QUIET BEFORE THE STORM:
With less than two weeks until classes begin, students are walking around the campus like helpless, frustrated shoppers trying to find an open checkout line during the Holidays, all of them trying to find a single person: Coordinator, Chair, Executive Director, Dean, or VP, who will either help them with advisement, or, simply sign off on their courses and schedules. They go from building to building, leaving without the help they so desperately sought.
Those Faculty, Administrators and Management who are at Kean during the month of August are to be commended, but, they are a rarity.
As usual this time of year, most Administrators all took their vacations at the same time, from the University President on down to Department chairs. It was most noticeable this past week. There was simply no one around Kean to get any answers from, except the ever faithful support staff who had no answers to give.
While we give an “A+” to Student Affairs who have been working feverishly at planning events for the RA’s coming in next week and the incoming students arriving the week after, unfortunately, the same does not hold true for Student Academic Affairs. Academics gets a “D”, (Most definitely in need of improvement).
If your emails to Senior Administrators about what courses you are teaching, or when contracts are expected to go out, have gone unanswered for two weeks or so, blame it on Kean's unique vacation staggering. They keep saying it will get better, but it seems only to be getting worse.
ENROLLMENT:
Always trying to put a positive spin on things, the Kean Administration three weeks ago indicated that enrollment was “optimistically increasing from last Fall’s statistics”. But, as many of you know firsthand, enrollment was down last Fall.
No one is willing to share a single number. “HONESTLY”, they told us, “no one actually knows”. We do know that many students did not have the money to register early, so, they may be waiting until the end of the summer, but based solely on early registration, numbers are down.
DID YOUR NAME DISAPPEAR FROM KEAN WISE?
There could be three reasons:
First, the course simply had low enrollment and had to be canceled. There was simply no more time to give, to increase class sizes, especially if there were multiple sections of a course being offered. Many sections were either consolidated and supersized, and/or simply canceled.
Second, the VPAA and his ever faithful staffers felt that low enrollment in classes might be the result of the courses being associated with certain faculty members whom the students simply do not like. So, they removed those faculty members names (both full time and adjunct) in Kean Wise, in the hope students would register for a class blindly.
We know this excuse was not grounded in truth or fact. Why you ask?????
In some cases Kean is hiring back adjuncts who a few years ago were given their walking papers by previous Chairs, ED’s, Dean’s or VP’s, etc… who have since retired, quit, or, may have been replaced….and told they would never work at Kean again. Well, THEIR BACK!!!! Kean is operating in desperation mode right now having just hired 78 new adjuncts. While laying off more and more seasoned adjuncts each day. Other courses which were cancelled involved adjuncts who received the Presidential Excellence in Teaching Awards or contributed many years of outstanding teaching and loyal contributions to Kean, and were cut because they had 10 students registered out of 15 in a studio, or 15 out of 35 students.
Third, it was another fluke canceling by unknown persons in the administration, like the hundreds of courses which were canceled by mistake last spring. Dean's do not appear to have the autonomy over their respective Colleges like they did years ago. Now everything is dictated to the Dean's by the VPAA's Office.
The VPAA's Office does have lots of practice at canceling classes. And, in a move only Kean Management can justify, they would rather bring in new adjuncts than rehire the seasoned adjuncts to teach an additional course. What is the old adage “Managerial Prerogative” and "Academic Judgement"…… God bless "Ridgefield Park" (for those who remember how we got this way)!!
REMEMBER TO ORDER TEXTBOOKS:
If you think your course is running and it is still showing in Kean Wise, make sure to contact the Kean Bookstore to double check your textbook order is in.
KUAFF 2013-2014 REORGANIZATION:
We have been interviewing union volunteers all summer who indicated their willingness to serve the union in various capacities. In a few weeks I must report my recommendations to the Executive Board of the KUAFF at our Reorganization Meeting. You can still help……
Below are the positions I will be making recommendations on. If you would like to serve on any of these positions or committees and wish to be considered, simple email your name, department and committee or the position you would like to serve on to aftlocal6024@gmail.com . We have tried where possible to indicate the time commitment.
- (1) Executive Board Member-at-Large (24-7 availability on line). Regular meetings on Friday Afternoons or Evenings and some weekends. Also, this position requires the individual to serve on the Adjunct Council, and attend weekday University meetings as needed.
- (1) Parlimentarian (needed at one General Membership Meeting in the Spring; every Adjunct Council Meeting, and, any Special General Membership Meetings called, and as called upon by the President. Historically we have not had any “Special General Membership Meetings”
- (1)* Member-at-Large to represent the “College of Humanities and Social Sciences”
- (1)* Member-at-Large to represent the “College of Education”
- (1)* Member-at-Large to represent the “College of Business and Public Administration”
- (1)* Member-at-Large to represent the “College of Natural, Applied and Health Sciences”
- (1)* Member-at-Large to represent the “College of Visual and Performing Arts”
- (1)* Member-at-Large to represent Adjuncts at “Ocean County College”
- (1)* Member-at-Large to represent “NJ Science and Technology”
*Members-at-Large must serve and attend all Adjunct Council Meetings which are held between 2-4 times each academic year, and serve on one of the Standing Committees, also held 2-4 times per year in addition to their respective College Meetings. (Refer to KUAFF Constitution for specific job description)
KUAFF Standing Committee Members:
- (6-8) Collective Bargaining/Negotiations Standing Committee
- (6-8) Communications Standing Committee
- (6-8) Grievance Standing Committee
- (6-8) Membership and Recruitment Standing Committee
- (6-8) COPE Standing Committee
- (6-8)Hospitality/Social Committee
- (6-8) Health and Safety Standing Committee
CNJSCL State Delegates:
- (8) Unfilled CNJSCL Delegate Positions. Must be available Fridays from 6:00pm-10pm a minimum of twice per semester. Meetings are usually held in Jamesburg, NJ off Exit 8A on the Turnpike.
