CODAA Meeting Minutes
April 10, 2003
Members present: Diane Rzeszewski, Joanne Barsanti, Vicki Root-Wajda, Dan McCollum.
A motion was made by Joanne Barsanti, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda, to approve the minutes from the March 13, 2003 meeting. Motion carried.
A discussion was held regarding the May 28, 2003 Dinner Meeting. The meeting will be held in 1450 A & B and tentatively set for 5:00 p.m. Elections for the Board of Officers will be held at this meeting.
A motion was made by Vicki Root-Wajda, seconded by Dan McCollum, to authorize the expenditure of up to $1,600, to be paid from the IEA/NEA grant for the costs of the dinner meeting. Motion carried.
President Rzeszewski asked Dan McCollum to send congratulatory letters to the recently elected members of the College of DuPage Board of Trustees. They are: Michael McKinnon, Jane Herron and Mark Nowak. The letters will be sent.
Joanne Barsanti presented the Treasurer’s Report. A motion was made by Dan McCollum, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda, to approve the Treasurer’s Report as presented. Motion carried.
President Rzeszewski initiated a discussion concerning the Executive Council at the College of DuPage, consisting of meetings with the College President. Joanne Barsanti volunteered to attend these meetings.
President Rzeszewski gave an update on the project undertaken by the college interns and on the grant funds expended and remaining to date. She also reported that the interns on the grant project had waived the acceptance of any funds for their efforts.
President Rzeszewski reported that she would be attending the IEA/NEA Presidents’ Roundtable from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on April 22, 2003 in Naperville.
A discussion was held regarding the appointment of a chair for the grievance committee of CODAA. President Rzeszewski suggested Peter Conzolazio be appointed to this position. A motion was made by Joanne Barsanti, seconded by Dan McCollum to appoint Mr. Conzolazio to this position. Motion carried.
President Rzeszewski reported that she would be attending the Critical Issues Conference in Washington, D.C. from April 24-27, 2003.
President Rzeszewski asked that anyone interesting in nominating a CODAA member for the Emerging Leader Seminar contact Peter Conzolazio by no later than April 13, 2003.
Vicki Root-Wajda was asked by President Rzeszewski to order badges for the CODAA Board of Officers to be worn at various functions.
A discussion was held regarding the raising of CODAA union dues for FY 2003-2004. A motion was made by Dan McCollum, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda, to approve the raising of dues to $25.00, and to bring the matter before the general membership at the General Membership and Election Dinner Meeting on May 28, 2003 for a ratification vote.
President Rzeszewski requested a roll call vote.
Ayes: Vicki Root-Wajda
Joanne Barsanti
Dan McCollum
Diane Rzeszewski
Nays: None
Motion carried unanimously.
Vicki Root-Wajda reported that she and President Rzeszewski attended the recent Board of Trustees Meeting at C.O.D. She informed the Board of Officers that 455 classes during the current Spring Quarter are 100% full.
Vicki also reported on the following:
- The next council meeting will be on April 16, 2003.
- HB 1457, a bill to change the eligibility for part-time faculty members and allow those teaching 3 hours per quarter/semester to belong to a collective bargaining unit. (Diane and Vicki will contact area elected official and solicit their support of this bill).
Mark Sharrard and Tom Suhrbur from IEA/NEA spoke about expanding the CODAA membership numbers. They stressed the need to recruit new potential members and asked the Board of Officers to assist in contacting potential members from the existing list of those who are or may be eligible. The IEA/NEA will mail out information to potential members and the CODAA Board Members will follow-up with individual calls.
A minimum of a 30% positive response is needed, and 40% should be our goal.
Mark Sharrard gave a brief update on the status of full-time faculty negotiations at C.O.D.
Robert Peterson of College Staffing Solutions addressed the CODAA Board on a proposal to compile a database on adjunct faculty members. The program would allow part-time faculty members to learn about employment opportunities at other colleges and for other colleges to have a database of potential instructors who fit their needs. A discussion was held about having teachers evaluated as part of this program. The consensus of the Board of Officers was that the evaluation portion of this proposal was troublesome and raised questions about personalities, styles and subjectivity. No action was taken on this item.
