by Annie Ngo "Ask Annie"  will be on sabbatical for Spring 2026. If you have questions about our collective bargaining agreement (CBA), you can " Message Mary"  at mgross@miracosta.edu . Get your questions answered directly by our FA President! Ask Annie launched in the fall of 2022 as a resource for faculty with questions about our contract. Every question I received, whether through the Ask Annie form, by direct email, or even in person while walking across campus, gave me

by dara, FA Vice President On Oct. 23-25, Mary, Billy, Luke, and I attended the California Community College Independent Unions’ (CCCI) fall conference in Downtown San Diego. As usual, it was three days full of information, collaboration, collegiality, data-gathering, humor, and support. As a co-planner of the conferences, I worked with CCCI President Karen Frindell-Teuscher to create a robust agenda with small and whole-group discussions, breakout sessions, and social events

By Mary Gross, FA President Like you all, I wonder where the fall semester as gone as we enter this final week. When you are busy, time definitely flies! Your FA has continued its work in earnest, and this newsletter highlights the events and issues at the heart of that work. In November, we had a successful Education Luncheon Event attended by over 50 of your colleagues on a Friday afternoon. We collaborated with the Academic Senate Leadership to provide information and soli

By Mary Gross, FA President At the Education event, Annie Ngo, curry mitchell, and I facilitated the discussion around MiraCosta’s new upcoming Condensed Calendar and Winter Intersession. The District received approval from the Chancellor’s Office for the 2026-2027 calendar  which now has a fall and spring semester composed of 16 instructional weeks along with 5 designated FLEX days each semester and 1 All College Day in the Fall. We will now have a full week off during Thank

By Luke Lara, FA Ombudsperson The Title 5 regulations related to the Flexible Calendar Program  were updated by the California Community College’s Board of Governors recently and filed with the Office of Administrative Law and the California Secretary of State recently, making the changes effective as of September 18, 2025. For all regulatory action, which has the weight of law, all California Community Colleges must conform their local policies and procedures within 180 days

by Billy and dara We had great conversations with colleagues about AF and IP. Many were aware we have mentions of both in the Contract (CBA), but many didn’t know that the current language about Academic Freedom (L.1.0) is merely reference to Board Policy 4030, and current language about Intellectual Property (L.2.0) is somewhat vague in terms of property definitions. We began our group discussions with two questions: 1) What is your understanding of academic freedom and what

By Billy Gunn, Treasurer The strength of the MiraCosta College Faculty Assembly comes directly from the strength of its membership. As we navigate this time of instability and uncertainty, we are launching our 2025-26 Dues Drive with a renewed focus on unity, participation, and preparing our faculty for the changes ahead.   Next year, we expect to welcome a new college president, a shift that will likely shape institutional priorities and impact working conditions. At the sam

By Luke Lara, FA Ombudsperson Have you ever had a working conditions complaint? Did you wonder if it was grievable? What do these terms even mean? One of the main functions of the Ombudsperson  is to educate and provide information and resources to faculty regarding their working conditions’ rights and responsibilities, particularly the grievance process and procedures.  Typically, faculty members will reach out to the Faculty Assembly (FA) or the Ombudsperson with a working

by dara, FA Vice President Before the independent unions group–CCCI–gathered for the fall 2025 conference, Tim Shively–English Instructor and De Anza College President of their Faculty Association–shared an idea to honor Bob Bezemek, a 40-year labor attorney who successfully argued the landmark Cervisi decision in 1989 that established that part-time faculty are eligible for unemployment benefits between semesters because their assignments are not considered a "reasonable a

By Luke Lara, FA Ombudsperson In the November 2024 election, MiraCosta College had its first seriously contested seat for the Board of Trustees in a decade. At the same time, the Oceanside Unified School District (OUSD) Faculty Union approached the Faculty Assembly (FA) for support in endorsing an OUSD Board of Trustee candidate. In addition, a MiraCosta College faculty member running for the Board of Trustees at Palomar College requested an endorsement from the Faculty Assem