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Fall 2004 Items

RAFO Spring General Membership Meeting Coming in March

On Saturday, March 12, RAFO will be having its Spring General Membership meeting. At this meeting, we will conduct elections for RAFO officers and also for delegates to the NEA's Representative Assembly (in Los Angeles in July) and our IEA regional representative. RAFO officers are elected to a 2-year term and the current slate of officers is running for re-election. However, this is a democracy, so we welcome nominations for candidates for any or all of the officers (President, Vice President/Grievance Chair, Treasurer, Secretary). You may send nominations via email to Joe Berry, our membership chair at membership@rafo.org. You may also make nominations at the meeting.

Course Assignments, Cancellation Fees, and Classes by Arrangement

Course schedules for the Spring 2005 semester are out, so it is time for RAFO to remind bargaining unit members of some key rights they have under the contract with regard to class assignments:
  1. The University is required to provide written notice of proposed assignments by November 30 for Spring term courses (Article 4 Section E). If you do not receive written notice of your spring class assignments by that date, let us know ASAP.
  2. Because the University is now committed to increasing average class size, there is increased pressure to cancel classes early if they have "low" enrollment. If you have been assigned and accepted a course, and it is then cancelled (and if "there is no equivalent credit hour course available to teach"), you are entitled to a $250 class cancellation fee (Article 7 Section G). If you are in the top level of the pay scale, you may be entitled to "bump" a first-year adjunct (Article 4 Section G). If your class has been cancelled, we urge you to ask when you will be paid the cancellation fee.
  3. Another response to low enrollment classes has been for program directors to offer to "convert" the regular, assigned course to a "class by arrangement" (aka "independent study"). This practice is of great concern to RAFO because it acts as an exception to the pay scale. Consequently, please note that:
    1. Accepting a class by arrangement, including one "converted" from a regular class, is completely optional. You are under no obligation to accept such an assignment.
    2. RAFO's interpretation is that "converting" a regularly-scheduled class to a class by arrangement is in fact a cancellation of the regularly-scheduled class. If you don't accept the conversion, you should still get the cancellation fee (if applicable). Even if you do accept the conversion, we believe that you should get the cancellation fee.
    3. RAFO recommends that adjuncts DO NOT accept classes by arrangement. Such courses are paid only 10% of the base compensation per student. That is, this year you would receive $260 per student, no matter where you fall on the pay scale. It is not 10% of your salary, but 10% (and only 10%) of the base compensation. RAFO argued in negotiations that this fee should be a higher percentage and should be tied to an individual's actual salary. When Roosevelt refused to budge on this, we said we'd recommend to our members that they not accept classes by arrangement. Consider it recommended.

RAFO understands that subtle pressures may be exerted and exceptions may be raised for all of these issues. Therefore, we urge you to consult with us if any of the above apply to you, i.e. if you are not notified by November 30, if a class is cancelled, or if you are offered a class by arrangement (either separately or as a conversion).

And remember, you may request that your union rep be present at any discussions you and your department director need to hold on such matters.

Health Care Options

RAFO members have frequently asked whether Roosevelt offers any health care benefits to adjunct faculty. Although we have so far been unable to negotiate (or even find) any programs specifically for adjuncts, Bill Lannin is our point man in investigating other options. He has done some research on Illinois’ KidCare and FamilyCare programs. These aim to provide affordable healthcare to low income families with children up through age 18. The benefits are comprehensive and include hospital and clinic visits, prescription drugs, dental, eye care, medical equipment, lab tests, medical transportation, etc. There are various options and income limits. Here’s a brief description: 

Illinois recently expanded eligibility for its Kid Care and Family Care programs to provide greater access to affordable health care. These programs in Illinois cover 1,000,000 children and 350,000 adults and have made the state a leader among its peers in this effort. Some RAFO members with children age 18 or under may qualify, depending on their monthly income. For example, a family of four earning $2089 per month ($25,068 annually) would qualify. 