Mr. Peterson also talked about the development of a membership brochure for CODAA. It was pointed out by Dan McCollum that Sue Dreghorn had been assigned to head this project as included in the minutes from the March 13, 2003 meeting. Mr. Peterson will contact Sue Dreghorn.
President Rzeszewski gave a brief report on the upcoming CODAA Board of Officers election. Joanne Barsanti will mail out information and ballots for the May 28, 2003. Dan McCollum will assist.
The Quarterly Membership Meeting for CODAA will take place at the beginning of the May 28, 2003 Dinner Meeting and be held in Rooms 1450 A & B at the College of DuPage.
The next Regular Board Meeting of CODAA will be held on Thursday June 12, 2003 at 2:00 p.m. in IC 2070.
A motion was made to adjourn by Joanne Barsanti, seconded by Dan McCollum. Motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 3:47 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Daniel L. McCollum
Secretary, CODAA
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CODAA Meeting Minutes
March 13, 2003
Members present: Diane Rzeszewski, Joanne Barsanti, Dan McCollum, Dede Marsh and Vicki Root-Wajda and Sue Dreghorn.
A motion was made by Joanne Barsanti, seconded by Dan McCollum, to approve the minutes from the February 13, 2003 Quarterly Meeting of CODAA. Motion carried.
President Rzeszewski asked Dan McCollum to send a thank you letter to Mr. Bridges from SURS for coming to the February 13th meeting. The letter will be sent.
President Rzeszewski discussed having the next Quarterly Meeting of CODAA during the 3rd or 4th week of May. This meeting will be for the purpose of holding elections for the Board of Officers next year and to encourage member participation in CODAA.
Wednesday or Thursday was mentioned as a possible night to hold the meeting. President Rzeszewski suggested a dinner meeting and having it at Villa Nova Banquets in Villa Park. Dan McCollum was asked to look into others. President Rzeszewski suggested contacting John Edwards in the Geography Department to assist Dan in this endeavor.
The pros and cons of having the dinner on campus were discussed and it was felt that the social nature of this dinner and that the ability of having cocktails might result in more people going off-site as opposed to at the college. Dan will report his findings to the board of officers at the April meeting.
President Rzeszewski indicated that $1,600 is available from the IEA / NEA grant for this activity and it was the consensus that the first 100 attendees would have their dinner paid for from the grant.
Joanne Barsanti gave the Treasurer's Report dated March 12, 2003. A motion was made by Dan McCollum, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda to approve the report. Motion carried.
Joanne reported that five new members just started at C.O.D. She will send them letters concerning membership.
A discussion was held regarding new members. It was decided that new members will only pay dues from the time they start as opposed to charging them retroactive dues from the beginning of the year.
A discussion was held about the number of IEA / NEA members and the fair share fee payers. Joanne Barsanti will compile the information on these individuals on a list. President Rzeszewski will forward the list to Springfield.
The topic of the NEA Annual Meeting in New Orleans from June 26-30, 2003 was tabled to the April meeting.
An additional signature is required at the West Suburban Bank at Danada in Wheaton. Treasurer Barsanti will go to the bank and take care of this.
It was announced that CODAA member Tim Caldwell's daughter received the IEA / NEA scholarship. Joanne Barsanti will represent CODAA and attend the March 15, 2003 breakfast where the scholarship will be presented.
Dede Marsh, Nominating Chair for CODAA was present and a discussion was held regarding ballot preparation, voting procedures, etc. It was mentioned that new officers must be installed by 8-1-03.
Current Board members were asked if they intended to run for office. Joanne Barsanti indicated she will run for the office of President. Dan McCollum indicated that he will seek re-election as Secretary. Diane Rzeszewski indicated that she will seek the office of Treasurer. Dede Marsh will announce the election once the date has been established. The ballots must be mailed out by April 15th.
Vicki Root-Wajda reported that the COD Presidential search had been completed and that Dr. Sinul Chand has been appointed as the new President.
