First and foremost, I hope this message finds you and your families safe and sheltered amidst this health crisis. It is a trying time, but hopefully with patience and diligence, we all will emerge stronger. I would like to commend all of our faculty that have gone to extraordinary lengths to continue to serve our students. I think I can speak for everyone when I say it is amazing how the faculty have stepped up and pushed forward into the remote teaching environment. Hopefully, these accomplishments will be remembered in the future as we move to a more stable educational environment.

The Faculty Association would like to assure you that although we are not physically on campus, we are continually working with the District to ensure that the faculty are treated fairly as we work through this crisis. The FA has had several sessions with the District and has come to agreement on crucial issues that are important to the faculty. Most importantly, we have agreed that there should be no job losses due to this situation.

Going forward, I believe we are heading for some rough waters. I am sure all of you are aware that Covid-19 impacts the State budget. No one can tell just how much effect this will have on the educational environment, but the signs are sobering. (For more on this see the CCCI article and the report from the Budget Resource Allocation Committee).

Regardless of what the future holds, we faculty can be confident in knowing that the FA will protect and preserve our contractual rights. In the meantime, we would like all of you to be vigilant in informing us of any situations that arise that seem even a little off. If you hear rumors or are told something that does not sound right, let us know. Call us or email for any advice. We can usually address any issues quickly.

I will close by saying to any of you feeling overwhelmed–to just do your best. The District knows that this is not an easy situation, and for us there are many ways to get assistance. If you are stuck, contact your supervisor and tell them you need a hand. Remember you can always contact one of the FA Board members, and we will steer you in the right direction.

–Mark Whitworth
Faculty Association President