Table Of Content

UCFV Faculty & Staff Association Newsletter Vol. 8 No.1 Jan/Feb2000 goodness - reports of food shortages marking the same paper for the leading to cannibalism aboard the last thousand years. Symptoms FROM THE EDITOR .. ... 1 Queen of Diamonds appear to have include inability to concentrate on been exaggerated. familiar thesis statements or REPORTS comprehend basic three-part essay Anyway, there's nothing like new structure; in severe cases, - President . . • • . • • • . . 3 beginnings to get your fantasy life addiction to the semi-colon (that - Faculty Grievance .•.. 6 back on track. As always at this time temptress among the punctuation - Staff Grievance . . • . . • 7 of year, I'm casting around for ways marks) may also be present. -Treasurer ...... .. .. 7 to improve: personally and professionally. Starting off in fiery I figure I'll gain plenty of kind ARTICLES Dragon-mode, I saw myself, PD consideration, plus a few canny dollars in hand, costing out the skills pedagogical advantages· to boot. - DRC and You . . . . . . . 9 of some to-dye-for tatooist, For instance, my value-added -Japan - the Prequel . . 9 submitting flesh to flashing semi disability will be a great aid in -Warnings . . . . . . . • . 10 sterile needles and iridescent inks: all critiquing essays, or rather halting · in aid of heightened student regard, the critique process on the grounds NOTES & NOTICES . .. . 11 and hence attention. 'Heere be of waning interest and wandering dragonnes' suggested itself first, along · attention. "Hey," I'll sadly explain, with a romantic rendition of the "Can't help it; I'm MMAD/Dt dream-beast itself-but perhaps, this You'll just have to write more year, everyone will be getting them? interesting papers." Next I considered one simple word FROM THE EDITOR 'Entropy' - scn'bed in a brilliant The doddering aspect, purple atop my balding pate meanwhile, will excuse the (unusual/ excruciating tatoo venues incomprehensible scribbles I make Year of the Dragon - or Vole? up the respect quotient considerably, on papers: after all, geezer palsy it seems). must be pitied, not censured. You decide, gentle reader. MMAD/D could even provide a But then, in a rodent moment it rationale for my colourful, After all the hype and occurred to me that, hey, nowadays delightfully rambling 'asides' in misgivings, 2000 is actually when everything is lifestyle, including turning out rather ho-hum - apparent personal impediments, I judging by levels of non could simply start telling students that oWf tmhed sF &ra sVeris Vioaul.l enye Fwascluetltteyr a onfd th Set aUffn Aivsesroscitiya tCioonl.l ege excitement round here. Several I'm special in a different way, that colleagues claim to have stayed I'm suffering from MMAD/D, Editor: Ryszard Dubanski up 'til midnight New Year's Eve, which stands, of course, for Secretarial Support: Fenelia Sobchuk but they are definitely the Millennial Marking Aptitude Printed by: Janet Allanson, UCFV Printing Services minority. Most had enough Disorder/Doddering. 'xcitement in 99, I guess, CODtributions and ideas are welcome _;gpecially at its dramatic climax, The condition afflicts the more from all members. UCFVFSA the fateful FSA Ship of Yule venerable writing Instructors, creating 33844 King Road, Abboesfonl, BC, V2S 7M8 dinner n' body-rub cruise. Details a delusional state in which they come Tel: 854-4530 FAX: 853-9540 www.ucfv.bc.ca/fsa/ are sketchy, but at least - thank to believe that they have been 2 Jan/Feb 2000 class - on crucial stuff like the Higher Ed have lived all along with way it's fair to all. Each August origins of our universal fear of this dilemma but seemed powerless the Welcome Back Barbecue snakes, why some people don't - for reasons too complex to festivities will feature hormonal sleep at all, etc. - which I, contemplate here - to do anything baths and sexual orientation personally, find fascinating no about it. But, as I've been reading, it sessions put on by Personnel (o n matter how often I repeat them, appears that the corporate world is everything from how to ask/not but students claim to be bemused also starting to take notice, no doubt ask for directions to cross-dressing by sometimes. from forays on the Net, and is tips), along with the traditional lobbying for radical reform, i.e., for sizzling salmon and knee-slapping grads who can actually write a whole good times, all to help re-direct our sentence. Now, you can bet fluctuating psyches into something will be done. appropriate modes of suitably gendered thought. Second is sex - well, gender. I've been reading much lately on the Third, of course, is food. Once notion that boys/men are dis the shifting campus postings advantaged in the current educational expose us all to different venues, Nostradamus Redux - or environment, and that girls/women never mind wardrobes, everyone "Toto, I've a feeling we're not are making significant gains in all will realize that the ABBY caf areas (except some hard sciences). must be stopped immediately, its in Kansas anymore." The argument goes that the current heresiarch arrested, the Staff emphasis on collaborative, non bussed to re-education camps, and As for what lies ahead for competitive, 'communicative' its 50's-style menu updated to, at UCFV, here are my New Year's education favours the female brain the very least, the 1970s. Nowhere prognostications: over the male; hence everywhere in the Collective Agreement does it males are falling behind, dropping out state that we have to eat bad food First off, there's language. in record numbers, etc. on the job. Baked beans will be Remember Grammar? Well, banished, gloppy greaseburgers prediction #1 - it's going to In fact, recognition that the sexes garbaged, sludgy soups ands~ make a big honking comeback learn differently is growing salads sentenced to - OK, OK. this year. The first generation of significantly. And, as always, but I can dream. .. teachers who were not exposed to California is in the forefront with a language structure is now single-sex school movement gaining Better Living Through ensconced;Imeanthoseeducated momentum. Once implemented, Communications in the Sensitive Seventies when each district will have one of each language rules were thrown out of school built in tandem. At this point, most grade schools so Dick and This new term, in order to get the single-sex plan applies only to the Jane wouldn't be traumatized by the news out quicker and slicker, high-school level. But can it be long horrid red marks all over their we will be posting more FSA before this trend hits post-secondary? 'creative' endeavours. Now these information on our website, teachers' own graduates are especially time-sensitive items Fortunately, as a multi-campus boldly skate-boarding out the and/ or reports for your immediate institution UCFV is well suited to door, and the reinforced legacy of perusal. These may be combined accommodate the innovative linguistic freedom is finally with other materials later, to come paradigm. Yes, that's right, I'm attracting the attention it deserves. out in the ususal paper incarnation having a vision - I seem to see, version of the newsletter that albeit murkily, the next stage of our This grammar shortfall, the appears in your mailbox. Check it exciting evolution taking shape: fact that most entering students out under 'Bulletins' - and happy CHWK will become the guy campus don't know the basics of sentence surfing. (more 4-wheel drive potential), composition, has long been -Ryszard Dubanski ABBY the gal (more libraries and something of a deep dark secret in malls), and MISS (our smaller our post-secondary realm, the incarnation in a more Bohemian kind of thing no one is really area), will be dedicated to the comfortable talking about. After 'undecided'. all, there is a bit of a problem with expecting students who don't All Staff and Faculty (or 'non understand terms like 'subject', digitalized teaching units' in Ministry 'predicate', 'noun', 'verb' to jargon) will be annually gender compose coherent essays, reports, rotated in order to be able to letters, shopping lists. We in teach/s upport on all campuses; that Jan/Feb 2000 3 President's Report Apologies about right now. It may be that people are feeling so discouraged On January 11th Employee and hopeless about the state of Happy New Year and all the Relations issued a statement post-secondary in this province, best for 2000. I hope every one announcing an immediate increase that they have a 'why even bother' had a Merry Christmas and restful in our LTD premiums. Several attitude. Or, it may be - and I break. members complained that the think this has a lot to do with it - statement should have included an ~at everyone is so busy at their Good on Kim and Virginia explanation for the increase, and Jobs they don't have time to read wondered why, considering the !et another bulletin, nor respond to Congratulations to Kim Isaac ' enormity of the increase, we had not 1t. Whatever the reasons, we will our . new Director of Library been given advanced notice. In fact, take the information we have to Serv1ces, and Virginia Cooke, our I had been told by Barry Bompas in CIEA's Technical & Policy new Dean of Arts and Applied November that a substantial increase Development Conference in Arts. Both women are long was coming and that it was due to February. serving employees of UCFV - higher than expected employee usage Kim an instructor in the Library of the plan. The form the Bargaining 2001 !ech program, and Virginia an central (c ommon) table takes will mstructor in the English I did not receive the information in be decided at the conference. The Department. As well both have time to get it into the last Words & FSA is not obligated to participate been dedicated FSA Executive Vision, but I should have at least sent at the central table as we chose to members over the years and both out a bulletin. I know this came as a in 1998; it may be that we opt to have served as FSA President. complete surprise to everyone, and I bargain locally only. At our AGM Kim is still an active member of am very sorry that I neglected to in May we will be asking you to the Executive in her present warn you. vote on this issue. We will keep position of Past President. We you up-to-date on developments, are very proud of, and pleased for Not that it's going to make anyone both local and provincial, over the Virginia and Kim and wish the~ feel any better, but this increase winter and spring, so you can all the best in their new posts. is province-wide. Many make an informed decision. colleges/university colleges are Xmas Dinner/Dance Cruise paying higher LTD rates than we To date, the breakdown of the are. It is my understanding that bargaining survey is as follows: Well, I had a good time! The Okanagan is paying over 3%. band was great, the door prizes Whether we bargain provincially or • 12 for wage increase were great, the company was locally, benefits, especially LTD, will • 9 for decrease in workload great, and my date was incredibly most certainly be on the table. • 8 for superior benefits good looking. • 5 for