Welcome to 2007. We hope that
you can see a clear path to the successful conclusion
of another academic year and that it includes
a refreshing visit to the Academic Senate’s
Spring Plenary Session. Mark your calendars to
be at the Westin
San Francisco Airport from April 19 through
21.
We will feature our usual rich mixture of activities
and topics: keynote speakers and breakout sessions
for beginner and expert. You can talk with colleagues
from around the state as you craft resolutions
for Saturday’s voting session. We will
also hold our annual elections for positions
on the Executive Committee.
In creating the theme
for this spring, the
Executive Committee
pondered your reactions
to the last three session
themes. Quick–can you
name them all? There
was “Managing
Conflict by Balancing
Principles with Pragmatism,” “Are
We There Yet?” and “New
Possibilities: Radical
Solutions to Perennial
Challenges.” The
concept that seemed
to resonate best, and
was quoted by delegates
long after the event,
was principles and
pragmatism. So we decided
to revisit that theme
with a more specific
twist.
CCC: Consult, Cooperate, Confront
Some local senate presidents never make it past
consult, but for the rest of us, there’s
always this nagging little doubt about whether
the consultation is working. And if you determine
that it needs to work better on a particular
issue, that’s where it gets tricky. Should
you cooperate and try to get what you want by
following the rules of the game? If you fail,
or even if you succeed, will you be perceived
as having sold out the cause and be attacked
by your own colleagues? Is there ever a time
to dig in your heels and fight, even if it means
going down in flames? The really tricky part
of this strategy is deciding when to confront.
It’s important not to overbalance from
resolute into dogmatic and thereby “toss
out the baby with the bathwater.”
We all make such decisions on a daily basis.
I’m sure you can identify many local issues
that behave this way (for example: budget, hiring,
when to speak out at the board meeting), just
as I can describe similar state level issues
(equalization, non-credit funding, the response
to the recent “Rules of the Game” report).
I encourage you to participate personally in
this exploration and to recruit several colleagues
from your campus. Share the pre-session materials
that will be sent out to you and are also available
electronically on the Academic Senate’s
comprehensive website (www.asccc.org). Discuss
issues at your local senate meetings. Meet with
regional friends and colleagues at the Area Meetings
scheduled for April 6 or 7. Attend the Spring
Session itself, preferably in the company of
others from your campus. Remember that scholarships
are available to ensure that every local senate
is represented by a voting delegate (contact
the Senate Office for details).
On behalf of the Executive Committee I can say
that we are all eagerly looking forward to joining
you in San Francisco.
Cordially,
Ian Walton
President,
Academic Senate for California Community Colleges
