Welcome Back
Dear colleagues:
Welcome back to a new academic year. After several years' worth of budget woes, the District and the State are finally experiencing growth: we're offering more classes and services to our students, adjunct colleagues who lost classes during the cuts are returning to the College, we're hiring more contract and adjunct faculty, and we're seeing an increase in our paychecks, thanks to the raise that AFA and the District negotiated for all faculty last May. There's more work to do, and AFA will continue to pursue full restoration to our salaries while also working on other details of the contract—for example, class sizes, lab equity, and hourly assignments.
I would also like to invite you to attend two upcoming events, both on Monday, September 30. From 3 to 5 p.m., AFA will host an informal, drop-in Social Mixer in the Doyle Library's Center for New Media, 3rd floor. This is an opportunity for you to meet your AFA representatives, talk to us about the work we do, and explore the possibility of serving with us in the future. Immediately following the Social Mixer, from 5 to 7 p.m., is our fall Adjunct Workshop, where adjunct faculty can get information on Article 16: Hourly Assignments; Article 14B: Adjunct Evaluations; and other aspects of the Contract and budget that are of particular relevance to adjunct faculty. We'll serve refreshments at both events. For those of you in Petaluma, watch for upcoming announcements for a Social Mixer and Adjunct Workshop on the Petaluma Campus (dates to be determined).
Finally, we invite you to join us for open session of our Executive Council meetings, from 4 to 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays. As always, if you have a member concern but are unable to attend a Council meeting, you may email your Councilors (there's an easy link on AFA's Council webpage in the "Hot Topics" lower left corner), and your concern will be shared at an upcoming meeting.
Wishing you all a wonderful year,
Julie