Following an exceptionally successful year in 2022-23, the members of TMCC-NFA are excited to start the new academic year and invite all academic and administrative faculty to join us for a series of events in the first few weeks.

Look for the TMCC-NFA table on campus on August 11. We will have information for members and accept applications for new members.

If all goes according to plan, we'll also be handing out our new t-shirts to members and new applicants. These are high-quality, all-cotton shirts in steel gray with a 4" Nevada Faculty Alliance Logo on the left chest. It's a perfect way to show solidarity with your rank and file colleagues. 

The first chapter meeting for members of TMCC-NFA will be held at 12:30 PM on Friday, August 25 in VSTA B206. A video option will be available for individuals unable to attend in person. All rank and file academic and administrative faculty are encouraged to attend. And, since there's nothing better than a free lunch, we'll serve pizza and soft drinks at the meeting. 

Members may submit suggestions for the meeting's agenda to any TMCC-NFA officer. We will be voting on items such as the chapter's 2023-24 goals. And did we mention there will be a free lunch? Please plan to attend.

For those looking for an alternative to sweltering at the Rib Cookoff, join your fellow TMCC-NFA members at the 2nd annual Reno LaborFest from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Labor Day (September 4) in Reno's Idlewild Park.

Hosted by the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council, the event will feature live music, food trucks, a beer garden and a kids' fun zone. Chapter members will staff a booth at the event to share information about the benefits of union membership. Proceeds benefit the NNCLC Worker Benefit Corp., a non-profit providing community assistance to apprentices and members.

 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING 

After receiving multiple comments following the college's Kickoff events last fall and spring semesters, TMCC-NFA conducted a brief survey to gather input and recommendations from faculty members about these semi-annual events. We published the results in February and shared them with President Hilgersom. 

Announcement of this year's Kickoff schedule has prompted a new round of questions from faculty. Article 8, section 8.3, subsection 1.f of the 2023-25 TMCC-NFA Contract establishes convocation as a mandatory event. At the time this language was added to the contract, however, convocation was primarily a one to two hour presentation on the state of the college with relevant information about budgets, legislation, personnel changes, and other initiatives. This remains a faculty preference according to the February survey results. We remind all faculty of their obligation to attend the portion of the Kickoff event that is consistent with convocation as intended in the contract language.

 SHARED GOVERNANCE 

A top priority of the Nevada Faculty Alliance is the promotion and protection of shared governance. At TMCC, the Planning Council is touted as "a representative internal shared governance team for the College's planning efforts." Significant policy adoptions, revisions, and repeals that affect the entire college community occur at Council meetings.

Despite the magnitude of its actions, Planning Council decisions frequently fly under the radar of the campus rank and file. For academic faculty, the meeting schedule, 9:00 to 11:00 AM on the third Monday of the month, is less than ideal. Administrative faculty have an even larger obstacle and may be required to submit annual leave in order to attend the meetings, depending on the whims of supervisors. Agendas are not widely distributed and employees must sign up to receive them in advance of the meetings.

The composition of the Planning Council, which is exceptionally top heavy with administrators, is even more problematic from a shared governance point of view. As described in an article last May, only six of the 34 members on the council are selected by their constituent groups. The rest are members based on their positions or hand-picked by the administration. 

"Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants"
- Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, 1913

TMCC-NFA will strive to spill sunlight into the Planning Council proceedings in 2023-24. We encourage as many faculty as possible to attend the meetings and contribute to this important shared governance process. We will distribute the meeting agendas to all members of the bargaining unit and send out frequent reminders as meeting dates approach. Our faculty representatives need to know that we have their backs when issues that impact our rights and working conditions are being considered. Shared governance is not a spectator sport and your participation is sorely needed.

TMCC-NFA Officers

Jim New, President

Amy Cavanaugh, Vice President

Julia Hammett, Secretary

Lars Jensen, Treasurer

Cheryl Cardoza, Past President