funds/release for research Bargaining 2001 • 5 for maternity leave top-up I must admit, though, the rest • 3 for equity in Faculty workload of the evening was rather bizarre • 3 for equity in Staff workload And, speaking of bargaining, the to say the least. If there was • 3 for job security language response to the January bargaining anyone you didn't know well • 3 for bi-weekly pay period survey ~d forums was overwhelming before getting on the boat, you - I WJSh. Altogether seven people • 3 for more funds for scholarly knew them intimately by the time activity /PD attended the four forums and as of you got off. • 3 for increase in annual January 21st, thirty five returned the vacation entitlement survey. It's not much information to Mandy Watts, Ian McAskill • 2 for more release for course go on, but the top issues, for those Barry Bompas and I discussed i~ development ~embers who responded, are wage and decided to ask the cruise • 2 for early retirement incentives mcrease, .r eduction in workload and company for a refund for all the m. crease m benefits. ' • 2 for stronger internal applicant tickets sold over 300. Even 300 status language people would have been a crush I'm not sure why there is so little • 2 for eliminate regularization of on that little boat, and there were the person interest in such an important issue. I over 400 people including the mean, negotiating the Collective • 2 for local bargaining only crew. We are supposed to be • 2 for 'across the board' rather Agreement is the primary function of refunded about $6,000.00, which than 'percentage' increases a union. The lack of interest may be - the FSA will split with UCFV, but • 2 for bank sick days and special due to the fact that bargaining really to date we haven't seen the leave days taken as pay-out won't begin until next year and it's cheque ... guess it's in the mail. • 1 for points for workload on just too distant for members to worry JCACscale 4 Jan/Feb 2000 • I for base Staff Ed leave on had to be done about the unfair and UCFV Budgetary Problems this need not seniority inequitable way in which Staff Fiscal Year and Next • I for shift differential increase evaluations are being conducted. • I for clothing allowance in jobs Some Staff are evaluated every year In November, shortly before we with special requirements while some have never been were given advanced notice of five • I for more funds for Ed leave evaluated. Different areas use lay-offs, Barry Bompass warned • I for flexible work hours different evaluation forms. Some me that due to serious financial • I for flexible vacation schedule Staff are evaluated by their peers; difficulties, especially in the • I for bargain at central table some by their supervisor only; some Applied area, UCFV may have to • lforsuperior/clearer language by people outside UCFV. Sometimes reduce Staffing. The FSA was not pertaining to department heads evaluations, which are deemed happy that UCFV chose to address directors, non-instructional unsatisfactory, are used as a reason to the problem in this way; we felt Faculty, advisors discipline an employee, and that our members were being made • 1 for include committee work sometimes evaluations are used to to bear the consequences for some in job descriptions support an applicant's bid for poor budgetary decisions on • 1 for day care subsidy promotion. Management's part. Management, • 1 for birthdays off however, felt it had no other • I for superior language for UCFV has not established general choice, and although reluctantly, special leaves guidelines for the interpretation of planned on going ahead with the • 1 for tuition waivers for evaluations, so what is a satisfactory lay-off notices. dependent children evaluation to one Dean may be • 1 for points for student considered poor to another. The As soon as word of impending advising on JCAC scale Collective Agreement states that non lay-offs got out, rumors and • 1 for hire more support Staff probationary Staff should be misinformation started to fly. The evaluated annually, and ofc ourse this FSA was flooded with calls asking Evaluations rarely happens. Considering the large for clarification and assurances. number of people UCFV now We felt the situation was becoming I think everyone at UCFV is in employs - about 75 0 - it is critical and on December 20th agreement that our evaluation unrealistic to expect any department made a formal request to Skip. W policies and procedures, for both to have the time, not to mention the asked UCFV to issue a stateme1 •. Faculty and Staff, are sorely resources, to conduct annual Staff acknowledging the current lacking. In the last issue of W& V evaluations. financial problems and indicating I reported that the LAMM its plan for dealing with them. We Evaluation sub-committee was in LAMM is in the process of also asked that the statement the process of developing a new drafting a Letter ofA greement stating include a quick summary of the policy and procedures for that IDl non-probationary Staff will be budgeting process UCFV plans for evaluating instructional Faculty. evaluated every three years (as non 2000/2001. We made the second The committee's first draft was probationary Faculty are). This L of request because UCFV and BC's circulated for feed-back at the A will be in effect until such time as other post-secondary institutions, end of November. So far the the Evaluation sub-committee especially the University Colleges, response has been positive, but develops new policies and procedures are heading into the next fiscal the committee is still waiting for for Staff evaluation. year severely underfunded. UCFV departments to discuss the draft at complied with the January 21st their February department 'UCFV Budget Update for Current meeting. Depending on the feed Year and Assumptions for back received, the next step will 2000/2001'. be to develop the details of this new evaluation system. This will In the meantime Heidi Tvete require the involvement and input and Bob Smith have been working of a larger group of interested with Management to try and find Faculty. alternatives to the lay-offs. Of the five lay-off notices that were to be Once the instructional Faculty issued one has been rescinded; evaluation procedures are in place other solutions were found for two the committee will begin a re and two are still being discussed. vamp of the non-instructional Faculty, Staff, and Director This year the FSA has two evaluation policies and representatives on the UCFV procedures. In the meantime Budget Planning Committee: Dale LAMM agreed that something Jan/Feb 2000 5 Box and Jackie Snodgrass. The and are determined it is going to be I am hopeful we will be able to committee will begin meeting at successful. The FSA Executive wants present the Letter of Agreement to the end of January. very much for this project to succeed the FSA Executive for approval at as well and is committed to working the January 26th meeting. The Canlearn Project with UCFV to that end. To do this we presented Management with a Here is a brief description of the Although a few people were memorandum requesting clarity on CanLeam project, as far as I aware that UCFV had made a some aspects of the project and understand it, and how the on-line proposal to Industry Canada for a assurances in the form of a Letter of courses are to be developed and $900,000.00 grant to develop on Agreement on others. The delivered. line courses, the announcement memorandum was developed with that we were recipients of a grant the help of members of Distributed + The $700,000.00 was awarded came as a surprise to most Learning and the Teaching Learning by the Federal Ministry of employees. Centre. Industry Canada through CANARIE - a crown A few Faculty expressed As of this report we have had corporation commissioned to be concern about this type of course most, but not all, of our questions and the administrative body for delivery, but for the most part concerns addressed to the union's government grants in research, people were intrigued and satisfaction. Right now we are in the development, and high enthusiastic about the CanLearn process of drafting the Letter of technology. Project. It soon became apparent, Agreement We want it to guarantee + however, that despite good the following: To be eligible for the grant intentions UCFV was no where UCFV had to be in partnership near prepared to begin this project • that on-line courses developed at with small to medium and a lot of people were running UCFV will not be sold. enterprises. The partners, who around unsure ofw hat to do next. share the grant equally with It all happened so suddenly • that on-line courses will be UCFV, are Dash TV, UCFV just hadn't had time to developed by UCFV FSA Faculty deltaMAC Interactive, plan for it. Now two and a half only. Interactive Technologies Inc., months later the CanLeam and The Centre for Curriculum project is out of the starting gate. • that on-line courses will be taught Transfer and Technology. Our by UCFV FSA Faculty only. Faculty will develop the courses Enthusiasm is still running and the partners will provide high, especially on the • that on-line courses and the the technical expertise. Management side, and there is Faculty developing and teaching + absolutely no doubt that on-line them will be covered by the same We are to develop forty on-line course delivery will play a big role Collective Agreement clauses that credit courses that can be taken in the future of Canadian post cover the development and toward a degree. Fourteen of secondary education, but I believe delivery of traditional courses and the courses must be upper level. we must be realistic about this instruction, until such time as new Ten additional courses are to be endeavor. Instructors, at UCFV language is negotiated. developed in the areas of and other institutions, who have Literacy Tutor training and experience with on-line course • that on-line courses will be College and Career Prep. development warn that the one developed with Faculty release section release UCFV is allotting (taken concurrently or banked for + The courses will be developed to develop a course may not be a subsequent semester) and not by bargaining unit members adequate. Apparently the overload. only, with the assistance of the industry standard equivalent is private partners, and taught by more like five course releases per • that UCFV will conduct a quarterly, bargaining unit members only. one on-line course. And, reports semi-annual, and annual review of from institutions which have been the project in order to address + In November we were told that involved in on-line course workload and other issues if they the grant was set up to fund fifty delivery for a while indicate that become a problem. Faculty releases to develop the education on the Web may not be fifty courses. Now UCFV the cash-cow some administrators • that UCFV will open talks with wants to allow Faculty an over expected it to be. the FSA on 'Copyright and load to develop a course. This Intellectual Property' so that both is consistent with UCFV's Anyway, it is clear that many parties may achieve a common procedure for the assignment of of our members want to be understanding on this important courses, but the Executive is involved in the CanLearn Project issue. unhappy about this decision. 