this time, the IEA R.A. is scheduled to be held in-person in Rosemont, Illinois. The Oakton AFA will send elected representatives to the IEA-RA as we have every year.  Please consider nominating yourself or another member of the AFA to attend this meeting.

IEA R.A. delegates will be responsible for approving the IEA budget, establishing a dues amount, modifying the Legislative Platform and Bylaws and conducting other business of the Association.

A member may either nominate a colleague or himself/herself for this position by providing the information on the attached form. Required information includes: Nominee’s name, address, phone, and a non-Oakton email address.

The Elections Committee recommends that if you choose to nominate someone else, please make sure he/she wants to be nominated and can attend this Assembly. Our delegates will need to be present at all meetings to represent the AFA. Remember, the 2021 IEA R.A, will be held on March 11-13^th 2021 in Rosemont, Illinois.

To be included on the ballot, all nomination information must be sent to the AFA Elections Committee via email at oaktonafaelections@gmail.com

IEA-RA NOMINATION FORM 2020 

IEA-RA ETHNIC MINORITY REP NOMINATION FORM 2020

Nominations received after 11:00 pm on November 20, 2020 cannot be included on the ballot.

The election for IEA-RA delegates will be online from Saturday, December 5th – Friday, December 11th, 2020. You will receive an email with a link to your ballot.

The AFA needs your nominations, your votes, and welcomes your participation.

Nelson Wainwright

Election Chair, Oakton Adjunct Faculty Association

The official call letter is attached with a description of the responsibilities. Adjunct Professor Paterno and her predecessor, Adjunct Professor Barbara Cohen, have created the resources and D2L shell for this program.

If you are interested please complete the attached application by Friday, November 20, 2020 by 5pm. Submit to Ruth Williams, rwilliam@oakton.edu, Cari Paterno, cpaterno@oakton.edu, and Mary Hope Griffin, mgriffin@oakton.edu

Sincerely, Ruth Ruth Williams Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean of Curriculum and Instruction

Documents

Call for New Adjunct Mentorship Program Facilitator Download

Application for New Adjunct Mentorship Program Facilitator Download

In the 2020 AFA Board Officer Elections, there were 69 total ballots cast.  Here are the results:

For President

• Cheryl Thayer wins with 67 votes
• 2 write-in votes for Mary Hope Griffin

For Vice-President

• Mary Hope Griffin wins with 67 votes
• 1 write-in vote for Nelson Wainwright
• 1 ballot left blank

For Secretary

• Linda Berendsen wins with 67 votes
• 2 ballots left blank

For Treasurer

• Cindy Del Medico wins with 68 votes
• 1 ballot left blank

If you have any questions about the election, please email oaktonAFAelections@gmail.com.

On Tuesday, September 8th at 2 pm Central the Elections Committee will count the votes and ballots in a live Zoom session.  All members are welcome to connect and attend the counting.  Information on joining the Zoom session will be sent to the email you registered with the AFA.  Email oaktonafaelections@gmail.com if you have any questions or have not received the Zoom meeting information by Tuesday morning.

Elections Elections will be held electronically via Survey Monkey August 30th-September 7th.  Please watch your email for the link. See the AFA Website for more information about the candidates for the Executive Board and election details. https://oaktonadjuncts.com/elections/

Orientation Week Workshops                                                                                                Many adjunct faculty asked for evening sessions during
Orientation Week. Please note that on Thursday evening there are many valuable sessions scheduled. Take advantage of this timing designed just for you!

Return to Campus Orientation 2020 D2L Module Completion
The AFA negotiated with the College that adjunct faculty members who are not physically returning to campus, do not need to complete until the D2L Module until August 31st. You may use your Office Hours to review this important information.

Concerns about Course Assignments? Please reach out and let us know if you
have questions or concerns about your course assignments for the fall. Rules of seniority still apply. Email us at: afaoakton@gmail.com

Contract Negotiations Our current contract expires in a year, so know that we will be
asking for your input about framing our next contract.

Employee Assistance Program ALL Oakton Employees are able to utilize this free
service offered by the College. This program provides confidential, professional services to address a variety of person, family, life and work-related issues. For more information: EAP_and_Work-Life_Benefits

Unemployment Please contact AFA President, Cheryl Thayer at clthayer001@yahoo.com if you received Unemployment Insurance over the summer. She has important information to share with you.

Health Insurance The IEA and the Higher Education Council have made little headway in finding health insurance for contingent faculty. We did find The Chicago Music Society and its insurance offers health care insurance for individuals/families and you do not need to be a musician. They have 2 or 3 options to select from. Click Here to Visit the Website. 

Please contact AFA President, Cheryl Thayer at clthayer001@yahoo.com with
questions.

