WCC welder takes on world
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Noonie Anderson’s skaters gliding for gold
Voice staffer reflects
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on first Latino pope
VOICE THE
March 18,14,2013 January 2013
Volume 19, Issue 13 9
Ann Arbor, Michigan
VP Blacklaw fired Faculty livid at president’s ‘cowardly’ decision By ADRIAN HEDDEN Managing Editor
and BEN SOLIS
Editor
Incited by the abrupt departure of Vice President of Instruction Stuart Blacklaw, members of the Washtenaw Community College Education Association were angered by what they called a “cowardly move.” After months of waiting for an answer as to whether or not he would keep Stuart Blacklaw his position, Blacklaw learned his fate when he was relieved of his administrative duties effective immediately Thursday, according to an email sent out by Washtenaw President Rose Bellanca. In his place, Bellanca has appointed Dr. William (Bill) Abernethy, the college’s Dean of Humanities, Social
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and Behavioral Sciences. Abernethy will act as the Interim Vice President of Instruction until the college can hire a permanent administrator for the 2014 academic year, Bellanca said in her email. Blacklaw will continue to receive his annual salary of $128,270 until his contact expires in June, totalling in three months pay of $32,067. Abernethy will be paid $131,400 per year. “Dr. Abernethy has demonstrated diverse leadership and I have full confidence in his ability,” Bellanca wrote. “He is working on a transition plan that includes learning more about all of our instructional areas and working with deans and department chairs to resolve issues. “We will also discuss a collaborative process to hire a new Vice President for Instruction for the 2014 academic year.” And after CFO Steven Hardy resigned suddenly last November, the college must now endeavor to find a replacement for its two most prominent vice presidents. Blacklaw was shown the door immediately after meeting with the VP INSTRUCTION CONTINUED A6
Faculty: ‘deep concerns’ about new administration By BEN SOLIS
Editor
After months of uncertainty, mounting rumors and hushed “mudslinging,” Washtenaw Community College’s faculty union aired its grievances concerning communication breakdowns with college President Rose Bellanca. In front of administrators and trustees at Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting, the union’s chief negotiator David Fitzpatrick made it clear to trustees that the faculty feel they have been pushed aside while trying to communicate with the president and her office.
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Citing various ignored emails sent to Bellanca, Fitzpatrick, flanked by science instructor David Wooten and the union’s 2nd Vice President Bonnie Tew, said that the disregarded communications have given them cause to question the president’s commitment to staff and administrator collaboration. “I want to be very concise in my language,” Fitzpatrick said. “At last month’s board meeting, Jennifer Baker reported to me that we were experiencing problems in collaboration and communication with the administration and were working through those problems. You should know now that those problems were more severe than she had lead on, and her communication with you after the cancellation of last week’s board meeting, describing in detail our concerns and the steps we’ve taken, both in the (faculty union) and with the department chairs, to move things forward.
