Adjunct Faculty Association at Nassau Community College

VANGUARD

Charles Loiacono, Editor                                                  Vol. 35, No.5  January 2008

PERB ORDERS HEARING ON LINCC PROGRAM

Inside This Issue:

The Union's Position
Viewpoint

Summer 2008 Update

Announcements

          On December 11, the NCCFT and the AFA joined forces to oppose the administration’s attempt to have the LINCC program declared a brand new program—so new, they maintain, that nothing like it has ever graced a college campus. Indeed, in a new twist on hyperbolic chutzpah, the administration proffered that “LINCC has the potential to become a model English Language immersion program for colleges across the United States.”. They have taken the position that English as a second language has never been taught before—not like this. Imagine! In these classrooms, one will see nothing resembling classroom instruction. It will not be teaching and learning that will be observed. It will be so different from conventional pedagogy, that the nation’s institutions of higher learning will flock to NCC to observe this magic that has been discovered right here at old ivy.

            With that delusion, the administration has tripped the light fantastic. After a brief chuckle at this self-serving fantasy, we paused to realize how lost in self-delusion these poor characters are.

            We were the first to admit that the strategy of filing a petition with PERB for unit placement was a smart one—devious, but smart. It was aimed at buying time. It has accomplished that. There was also the chance that PERB might view the petition as an honest request. Indeed, the ALJ’s initial response was to assume we all agreed that the program was new and belonged in the AFA’s jurisdiction. It took less than two minutes to convince the ALJ that we wanted a hearing so that both unions could prove bad faith on the part of the administration.

The hearing has been scheduled for March 31 and April 1.