6 Jan/Feb 2000 Part of the original appeal of 2.potential fit into an + As of January 14th the contract this project was that it would undergraduate degree in between Industry Canada and generate work for a great integrated/general studies (an UCFV had yet to be signed t number of members through appropriate balance of upper and they were still negotiatint filtering down. Every release lower level courses) When it is signed, the Union taken by on-going Faculty will receive a copy. creates work for part-time and 3.appeal for an international sessional instructors. This audience + Once the courses to be issue has yet to be resolved. developed have been + Toe development and delivery of established, the union will be + Toe UCFVTeachingLearning on-line courses is covered by the given a report stating: the Centre Committee is same Collective Agreement proposals selected, who is coordinating the project. TLC language as traditional course developing each course, when is made up of thirteen Faculty development and delivery. This the release is to be taken, and and the VP Academic. Two means the courses are the property when the course is to be members of TLC sit on the of UCFV just as is any other delivered. FSA Executive. course. -Beverly Lowen + Departments have been invited + Toe courses will not be sold to to make proposals for private trainers or to other developing on-line courses to institutions. UCFV and its the TLC. Faculty wanting to partners plan to make money by submit proposals must do so enrolling international students. through their departments. Any profits and royalties will go to The individual departments UCFV and its partners. decide which proposals are put forward for consideration and + H the project makes money in the TLC decides which proposals first five year,s a portion must go are accepted for development. back to CANARIE. + A course being proposed for + During the length of the contract, Faculty Grievance on-line development must be a about eighteen months, Industry currently existing course and Canada has the right to 'demo' our Report available for degree credit. on-line courses, but cannot sell Courses being planned as part them or enroll students. Since the time oflast reporting, of a current departmental three full-time Faculty were given initiative may also be + UCFV has limited each on-line notice of lay-off, the four-month considered. course to twenty five students. notice periods to begin in late + + January. The situation now is less Once the on-line courses are Toe Ministry will fund the on-line serious than at first sight. One developed it is expected they courses using the same FTE member can be reassigned to an will be integrated into formula as it does for traditional emerging vacancy in another department offerin~, working courses. department. In another case, in concert with regular offerin~ as part of the overall + All the courses must be developed sufficient work may well materialize, in which case that lay planning and development by May 2001. off should be rescinded. The third within a department. + situation might be postponed by a To date about 25 courses have + UCFV has not established a been proposed and six have been leave. H not, bumping may proceed, as the member on notice core set ofc ourses to be offered awarded funds for release. may not opt for severance or wish on-line; however, TLC has developed criteria for deciding + Initially we were told that funding to go on the recall list. which proposals will be for Staff support during the On the regularization front, funded. The criteria are: developmental stage oft he courses departments should have was built into the grant, but that completed their review ofm em~ 1. a broad distribution of was incorrect. Toe partners will qualifying for B contracts by ' courses across curricular and have to supply the support. February. UCFV and the FSA will Faculty areas; 'popular' However, support Staff funding is then finalize the awards by 31 courses, as indicated by built into the cost of delivering the March. How this will be done student demand and wait lists courses. Jan/Feb 2000 7 without full knowledge of the We should not confuse ourselves Shop Steward System 2000-2001 budget escapes me. about the dynamic factor in Budget determines the availability bargaining in the 1990s by, for The Shop Stewards recently of work, a qualifying criteria in example, scapegoating CIBA or the attended a shop steward workshop some or many cases, leaving more aggressive locals. The which looked at the different regularization candidates to centralizing tendencies launched by aspects of unions as well as how to wonder what will happen. the Socreds in the 1980s were proceed with and handle a codified by the ensuing regime of grievance. The training was Centralized Bargaining: 1991 which created the real conducted by a representative from apparently most FSA members employers situated in the provincial CIBA and seemed to be very are either uninterested or boards that determine the overall beneficial and well received by opposed. While the inadequacies worth of Collective Agreements. everyone. of the Common Agreement that Workable relationships with allies in concluded the last round of the system are necessary. The FSA I encourage employees to negotiations can be exaggerated, and UCFV management can prefer contact a shop steward if they have it's fair to say that it did not local rather than central, which is any questions or concerns or just match expectations. Had a really a choiceless choice, as the real feel the need to talk to someone. common agreement been employer team is centralized, They are more than willing to help attempted in a better fiscal whether it appears at the table or not. out and would enjoy hearing from climate, of say, ten years ago, the you. Here is a list of our Stewards approach would have many more -Bob Smith and where they can be reached. supporters. FSA Shop Stewards 2000 In my view, it only makes sense to set provincial standards Staff -regarding pay, benefits, academic freedom, copyright, • Margaret Brackett 4217 etc.-that most employees around • Ellen Dixon . . . . . . . . . 4264 the system agree should be • PatMcCready ....... 4547 common, whether they work at a • Colleen Olund . . . . . . . 4524 college, institute, university • Doug Rasmussen ... 4477 college, or agency. Strictly local • Karmjit Sidhu . . . . . . . 4477 agreements can easily lead to less • Margaret Slabicki ..... 447 7 pay and fewer benefits, as • Lynda Town . . . . . . . . 4001 obtained at Fraser Valley College in the 1980's. The aim, it seems to me, should be a productive Faculty Staff Grievance Report tension between the centre and the locals that preserves: separate • Robin Anderson ...... 4282 identities; in our case, a blended Impending Lay-offs • Tim Lynch ............ 387 agreement (Faculty and Staff); our • Curtis Magnusson ..... 4640 flexibility in work rules; and, • David Riel ... 850-8672 (157) During December, the FSA especially, the consultative received notice of impending lay-offs • Norm Taylor ......... 4225 practices that the FSA has that would affect two Staff employees expected of management since -Heidi Tvete and their department. As a result I 1976. Some locals don't care spent considerable time working with about consultative mechanisms these affected employees to come up Treasurer's Report and procedures, believing that the with alternatives that would satisfy all bosses are paid to issue orders, parties involved. direct the workforce; it's their job LTD: is it time to reconsider to know how to do it, and when One oft he impending lay-offs was our coverage? they mess up they get slapped eventually rescinded. However, the with grievances and arbitrations. other employee was still faced with One of the first lessons in This approach has its merits, but the possibility of a lay-off so we economics is that when prices rise, it's not culturally validated here. worked together and came up with an consumers reconsider their Also, we don't like to strike, alternative which resolved the demand. Usually (but not always) although we did when situation to the satisfaction of both they respond by purchasing less. government assaulted us in 1983, sides involved The recent news that our LTD with "termination without cause," premiums have increased 44% abolition of human rights, etc. 8 Jan/Feb 2000 should be enough to ignite that roughly 70% of gross salary and are Does the increase in premiums reconsideration which has not non-taxable as income. As an reasonably reflect cost factors, or is hitherto occurred. example for discussion, benefits could there some price gouging going 01 be defined at a 60% level, 50% level, here? There are risk factori> Our LTD represents a huge or whatever. inherent in any insurance scheme: cost, now over $1000 a year for an aging and over-stressed top of scale Faculty. As a Another issue, probably on the workforce, increased claims percentage of salary, it will now minds of some, is why do we have to 'experience', increased benefit be, by my calculations about pay for the LTD while other benefits payments (from increased duration 1.6%, and that is after tax. are now almost entirely employer and or inflation effects), increased Looking back, there has been an paid? The answer is that when we administrative overhead, and alarming increase in this cost over pay with after-tax income, the LTD perhaps even increased profit the years. Eight years ago, LTD coverage becomes non-taxable. That margins for the insurance costs were approximately 0.83% means better coverage than if the company. How can we tell what is ofg ross salary. Then the cost rose employer paid the benefit. If the a legitimate cost increase, and to 1.12%. Now it stands at 1.6%. employer paid the LTD premium, what is not? The only way is to There are no observers of LTD then disbursements to claimants regularly tender the business in a who will suggest that this cost is would be subject to income tax. The competitive market. So at the very going to go down in the years same 70% income replacement least we must promote competitive ahead. Our inexorable aging coverage, instead of yielding roughly buying practices, even after we have portends this proclivity. 100% after tax, as it is now, would decided on the level of coverage we result in after-tax income replacement wish to have in the future. So what are we to do? Since of about 50% (assuming an average the employer arranges the tax rate of 30%). This is not to Looking on the bright side, this provision of our LTD plan as a suggest that the employees always increase in cost will be more than group purchase, we need to have pay their LTD coverage. Some are covered by our long-awaited pay some discussion as a group about happy with the reduced benefit while increase coming in April. what kind of a plan we want and not having the huge deduction carved (Remember the 0-0-and 2 what limits we wish to place on out ofa fter-tax income. Over the past agreement?) By my calculatior the overall expense. The ten years, I think it is fair to say our the increased LTD deduction wi fundamental question (about current arrangement has been only gobble up roughly 1.2% of the which I doubt there is any agreeable with the membership.