“At present, there are three paths of communication through which we are hoping to work,” he continued. “First, Carrie Krantz (English Department David Fitzpatrick chair) and the other department chairs send an email to President Bellanca requesting that she meet with that body. In liaison, on Feb. 18, the second path, Jennifer Baker and I expressed our deep concerns about the academic cabinet President Bellanca had announced. And third, we’re hoping to work through the email that Jennifer sent to you last week. It is our hope that these will result in the discussion that will fix the serious communication problems that exist on this campus and we anxiously await replies to all of those communications. “I want to be clear here, effective communication on this campus, both lateral and vertical, have all but collapsed,” Fitzpatrick added. “This is not just a faculty perspective. We hear this frequently from administrators and mid-grade employees. This thing is not a figment of the faculty’s imagination. It is a widely held view that stretches across the college. “In closing, I want to quote to you from an email that Jennifer sent last week. ‘It is my hope,’ she wrote, ‘that articulating our concerns to you will bring to our institution to a better place – that we can begin to operate in accordance with our policy on staff collaboration. We love this college. I
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College to lose millions in revenue next year
Administrators blame state aid and declining enrollment
past 18 months we’ve had a decline in enrollment,” said WCC President Rose Bellanca. “We know it impacts the budget, but how?” Trustees discussed a $5,000,486 By ADRIAN HEDDEN decrease in revenue due to low enManaging Editor rollment and a decline in tuition payments, along with another $5,000,114 Washtenaw Community College loss from the current personal propcould see an $11 million shortfall in erty tax budget of $46 million, due to total revenue next year, an 11-per- recent legislation to phase out pay-ins cent decline from last year’s total for personal property taxes. revenue of about $97 million, budBut the government didn’t stop get officials warn. there. At the Board of Trustee’s spring Officials anticipated that state aid retreat last week, Interim CFO is to be reduced by $690,000 and that Chuck Thomas and budget spe- the college has already projected a loss cialist Barb Fillinger delivered the of $40,000 to recent sequestration annual projeclaws. Investment income to the coltions and exlege will also drop by $500,000. plained many “For those areas between tuition contributing and fees and other revenue drivers, it’s factors, inabout $11 million,” Fillinger said of the cluding changreduced income. “It will mostly impact es to state investment income because we will legislation have less to invest, so therefore we’re and drops in enrollment. BUDGET Chuck Thomas “Over the CONTINUED A5
Trustees worry about overspending Page A5
Administration takes ax to deferred maintenance Page A5
Trustees to raise tuition, but freeze rates for early registrants By ADRIAN HEDDEN Managing Editor
Washtenaw’s Board of Trustees is considering a hike in tuition for next year, but may allow returning students to register early and see no change at all. Presented to the board at its annual spring retreat, interim CFO Chuck Thomas laid out four scenarios for consideration. And after an initial idea to hold the line on tuition was found to create a $600,000 deficit for the college, the board settled on the second path. “That would offer students the option of paying the current year’s tuition if they registered early,” Thomas said of the second plan. “This would encourage students to register early, commit to
their programs ahead of time and get marching through school at a good pace.” College officials estimated that 80 percent of returning students would take advantage of early registration rates for Fall 2013 and maintain rates from 2012. Proposing a $2 increase for in-district students, $4 for out-of-district and $6 for out-of-state in Fall 2013, Plan B found a consensus and will be voted on by the board at its March 26 meeting. Trustees were concerned with WCC’s declining enrollment as a major factor in tuition rates and hoped the increase in tuition could create more revenue for the college. They also justified that a zero increase for early registration, by July 1, could help enrollment by encouraging
earlier academic commitments. “I have always been a person, since I’ve been on the board, trying to keep tuition low or to lowMark Freeman er tuition,” said Trustee Diana McKight-Morton. “But I feel because of the uncertainty that’s coming, that we don’t know what those are, we’re in a good spot but it doesn’t feel like we are with declining student enrollment. “I just feel that (plan B) is a good plan. Without having any revenue coming in, especially Plan A could hurt us. I don’t want to cut off our nose to TUITION CONTINUED A3
Students to get lower fitness club fees By BEN SOLIS
Editor
Wa s h t e n aw C o m m u n i t y College’s Board of Trustees voted to lower the student Health and Fitness Center membership rate from $160 per semester to $140, an action that could result in a $30,000
shortfall in revenue per semester for the facility. The change reflects a $5 decrease in the four-part monthly payment plan offered to students, altering the monthly dues from $40 to $35. The changes will be introduced as a pilot program for the 2013 SpringSummer and Fall semesters, and will
be reassessed by trustees in November for any necessary modifications. Other changes in the proposed amendment include lowering the non-credit monthly membership rate from $45 to $43. HFC CONTINUED A3
PRZEMEK OZOG THE WASHTENAW VOICE
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Pricey fitness: The WCC Health and Fitness Center, located across the street from the Student Center, offers all the gym amenities students would expect to see after paying $140 for a semester membership.
