Richland Adjunct Faculty Association s Fall 2015 Survey Responses

Transcription

1 Richland Adjunct Faculty Association s Fall 2015 Survey Responses richlandcollege.edu/rafa rafa@dcccd.edu We received 33 responses. Questions 1-8 required a reply, and question 9 was optional. Below are the unedited responses. We appreciate your time and good thoughts. 1. During an average week, how many hours outside of the classroom do you spend preparing for a class or grading papers? hours hours without grading / 3 hours additional for each class hrs/class (2 classes a week this semester) hours hours to 12 hours 23. Teach 9 hours, prepare/grade hours hours or more hours hours Page 1 of 9

2 2. Are you familiar with DCCCD s myportal? 1. yes 2. yes 3. no 4. No 5. Yes 6. yes 7. Somewhat 8. no 9. not really 10. no 11. yes 12. yes, I use it 13. a bit 14. Yes 15. No 16. NO 17. yes 18. yes 19. Yes 20. yes 21. no 22. some 23. yes 24. a little 25. yes 26. Yes 27. No 28. No 29. Yes 30. Yes 31. Yes 32. I know it exists. 33. yes Page 2 of 9

3 3. Have you ever utilized RAFA for reimbursement of funds spent on professional development? 1. no 2. no 3. no 4. No 5. No 6. no 7. No 8. no 9. no 10. no 11. no 12. No 13. no 14. No 15. No 16. NO 17. no 18. no 19. No 20. yes 21. no 22. no 23. no 24. almost 25. No 26. No 27. No 28. No 29. No 30. No 31. No 32. no 33. no Page 3 of 9

4 4. How can RAFA be the most helpful to you as an instructor? 1. By providing tools to assist. 2. educate me on upcoming events that will enhance my teaching techniques 3.? 4. Information about Richland policies and procedures ? 7. Obtain a clearly articulated, understandable policy from the college administration on the IRS/HR limitations forced on our college on the number of classes and clock hours adjuncts are permitted to teach. 8. unknown 9. Being an advocate for fair treatment 10. Send out reminders of what online yearly training needs to be done and the process to sign up. 11. Workshops focusing on pedagogical training 12. Good question. I should probably explore more how it can be helpful. 13. Lobby to end adjunct faculty limited maximum hours. 14. It gives some helpful information for Adjunct Instructors 15. Continue providing a collective resource to use for professional development and advocacy ADVOCATE FOR FAIR PAY AND BENEFITS 17. I don't know? 18. press the website managers to allow us to put in search tags to facilitate the publics ability to search online and find our classes on the RLC website 19. Not sure 20. it already is 21. Tell me now you can assist me 22. not sure 23. lobby for adjunct pay raises and benefits 24. tell instructors about any valuable technology, direct teaching issues, or DCCCD related events 25. provide trainings 26. Provide short YouTube tutorials answering frequently asked questions related to my portal or ecampass 27. Don't know 28. Not sure. 29. Continue to avail faculty to much needed resources 30. Give updates on opportunities for development 31. Intervening with departments; the English department is requiring adjuncts to volunteer in The English Corner, but adjuncts do not have the time and it is not economically feasible for adjuncts to take on an additional responsibility, thinking in large part about how to make up for costs. 32. I don't know. 33. not sure Page 4 of 9

5 5. How can RAFA help you be a better instructor for our students? 1. I'm not entirely certain at this time. 2. by hosting a series of workshops 3.? 4. Information about Richland student population and needs ? 7. I don't know. You tell me. 8. yes 9. Students cannot afford new books when required to get them. RAFA should advocate the creation of a student/textbook ombudsmen to level the playing field between those that can afford textbooks and those that cannot. 10. all is well. 11. same 12. Same answer as # Lobby to end adjunct faculty limited maximum hours. 14. Easier to analyze the experience of other teachers 15. Making available relevant resources to use for student success. 16. OFFER FACE TO FACE SEMINARS ON IMPROVING TEACHING TECHNIQUES AND EFFECTIVE USE OF ECAMPUS. 17. don't know? 18. Help me market my class to the world at large. 19. Not sure 20. supporting adjuncts 21. Keep me in formed 22. not sure 23. perhaps provide some targeted discussion times among adjuncts 24. see number provide trainings 26. See above 27. Don't know 28. Not sure. 29. Continue to support faculty in student engagements 30. Best practices for the industry involved 31. I don't have a suggestion just yet. 32. I don't know. 33. not sure Page 5 of 9