* 2% pay increase (on a before-tax controversy) is whether to have a basis) scheduled for April. So we plan at all. I think most would As for the increase, did the central will still be left with .8% (or about agree LTD is an important and table and Maritime Life have any role .5% after tax) come April 1. valuable insurance for us to have. in reshaping our LTD plan in the last In fact, if we didn't have a college round of negotiations? Our CIBA -Ian McAskill plan, it would be prudent for most rep, Linda Sperling, explained that of us to get private coverage. I the central table did not recast the know I certainly would. That individual colleges' LTD plans. The * There are colleges with employer-paid said, since we are a pool of employer side of the central table LTD plans, namely Northwest, Oka.Dagan, workers, our cost is doubtless less coordinated a group purchase for and VCC, but comparisons with our circumstance is complex: all have different and our coverage more than it their plans with Maritime, but each coverage and caps and they are linked would be if secured privately. In college continued to maintain its differently with the follow-through payment my opinion our plan is better than individual provisions. The group of again, different STDL (short term most inasmuch as it includes an purchase purported to provide cost disability) plans. inflation factor in benefit savings, and for all I know these payments to further protect might exist on the employer-paid members continuing on LTD benefits. Evidently, there has been a beyond some period (three years, negative effect on the employee-paid as I recollect). benefits. Linda Sperling tells me that CIBA is looking at this whole issue Even with general consensus for the next central table. She further that we continue to have a group explained that most other colleges plan, it is still legitimate to also operate with employee-paidLT D reconsider the appropriate level of plans, and that they have all faced coverage, that is, the magnitude similar, and even greater premium of payments for those who find increases. This naturally makes the themselves drawingLT D benefits. whole matter one of interest to CIBA As it is now, benefits are drawn at and its benefits sub-committee. Jan/Feb 2000 9 The DRC and You • Many instructors forward course On my first trip to Japan I was outlines to us which we braille or part of a Douglas College program put on tape. which each year sends students to Access Advisor Alyson Seale Kobe to tour and study Japanese. asks, "How can we say thanks"? • Instructors are becoming more It always ends with a farewell comfortable with the exam dinner for the Canadians, their And so, Staff in the DRC accommodation procedures. Some host families, and Kobe YMCA would like to take this e-mail us the exams while others Language School teachers and opportunity to applaud Faculty stop by before or during exams to Staff, and I was asked to speak for and Staff for their initiatives, make sure that students have not the level one students. innovations, and involvement in encountered any unexpected accommodating students. There is difficulties. I tried to imagine what I could a growing climate of reciprocity possibly say, in my "What's between the DRC and the rest of • Numbers of unseen and unsung that?"-"That's a chair" Japanese, the community. We offer the volunteer readers ensure that to honor and impress the host following few examples of how coursepaks and lab manuals are families and YMCA. My own the UCFV community is assisting accessible for students with a host family had given me a party students to directly manage their variety of disabilities. where each guest sang, told a story, education. or demonstrated the swings of Those of us who work in the DRC famous golf pros, and rd been told • Peter Jones arranged through are dedicated to assisting students to that such after-dinner the author of the text he was become as independent as their entertainment was traditional. using to have e-text available disability allows. Students are "Hmmm," I thought(''Mmmm," in for a blind student who finds discovering that the responsibility for Japanese), "why not sing, instead this format preferable to audio accommodation is being shared by of speaking?" Why not? I could tapes. many people outside our department. sing as badly as I spoke, and it was We value the relationships that are a challenge to find an English song • Terry Starr, as well as other developing around accommodation, and translate it. Finally, I decided instructors, is making his and we see ourselves moving from to sing the old Four Preps' lecture notes available through providing accommodations to chestnut "She Was Five and He WebCT, which benefits all facilitating the involvement of the Was Ten," first in English, then in students but particularly whole community in these activities. Japanese: students who have vision impairment, learning -Ellen Dixon She was five, and he was ten, disabilities, or psychiatric twice as old as she was then. conditions. She was much too young for him, in puppy love. • Chris Leach and Paul Herman met with a student who is As the years went slowly by, he hearing impaired and her was fifteen and quite a guy. hearing specialist to learn more But she was ten, still too young about her condition, and about for him to love. how it affects her classroom participation. But then, as he grew older, he changed his point of view. • Gloria Borrows and Fay When she was seventeen, he Hyndman recommend Teaching in Japan -the was only twenty-two. relevant articles from Writing Centre journals regarding Prequel So they fell in love you see, and composition assistance for it all began when she students who have learning A few months ago Madeleine Was only five, and he was ten disabilities. Hardin reported on her time as in puppy love. Canadian Studies instructor at • Mark Hoffman, in Counseling Hokkaido Community College (our and Advising, has directed us sibling institution). I've done the Jumping between my English to popular press articles on same, and in April Michael and Japanese and Japanese-English various disabilities. We Ryoko McColl leave for Japan. To dictionaries and adding some appreciate learning what entice others, here's an account of my poetic, even Haiku, touches, I information is currently being early work as cultural ambassador: negotiated this Japanese disseminated to the public. equivalent: 10 Jan/Feb 2000 Onna no ko wa go sai, Otoko Train, Mt. Fuji ("Ikimasho! Let's people. This was such a moment. no ko wa ju sai. go!"). Finally, he called on me to say What the audience felt was a kind Ko innu no yo asobimashita. my few words. I began with an of trans-cultural dumbfoundment Dakara, koibito dewa English preamble, which our tour There was no hesitant clatter m. arimasen. leader translated: broken English and Japanese, only Toki wa arukimashita. Kare simple shared silence. wa ju go sai to subarashii. My friends: In Canada, in British Mada, koibito dewa arimasen. Columbia, on the Coast, the I was told later, after a period of Native people are famous for their the politeness customary in Japan Soro soro seicho-shimashita, ki huge feasts. After a wonderful and which Canadians achieve ga kawarimashita. feast, as a sign of respect for their when profoundly embarrassed Onna no hito wa ju nana sai, hosts and the fine meal, they burp. (again, a sharing), that while the Otoko no hito wa niju ni sai. But they don't burp just in their Canadians had responded to the Koibito ga iimashita, sore throats (demo here), they burp by sound of my song, the Japanese kara, ai ga arimashita. singing. They sing a burp song. had reacted to its words: to them, Kodomo futari, hajime to Ladies and gentlemen, our entire I'd told the story of playmates who owari, ai wa wakai. visit has been like a great feast. were very fond of each other 'til Our host families have feasted us the boy became upset and decided As I understood it, loosely but not only with great food, but with he didn't like the girl anymore. A literally this meant: their hospitality. The Kobe different pair of adult lovers then YMCA School teachers and Staff came on the scene, only vaguely The girl was five, the boy was have feasted us with their connected to beginnings, endings, ten. knowledge and care. Kobe itself puppies, and love's eternal youth. They played like puppies, so has been a feast for our eyes and they couldn't be sweethearts. for our feet. I want to thank you Japan is a song, waiting for you by singing this burp song. I've to sing it, for like those lovers, Time walked. He was fifteen chosen it because I can sing it UCFV and HCC have been joined and excellent, both in English and Japanese, and by the efforts of our Canadian nevertheless they still weren't because it tells the story of the Studies teachers. sweethearts. three married couples on our tour. -DavidWya, Hai, dozo: Slowly they grew and he Can't Be Too Careful ... changed his mind. I began to sing. I WAS The young man was twenty NERVOUS. Out came a high two, the maiden seventeen. strangled yodel, like Wilf Carter on Ed.: The following are actual Then they were sweethearts peyote buttons. Some notes could be warning labels (source: Sunfun). and love began. heard only by neighbourhood dogs. The audience held its applause. on a hair dryer Two children, beginning and Lowering my voice five or six Do not use while sleeping. end, love is young. octaves, I plunged into the Japanese on a frozen dinner Serving suggestion: defrost. version. The afternoon of the dinner I on bottom of frozen Tiramisu box practiced in my room, with my Do not tum upside-down. head under the futon covers so no on hotel shower-cap one would hear me. Praises Product .its one head. swirled in it: Articulate ... on box of bread pudding resonant ... full ... oxygen-deprived. Product will be hota fter heating. on electric iron package The dinner began. The Do not iron dothes on body. Canadians and Japanese spoke on NYTOL(sleeping aid) haltingly to each other. I was May cause drowsiness. nervous. We took group on a made-in-Korea kitchen knife snapshops. I got more nervous. Warning: Keep out ofc hildren. We exchanged addresses. I got on jar of peanuts more nervous. We ate. I got Warning: Contains nuts. more nervous. The Canadian Fellow travelers, there are times on jar of mixed nuts MC rose and thanked the when cultural differences melt away, May contain nuts. families, the teachers, the Staff, when an emotion, an awareness, on chainsaw the other students, the Japanese joins those of different backgrounds Do not attempt to stop chain people, the Emperor, the Bullet and they know that they are all just with your hands