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Voices
March 18, 2013
EDITORIAL
Faculty union, president and trustees: we’re counting on you A silent hush fell over attendees at a recent meeting of Washtenaw’s Board of Trustees, as David Fitzpatrick, chief negotiator to the college’s faculty union, began to air serious grievances directed at the board and WCC President Rose Bellanca. Internal problems at WCC that had been rumored for months and talked about behind closed doors had now boiled over into the public domain, and recently came to a head with the firing of Vice President of Instruction Stuart Blacklaw. Fitzpatrick spoke delicately about problems in communication between himself and other union members when attempting to work together with college officials. He felt that his ability to communicate within his own chain of command had faltered along with any ability to cooperate directly with administrators, all the way up to the president’s office. When Fitzpatrick concluded his remarks, he optimistically quoted an email from union President Jennifer Baker sent to Dr. Bellanca the previous week. Baker expressed similar concerns and worried about the cancellation of last month’s board meeting, an essential public forum that brings together administration and instructors to discuss changes to the college. “We love this college,” Baker said in the email. “I am asking you personally, on behalf of the faculty and the staff, and the county citizens who elected you and who you represent, to address the issue our institution is currently facing.” All trustees stood firm in their decision to hire Bellanca, almost two years ago. They made clear that they were previously unaware of any problems between WCC’s president and the union. As board members delivered their responses, in some cases emotionally defending a president they hired, it became clear that a wall had been built. How could the teachers, the most important employees to the objective of any school, be in such direct opposition to the views of the college’s administration and governing body? As students, we’re not sure what the problem is. And we have no interest in picking sides in this confrontation. All we can do is go to class, keep our heads down and try to learn. But as people paying good money for a degree at a renowned college, we do have our stakes in this fight. And to say that we, the students, love this place too would be an understatement. We need this place. We don’t just hope the communication breakdown will be resolved, our futures depend on it. It’s hard to even imagine the detriment that a vote of no confidence would create for student and teachers alike, and what damage its rumor has already caused in past weeks. We ask that college officials and teachers work together to come to a resolution before everything that past employees, from top officials to part-time teaching assistants, have worked for comes crashing down. Work it out now. Thousands of students’ futures are on the line and they are counting on you.
Comments from the web Posted on the story VP Blacklaw fired ‘Hey Trustees, are you sorry you didn’t check references now? How much more damage will you allow before you do the right thing and end the reign of ineptitude.’ ~ Rob ‘I hope the Board of Trustees are paying attention to the fact that EVERYONE on campus IS NOT HAPPY with the new president and her decisions. This last decision just goes to show just how divided the college has become under this new dictatorship. Us students, the faculty, and staff may not get to make the deciding factor in who our college President is but WE DO IN FACT VOTE ON THE BOARD MEMBERS AND WE WILL REMEMBER THIS COME THE NEXT ELECTION! WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION!!!!!’ ~ Kitten
VOICE THE
Volume 19, Issue 13
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The Voice is committed to correct all errors that appear in the newspaper and on its website, just as we are committed to the kind of careful journalism that will minimize the number of errors printed. To report an error of fact that should be corrected, please phone (734) 677-5405 or e-mail thewashtenawvoice@gmail. com. A copy of each edition of The Washtenaw Voice is free to everyone. Additional copies are available at the Voice office for 25 cents each. The Washtenaw Voice does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information or content in advertisements contained in the newspaper or its website, washtenawvoice.com, nor the quality of any products, information or other materials displayed, or obtained by you as a result of an advertisement or any other information or offer in or in connection with the services or products advertised. EDITOR Ben Solis bensolis1@gmail.com MANAGING EDITOR Adrian Hedden ahedden@wccnet.edu PHOTO EDITOR Nathan Clark njclark@wccnet.edu DESIGN EDITOR Peter Hochgraf phochgraf@wccnet.edu WEB EDITOR Tom Lee tlee15@wccnet.edu ADVISER Keith Gave kgave@wccnet.edu