President Rzeszewski and Vicki Root-Wajda gave a brief report on their recent trip to Washington, D.C. The trip resulted in a small amount of additional expenses. $2,000 was initially approved and $2,048.72 in expenses were incurred.
Joanne Barsanti made a motion, seconded by Dan McCollum, to approve the reimbursement of additional expenses in the amount of $48.72 for the Washington, D.C. trip. Motion carried.
President Rzeszewski and Vicki Root-Wajda along with Tom Suhrbur have put together a letter to be submitted for expanding the bargaining unit.
President Rzeszewski reported that the IEA / NEA Grant has a balance of $8,555.75.
President Rzeszewski reported that she has located three (3) interns who will compose a survey and send it out for CODAA. The grant has provisions for funding this activity. The total project cost for the interns will be between $800.00 and $1,200.
President Rzeszewski is working with Dean Peterson in the development of a website data base for part-time faculty. This web site would allow other colleges to access biographical data on COD part-time teachers in the event those colleges are looking for a particular instructor's skills.
Interested part-time members could also access the site to learn of potential vacancies. President Rzeszewski and Vicki Root-Wajda will continue reporting on the progress of this effort.
A discussion was held regarding upcoming IEA elections. It was decided that CODAA will not participate at this time.
Members are being sought to serve on various IEA / NEA committees. Volunteers will be solicited through the next CODAA newsletter.
A discussion was held about developing a CODAA logo. It was mentioned that grant monies could be used for this purpose. Sue Dreghorn was asked to take the lead on this and will make some inquiries. A motion was made by Joanne Barsanti, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda, to authorize the expenditure of up to $800.00 for developing a logo for CODAA. Motion carried.
Sue Dreghorn reported on some exciting news from the English Department. For the first time, part-time faculty are being included in English Department Workshops. Sue believes this is a giant step forward and will keep the CODAA Board updated.
Vicki Root-Wajda reported on pending legislation aimed at reducing the requirements for part-time collective bargaining eligibility from 6 hours per quarter to 3. She will keep the Board posted on this topic.
The next meeting of the CODAA Board will be held on Thursday April 10, 2003 at 2:00 p.m. in IC-2070.
A motion was made to adjourn by Dan McCollum, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda.
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College of Dupage Adjuncts Association (CODAA) Quarterly Meeting Minutes
2-13-03
Board members present: President Diane Rzeszewski, Joanne Barsanti, Vicki Root-Wajda, Sue Dreghorn and Dan McCollum.
Seventeen other members were in attendance and a sign-up sheet was completed by those at the meeting.
Those attending gave self-introductions.
Approval of Minutes
A motion was made by Sue Dreghorn, seconded by Peter Consolazio, to approve the minutes of the January 9, 2003 monthly meeting of CODAA. Motion carried.Treasurer's Report
A report dated February 11, 2003 completed by Treasurer Joanne Barsanti was distributed to those in attendance. A motion was made by Dan McCollum, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda, to approve the Treasurer's Report. Motion carried.Membership Report
Sue Dreghorn reported on membership numbers. To date, 53 members have paid required fees. Sue encouraged everyone to recruit members and also to pay the fees.C.O.D. Presidential Search
Peter Consolazio gave a report on the COD Presidential Search. He described the process thus far as being very thorough and fair. There are 9 individuals scheduled for interviews and this group will be reduced to 4-5 finalists. Peter will participate in the next round, the interviews, and thereafter the College Board of Trustees will take over.President Rzeszewski polled the membership and it was the unanimous decision that Peter pose a question to the candidates in the interviews as to their feelings about adjunct faculty in light of their increasing numbers at COD. Peter agreed to do so and was thanked for his efforts by President Rzeszewski.
President's Report
President Rzeszewski reported on the IEA / NEA $10,000 Grant to CODAA. She indicated that the monies need to be spent and that members have volunteered to serve on subcommittees associated with the grant.Dee Marsh has been recruited to serve as the Nominating Chair. A motion was made by Vicki Root-Wajda to nominate Dee Marsh as the Nominating Chair. Motion carried.
