President's Report: See You on the Trail

As the year comes to a close, I want to thank Maya and the Executive Board and all of CCFT Council for doing the amazing work that keeps our union strong. This has been a year for activism, with faculty working hard locally and statewide to raise awareness of the many unintended consequences of the new repeatability regulations. This is just one piece of the larger changes brought about by the Student Success Act, and Cabrillo faculty have stepped up to ask “What kind of college do we want to be?”

Most of you know I will be retiring in June after seventeen years at Cabrillo, seven of them as CCFT president. It has been a great privilege to serve as your representative in CPC, in negotiations, at All College Day, and in a myriad of committees, meetings and venues. Together, we are at the heart of the college, helping students to grow and learn, and supporting each other to bring excellence to each of the places where we offer our unique professional skills and knowledge.

We know that the state of California is in the process of redefining education, and we again need to organize to help our community understand what we do, how we do it, and what resources are needed to provide quality public education.

 

by Debora Bone

 

 

We need to engage broadly with students, families, employers and universities to assure that the breadth and depth of offerings continues to reflect the educational needs of our community.

 

 

 

 

 

Union activism allowed us to pass Proposition 30 and showed that Californians are with us. We must build on that momentum to assure more permanent funding sources such as an oil extraction tax for education. We need to engage broadly with students, families, employers and universities to assure that the breadth and depth of offerings continues to reflect the educational needs of our community.

Here at Cabrillo, there will be many more discussions about how to improve enrollment, how to retain students, and how to increase our numbers of successful graduates. I know that CCFT will contribute to these conversations by raising awareness of the many kinds of work that faculty already provide, as well as a willingness to think strategically about whether some things could be done better or differently. We have a lot to be proud of and a lot to protect, as well as many possibilities for new ideas to grow.

Welcome to Conrad, Barbara, Beth and Brian on the Executive Board, as well as the new and ongoing officers and representatives. The power of the union has always been in the solidarity and determination of its members. Keep up the good work!