This evening Academic Affairs will outline a plan for the fall semester. I can speak for myself and a few colleagues and students when I say we are, under the right circumstances, eager to return to the classroom, our offices and the campus. We appreciate the efforts made in Shared Governance and Academic Affairs to include faculty in the process. That does not seem like much to ask for at a college.

Unfortunately, that same inclusive respect cannot be applied to much of the current relationship between CODFA and Academic Affairs. In 2020, there were a record twenty-two grievances, and four grievances this year so far. We had an arbitration last week, another one scheduled for April and two more pending. That costs tax payers in excess of $10,000 at minimum.

These facts should not be viewed as an argumentative position by faculty. Rather they reflect a breakdown in the communication and functioning between Academic Affairs and faculty. We have expressed our growing concerns at all levels of the institution without a serious response. So tonight I bring our concerns to the Board of Trustees.

The grievance process is intended as a mechanism to resolve, not escalate, differences of contract interpretation. Meetings that average less than five minutes, with minimal interaction and responses that feel perfunctory, as well as principals who can’t be bothered to participate, are additional evidence that the process is not working.

Since November, faculty leadership have tried on multiple occasions to engage in conversation with the administration on a number of contract-related issues of significance. Those efforts have been stymied without any real effort to engage.

Last Thursday, on March 11, 2021, Faculty Senate passed the following resolution:

Be it resolved that the Faculty Senate hereby expresses the faculty’s growing concern at the administration’s persistent unwillingness to engage productively in the grievance process. This process is vital to the operation of the college, and to the implementation of the contract to which we are both parties.

These and related actions serve only to weaken legitimate attempts at resolving conflict, building trust and strengthening our institution.

Thank you.