For more information, call 1-866-468-7543 or visit the web site www.kidcareillinois.com.  Enrollment forms can be obtained from the web site, from your local Illinois Department of Human Services office, or from the 1100 authorized agents (including Jewel-Osco stores). In a special effort to increase enrollment, particularly as children go back to school, if you sign for Kid Care/ Family Care at a participating Jewel-Osco store by October 31, 2004, you can get a $5 coupon redeemable at the store.

RAFO Meeting with RU President Middleton

On November 10, RAFO officers met with Roosevelt University President Chuck Middleton for our once-a-semester discussion. With the contract behind us, this was a brief and cordial meeting. First, President Middleton dispelled rumors that Roosevelt is planning to become a “Research 1” university. Most of the rest of the time was spent on discussing the perception some adjuncts and students have that the Spring schedule is “thin.” Provost Reid acknowledged that they are closing low-enrollment classes (4-5 students) early and Associate Provost Love said that they are trying to be more responsive to student needs. However, there is not yet a coherent university-wide process for handling scheduling, though Middleton said they’d like to move toward “modular” scheduling. The recent “Academic Environmental Scans” in each program and school will help to rationalize the process of course offerings.

RAFO General Meeting

On November 13, RAFO held its semester general membership meeting in the Fifth Floor lounge in the Gage building downtown. Sparsely attended despite the offer (and delivery) of wine, cheese and other snacks, there was nevertheless a good discussion of how to get more adjuncts involved. This focused on how and when to hold a RAFO party (or parties). The adjunct union at Columbia College (P-FAC) holds a holiday party and Beverly Stewart suggesting holding a mid-winter (Groundhog Day) party. Some also suggested having smaller get-togethers by departments and programs. Stay tuned for a survey on this issue – socializing is a key element of solidarity, after all. Finally, Bill Lannin (our rep on the Health Task Force) gave a brief presentation on health savings accounts. There will also be a survey coming out on access to health care.

Watch Your Paycheck! 

The raises negotiated by RAFO in the recent contract go into effect with the September 20 paycheck. Take a close look at your paycheck stub to make sure you are being paid correctly. Here are some key provisions:

If you think that you have been placed in the wrong step or deserve the bonus, and didn’t get it, contact Tim Mollenkamp (tmollenk@roosevelt.edu) and/or RAFO (webmaster@rafo.org).

Joyce Bauman Sanders Memorial Scholarship

If you are a member of RAFO, and your child is an undergraduate education major or is taking coursework which qualifies for teacher certification in Illinois, that child may be eligible for a $500 scholarship being offered through Region 37 (the region of IEA to which RAFO is assigned). The deadline is December 1. You may contact LuAnn Swartzlander, our Region 37 representative, at vp@rafo.org or download a PDF of the application from our website here.

I Hear Music: Writing on Mozart, Miles, Monk and more

RAFO’s own Robert Klein Engler will be participating in the above event, sponsored by the Tallgrass Writers Guild. This free event is at the Book Cellar, 4736 N. Lincoln, on December 2 at 7:30 pm. Engler will be presenting "3 x 7. Poems for Voice and Cello" with Michael Levin.

RAFO Fall General Membership Meeting

Our fall 2004 general membership meeting will be held Saturday, November 13 from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm in the Fifth Floor Commons of the Gage Building (18 S. Michigan Ave.). Come and hear about:

Wine and cheese will be served!

USLAW report on August 2004 conference in Britain

On the website of U.S. Labor Against the War (of which RAFO is an affiliate, there is a report on Gene Bruskin's trip to London in August, where he spoke to labor antiwar audiences and met with labor and political leaders to discuss the labor antiwar movement internationally. He also met with representatives of both Iraqi labor federations and presented each with a check in the amount of $5000 from US Labor Against the War contributed by U.S. trade unions and labor activists. The report includes photos.

If you’re interested, follow this link: http://uslaboragainstwar.org/downloads/London-USLAW%20report.pdf.