6 6. How can RAFA help to improve the quality of time you spend in the ACCESS Center? 1. The time I spend is utilized quite well. 2. provide various tops of interest that someone could speak on or provide adjuncts with materials 3. it seems great the way it is 4. Specific times with information around a specific topic ? 7. Lobby for newer, faster computers on which to do our work. 8. reinforce the no talking in the back office policy 9. The ACCESS center is the best I've seen in 4 districts I've worked for over the years. I personally spend more time in room 104 as it is quieter than the front office. 10. all is well. 11. ACCESS has been great! 12. I have become a "frequent flyer" of the ACCESS Center over the past 3 years and have found the staff most beneficial. 13. ACCESS is great. 14. With some helpful flyers 15. Increase the number of computer workstations and large surface work areas. 16. NO IMPROVEMENT NEEDED 17. I don't know? 18. n/n 19. Not sure 20. faster computers 21. soft drink machine 22. not sure 23. Contribute to the coffee fund?? Make sure new adjuncts know about the services and free lockers? 24. The Access Center is very helpful already. 25. N/A 26. I don't spend a lot of time there 27. Access Center is already great 28. Not sure. 29. Just continue to raise the bar of excellence 30. Highly functional at the time. 31. It is getting noisier in the quiet room. There should be stricter guidelines. In addition, because of the presence of AANAPISI, there are more students coming into the area, making it even noisier. Some sign on the door should be placed to usher students to the front desk for services. 32. Continue to provide coffee, etc. 33. not sure Page 6 of 9

7 7. What topics would you like for Richland's administration to discuss during a RAFA meeting? 1. The creation of a Richland Community College mobile app/ 2. grant writing and other skills that would enhance our ability to become an asset to the college 3.? 4. networking with other faculty ? 7. See above for number of classes and clock hours. 8. resources available to adjuncts 9. See no nothing specific 11. Meetings with administrators like Tony Summers regarding student matters have been most helpful 12. How to avoid having to go through the entire application process for adjunct teaching if you have not had a contract for the time period that automatically deletes you from the system. 13. How to compensate adjunct faculty for hours spent outside of classroom. 14. About important scientific events in exact sciences like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry 15. Adjunct Faculty integration into the larger campus community 16. EQUITABLE PAY 17. ways RAFA can help me as an instructor, or be a better instructor, or improve the quality of time I spend in ACCESS. 18. press the website managers to allow us to put in search tags to facilitate the publics ability to search online and find our classes on the RLC website 19. Still learning 20. all of them 21. don't know at this time 22. not easy to be an adj 23. Clarify if training sessions, seminars, TOLI credit items count against that 19 1/2 hour per week rule, given that those of us who teach 9 hours have essentially only 1 1/2 hour left. 24. technological innovations, administrative information, teaching ideas 25. Making sense of the adjunct faculty role in the college 26. None. 27. Why we are not receiving cost of living adjustments as often as other institutions. 28. What is RAFA? 29. The upcoming open-carry legislature 30. Research possibilities 31. The ability of adjuncts to receive four classes; or to open more opportunities for Visiting Scholar jobs. 32. adjunct hours and compensation 33. not sure Page 7 of 9

8 8. Which of the following would you be interested in attending? Six Comments: 1. don't want to have to travel except on days when a class is scheduled 2. Portal online training 3. meetings that actively search for solutions to increase the number of hours adjuncts are allowed to teach. 4. None 5. Conferences about adjunct faculty, the relevance and the necessity of our presence today 6. don't have time Page 8 of 9

9 9. Please add any additional comments or ideas you have. We need more frequent and more extensive messages from RAFA regarding the benefits you provide, and how adjuncts can provide increasing input. I just noticed on one of the monitors in A-110 that the wellness program is now open to adjuncts. It made me wonder what other perks I am missing because of limited communication. Maybe we need a "Did you know... flyer. I really enjoy the Richland adjunct experience! I have a full time job off campus therefore can't usually attend events/training sessions scheduled on campus during the work day. It will be helpful to have options for evening and weekend events. N/a Thank you for soliciting the view points and opinions of the faculty I love my job. I am having a wonderful time. But I am part of a department that is changing and coming up with different requirements that might conflict with my pursuit to ensure I can make my rent. If I can't volunteer, the suggestion that the department makes is that I may not be considered for classes in the upcoming semester. Departments and full time faculty don't understand that when they require something of adjuncts, in addition to the teaching expectation, that they are thinking from a full time frame of mind telling a part time person who may or may not be able to get classes each semester that they must do X to continue receiving X. It is not economically feasible for adjuncts to take on additional duties when the pay is not up to par and adjuncts are forced to offset expenses with multiple jobs in multiple places. Hope I was clear. I appreciate the prompt responses and all the assistance provided by the ACCESS Center. Page 9 of 9