President Rzeszewski asked for volunteers to serve on the Budget Committee. Kathy Michalski and Gloria Olsen agreed to serve. Joanne Barsanti made a motion to nominate both for the committee. Motion carried.
President Rzeszewski reported that she and Vicki Root-Wajda will attend the Conference on Higher Education being held in Washington, D.C. from February 28th through March 2, 2003.
S.U.R.S.
Stacey Masters-Rolle of COD Human Resources provided an overview of how the SURS formula is calculated and reported. She also distributed handout materials. After much discussion, comments and questions, it was decided that questions and various scenarios be placed in writing and submitted to Human Resources.A subcommittee of volunteers, consisting of Gloria Olsen, Evelyn Potempa, Dan McCollum and Joanne Barsanti agreed to pursue member questions and concerns relating to SURS. A motion was made by Oleh Sydor, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda to authorize the volunteers to serve in this capacity. Motion carried.
Lee Bridges from the State Universities Retirement System gave a presentation on SURS Benefits and formulas. He also distributed handout materials. Mr. Bridges also suggested that members having additional questions regarding their individual status log onto the SURS website at www.surs.org. ( Note - link will open in a second browser window ).
Other Business
Judy Jabbour-Lagocki distributed a handout and gave a report on her efforts pertaining to the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset Legislation. CODAA member pensions are currently affected by these laws.Vicki Root-Wajda reported that more co-sponsors have signed on to legislation to amend the existing laws and to benefit our membership and retirees. Vicki noted that none of the new representatives who have signed on are from Illinois. She encouraged CODAA members to contact their legislators to encourage their support in this effort.
Next Meeting
The next regular meeting of CODAA is March 13, 2003 at 12:00 Noon in IC-2070.A motion to adjourn was made by Vicki Root-Wajda, seconded by Oleh Sydor. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 4:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Daniel L. McCollum
Secretary, CODAA
February 27, 2003
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Minutes, Quarterly Membership Meeting
11-14-02
Officers Meeting
The meeting was called to order by President Rzeszewski at 1:30 p.m.
Members present: Diane Rzeszewski, Joanne Barsanti, Vicki Root-Wajda, Sue Dreghorn and Dan McCollum.
A motion was made by Joanne Barsanti, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda to approve the meeting minutes from the October 10, 2002 CODAA meeting. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Dan McCollum, seconded by Diane Rzeszewski, to approve the treasurer's report as presented by Joanne Barsanti through November 10, 2002. Motion carried.
President Rzeszewski provided an update on fair share and read a letter from IEA/NEA on the subject. The letter discussed the criteria for dues reduction in the future.
Sue Dreghorn provided a membership report. Currently, there are 296 members. 158 are in the local and 138 are in the IEA/NEA.
President Rzeszewski reported that she received a letter from John Edwards inquiring about membership. A newsletter outlining membership criteria, dues deduction procedures, etc., will be sent to Mr. Edwards.
President Rzeszewski reported on a request from Joy Gordon to receive the newsletter, CODAA contract, informational flier, by-laws, membership application form and an IEA/NEA booklet. Sue Dreghorn will follow-up on this.
Sue Dreghorn indicated she has been approached by Lorraine Yuccas regarding membership eligibility. Sue will follow-up on this as well.
President Rzeszewski read a letter she prepared to all fair share individuals dated November 14, 2002. Sue Dreghorn and President Rzeszewski will distribute enrollment forms and letters to all fair share fee payers next week.
Vicki Root-Wajda will attend the Regional Council Representatives Meeting in Naperville on November 20, 2002. She also reported that at the C.O.D. Board of Trustees Meeting on November 13, 2002, that the recent bond issue was discussed and that the Board has moved into their new Board Room at the College. She also attended the October Regional Council Meeting in West Chicago which included training on "Communication and Participation" and a discussion concerning school pensions and social security issues.
A discussion was held regarding recent attempts by CODAA to have C.O.D. reconsider the methodology used in issuing paychecks in an attempt to see if the first paychecks per quarter could be issued earlier than the present 4weeks it takes to receive them. It was brought to the attention of the College that this unfavorably impacts some employees.