ADVERTISING MANAGER Becky Alliston ealliston@wccnet.edu STAFF WRITERS Anna Elias Michael Hlywa Maria Rigou Kelly Bracha STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Charles Manley charles.manley@gmail.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER George O’Donovan godonovan@wccnet.edu CORESPONDENTS Benjamin Knauss
The Washtenaw Voice
One huge leap for Latinos, also a huge step for mankind? “As he was praying in San Damiano revealed himself from the balcony of church, he heard Christ on the cruci- St. Peter’s Church in Vatican City. fix speak to him, ‘Francis, repair my Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who served as Church.’” archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina From the life of Saint Francis of – my country – was elected by College Assisi of Cardinals to serve as the 266th pope of the Catholic Church, a church that faces so many challenges. His election follows the stunning resignation of Benedict XVI, something that hadn’t happened since the year 1415. Before and during the papal conclave, I wasn’t optimistic that a cardinal from my country would be chosen. But I knew one thing though: I was By MARIA RIGOU rooting for a Latin-American pope. So I rushed through the quiz and The news bulletin about the white turned the computer on, searching smoke came to me on my iPhone as I for a news portal that was streaming sat down to take a quiz in journalism live from the Vatican. This was a good class. Appropriately enough, it was exercise in breaking-news journalism. from my app of The Associated Press, And just for the record, CNN was far the world’s largest news-gathering behind on this story. organization. I refreshed my screen every 30 secThe world had a new pope – and onds to see if there was progress, if Latin America would never be the the name of the new pope was being same. reported. Nor would I. I had never experienced such an inFor the first time this millennium, tense papal election. I knew Bergoglio a pope from a non-European country was second or third favorite, behind
the frontrunner from Italy. So I was more interested and alert about this story than usual. But I have to admit, I still wondered if my church was completely ready for a Latin pope. I was betting on the Italian, Cardinal Scola. Yet there, on the balcony, was Pope Francis I, a man from Argentina. I think about it and I can only partially believe it. Every time I say his name, I get goose-bumps. Immediately after his naming came phone calls and texts from friends and family members. Facebook and Twitter exploded with the news. This is all they are talking about back home. And it is all they will be talking about for days, even weeks. The pope is from Argentina. Francis was elected after much deliberation. It took five tries, but it was all worth it. This man, the leader of the Catholic Church, is from the Americas. In a world with 1.2 billion Catholics – 40 percent of whom live in Latin America – this has to be significant. It also means that Latin Americans are capable – and this is good for a church that so badly needs healing. So yes, this is huge for us, everywhere.
With sincerest gratitude – and a few words of advice about giving
By BENJAMIN KNAUSS The power of generosity, especially when it is from strangers, is amazing. My faith in mankind has been strengthened many times over during the past month, in my time of need. The giving of others has touched my soul in many ways, but not every act of kindness left me in a better situation. After losing everything in an apartment fire last month, I have been the recipient of many examples of great charity, and I owe lots of people a debt of gratitude. The last thing I want is for anyone to think that I am not grateful for all the acts of kindness bestowed upon me, I just want to take the opportunity to share what it can be like on the receiving end of some not-so-great donations and give donors something to think about. Some people just do not have a “filter” for what can be seen as generosity or an insult by the person on
the receiving end. I have even been a part of a few situations that left me questioning if the gift being given was out of generosity or just a way to get some unwanted items carried out of the house by someone else. I had to deal with a bed that was reported to be in great shape and practically brand new. I found the bed in a junk filled basement with a strong smell of cat urine and mold. The mice droppings where enough of a sign that I was wasting my time, the floor of my apartment would be better than this. The owners of the bed said that if I did not want the bed they were going to throw it on the burn pile and seemed insulted that I did not want to take the bed with me. I was insulted they would even think to offer it to anyone, let alone someone in need. In dealing with yet another bed, I got to take a pee and mystery stained mattress off the hands of an owner. If it was not for the bed frame that I did want, I would not have taken it at all. This bed’s owner was smiling and feeling great about helping out some unfortunate people, never once acknowledging the reality of the mattresses condition. You would’ve thought this person was donating a bed gently used by the Royal Family. Clothing donations have been an