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UCFV Faculty & Staff Association Newsletter Vol. 8 No.1 Jan/Feb2000 goodness - reports of food shortages marking the same paper for the leading to cannibalism aboard the last thousand years. Symptoms FROM THE EDITOR .. ... 1 Queen of Diamonds appear to have include inability to concentrate on been exaggerated. familiar thesis statements or REPORTS comprehend basic three-part essay Anyway, there's nothing like new structure; in severe cases, - President . . • • . • • • . . 3 beginnings to get your fantasy life addiction to the semi-colon (that - Faculty Grievance .•.. 6 back on track. As always at this time temptress among the punctuation - Staff Grievance . . • . . • 7 of year, I'm casting around for ways marks) may also be present. -Treasurer ...... .. .. 7 to improve: personally and professionally. Starting off in fiery I figure I'll gain plenty of kind ARTICLES Dragon-mode, I saw myself, PD consideration, plus a few canny dollars in hand, costing out the skills pedagogical advantages· to boot. - DRC and You . . . . . . . 9 of some to-dye-for tatooist, For instance, my value-added -Japan - the Prequel . . 9 submitting flesh to flashing semi disability will be a great aid in -Warnings . . . . . . . • . 10 sterile needles and iridescent inks: all critiquing essays, or rather halting · in aid of heightened student regard, the critique process on the grounds NOTES & NOTICES . .. . 11 and hence attention. 'Heere be of waning interest and wandering dragonnes' suggested itself first, along · attention. "Hey," I'll sadly explain, with a romantic rendition of the "Can't help it; I'm MMAD/Dt dream-beast itself-but perhaps, this You'll just have to write more year, everyone will be getting them? interesting papers." Next I considered one simple word FROM THE EDITOR 'Entropy' - scn'bed in a brilliant The doddering aspect, purple atop my balding pate meanwhile, will excuse the (unusual/ excruciating tatoo venues incomprehensible scribbles I make Year of the Dragon - or Vole? up the respect quotient considerably, on papers: after all, geezer palsy it seems). must be pitied, not censured. You decide, gentle reader. MMAD/D could even provide a But then, in a rodent moment it rationale for my colourful, After all the hype and occurred to me that, hey, nowadays delightfully rambling 'asides' in misgivings, 2000 is actually when everything is lifestyle, including turning out rather ho-hum - apparent personal impediments, I judging by levels of non could simply start telling students that oWf tmhed sF &ra sVeris Vioaul.l enye Fwascluetltteyr a onfd th Set aUffn Aivsesroscitiya tCioonl.l ege excitement round here. Several I'm special in a different way, that colleagues claim to have stayed I'm suffering from MMAD/D, Editor: Ryszard Dubanski up 'til midnight New Year's Eve, which stands, of course, for Secretarial Support: Fenelia Sobchuk but they are definitely the Millennial Marking Aptitude Printed by: Janet Allanson, UCFV Printing Services minority. Most had enough Disorder/Doddering. 'xcitement in 99, I guess, CODtributions and ideas are welcome _;gpecially at its dramatic climax, The condition afflicts the more from all members. UCFVFSA the fateful FSA Ship of Yule venerable writing Instructors, creating 33844 King Road, Abboesfonl, BC, V2S 7M8 dinner n' body-rub cruise. Details a delusional state in which they come Tel: 854-4530 FAX: 853-9540 www.ucfv.bc.ca/fsa/ are sketchy, but at least - thank to believe that they have been 2 Jan/Feb 2000 class - on crucial stuff like the Higher Ed have lived all along with way it's fair to all. Each August origins of our universal fear of this dilemma but seemed powerless the Welcome Back Barbecue snakes, why some people don't - for reasons too complex to festivities will feature hormonal sleep at all, etc. - which I, contemplate here - to do anything baths and sexual orientation personally, find fascinating no about it. But, as I've been reading, it sessions put on by Personnel (o n matter how often I repeat them, appears that the corporate world is everything from how to ask/not but students claim to be bemused also starting to take notice, no doubt ask for directions to cross-dressing by sometimes. from forays on the Net, and is tips), along with the traditional lobbying for radical reform, i.e., for sizzling salmon and knee-slapping grads who can actually write a whole good times, all to help re-direct our sentence. Now, you can bet fluctuating psyches into something will be done. appropriate modes of suitably gendered thought. Second is sex - well, gender. I've been reading much lately on the Third, of course, is food. Once notion that boys/men are dis the shifting campus postings advantaged in the current educational expose us all to different venues, Nostradamus Redux - or environment, and that girls/women never mind wardrobes, everyone "Toto, I've a feeling we're not are making significant gains in all will realize that the ABBY caf areas (except some hard sciences). must be stopped immediately, its in Kansas anymore." The argument goes that the current heresiarch arrested, the Staff emphasis on collaborative, non bussed to re-education camps, and As for what lies ahead for competitive, 'communicative' its 50's-style menu updated to, at UCFV, here are my New Year's education favours the female brain the very least, the 1970s. Nowhere prognostications: over the male; hence everywhere in the Collective Agreement does it males are falling behind, dropping out state that we have to eat bad food First off, there's language. in record numbers, etc. on the job. Baked beans will be Remember Grammar? Well, banished, gloppy greaseburgers prediction #1 - it's going to In fact, recognition that the sexes garbaged, sludgy soups ands~ make a big honking comeback learn differently is growing salads sentenced to - OK, OK. this year. The first generation of significantly. And, as always, but I can dream. .. teachers who were not exposed to California is in the forefront with a language structure is now single-sex school movement gaining Better Living Through ensconced;Imeanthoseeducated momentum. Once implemented, Communications in the Sensitive Seventies when each district will have one of each language rules were thrown out of school built in tandem. At this point, most grade schools so Dick and This new term, in order to get the single-sex plan applies only to the Jane wouldn't be traumatized by the news out quicker and slicker, high-school level. But can it be long horrid red marks all over their we will be posting more FSA before this trend hits post-secondary? 'creative' endeavours. Now these information on our website, teachers' own graduates are especially time-sensitive items Fortunately, as a multi-campus boldly skate-boarding out the and/ or reports for your immediate institution UCFV is well suited to door, and the reinforced legacy of perusal. These may be combined accommodate the innovative linguistic freedom is finally with other materials later, to come paradigm. Yes, that's right, I'm attracting the attention it deserves. out in the ususal paper incarnation having a vision - I seem to see, version of the newsletter that albeit murkily, the next stage of our This grammar shortfall, the appears in your mailbox. Check it exciting evolution taking shape: fact that most entering students out under 'Bulletins' - and happy CHWK will become the guy campus don't know the basics of sentence surfing. (more 4-wheel drive potential), composition, has long been -Ryszard Dubanski ABBY the gal (more libraries and something of a deep dark secret in malls), and MISS (our smaller our post-secondary realm, the incarnation in a more Bohemian kind of thing no one is really area), will be dedicated to the comfortable talking about. After 'undecided'. all, there is a bit of a problem with expecting students who don't All Staff and Faculty (or 'non understand terms like 'subject', digitalized teaching units' in Ministry 'predicate', 'noun', 'verb' to jargon) will be annually gender compose coherent essays, reports, rotated in order to be able to letters, shopping lists. We in teach/s upport on all campuses; that Jan/Feb 2000 3 President's Report Apologies about right now. It may be that people are feeling so discouraged On January 11th Employee and hopeless about the state of Happy New Year and all the Relations issued a statement post-secondary in this province, best for 2000. I hope every one announcing an immediate increase that they have a 'why even bother' had a Merry Christmas and restful in our LTD premiums. Several attitude. Or, it may be - and I break. members complained that the think this has a lot to do with it - statement should have included an ~at everyone is so busy at their Good on Kim and Virginia explanation for the increase, and Jobs they don't have time to read wondered why, considering the !et another bulletin, nor respond to Congratulations to Kim Isaac ' enormity of the increase, we had not 1t. Whatever the reasons, we will our . new Director of Library been given advanced notice. In fact, take the information we have to Serv1ces, and Virginia Cooke, our I had been told by Barry Bompas in CIEA's Technical & Policy new Dean of Arts and Applied November that a substantial increase Development Conference in Arts. Both women are long was coming and that it was due to February. serving employees of UCFV - higher than expected employee usage Kim an instructor in the Library of the plan. The form the Bargaining 2001 !ech program, and Virginia an central (c ommon) table takes will mstructor in the English I did not receive the information in be decided at the conference. The Department. As well both have time to get it into the last Words & FSA is not obligated to participate been dedicated FSA Executive Vision, but I should have at least sent at the central table as we chose to members over the years and both out a bulletin. I know this came as a in 1998; it may be that we opt to have served as FSA President. complete surprise to everyone, and I bargain locally only. At our AGM Kim is still an active member of am very sorry that I neglected to in May we will be asking you to the Executive in her present warn you. vote on this issue. We will keep position of Past President. We you up-to-date on developments, are very proud of, and pleased for Not that it's going to make anyone both local and provincial, over the Virginia and Kim and wish the~ feel any better, but this increase winter and spring, so you can all the best in their new posts. is province-wide. Many make an informed decision. colleges/university colleges are Xmas Dinner/Dance Cruise paying higher LTD rates than we To date, the breakdown of the are. It is my understanding that bargaining survey is as follows: Well, I had a good time! The Okanagan is paying over 3%. band was great, the door prizes Whether we bargain provincially or • 12 for wage increase were great, the company was locally, benefits, especially LTD, will • 9 for decrease in workload great, and my date was incredibly most certainly be on the table. • 8 for superior benefits good looking. • 5 for funds/release