Your Covid-19 & Oakton Story Linda Berendsen is collecting stories and images
(300 words or fewer) for our next newsletter. Please send submissions to
laberendsen@gmail.com.

If you are an Oakton part-timer who taught in Spring 2020 and participated in CPD training, D2L training offered by the Office of Online Learning, or other training recommended by your dean or department chair to prepare for remote instruction, you can receive payment for up to 2 hours of that training. You do not need to provide documentation or evidence that you participated.

How do I get it?

You must fill out the Google form linked below and submit it by June 25, 2020. In order to access the survey you will need to be logged in to myOakton.  https://forms.gle/gLQyXN1BK6N8L5By9

How much can I get?

The payment is based on your per-LHE pay rate, and you can be paid for up to 2 hours at the standard rate of .022 LHEs per hour. (Example: if your pay rate is $1270 per LHE and you participated in 2 hours of training, you can receive $1270 x .022 x 2 = $55.88).

When will I get paid?

Payments will be made on or before July 24, 2020.

What if I have already reached my LHE load limit?

The College has agreed to make the payment even to those who have reached their load limit for Spring semester (13 LHEs) or for the 2019-20 academic year (27 LHEs), provided that they would not have exceeded their limit if not for this payment.

What’s the catch?

There are several:

1. Payments will be made from the fund for adjunct faculty professional development (see the adjunct faculty contract Section 3.9D, p. 18). As of June 15 there is plenty in the fund for 2019-2020 to cover all the anticipated payments, but once the fund is depleted no more payments will be made.

2.The payment is subject to the individual annual limits for professional development, which are $375 for 2019-20 or $750 for 2019-2021. If you have already reached your individual limit, you aren’t eligible for this payment.

3. In order to be eligible for payment,you must submit the linked Google form (at the bottom of this message) by June 25, 2020.  https://forms.gle/gLQyXN1BK6N8L5By9

Why is this payment being made?

The payment is the result of negotiation between the Adjunct faculty Association (AFA) and the College. We share an interest in ensuring the continuity of course delivery in emergencies such as COVID-19.

How can I learn more?

The full text of two COVID-19-related Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) between the AFA and the College are available here.  You can direct questions to the AFA here: afaoakton@gmail.com.

Link to the form:  https://forms.gle/gLQyXN1BK6N8L5By9

Dear AFA Members,

Your union leadership has a few important reminders and suggestions as we head into summer.

1. Return to Work Plan:  We are reviewing the College’s Return to Work Plan.  Please let us know if you have any particular concerns.
2. Fall Courses:  As you know, courses in the fall will be taught on-line (with a few exceptions).  Please be in touch with your chair about whether you would like to do this synchronously or asynchronously.  If your department has guidelines about teaching on-line, please share them with us.
3. Teaching On-Line -ION Courses:  These are professional development courses put together by a consortium of Illinois colleges and universities.  The office of On-Line Learning at Oakton will pay for one course per semester.  If you haven’t taken any, you should start with the Overview.  The link to register is:  https://colrs.uis.edu/portal/catalog?tab=schedule.  Use Oakton’s discount code: EU207.  Send Ray Lawson, the Dean of On-Line Learning at Oakton (rlawson@oakton.edu) the invoice.  You can also contact your division administrative staff for reimbursement for additional courses using your professional development funds.
4. D2L Training: Center for Professional Development (CPD) at Oakton is offering classes in D2L.  Here is the schedule:  https://www.oakton.edu/facstaff/entrenous/internal_pages/cpd-internal/workshops/wschedule.php#D2L
5. Unemployment:  The Illinois Education Association (IEA) is hosting webinars on how to file for Unemployment.  See attachment for schedule and registration.
6. Reimbursement for Equipment:  We are continuing to work with the College on reimbursement for equipment required to transition to remote and on-line learning.

As always, please reach out if we can help.

Check our website for further details:  oaktonadjuncts.com

In Solidarity,

The AFA Board

Note: YOU MUST fill out this form to be sent a link to enter the meeting. This is simply to prevent uninvited Zoom bombing guests.  If you want to be included, but can’t figure out the Google form, just reply to this email saying you would like to come.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScS3UHPNf9hwZLU9N-479NYpv74FDr0eGOl1vzoLRO2P0Bthg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Dear Fellow Oakton Adjunct Faculty Members,

We wanted to let you know about our on-going conversations with the administration during this incredibly stressful time.

First, please let us know immediately if you are having difficulty finishing the Spring semester on-line.  We will be happy to connect you with whatever resources you might need.