An explanation was provided from the College that the Deans need 2 weeks to determine exactly which classes are actually meeting and that the current practice is necessary. The CODAA membership will be polled regarding this issue.
It was also discussed that perhaps the pay periods could be spread out so that there is not such a long gap between quarters and paychecks. This would mean a little less money on an employee's check, but would also not provide so much "lean" time in between paychecks. This also will be discussed with the membership and a poll taken.
President Rzeszewski read a letter she prepared to give to Greg Joos regarding office hours and SURS implications. She will forward it to Mr. Joos.
Joanne Barsanti agreed to attend the President's Roundtable on November 25, 2002 in Naperville. Other CODAA Board Members should contact Joanne if they are able to attend.
President Rzeszewski distributed information on the IEA/NEA Holiday Party to be held at the Wyndham hotel in Lisle, Illinois on December 4, 2002. All Board members are encouraged to attend.
President Rzeszewski reported on the National Higher Education Conference to be held from February 28th through March 2, 2003. Also she reported on the Collective Bargaining Conference to be held December 6-7, 2002 in Springfield, Illinois. A motion was made by Dan McCollum, seconded by Joanne Barsanti to allow President Rzeszewski and Vicki Root-Wajda to attend the conference and for CODAA to provide funding for customary and reasonable expenses associated with this conference. Motion carried.
President Rzeszewski reported that the NEA Grant Money ($10,000) had not yet been received.
A motion was made by Dan McCollum, seconded by Joanne Barsanti, to adjourn the meeting and proceed to the Quarterly CODAA Meeting. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Daniel L. McCollum, Secretary
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General Membership Meeting
11-14-02
The meeting was called to order by President Rzeszewski at 2:35 p.m. Approximately 25 members were present at various times throughout the meeting.
President Rzeszewski asked that those present introduce themselves.
President Rzeszewski indicated that previous meeting minutes and the Treasurer's report were on file and that meeting minutes were posted in IC-2070 on the CODAA Bulletin Board.
A request was made by President Rzeszewski for volunteers to serve on the Budget Committee. Anyone interested was asked to contact Diane.
Sue Dreghorn provided a membership report.
President Rzeszewski distributed copies of the CODAA By-Laws as amended and answered various questions about them. Dan McCollum made a motion, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda to approve the By-Laws as amended. The motion carried unanimously.
President Rzeszewski reported that CODAA had received a $10,000 grant from IEA/NEA. The grant's primary objective is to increase and enlarge membership in CODAA.
A presentation on the Lifestyles Insurance Plan administered by Arthur J. Gallagher Inc. was provided to the membership. Various members asked questions regarding the plan and enrollment kits were provided to those in attendance.
Antonio Galindo provided a presentation on the California Insurance auto and homeowner's insurance plans available exclusively to IEA/NEA members. Mr. Galindo provided handouts and passed out interest cards to the membership.
Vicki Root-Wajda provided a report to the membership on insurance and Social Security Windfall Elimination. The NEA is attempting to have this legislation repealed, as it impacts the amount of retirement benefits available to those who receive SURS and social security. Vicki will keep the membership abreast of developments.
President Rzeszewski discussed the situation concerning the delaying of paychecks when the quarter starts and how a suggestion has been made to possibly extend the number of pay periods to ease the amount of weeks between the end of the preceding quarter and when the next quarter's first paycheck is distributed.
A poll of those present revealed that there was not a majority of members wishing to increase the number of pay periods. CODAA will continue to pursue the matter of expediting the issuance of initial paychecks to avoid the current 4 week delay at the beginning of each quarter.
President Rzeszewski reported on the issue of SURS and how office hours should be calculated in SURS credits earned. There exists a discrepancy in how the College of DuPage is dealing with this issue and how SURS views the situation.
A suggested was made to invite a SURS representative and College of DuPage representatives to a future meeting to further discuss this matter. President Rzeszewski will pursue this matter
President Rzeszewski reported that she will be filing a request for expansion of those eligible to be CODAA covered members in January. The request will be that anyone who has 1 year or more of service to the College of DuPage will be eligible for membership.