for research Bargaining 2001 • 5 for maternity leave top-up I must admit, though, the rest • 3 for equity in Faculty workload of the evening was rather bizarre • 3 for equity in Staff workload And, speaking of bargaining, the to say the least. If there was • 3 for job security language response to the January bargaining anyone you didn't know well • 3 for bi-weekly pay period survey ~d forums was overwhelming before getting on the boat, you - I WJSh. Altogether seven people • 3 for more funds for scholarly knew them intimately by the time activity /PD attended the four forums and as of you got off. • 3 for increase in annual January 21st, thirty five returned the vacation entitlement survey. It's not much information to Mandy Watts, Ian McAskill • 2 for more release for course go on, but the top issues, for those Barry Bompas and I discussed i~ development ~embers who responded, are wage and decided to ask the cruise • 2 for early retirement incentives mcrease, .r eduction in workload and company for a refund for all the m. crease m benefits. ' • 2 for stronger internal applicant tickets sold over 300. Even 300 status language people would have been a crush I'm not sure why there is so little • 2 for eliminate regularization of on that little boat, and there were the person interest in such an important issue. I over 400 people including the mean, negotiating the Collective • 2 for local bargaining only crew. We are supposed to be • 2 for 'across the board' rather Agreement is the primary function of refunded about $6,000.00, which than 'percentage' increases a union. The lack of interest may be - the FSA will split with UCFV, but • 2 for bank sick days and special due to the fact that bargaining really to date we haven't seen the leave days taken as pay-out won't begin until next year and it's cheque ... guess it's in the mail. • 1 for points for workload on just too distant for members to worry JCACscale 4 Jan/Feb 2000 • I for base Staff Ed leave on had to be done about the unfair and UCFV Budgetary Problems this need not seniority inequitable way in which Staff Fiscal Year and Next • I for shift differential increase evaluations are being conducted. • I for clothing allowance in jobs Some Staff are evaluated every year In November, shortly before we with special requirements while some have never been were given advanced notice of five • I for more funds for Ed leave evaluated. Different areas use lay-offs, Barry Bompass warned • I for flexible work hours different evaluation forms. Some me that due to serious financial • I for flexible vacation schedule Staff are evaluated by their peers; difficulties, especially in the • I for bargain at central table some by their supervisor only; some Applied area, UCFV may have to • lforsuperior/clearer language by people outside UCFV. Sometimes reduce Staffing. The FSA was not pertaining to department heads evaluations, which are deemed happy that UCFV chose to address directors, non-instructional unsatisfactory, are used as a reason to the problem in this way; we felt Faculty, advisors discipline an employee, and that our members were being made • 1 for include committee work sometimes evaluations are used to to bear the consequences for some in job descriptions support an applicant's bid for poor budgetary decisions on • 1 for day care subsidy promotion. Management's part. Management, • 1 for birthdays off however, felt it had no other • I for superior language for UCFV has not established general choice, and although reluctantly, special leaves guidelines for the interpretation of planned on going ahead with the • 1 for tuition waivers for evaluations, so what is a satisfactory lay-off notices. dependent children evaluation to one Dean may be • 1 for points for student considered poor to another. The As soon as word of impending advising on JCAC scale Collective Agreement states that non lay-offs got out, rumors and • 1 for hire more support Staff probationary Staff should be misinformation started to fly. The evaluated annually, and ofc ourse this FSA was flooded with calls asking Evaluations rarely happens. Considering the large for clarification and assurances. number of people UCFV now We felt the situation was becoming I think everyone at UCFV is in employs - about 75 0 - it is critical and on December 20th agreement that our evaluation unrealistic to expect any department made a formal request to Skip. W policies and procedures, for both to have the time, not to mention the asked UCFV to issue a stateme1 •. Faculty and Staff, are sorely resources, to conduct annual Staff acknowledging the current lacking. In the last issue of W& V evaluations. financial problems and indicating I reported that the LAMM its plan for dealing with them. We Evaluation sub-committee was in LAMM is in the process of also asked that the statement the process of developing a new drafting a Letter ofA greement stating include a quick summary of the policy and procedures for that IDl non-probationary Staff will be budgeting process UCFV plans for evaluating instructional Faculty. evaluated every three years (as non 2000/2001. We made the second The committee's first draft was probationary Faculty are). This L of request because UCFV and BC's circulated for feed-back at the A will be in effect until such time as other post-secondary institutions, end of November. So far the the Evaluation sub-committee especially the University Colleges, response has been positive, but develops new policies and procedures are heading into the next fiscal the committee is still waiting for for Staff evaluation. year severely underfunded. UCFV departments to discuss the draft at complied with the January 21st their February department 'UCFV Budget Update for Current meeting. Depending on the feed Year and Assumptions for back received, the next step will 2000/2001'. be to develop the details of this new evaluation system. This will In the meantime Heidi Tvete require the involvement and input and Bob Smith have been working of a larger group of interested with Management to try and find Faculty. alternatives to the lay-offs. Of the five lay-off notices that were to be Once the instructional Faculty issued one has been rescinded; evaluation procedures are in place other solutions were found for two the committee will begin a re and two are still being discussed. vamp of the non-instructional Faculty, Staff, and Director This year the FSA has two evaluation policies and representatives on the UCFV procedures. In the meantime Budget Planning Committee: Dale LAMM agreed that something Jan/Feb 2000 5 Box and Jackie Snodgrass. The and are determined it is going to be I am hopeful we will be able to committee will begin meeting at successful. The FSA Executive wants present the Letter of Agreement to the end of January. very much for this project to succeed the FSA Executive for approval at as well and is committed to working the January 26th meeting. The Canlearn Project with UCFV to that end. To do this we presented Management with a Here is a brief description of the Although a few people were memorandum requesting clarity on CanLeam project, as far as I aware that UCFV had made a some aspects of the project and understand it, and how the on-line proposal to Industry Canada for a assurances in the form of a Letter of courses are to be developed and $900,000.00 grant to develop on Agreement on others. The delivered. line courses, the announcement memorandum was developed with that we were recipients of a grant the help of members of Distributed + The $700,000.00 was awarded came as a surprise to most Learning and the Teaching Learning by the Federal Ministry of employees. Centre. Industry Canada through CANARIE - a crown A few Faculty expressed As of this report we have had corporation commissioned to be concern about this type of course most, but not all, of our questions and the administrative body for delivery, but for the most part concerns addressed to the union's government grants in research, people were intrigued and satisfaction. Right now we are in the development, and high enthusiastic about the CanLearn process of drafting the Letter of technology. Project. It soon became apparent, Agreement We want it to guarantee + however, that despite good the following: To be eligible for the grant intentions UCFV was no where UCFV had to be in partnership near prepared to begin this project • that on-line courses developed at with small to medium and a lot of people were running UCFV will not be sold. enterprises. The partners, who around unsure ofw hat to do next. share the grant equally with It all happened so suddenly • that on-line courses will be UCFV, are Dash TV, UCFV just hadn't had time to developed by UCFV FSA Faculty deltaMAC Interactive, plan for it. Now two and a half only. Interactive Technologies Inc., months later the CanLeam and The Centre for Curriculum project is out of the starting gate. • that on-line courses will be taught Transfer and Technology. Our by UCFV FSA Faculty only. Faculty will develop the courses Enthusiasm is still running and the partners will provide high, especially on the • that on-line courses and the the technical expertise. Management side, and there is Faculty developing and teaching + absolutely no doubt that on-line them will be covered by the same We are to develop forty on-line course delivery will play a big role Collective Agreement clauses that credit courses that can be taken in the future of Canadian post cover the development and toward a degree. Fourteen of secondary education, but I believe delivery of traditional courses and the courses must be upper level. we must be realistic about this instruction, until such time as new Ten additional courses are to be endeavor. Instructors, at UCFV language is negotiated. developed in the areas of and other institutions, who have Literacy Tutor training and experience with on-line course • that on-line courses will be College and Career Prep. development warn that the one developed with Faculty release section release UCFV is allotting (taken concurrently or banked for + The courses will be developed to develop a course may not be a subsequent semester) and not by bargaining unit members adequate. Apparently the overload. only, with the assistance of the industry standard equivalent is private partners, and taught by more like five course releases per • that UCFV will conduct a quarterly, bargaining unit members only. one on-line course. And, reports semi-annual, and annual review of from institutions which have been the project in order to address + In November we were told that involved in on-line course workload and other issues if they the grant was set up to fund fifty delivery for a while indicate that become a problem. Faculty releases to develop the education on the Web may not be fifty courses. Now UCFV the cash-cow some administrators • that UCFV will open talks with wants to allow Faculty an over expected it to be. the FSA on 'Copyright and load to develop a course. This Intellectual Property' so that both is consistent with UCFV's Anyway, it is clear that many parties may achieve a common procedure for the assignment of of our members want to be understanding on this important courses, but the Executive is involved in the CanLearn Project issue. unhappy about this decision. 