adventure as well. Again, I am sure everyone was giving with an honest and caring gesture, but clothes that are only in style around the retirement communities should have stayed in a closet other than mine. The items donated more than anything else have been toiletries. It seems like the one thing no one thinks about is the one thing everyone thinks about. I have a bathroom closet now stocked so well it rivals a drug store. I love how thoughtful everyone has been when it comes to this stuff except for the half-used bottles. An open bottle just leaves too many questions in my mind. I know I have done it myself without even realizing what I was doing. I stand over a box of items and think to myself “someone can use this stuff.” I don’t want to just throw the stuff away; I still believe it is good stuff. I don’t buy or own trash after all. The box sits around for a few more months as I ponder if I should try and sell the stuff on eBay or if I should just take it to a donation center. Finally, I drop everything off and part ways with it believing I am doing some good. The reality is I just made my problem someone else’s. For more information about giving visit washtenawvoice.com
Faculty communication clamped down By ADRIAN HEDDEN Managing Editor
College administrators shut down an essential communications tool used by faculty in the wake of Vice President of Instruction Stuart Blacklaw’s abrupt firing. The day after Blacklaw was relieved of all duties at WCC, a memo was sent out at 11:21 a.m. Friday from Director of Curriculum Assessment Joy Garrett, Friday to all the chairs that the use of their email list server had been discontinued. Department chairs were left to communicate internally direct email messages to their staff. On Wednesday, however, instructors were told by administrators that a communication failure between Blacklaw and faculty resulted from a computer “glitch.” When he attempted twice to release information about a monthlyscheduled general faculty meeting, his emails were not received by their intended recipients. Blacklaw turned to the faculty union’s email server to announce the 3:30 p.m. meeting for Thursday and just one hour after the meeting concluded at 4:15 p.m., faculty and staff were notified of his firing via email from the college president’s office. “I think there was a glitch,” Blacklaw said in an email to faculty
on Thursday. “Jennifer (Baker, union president) provided these avenues, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.” The union believed that the correspondence was interrupted on purpose. When they attempted to contact Blacklaw on the school server, the day of his departure they received no response. “Usually we get an email the day before our regular staff meetings with an agenda,” said Rosemary Rader, chemistry instructor and chair of the college assessment committee. “The day of (the meeting) we received a forwarded email from Stuart saying ‘I think there was a glitch.’” But according to Chief Information Officer Amin Ladha, there was no malfunction. The server was temporarily shut-down in light of excessive, public use, he said. Any connection with Blacklaw’s departure, Ladha said, was a coincidence. “I was not asked to do anything to stop messages from the list server,” he said of allegations of interference. “This had nothing to do with Stuart. We’re not trying to curtail anyone from communicating.” The decision to turn off the faculty email group was made by Director of Systems Administration and Information Technology Services Michael Aldrich, as IT’s servers had become deluged with correspondence unrelated to the college via the
faculty’s private email group. “Someone made it public earlier this week,” Aldrich said of the private server. “It turned out there were so many people using it at the college that we weren’t aware of. I renamed it. It got out in the open, and we had to change it. “It was a coincidence that it happened in the same week as Stuart Blacklaw’s departure. There were a lot of complaints. It could’ve happened anytime.” The IT department was contacted by Executive Director of Public Relations and Marketing Anessa Carlise to reinstate the email group at 11 a.m. on Friday, but notification did not reach faculty until 1:02 p.m. The PR department would work to develop a new policy in the meantime, Ladha said. “From here on, we need to better communicate,” Ladha said. “What is the process? That has to come from marketing. You always have a gatekeeper.” Faculty members attempted to contact Blacklaw shortly after notification of his firing was given, but the former administrator’s email contact had been eliminated. “It’s like he never existed,” Rader said. Editor Ben Solis contributed to this report
News
The Washtenaw Voice
March 18, 2013 UNION FROM A1
MCT COURTESY PHOTO
‘Francis, repair my church’: The new pope blesses the masses gathered in the Piazza Saint Pietro, Vatican City.
