Emotions erupted at the Academic Senate meeting Wednesday, when a presentation regarding the teaching load issue caused some senators to burst out in protest.
“This is a big freaking deal you guys,” said Kathy O’Connor, representative of physical education, health, dance, and athletics. “The FA, they are willing to take everything. Well good luck with that Cornelia.”
This outburst came in response to Cornelia Alsheimer, representative of business education, giving a presentation about Administrative Procedure 7210, which includes the maximum number of Teacher Load Units that may be assigned per semester, including summer sessions.
Faculty members are allowed to teach up to 21 units in the fall and spring semesters, though some taught up to 33 units per semester before current executive vice president Pamela Ralston enforced it.
“The FA is offering, whenever the senate wants to assign us, to take over the contract [Administrative Procedure 7210],” Alsheimer said on behalf of the Faculty Association.
“I like to make sure that we’re not moving things too hastily,” O’Connor said. “You got to remember something, that once things go into a negotiation, it’s called negotiation for a reason, and you have to understand that you may give up a salary increase.”
Senate and faculty members considered formatting a new contract that would give faculty a chance to vote, and have a larger presence in the process.
“Sometimes, you go back to your division and you get feedback that may split,” said Dolores Howard, representative of the School of Modern Languages and English as a Second Language Department. “Then you come back to the senate meeting, and then I’m not even representing that half of my division.”
Roughly half of the senate members left during the discussion, the meeting going 30 minutes over the allotted time.
Members of the senate felt that it was their decision on whether the contract should be handed over to the Faculty Administration or not, and said they would “lay out a plan so faculty could vote on it.”
The senate will continue its discussion on April 10.