6 Jan/Feb 2000 Part of the original appeal of 2.potential fit into an + As of January 14th the contract this project was that it would undergraduate degree in between Industry Canada and generate work for a great integrated/general studies (an UCFV had yet to be signed t number of members through appropriate balance of upper and they were still negotiatint filtering down. Every release lower level courses) When it is signed, the Union taken by on-going Faculty will receive a copy. creates work for part-time and 3.appeal for an international sessional instructors. This audience + Once the courses to be issue has yet to be resolved. developed have been + Toe development and delivery of established, the union will be + Toe UCFVTeachingLearning on-line courses is covered by the given a report stating: the Centre Committee is same Collective Agreement proposals selected, who is coordinating the project. TLC language as traditional course developing each course, when is made up of thirteen Faculty development and delivery. This the release is to be taken, and and the VP Academic. Two means the courses are the property when the course is to be members of TLC sit on the of UCFV just as is any other delivered. FSA Executive. course. -Beverly Lowen + Departments have been invited + Toe courses will not be sold to to make proposals for private trainers or to other developing on-line courses to institutions. UCFV and its the TLC. Faculty wanting to partners plan to make money by submit proposals must do so enrolling international students. through their departments. Any profits and royalties will go to The individual departments UCFV and its partners. decide which proposals are put forward for consideration and + H the project makes money in the TLC decides which proposals first five year,s a portion must go are accepted for development. back to CANARIE. + A course being proposed for + During the length of the contract, Faculty Grievance on-line development must be a about eighteen months, Industry currently existing course and Canada has the right to 'demo' our Report available for degree credit. on-line courses, but cannot sell Courses being planned as part them or enroll students. Since the time oflast reporting, of a current departmental three full-time Faculty were given initiative may also be + UCFV has limited each on-line notice of lay-off, the four-month considered. course to twenty five students. notice periods to begin in late + + January. The situation now is less Once the on-line courses are Toe Ministry will fund the on-line serious than at first sight. One developed it is expected they courses using the same FTE member can be reassigned to an will be integrated into formula as it does for traditional emerging vacancy in another department offerin~, working courses. department. In another case, in concert with regular offerin~ as part of the overall + All the courses must be developed sufficient work may well materialize, in which case that lay planning and development by May 2001. off should be rescinded. The third within a department. + situation might be postponed by a To date about 25 courses have + UCFV has not established a been proposed and six have been leave. H not, bumping may proceed, as the member on notice core set ofc ourses to be offered awarded funds for release. may not opt for severance or wish on-line; however, TLC has developed criteria for deciding + Initially we were told that funding to go on the recall list. which proposals will be for Staff support during the On the regularization front, funded. The criteria are: developmental stage oft he courses departments should have was built into the grant, but that completed their review ofm em~ 1. a broad distribution of was incorrect. Toe partners will qualifying for B contracts by ' courses across curricular and have to supply the support. February. UCFV and the FSA will Faculty areas; 'popular' However, support Staff funding is then finalize the awards by 31 courses, as indicated by built into the cost of delivering the March. How this will be done student demand and wait lists courses. Jan/Feb 2000 7 without full knowledge of the We should not confuse ourselves Shop Steward System 2000-2001 budget escapes me. about the dynamic factor in Budget determines the availability bargaining in the 1990s by, for The Shop Stewards recently of work, a qualifying criteria in example, scapegoating CIBA or the attended a shop steward workshop some or many cases, leaving more aggressive locals. The which looked at the different regularization candidates to centralizing tendencies launched by aspects of unions as well as how to wonder what will happen. the Socreds in the 1980s were proceed with and handle a codified by the ensuing regime of grievance. The training was Centralized Bargaining: 1991 which created the real conducted by a representative from apparently most FSA members employers situated in the provincial CIBA and seemed to be very are either uninterested or boards that determine the overall beneficial and well received by opposed. While the inadequacies worth of Collective Agreements. everyone. of the Common Agreement that Workable relationships with allies in concluded the last round of the system are necessary. The FSA I encourage employees to negotiations can be exaggerated, and UCFV management can prefer contact a shop steward if they have it's fair to say that it did not local rather than central, which is any questions or concerns or just match expectations. Had a really a choiceless choice, as the real feel the need to talk to someone. common agreement been employer team is centralized, They are more than willing to help attempted in a better fiscal whether it appears at the table or not. out and would enjoy hearing from climate, of say, ten years ago, the you. Here is a list of our Stewards approach would have many more -Bob Smith and where they can be reached. supporters. FSA Shop Stewards 2000 In my view, it only makes sense to set provincial standards Staff -regarding pay, benefits, academic freedom, copyright, • Margaret Brackett 4217 etc.-that most employees around • Ellen Dixon . . . . . . . . . 4264 the system agree should be • PatMcCready ....... 4547 common, whether they work at a • Colleen Olund . . . . . . . 4524 college, institute, university • Doug Rasmussen ... 4477 college, or agency. Strictly local • Karmjit Sidhu . . . . . . . 4477 agreements can easily lead to less • Margaret Slabicki ..... 447 7 pay and fewer benefits, as • Lynda Town . . . . . . . . 4001 obtained at Fraser Valley College in the 1980's. The aim, it seems to me, should be a productive Faculty Staff Grievance Report tension between the centre and the locals that preserves: separate • Robin Anderson ...... 4282 identities; in our case, a blended Impending Lay-offs • Tim Lynch ............ 387 agreement (Faculty and Staff); our • Curtis Magnusson ..... 4640 flexibility in work rules; and, • David Riel ... 850-8672 (157) During December, the FSA especially, the consultative received notice of impending lay-offs • Norm Taylor ......... 4225 practices that the FSA has that would affect two Staff employees expected of management since -Heidi Tvete and their department. As a result I 1976. Some locals don't care spent considerable time working with about consultative mechanisms these affected employees to come up Treasurer's Report and procedures, believing that the with alternatives that would satisfy all bosses are paid to issue orders, parties involved. direct the workforce; it's their job LTD: is it time to reconsider to know how to do it, and when One oft he impending lay-offs was our coverage? they mess up they get slapped eventually rescinded. However, the with grievances and arbitrations. other employee was still faced with One of the first lessons in This approach has its merits, but the possibility of a lay-off so we economics is that when prices rise, it's not culturally validated here. worked together and came up with an consumers reconsider their Also, we don't like to strike, alternative which resolved the demand. Usually (but not always) although we did when situation to the satisfaction of both they respond by purchasing less. government assaulted us in 1983, sides involved The recent news that our LTD with "termination without cause," premiums have increased 44% abolition of human rights, etc. 8 Jan/Feb 2000 should be enough to ignite that roughly 70% of gross salary and are Does the increase in premiums reconsideration which has not non-taxable as income. As an reasonably reflect cost factors, or is hitherto occurred. example for discussion, benefits could there some price gouging going 01 be defined at a 60% level, 50% level, here? There are risk factori> Our LTD represents a huge or whatever. inherent in any insurance scheme: cost, now over $1000 a year for an aging and over-stressed top of scale Faculty. As a Another issue, probably on the workforce, increased claims percentage of salary, it will now minds of some, is why do we have to 'experience', increased benefit be, by my calculations about pay for the LTD while other benefits payments (from increased duration 1.6%, and that is after tax. are now almost entirely employer and or inflation effects), increased Looking back, there has been an paid? The answer is that when we administrative overhead, and alarming increase in this cost over pay with after-tax income, the LTD perhaps even increased profit the years. Eight years ago, LTD coverage becomes non-taxable. That margins for the insurance costs were approximately 0.83% means better coverage than if the company. How can we tell what is ofg ross salary. Then the cost rose employer paid the benefit. If the a legitimate cost increase, and to 1.12%. Now it stands at 1.6%. employer paid the LTD premium, what is not? The only way is to There are no observers of LTD then disbursements to claimants regularly tender the business in a who will suggest that this cost is would be subject to income tax. The competitive market. So at the very going to go down in the years same 70% income replacement least we must promote competitive ahead. Our inexorable aging coverage, instead of yielding roughly buying practices, even after we have portends this proclivity. 100% after tax, as it is now, would decided on the level of coverage we result in after-tax income replacement wish to have in the future. So what are we to do? Since of about 50% (assuming an average the employer arranges the tax rate of 30%). This is not to Looking on the bright side, this provision of our LTD plan as a suggest that the employees always increase in cost will be more than group purchase, we need to have pay their LTD coverage. Some are covered by our long-awaited pay some discussion as a group about happy with the reduced benefit while increase coming in April. what kind of a plan we want and not having the huge deduction carved (Remember the 0-0-and 2 what limits we wish to place on out ofa fter-tax income. Over the past agreement?) By my calculatior the overall expense. The ten years, I think it is fair to say our the increased LTD deduction wi fundamental question (about current arrangement has been only gobble up roughly 1.2% of the which I doubt there is any agreeable with the membership.