Full-Time Faculty Positions at Roosevelt University

Roosevelt University has sent RAFO a listing of the full-time faculty positions it is seeking to fill in the next year.  The deadline is November 1 and there are positions available in all five colleges.  To see the ad, click here.

Adjunct Faculty "Upgraded"

The RAFO contract with Roosevelt University requires the university to consider qualified adjunct faculty for full-time positions and to notify the union of openings (See Article 4, Section B).  Although Roosevelt adjuncts are not guaranteed interviews or any formal preference, a number of adjuncts have gotten temporary fulll-time and tenure-track positions at Roosevelt.  Louise Love, Associate Provost, reports that these full-time faculty have been adjuncts:

Don’t Mourn, Organize!

Carol Edelson, Midwest Regional Coordinator of the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute, has asked us to pass this on. Often, college teachers are well-placed to identify students who might be interested in a social justice career, such as union organizing. This refers to an Idealist Job Fair to be held at RU’s downtown campus this Wednesday, Nov. 10: If you are looking for a job where you can put your commitment to social justice and human rights to work defending the rights of working people, immigrants, women and people of color, visit the Organizing Institute table at the Idealist Job Fair at Roosevelt University on November 10. An OI recruiter will be available to take applications for our paid job training program and summer internship. The AFL-CIO Organizing Institute is a paid job training and placement program. Graduates of the OI Apprenticeship Program have a 95% placement rate in full time permanent jobs as union organizers, paying $24,000 to $32,000 a year. Paid summer internships are also available for Juniors and Seniors with social justice activist experience. You can find out more about the Organizing Institute at www.organize.aflcio.org.

Scholarships from Region 37

IEA Region 37 (RAFO is one of the locals in this region) is offering a $500 scholarship for the child of a current or retired member from the region. That child must be currently an undergraduate education major or in a teacher certification program. For more information, contact LuAnn Swartzlander (our Region 37 rep) via e-mail at vp@rafo.org.

NEA President Reg Weaver to speak at Roosevelt University 

Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association (the national teachers’ union with which we are affiliated), will be speaking at Roosevelt University on Tuesday, September 28 at 4:30 pm in the Congress Lounge downtown.

He will give the Distinguished Alumni Lecture for the College of Education. Weaver, who taught in Illinois and has served as president of the Illinois Education Association, was a 1973 graduate of Roosevelt. RAFO members are encouraged to attend Weaver’s speech to show our support; besides, he’s a very dynamic speaker.

RU-NLU Merger 

The topic on most people’s minds at Roosevelt these days is the proposed merger with National-Louis University. RAFO representatives have been meeting with adjunct faculty from National-Louis to get a sense of their views on and concerns about the merger. At the very least, we want to be sure that in a merged university, the gains we’ve made over the last few years aren’t diluted. More proactively, we are discussing with those adjuncts and with IEA organizers how best to go about organizing adjuncts at NLU. To do this effectively, we need as many contacts there as possible.

So, a question: have you, or anyone you know, ever taught (particularly as an adjunct), at NLU? If so, will you share contact information with RAFO?   Send to info@rafo.org.

Contract Ratified!

Great news! The votes have been counted and the proposed contract between RAFO and Roosevelt University has been overwhelmingly approved. Actually, it was unanimously approved. All 164 ballots voted yes on the contract. Although this was not as high a turnout as we’d have liked, this is an absolute majority of the members voting in favor of the contract. The contract negotiating team wants to thank you for your support. We’d also like to thank Roosevelt University for cooperating with us to create a second contract of which we can be proud and which we can build on for the future as we move toward greater equity for adjunct faculty.

Governance Elections Results

As students of political science should know, voter turnout tends to increase when there are more choices, when voters are mobilized, and when there is a greater sense of the stakes of the election. All these seemed to be the case for this spring’s governance elections, which saw candidates for seven out of the eight available offices. Here are the winners:
The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.
F.D.R., March 1, 1945

Last revised on February 24, 2005 by the Webmaster.