PIO Report: New BOT Voting System

by Troy Davis
Glendale College Guild (PIO)

Glendale College Guild

@GCCGuild

It is official, under the Glendale Community College's newly formed election districts, the election of trustees to the Board in 2017 will draw from Districts 2, 3, and 4, making Districts 1 and 5 to draw in 2019. College trustees voted to adopt a district-based system in order to avoid the potential for costly litigation linked to the California Voting Rights Act, which is to protect the voting influence of minority groups. District 1 is made up of N. Glendale and un-incorporated La Crescenta. District 2 spans from Montrose to Scholl Canyon and includes Woodbury and Chevy Chase neighborhoods, while District 3 encompasses Northwest Glendale, and District 4 is made up of Tropico and Adams Hill. Thus, City Center, Citrus Grove and Vineyard-Moorpark neighborhoods making up District 5. 

Of the sitting 5 trustees, none currently reside in Districts 4 or 5, both located south of the Ventura (134) freeway. Three of the college's trustees, Dr. Armine Hacopian, Ann Ransford and Anita Gabrielian will reach the end of their terms in 2017. All three ran unopposed in the 2013 election. Ransford and Gabrielian both reside in District 2, so if they both run again, only one would be elected to the board. Hacopian, on the other hand, lives in District 3, and may be facing competition that is unknown. 

One thing is for sure, and that is that the Board as we've historically known it will have a different, albeit, more enhanced look, come 2017.     

May 18th Lobby Day with CFT

Full parking lot, no cell reception, running through terminals, must be Burbank Bob Hope Airport! Just in time to make my 9am flight for Lobby Day, Sacramento with Guild President Zohara Kaye waiting ever so patiently strapped into her seat. An hour later we touch down in Sacramento and meet up with our team led by Jill Rice, Legislative Advocate. We have a quick tutorial on our walk to the elevator on what will be discussed with Senator, Carol Lieu. As explained to one of Liu's staffers, there are two important bills that require careful attention, in particular for our Adjunct faculty members, AB 1690 and AB 2069: 

AB 1690 creates minimum standards for part-time faculty job security. This bill requires local community college districts to negotiate the establishment of a seniority list, based in part on receipt of satisfactory evaluations using the existing evaluation process. This bill also requires the negotiation of the removal from such a list should the faculty member receive negative evaluations (CFT position to support). 

AB 2069 (Medina) Part Time Faculty Office Hours under the existing Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, participating community colleges are required to establish and maintain research that evaluates the effectiveness of their educational programs. AB 2069 requires the percentage of part-time faculty members that are required to hold office hours to be included in this evaluation process (CFT position to support).

All in all, lobbying for faculty completely made up for all the other challenges of the morning trying to make flight. I am optimistic on the future results of our lobbying efforts.  

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