Brooklyn College PSC-CUNY

Address to the Stated Meeting of the Faculty October 23, 2014 Alex S. Vitale Chair Brooklyn College Chapter PSC-CUNY We remain concerned about developments in the School of Business. In their drive to accreditation, the administration seems to have adopted an approach that consistently attempts to go around faculty. Unelected Department Chairs are being brought in, departments are being reconfigured with little or no faculty input, faculty are being told what and how to teach and what journals and conferences are acceptable, and the school appears to be increasingly walling itself off from the rest of the college. The administration seems to be pursuing a very narrow vision of how accreditation can be achieved that distances the school from the rest of the college, rather than embracing a broader liberal arts approach that would build on the college’s many strengths in this area in a way that would enhance the overall education our business students receive. We wil...

Dear President Gould: We write to ask for your help – your vigorous advocacy in support of the Brooklyn College community. As of Monday, October 20, CUNY faculty and professional staff have been without a new contract for four years. Our work at the University shows our commitment to quality public education: in fact, it is our academic work that makes the University run. We deserve fair remuneration for the jobs we do; we have been denied that for four long years. Enrollment at CUNY is at an all-time high, yet we, who are daily in the classroom, are expected to work without reasonable raises and just benefits. Faculty and staff wellbeing is put at risk as we have faced the rising cost of living. We are full-time faculty, CLTs and HEOs struggling to pay rent; we are adjuncts forced to work at multiple institutions just to buy groceries. Our diminished living conditions have a direct impact on our students’ learning conditions. ...

As you may recall , last Spring Governor Cuomo continued the tradition of appointing political hacks to the CUNY Board of Trustees. In this case it was James Molinaro to represent Staten Island. The former Borough President is a member of the Conservative and Republican Parties and was chosen because he crossed party lines to endorse Cuomo for governor. The PSC raised objections with this appointment, which also irritated many Democratic members of the State Senate, who must confirm such nominations.  Women’s rights groups also criticized the nomination after Molinaro called singer Lady Gaga a “slut.” He has also spoken out against programs to reduce teenage pregnancy and a wide variety of social welfare programs that CUNY students directly benefit from.  He also opposes gay rights and access to abortions. Ironically, CUNY Board Chair Beno Schmidt, chief purveyor of lower standards and champion of greater power for boards of trustees, argues in a new book that trustee...

Dear Colleague:   We have waited long enough for the CUNY Board of Trustees to put an economic offer on the table. It is time for us to demonstrate to the Board and the University administration that we need a good contract now.  The quality of education at CUNY—as well as our own economic stability—is at stake.    On  Monday, September 29 , the union will organize a mass demonstration to deliver a simple message to the Board of Trustees and Chancellor Milliken: CUNY Needs a Raise!  If a good contract is important to you, then you should be there. Click here to confirm that you will  join us . This time, we need everyone.   We will assemble at 3:30 on Monday, September 29, at Baruch College, where the CUNY Board meets. After a spirited demonstration and picket outside the meeting, we will take our demand inside, to the college presidents, CUNY administration and trustees. We will call on the trustees and Chairperson Ben...

Colleagues, Below are links to resources that may be of use in developing in class activities related to the upcoming People's Climate March on Sunday, September 21st ( http://peoplesclimate.org/march/ ),  Report from the American Sociological Association/NSF-sponsored Workshop on Sociological Perspectives on Climate Change: http://www.asanet.org/research/NSFClimateChangeWorkshop_120109.pdf NOAA prepared education resources on climate change: http://www.education.noaa.gov/Climate/Climate_Change_Impacts.html Teaching resources are also available from the Association of American Geographers: http://www.aag.org/cs/TeachingClimateChange SUNY-ESF: http://www.esf.edu/outreach/projects/nasa.htm Oxfam: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/climate-chaos USEPA: http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/resources/lesson-plans.html Royal Geographical Society: http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Schools/Teaching+resources/Key+Stage+3+resources/Cha...