CNJSCL State Committee Representatives**:
- (1) CNJSCL Staff Negotiations Committee
- (1) Constitution and ByLaws Committee
- (1) Grievance Committee
- (1) Scholarship Committee
- (1) COPE Committee
** Most CNJSCL Meetings are held at varying times between 11am until 4:00 pm several times per semester.
AFTNJ KUAFF State Delegates***
- (4) Unfilled AFTNJ State Delegate Positions
*** Usually meets 3-4 times per semester in either New Brunswick or Galloway Township near Atlantic City.
AFTNJ Adjunct Committee Representatives****
- (3) Unfilled AFTNJ Adjunct Committee Representatives
**** Usually meets 2 -3 times per semester in either Edison or other various HE locations.
AFTNJ Health & Safety Committee*****
- (3) Unfilled AFTNJ Health & Safety Commmittee Representatives
***** Usually meets 2-3 times per semester usually in New Brunswick
KEAN UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES
- (1) UNIVERSITY PLANNING COUNCIL KUAFF UNION REP. Every First Wednesday of each month) 1:00pm-3:00pm
- (1) UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL KUAFF UNION REP.(Every Last Wednesday of each month) 9:30am -11:00am)
- (1) UNIVERSITY HEALTH & SAFETY COMMITTEE KUAFF UNION REP. (Wednesdays- 2 times per semester 2-4pm)
- (1) UNIVERSITY/FACULTY SENATE KUAFF ADJUNCT FACULTY UNION LIAISON & OBSERVER (Tuesdays – every two weeks during each semester from 3:00pm-4:15pm
- (1) KEAN BOARD OF TRUSTEES (KUAFF ADJUNCT UNION OBSERVER) (5-6 Designated Mondays at 4:00pm or Saturdays at 11:00 am each academic year. Meetings last between 4-6 hours each.
- (1) FOOD SERVICE (KUAFF ADJUNCT UNION COMMITTEE REP.) (4 times per academic year) Tuesday afternoons 3:00-4:15pm and occasionally in the evenings.
- MIDDLE STATE COMMITTEE REP (2 times per academic year, daytime only)
- ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COMMITTEE REP (2 times per academic year, daytime only).
- UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE KUAFF UNION REP. (4-6 times per year, daytime only)
STIPENDAL POSITIONS:
- (1) Grievance Officer (must be available 24-7 via email, and have flexibility to attend hearings mornings or afternoons.
- (1) Union Photographer
- (5) Membership Recruiters (4 on the main campus 1 at OCC)
- (1) Website Master to maintain website
- (1) Union Newsletter Coordinator
- (1) Database Entry Specialist (needed every day for two weeks after the 5th week of each semester and at the end of each semester
- (1) Health and Safety Officer
- (1) Event/Meeting Planner
REMEMBER TO GET YOUR PARKING PERMIT DECAL:
This must be done electronically ONLY, and therein lies the problem. If your name does not appear in Kean Wise, or, if you do not have a contract and are not in the system, you cannot get your parking decal
What You Need to Know
All students, faculty, and staff MUST register their vehicles online and receive a parking decal in order to park in Kean University Parking Lots. Parking decals are issued at no cost. Your decal must be displayed properly on the back driver side window of your vehicle to avoid possible fines and/or towing. Unauthorized vehicles are subject to parking violations.
What You Need to Do
Click here to register online for a new decal for each car you plan to park on campus. (Kean University ID, License Plate and VIN # required). Decals will be mailed to your address on file. Please register your vehicle by July 31, 2013 to ensure timely delivery.
Questions?
Contact the Office of Student Accounting via email at parking@kean.edu or by telephone (908) 737-3240. Our summer hours are: Monday – Thursday, 8:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For additional Parking or Decal information, please visit us on the web at www.kean.edu/parking
WHEN ARE CONTRACTS GOING OUT:
The administration informed the union that contracts would be going out as of August 15th.
A rare few of you have your contracts already, but the majority of us do not.
Contact your respective Dean’s office directly if you do not have a contract in hand by Thursday, August 29th. All department phone numbers can be accessed by going to the Kean Homepage and scroll to the very bottom right and in tiny print you will find a “directory” of all campus departments and phone numbers.
IMPORTANT ALL TPC (Teaching Performance Center) SUPERVISORS:
We have scheduled an emergency “Live Online Meeting” for this coming Tuesday evening, August 20, 2013 from 6:00pm-7:00pm. You will be receiving an email with the link to the online meeting. It is important you know what is going on as it relates to your Teaching Supervisory workload, before your meeting with students this week at Kean OCC, and next week at Kean.