Summer: The summer schedule is clearly an issue for many of us.  After full time faculty, seniority remains the underlying premise for who should get to teach first.  However, the presence of already existing on-line classes is also a factor.  If you were offered a face-to-face class for the summer earlier this spring and are being denied an opportunity to teach this course on-line this summer, please let us know.  There are a myriad of special circumstances, but we’d be happy to help you sort this out if you if you feel as if you have been treated unfairly.

Fall: If you tuned into the President’s Coffee & Conversation ( Listen to the recording here )on Thursday, you know that the future is complicated.  For those teaching in the sciences, the cuts have been very severe because of the inability to have labs.  What the Fall of 2020 looks like is very uncertain.  Our best recommendation is to equip yourselves now by taking ION courses and participating in professional development workshops offered by the Center for Professional Development.  Where appropriate, work on converting your courses to on-line courses.  This is different from what many of us are doing now in this remote learning environment, as we will not have the luxury of any assumed synchronous class time.

Unemployment: Should you be denied classes this summer that you were already offered, know that you are eligible for Unemployment Insurance.  The federal government’s CARES Act specifically includes adjunct faculty members and the National Education Association (the national organization of the IEA of which you are a member) worked hard to lobby for our inclusion.   More information can be found on our website:  https://oaktonadjuncts.com/government-programs

Survey:  If you have not had a moment to do it, please fill out the survey we sent out last week.  Here is the link:  https://forms.gle/BnDCwybSGiwrsfL49

It should take less than 5 minutes to complete.

On-Going Conversation:  The preliminary data we received from this survey was quite useful in our conversations with Ileo Lott, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Colette Hands, the Chief Human Resources Officer.  We are advocating for a number of the issues that you all have raised.  We have now received written confirmation that adjunct faculty librarians, tutors, and coaches will be fully compensated through the spring semester.

The AFA Board

oaktonadjuncts.com

April 13, 2020Below is a link to a survey from the Adjunct Faculty Association about the impact that the shift to online learning at Oakton because of COVID-19 has had on you.  Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey, as the answers will help the AFA be more effective advocates for all of our interests.  The survey should only take about 5 minutes to complete.  Feel free to share with other Oakton adjunct faculty members who might not be on our list.

April 5, 2020

Dear Fellow Part-time and Adjunct Faculty Members,

The AFA (Adjunct Faculty Association) had a meeting Thursday with Ileo Lott, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and with Collette Hands, Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Office.  We will continue to have regularly scheduled meetings with them.  We recognize that there are many issues that are worrisome about the week and months ahead at Oakton, and hopefully the information below will answer some of your questions.  Please reach out to us if you have particular questions or concerns.  We cannot advocate for you if we do not know what issues you are confronting in your division, department, or individual circumstance.

1. Summer:  As your chair may have informed you, the college is going 100% on-line for the summer.

• Most classes that were face to face classes will be converted to on-line sections if a pre-existing on-line version of the course exists.
• The rules of seniority spelled out in our contract continue to apply, making everyone eligible to teach on-line.
• If you have not completed formal training in teaching on-line (beyond the crash courses of the last few weeks), you are asked to complete trainings that will be made available to you by Oakton and the Center for Profession Development (CPD).  However, you will not be required to do so.
• But yes, full-time faculty can still bump you.
• If you feel as if your chair is not following this protocol, please contact us so we can advocate on your behalf.

2. Faculty covered by 9.2 of our Contract: Librarians, coaches, tutors (embedded and those working in the Learning Center), counselors hired before 2013 will all be paid for all the LHEs originally assigned to them for the semester.
3. “Paused” course with clinical hours, hands-on music/art, or programs that require student-hands-on practice, automotive, nursing, EMT/Fire fighters, and others, these faculty will be paid but will have to finish teaching the students in their class environments at a time to be determined after the College reopens.  This will be formalized with an MOU (memorandum of understanding) negotiated by the AFA and the college administration.
4. Technology issues:  If you are having trouble with technology (your computer or wi-fi), please reach out to your dean, your chair, or to IT and copy us.  The college is committed to making sure you have the resources you need.  We will help you hold them accountable.
5. Professional Development:  Please keep careful track of any training sessions you attend, Webinars you take, etc. These can be counted toward your “Continued Eligibility.”
6. Classroom Observations: The only observations that will occur this semester are for classes that were initially on-line and for which an observation was required this semester.
7. Student Evaluations:  Only classes originally on-line will be evaluated this summer.
8. Participation in the decision-making process:  While there are no adjunct faculty members on the President’s Council or CoCac (Council of Chairs & Coordinators), the AFA is doing its best to raise issues with the administration through regular communication of issues.  Please email us or go to our website and we will attempt to address your concern as soon as possible.
9. Watch your email for a survey:  We want more information from you so we can continue to advocate your behalf.

Be well!!

The AFA Board