Sisters and Brothers:   We are receiving many inquiries from several campuses about assignments for summer work so I am resending this email to all.    Please be reminded of the following contractual rights:   1. The annual leave period defined:   The period of annual leave for full-time teaching members of the faculty is from the day subsequent to the spring commencement on each campus until the third day, excluding Saturday and Sunday preceding August 30 or an equivalent consecutive period. (Article 14.1). For the 2014-2015 academic year, the last day of the annual leave period is Tuesday, August 26, 2014 and the first day of the fall 2014 semester is Wednesday, August 27, 2014.   2. Classroom teaching members:    For members of the teaching faculty annual leave begins the day immediately following spring commencement and teaching faculty may not be compelled to work during their annual leave period.  The PSC/CUNY c...

The Campaign for the Future of Higher Education (CFHE) has released a short animated video disputing the overblown and misleading claims made by the online higher education industry about Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vkKPt0Aacg&feature=youtu.be Spread the word. SEND the video link  via email SHARE on  Facebook TWEET using  @FutureofHE  &  #MakingMillions CFHE is a national grassroots campaign to support quality higher education; it is comprised of faculty organizations from 21 states, including the PSC and our sister union at SUNY, United University Professions, and the California Faculty Association, representing the Cal State campuses. The video will be unveiled formally in front of hundreds of faculty at CFHE’s  Seventh National Gathering  in Albany, New York this week. PSC hosted the Sixth National Gathering of CFHE over the Dr. Martin Luther King Day weekend. ( Videos from the gathering...

Brooklyn College spokesperson Jason Carey told the Eagle on Wednesday, “While the President of Brooklyn College must transmit recommendations of the Faculty Council to the Chancellor, these proposals must be lawful and in line with recent court proceedings that ruled in favor of the CUNY Board of Trustees in initiating academic policy.” He added that reviews of general education happen periodically at the college, and have been encouraged by the Provost. “Our faculty plays a key role in shaping the academic curriculum at Brooklyn College. When reviewing and revising our general education requirements, however, the College is obligated to be guided by the broad framework of the Pathways initiative approved by the CUNY Board of Trustees."

Brooklyn College faculty breaks with CUNY:  votes to retake control of curriculum Brooklyn College. Photo courtesy CUNY Has 'no confidence' in CUNY Board of Trustees By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle The full-time faculty at Brooklyn College passed a resolution on Wednesday to “retake control of curriculum decision making” and demand that the Brooklyn College and CUNY administrations “respect the faculty’s historic role in designing courses,” programs and degree requirements. Professors are rejecting CUNY's move to “override faculty decision making” to implement the “inadequate” Pathways general education program, according to the Brooklyn College Faculty Council. Pathways implements a set of course requirements that every student must complete to earn an undergraduate degree from CUNY, making it easier to transfer one CUNY college to another. But professors complain th...

Address to the Stated Meeting of the Faculty By Alex S. Vitale Chair Brooklyn College Chapter PSC-CUNY April 8, 2014 The de Blasio administration has expressed interest in getting bargaining started with the over 150 municipal unions without contracts. Right now there is haggling over whether cost savings in health care should be tied to contractual raises. The Municipal Labor Council, which represents all municipal unions and the City have said they want to avoid increasing premiums. In addition, the MLC leadership has said that city nurses, teachers, and professors should be the first to bargain with the City, since they have gone the longest without a contract. The City hasn’t agreed to this idea, but hopefully this will move us up on the list. The PSC continues to talk with management about a number of non-financial issues, and is ready to begin bargaining in earnest at any time over a full contract. I’m sure you will hear more on the budget from President G...