* 2% pay increase (on a before-tax controversy) is whether to have a basis) scheduled for April. So we plan at all. I think most would As for the increase, did the central will still be left with .8% (or about agree LTD is an important and table and Maritime Life have any role .5% after tax) come April 1. valuable insurance for us to have. in reshaping our LTD plan in the last In fact, if we didn't have a college round of negotiations? Our CIBA -Ian McAskill plan, it would be prudent for most rep, Linda Sperling, explained that of us to get private coverage. I the central table did not recast the know I certainly would. That individual colleges' LTD plans. The * There are colleges with employer-paid said, since we are a pool of employer side of the central table LTD plans, namely Northwest, Oka.Dagan, workers, our cost is doubtless less coordinated a group purchase for and VCC, but comparisons with our circumstance is complex: all have different and our coverage more than it their plans with Maritime, but each coverage and caps and they are linked would be if secured privately. In college continued to maintain its differently with the follow-through payment my opinion our plan is better than individual provisions. The group of again, different STDL (short term most inasmuch as it includes an purchase purported to provide cost disability) plans. inflation factor in benefit savings, and for all I know these payments to further protect might exist on the employer-paid members continuing on LTD benefits. Evidently, there has been a beyond some period (three years, negative effect on the employee-paid as I recollect). benefits. Linda Sperling tells me that CIBA is looking at this whole issue Even with general consensus for the next central table. She further that we continue to have a group explained that most other colleges plan, it is still legitimate to also operate with employee-paidLT D reconsider the appropriate level of plans, and that they have all faced coverage, that is, the magnitude similar, and even greater premium of payments for those who find increases. This naturally makes the themselves drawingLT D benefits. whole matter one of interest to CIBA As it is now, benefits are drawn at and its benefits sub-committee. Jan/Feb 2000 9 The DRC and You • Many instructors forward course On my first trip to Japan I was outlines to us which we braille or part of a Douglas College program put on tape. which each year sends students to Access Advisor Alyson Seale Kobe to tour and study Japanese. asks, "How can we say thanks"? • Instructors are becoming more It always ends with a farewell comfortable with the exam dinner for the Canadians, their And so, Staff in the DRC accommodation procedures. Some host families, and Kobe YMCA would like to take this e-mail us the exams while others Language School teachers and opportunity to applaud Faculty stop by before or during exams to Staff, and I was asked to speak for and Staff for their initiatives, make sure that students have not the level one students. innovations, and involvement in encountered any unexpected accommodating students. There is difficulties. I tried to imagine what I could a growing climate of reciprocity possibly say, in my "What's between the DRC and the rest of • Numbers of unseen and unsung that?"-"That's a chair" Japanese, the community. We offer the volunteer readers ensure that to honor and impress the host following few examples of how coursepaks and lab manuals are families and YMCA. My own the UCFV community is assisting accessible for students with a host family had given me a party students to directly manage their variety of disabilities. where each guest sang, told a story, education. or demonstrated the swings of Those of us who work in the DRC famous golf pros, and rd been told • Peter Jones arranged through are dedicated to assisting students to that such after-dinner the author of the text he was become as independent as their entertainment was traditional. using to have e-text available disability allows. Students are "Hmmm," I thought(''Mmmm," in for a blind student who finds discovering that the responsibility for Japanese), "why not sing, instead this format preferable to audio accommodation is being shared by of speaking?" Why not? I could tapes. many people outside our department. sing as badly as I spoke, and it was We value the relationships that are a challenge to find an English song • Terry Starr, as well as other developing around accommodation, and translate it. Finally, I decided instructors, is making his and we see ourselves moving from to sing the old Four Preps' lecture notes available through providing accommodations to chestnut "She Was Five and He WebCT, which benefits all facilitating the involvement of the Was Ten," first in English, then in students but particularly whole community in these activities. Japanese: students who have vision impairment, learning -Ellen Dixon She was five, and he was ten, disabilities, or psychiatric twice as old as she was then. conditions. She was much too young for him, in puppy love. • Chris Leach and Paul Herman met with a student who is As the years went slowly by, he hearing impaired and her was fifteen and quite a guy. hearing specialist to learn more But she was ten, still too young about her condition, and about for him to love. how it affects her classroom participation. But then, as he grew older, he changed his point of view. • Gloria Borrows and Fay When she was seventeen, he Hyndman recommend Teaching in Japan -the was only twenty-two. relevant articles from Writing Centre journals regarding Prequel So they fell in love you see, and composition assistance for it all began when she students who have learning A few months ago Madeleine Was only five, and he was ten disabilities. Hardin reported on her time as in puppy love. Canadian Studies instructor at • Mark Hoffman, in Counseling Hokkaido Community College (our and Advising, has directed us sibling institution). I've done the Jumping between my English to popular press articles on same, and in April Michael and Japanese and Japanese-English various disabilities. We Ryoko McColl leave for Japan. To dictionaries and adding some appreciate learning what entice others, here's an account of my poetic, even Haiku, touches, I information is currently being early work as cultural ambassador: negotiated this Japanese disseminated to the public. equivalent: 10 Jan/Feb 2000 Onna no ko wa go sai, Otoko Train, Mt. Fuji ("Ikimasho! Let's people. This was such a moment. no ko wa ju sai. go!"). Finally, he called on me to say What the audience felt was a kind Ko innu no yo asobimashita. my few words. I began with an of trans-cultural dumbfoundment Dakara, koibito dewa English preamble, which our tour There was no hesitant clatter m. arimasen. leader translated: broken English and Japanese, only Toki wa arukimashita. Kare simple shared silence. wa ju go sai to subarashii. My friends: In Canada, in British Mada, koibito dewa arimasen. Columbia, on the Coast, the I was told later, after a period of Native people are famous for their the politeness customary in Japan Soro soro seicho-shimashita, ki huge feasts. After a wonderful and which Canadians achieve ga kawarimashita. feast, as a sign of respect for their when profoundly embarrassed Onna no hito wa ju nana sai, hosts and the fine meal, they burp. (again, a sharing), that while the Otoko no hito wa niju ni sai. But they don't burp just in their Canadians had responded to the Koibito ga iimashita, sore throats (demo here), they burp by sound of my song, the Japanese kara, ai ga arimashita. singing. They sing a burp song. had reacted to its words: to them, Kodomo futari, hajime to Ladies and gentlemen, our entire I'd told the story of playmates who owari, ai wa wakai. visit has been like a great feast. were very fond of each other 'til Our host families have feasted us the boy became upset and decided As I understood it, loosely but not only with great food, but with he didn't like the girl anymore. A literally this meant: their hospitality. The Kobe different pair of adult lovers then YMCA School teachers and Staff came on the scene, only vaguely The girl was five, the boy was have feasted us with their connected to beginnings, endings, ten. knowledge and care. Kobe itself puppies, and love's eternal youth. They played like puppies, so has been a feast for our eyes and they couldn't be sweethearts. for our feet. I want to thank you Japan is a song, waiting for you by singing this burp song. I've to sing it, for like those lovers, Time walked. He was fifteen chosen it because I can sing it UCFV and HCC have been joined and excellent, both in English and Japanese, and by the efforts of our Canadian nevertheless they still weren't because it tells the story of the Studies teachers. sweethearts. three married couples on our tour. -DavidWya, Hai, dozo: Slowly they grew and he Can't Be Too Careful ... changed his mind. I began to sing. I WAS The young man was twenty NERVOUS. Out came a high two, the maiden seventeen. strangled yodel, like Wilf Carter on Ed.: The following are actual Then they were sweethearts peyote buttons. Some notes could be warning labels (source: Sunfun). and love began. heard only by neighbourhood dogs. The audience held its applause. on a hair dryer Two children, beginning and Lowering my voice five or six Do not use while sleeping. end, love is young. octaves, I plunged into the Japanese on a frozen dinner Serving suggestion: defrost. version. The afternoon of the dinner I on bottom of frozen Tiramisu box practiced in my room, with my Do not tum upside-down. head under the futon covers so no on hotel shower-cap one would hear me. Praises Product .its one head. swirled in it: Articulate ... on box of bread pudding resonant ... full ... oxygen-deprived. Product will be hota fter heating. on electric iron package The dinner began. The Do not iron dothes on body. Canadians and Japanese spoke on NYTOL(sleeping aid) haltingly to each other. I was May cause drowsiness. nervous. We took group on a made-in-Korea kitchen knife snapshops. I got more nervous. Warning: Keep out ofc hildren. We exchanged addresses. I got on jar of peanuts more nervous. We ate. I got Warning: Contains nuts. more nervous. The Canadian Fellow travelers, there are times on jar of mixed nuts MC rose and thanked the when cultural differences melt away, May contain nuts. families, the teachers, the Staff, when an emotion, an awareness, on chainsaw the other students, the Japanese joins those of different backgrounds Do not attempt to stop chain people, the Emperor, the Bullet and they know that they are all just with your hands

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