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3rd Party Complaints & Payroll Issues

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While we hope that the ongoing issues with payroll and HCM have been addressed going forward, past experience indicates that new issues will likely be forthcoming.  In addition, there is little confidence that the errors of the past year and a half have been adequately resolved.  In an effort to address these concerns and ensure that they do not recur, the Faculty Association’s legal counsel has filed complaints with the following 3rd party agencies requesting investigations and appropriate remedies.

  • Arizona Office of Administration
  • Arizona Auditor General
  • Arizona State Retirement System
  • Arizona Industrial Commission, Labor Dept.
  • U.S. Government Accountability Office
  • U.S. Department of Labor, Wage & Hour

We will notify you of any further actions or responses as they come in.

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FACT Self-Nominations for 2019-20 Needed

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Faculty Colleagues,

The Faculty Administration Collaboration Team (FACT) will expand from two to three Residential Faculty for Academic Year 2019-20. We are seeking candidates to serve beginning in August 2019 for a term of at least one year. Any Residential Faculty member may apply.

The FACT utilizes the Interest-Based Problem Solving (IBPS) framework and philosophy to develop solutions to complex issues related to faculty.

We anticipate weekly FACT meetings throughout the fall and spring semesters (Wednesday afternoons and additional dates TBD) as well as additional time engaged in research, faculty team meetings, task forces, and other forms of preparation.

We expect that each Residential Faculty team member will receive six (6) hours of reassigned time for the fall semester and six (6) hours of reassigned time for the spring semester, as well as a summer stipend when appropriate, to allow her/him to focus on this intense, but rewarding, service commitment. (Pending Administrative approval)

Candidates who have related service/experience or training; are available to participate in IBPS training; are committed to regular attendance, meeting demanding deadlines, and serving a full term are encouraged to apply.

If you are interested, please email a brief biography and statement of interest to me (keith.heffner@mesacc.edu) no later than close of business on Friday, August 2. Candidates may be asked to meet to discuss his/her qualifications and vision for the position on Friday, August 9. The FEC will put forth a slate of candidates to all Residential Faculty for approval from August 12-14 (during week of accountability). These deadlines are tight, but they are necessary to meet the terms of the settlement agreement recently approved by the FEC and the Governing Board.

Regards,

Keith Heffner

Faculty Association President

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Governing Board Accepts Settlement Agreement

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Today the Faculty Executive Council and the Governing Board approved the negotiated Settlement Agreement ending our ongoing legal dispute. We are pleased to report the Settlement Agreement contained the following provisions:

  • The 2017-18 RFP is extended through June 30, 2020. (The RFP was set to expire in a few short days on June 30, 2019.)
  • Reassigned time, as described in the RFP 2.12, is reaffirmed.
  • The Faculty Administration Collaboration Team (FACT) will expand by one additional member to each of the Adjunct Faculty, Residential Faculty, and Administration teams, thereby increasing FACT to 9 members from 6. Team members will be elected by their groups.
  • The new Faculty Agreement to replace the RFP will be presented to the Governing Board by December 31, 2019.
  • Academic Freedom and Free Speech protections will be negotiated in FACT this year, and mandatory training will be provided to all faculty and academic administrators by June 30, 2020.
  • Modification to the Whistleblower Protection Policy will be requested of the GB Policy Committee no later than December 31, 2019 so that a someone who whistleblows against a Chancellor will be properly protected from retaliation.
  • $100,000 in compensatory damages and $12,000 in legal fees. Please note, the entirety of the $100,000 compensatory damages will be deposited in the FA treasury to be used to further the purposes and goals of the Faculty Association. None of the money recovered will go to any individual named plaintiff or faculty member.
  • A waiver of all claims by all the Parties.

The Agreement will be posted in its entirety on our website soon.

The Faculty Executive Council fully supports this resolution to our legal challenges and are looking forward to working with the District to strengthen our core values of Academic Freedom and Shared Governance as we continue to serve our students and our communities.

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Governing Board Budget & Tax Increase Vote

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This evening the Governing Board approved a property tax increase (2%) and the proposed FY2019-2020 District budget both by votes of 4-3.

The budget includes a 2% increase in the faculty pay scale. Faculty who are off the scale (greater than max) will get one-time stipend. The only faculty who will get a $1,000 permanent raise are those who make so little that a 2% increase is less than $1,000.

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New FA President and President-Elect

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The President for this next year will be Keith Heffner and the President-Elect will be Patrice Nango! We would like to thank John for his service as President. His leadership was truly appreciated.