Dan McCollum made a motion, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda, to adjourn. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 4:02 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Daniel L. McCollum, Secretary
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Minutes, Officers Meeting
9-26-02
Members present: President Diane Rzeszewski, Vicki Root-Wajda, Sue Dreghorn and Dan McCollum. Also present was Mark Sharrard from the IEA.
There were no minutes to approve.
Vicki Root-Wajda made a motion, seconded by Sue Dreghorn, to elect Dan McCollum as Secretary of the CODAA. Motion carried.
Future monthly meeting dates were scheduled as follows:
Thursday October 10, 2002 1:00 p.m.
Thursday November 14, 2002 1:00 p.m.
Thursday December 5, 2002 1:00 p.m.
A quarterly meeting will be held at 2:00 p.m. following the monthly meeting of November 14, 2002.
Treasurer Joanne Barsanti arrived at the meeting at 1:05 p.m.
The awarding of a $25.00 stipend for the CODAA representative at the monthly meetings of the C.O.D. Board of Trustees was discussed. A motion was made by Dan McCollum, seconded by Sue Dreghorn, to authorize this expenditure. Motion carried. Vicki Root-Wajda abstained from voting.
Treasurer Barsanti distributed copies of the amended July Treasurer's Report and the August 1 through September 26, 2002 report. A motion was made by Dan McCollum to approve both reports, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda. Motion carried.
A discussion was held regarding fair share. Mark Sharrard outlined the law on fair share and options for objectors. A person may object to the fees deducted based upon religious reasons. They also may object regarding the portion of money deducted for political donations. If someone does not sign the IEA form, they will be listed as fair share. The fair share notice concerning CODAA as provided by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board will be posted in IC 2070 and in the M Building.
The full-time C.O.D. faculty association has suggested a monthly meeting with CODAA. There was discussion about the need and viability of monthly meetings as opposed to quarterly ones. A motion was made by Dan McCollum, seconded by Vicki Root-Wajda, to hold quarterly meetings, perhaps at lunchtime, with the full-time faculty association. Motion carried.
The AQIP Assessment Conference was discussed. It was decided that CODAA will not be involved in this activity.
The proposed CODAA By-Laws will be on the agenda for the quarterly meeting on November 14, 2002 at 2:00 p.m.
President Rzeszewski distributed copies of the Membership Grant for Higher Education. A motion was made by Joanne Barsanti, seconded by Sue Dreghorn, to approve the grant application and submit it in its current form. Motion carried.
The CODAA charter application was discussed. This item was tabled until the Quarterly Meeting of November 14, 2002.
The Elections Handbook was discussed. There is a need for someone to serve as the Elections Chairperson. President Rzeszewski will follow-up on this item.
The IEA/NEA Scholarship Program was discussed it is available to children and wards of IEA/NEA members. The program and application requirements will be posted for members to read.
The DuPage Political Action Committee (DUPACE) was discussed. President Rzeszewski will follow-up on this item.
The distribution of membership materials from the IEA/NEA was discussed. Joanne Barsanti will take care of distributing membership cards to CODAA members. Diane Rzeszewski, Sue Dreghorn and Joanne Barsanti will distribute the other materials.
The "Who Do I Ask?" brochure was discussed. It will be placed in the CODAA files.
The IEA By-Laws were received and will be filed.
President Rzeszewski will attend the IEA Presidents' Meeting on November 25, 2002.
The "No Child Left Behind" Conference was discussed. It was decided that CODAA will not participate in this program at this time.
The Election Training Program scheduled for October 29, 2002 was discussed. It was decided that CODAA will not participate in this program at this time.
A discussion was held regarding the issue of office hours as they apply to CODAA members. President Rzeszewski will ensure that this matter is clarified in the next mailing to the membership.
The CODAA Information Guide was discussed. This matter will be tabled until the October Meeting.
Council meeting reports were discussed. This matter will be tabled until the October Meeting.
A motion to adjourn was made by Vicki Root-Wajda, seconded by Dan McCollum, Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 2:21 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Daniel L. McCollum Secretary, CODAA
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