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

By Billy Gunn, Treasurer It is that time of year again when it is my responsibility to report on the last year’s finances and provide an approved budget for this year. The Faculty Assembly operates on a fiscal year that begins October 1 and ends on September 30, which means we are currently at the beginning fiscal year 2025-2026. By comparing our budgeted expectations for 2024-2025 with actual expenditures, we see that the FA once again ended the year in a strong financial p

By Luke Lara, FA Ombudsperson The Professional Relations Committee (PRC) chaired by Luke Lara, is a subset of the Faculty Assembly Council and includes the Academic Senate Vice President/President-Elect, as liaison, and several Faculty Assembly Council (FAC) members. The purpose of the committee is to improve communication and work collaboratively on issues that affect the FA and/or issues other groups may have that we can help support. The committee is concerned with relatio

by dara, FA Vice President Billy Gunn and I facilitate the FA Operations Committee. We have three main objectives for our committee work: the FA budget, philanthropy, and membership. Before we get to the “Official” work of the sub-committee, there’s a new element to our team. As many of you know, we are part of a group of independent unions–California Community College Independents (CCCI). Recently, CCCI has contracted Evan Hawkins who is a former Executive Director, Faculty

By Mary Gross, FA President One of the primary goals of the FA’s Executive Council when the new team was elected in 2022 was to ensure broader participation and understanding of the FA’s work and most importantly about the Contract (CBA) which codifies all the working condition matters negotiated on behalf of the full time faculty. We developed the Education/Contract Committee, chaired by Annie Ngo and Mary Gross, to focus primarily on ensuring that information is regularly

by Annie Ngo Our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) details the rights, responsibilities, and working conditions we've negotiated for full-time faculty. To help every member navigate this important document, your Faculty Assembly has created a new "CBA Overview Handout." This quick-guide is designed to help you quickly find the answers you need and understand how the CBA fits into the broader landscape of our work. The document provides clear, practical tips on how our con