BROOKLYN COLLEGE FACULTY VOTE TO RETAKE CONTROL OF CURRICULUM DECISION MAKING; VOTE NO CONFIDENCE IN CUNY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Contact: Alex S. Vitale, avitale@brooklyn.cuny.edu Brooklyn, NY-- For the first time in decades, the entire full-time faculty at Brooklyn College passed a resolution at a special college-wide meeting on April 8 to demand that the Brooklyn College and CUNY administrations respect the faculty’s historic role in designing courses, general education programs, and degree requirements. Two years ago the CUNY Board of Trustees instructed local college administrations to override faculty decision making in implementing the inadequate Pathways general education program, which was opposed by 92% of full-time faculty at CUNY who voted in a referendum held last year. This is despite the fact that college governance documents vest curricular decision making solely in the hands of the faculty. By a vote of 298 in favor, 9 against and 18 abstentions, today’s resolution ...

Dear Colleagues, On Tuesday, for the first time in decades, the Brooklyn College faculty will be voting on a measure at the Stated Meeting of the Faculty. The resolution to be voted on supports the Faculty Council in their effort, as elected representatives of the faculty, to undertake a process of redesigning general education at Brooklyn College . Given recent attacks on faculty governance and faculty control over curriculum it is imperative that this vote succeed. So far the response has been overwhelming. Over 300 full time faculty have committed to attending the meeting. If those numbers hold true, then we will meet our quorum of approximately 275. But that does not leave much room for error. If you have committed to showing up, we need you there. If you haven’t yet and can do so, please let us know you are coming. This vote is about much more than just Pathways or general education. It’s ultimately about faculty power. Over the last generation, at CUNY and throughout aca...

A Public Launching Event for the CUNY Digital History Archive April 9, 2014 | 6:30pm CUNY Graduate Center, Martin Segal Theatre Hear from activists who have advocated for public higher education for all New Yorkers. Participate in plans for collecting and organizing a public archive of our CUNY history. Join the archiving effort: Tell your story, contribute documents, conduct interviews! The panels will involve activists in the struggle for and defense of Open Admissions from the late-1960s to the present, who will describe their experiences and offer insights about the past and its implications for the future. Come and participate in the community breakout/discussion session after the second panel, where we talk about the archive and community involvement. The Fight for Open Admissions, 1969–1976 Former student and faculty activists who led the fight on CUNY campuses to open the University to all NYC high school graduates discuss this transformative historic...

To aid in the PSC’s press for a fair and exhaustive review of Pathways, please share your experience of the new curriculum on this  web form . The union wants to know how your students’ education is affected and how Pathways affects your day-to-day work. Reports collected here may be posted on the website, printed in  Clarion , presented to the CUNY central administration, or cited in public testimony. Selected testimony may also be shared with the media.

The State Senate’s one-house budget resolution is appalling: it sells out public K-12 education in favor of charter schools and private schools; it leaves CUNY woefully underfunded while reducing estate taxes for the wealthiest New Yorkers; it includes a property tax freeze that would primarily benefit the rich; and it says NO to the NYS DREAM Act, ignoring that undocumented students were brought to New York as children. Don’t let the short list of proposed CUNY restorations in the Senate budget resolution make you think it’s a “good budget;” it’s not! And don’t let the news about the Senate’s support of funding of universal pre-K in NYC obscure the true priorities of the Senate Republicans and the Independent Democratic Caucus. The Senate’s budget plan—its starting position in negotiations with the governor and the Assembly—is bad for CUNY, bad for CUNY students and bad for most New Yorkers. Educators across the State are standing up to denounce the Senate’s plan and calli...

1) Our students need us to stand up for educational excellence. Despite the claims of serving students by easing transfer (the benefits of which have been grossly overstated), Pathways undermines educational standards. Eliminating science labs, speech, and  foreign language requirements disadvantages our students. Restricting the ability of individual colleges to experiment and specialize outside the narrow Pathways framework undermines innovation and the development of new best practices. 2) Brooklyn College’s Faculty Council is currently undertaking a broad review of general education and we are in a position to challenge the Pathways framework by demonstrating strong faculty support for a general education program that is rigorous and effectively meets our students’ needs. 3) Whatever the ultimate outcome of the general education process it is essential that the faculty make clear that the process used to implement Pathways was a violation of faculty governance and a...