Voice Box Interviews and photographs Michael J. Hlywa Staff Writer With the college raising the cost per credit-hour by $2 for in-district, $4 for out-of-district and $6 for out-of-state students starting this Fall semester, what is your reaction to the tuition increase? Does it help knowing that early registration guarantees the current rates for fall term?
am asking you personally, on behalf of the faculty, and the staff, and the county citizens, who elected you and who you represent, to address the issue our institution is currently facing.’” Aside from the communication breakdowns, faculty had been worried since January about the future of former Vice President of Instruction Stuart Blacklaw, who was fired on Thursday. Other topics weighing on the minds of faculty, and not addressed in the public forum, include the sudden resignation of the college’s Vice President of Administration and Finance Steven Hardy in late November. Both situations have left the faculty union with unanswered questions, adding to the communication complaints issued before trustees. And while this formal interaction marks the first time trustees have been made publicly aware of the union’s distress, each trustee defended Bellanca, her goals and actions thus far – and most of all their decision to hire her. “I feel that in this point in time, my support has been and will always
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be with this president, Dr. Bellanca,” said Trustee Diana McKnight-Morton in an emotional appeal to the union. “Dr. Bellanca came to this table, in our interviews from the board, from the campus community, very honest, very forthright in what she had to say and what she would do for this campus and for us to be in the 21st Century. If there are any issues, I feel that we’re big people, and we know how to talk. All of this mud-slinging, and what’s going into the newspaper at The Voice, we need to say ‘let’s see if we can come to the table and try to work something out,’ because at this point in time, we need everybody’s cooperation.” In her own brief defense, Bellanca acknowledged the issues that now face her and the instructors and vowed to address it. “I’d like to thank the board for your support, and I will do my best to continue to collaborate with the faculty, staff and students and I know that we can work together to resolve whatever it is we have to,” Bellanca said. “We may have differences in communication, but we all have the same end in mind.”
Mario Ochoa
Devaughn Rolax
20, Chicago, Auto Body Repair
22, Ypsilanti, Culinary Arts
“I know my parents live by Muskegon, so my first semester I had to pay the out-of-district, and I had to find a place here to move to – at least for the week – because it cut my tuition in half. I wouldn’t like it to increase. I think my first semester here was like $2,200, and my second semester here I moved to Ypsi. That pretty much got cut in half, like $1,600. I think that’s a good idea. I have to take advantage of that.”
“I guess I will come to school, but most kids won’t come. They’re paying too much now. Keeping it the same makes it more easier for students to come to school. New students may be very disappointed with prices and make them not want to come back here.”
Jasmine Glover
Ethan Burt
Amanda Pruitt
Storm Cichon
21, Ypsilanti, Physical Therapy
19, Ypsilanti, Retail Management
26, Pinckney, Elementary Education
19, Ypsilanti, Orthodontic Medicine
“I’m okay with it because it is not a lot. Obviously it gives us more incentive. I used to go to Eastern and their credits are like $350 per one credit, so if it’s only a couple of dollars more then it’s still way cheaper than there.”
“Well they’re small changes you wouldn’t notice at first, but in the long run they make a big difference. Would these increases be a sign of allowing future increases, which would be a big long-run change? I’m kind of wondering why the sudden increase – what’s it supposed to really cover? If you’re taking 13 credits per semester, you’re really not going to notice it. But if you want to save a couple of bucks in the long run and avoid future increases, pay attention to the issue, and see what you can do to prevent this increase. That’s definitely an incentive to promise that to students, but I think the increases themselves are coming from the loans given to students affecting tuition across the board for all colleges, because it’s money being promised to them that isn’t necessarily based off of the capital of the college.”
“It’s crazy. Even though I’m not paying for school right now, it is crazy. It doesn’t seem like they should be charging so much for people who want to learn for something that’s just by district. Anybody can go to a community college. There shouldn’t be a fee no matter where you live. A lot of people are coming from Dundee and beyond – coming here to go to school. They have to spend so much on gas, and gas goes up every other day. To charge people a silly fee for district, it’s kind of stupid. “It makes sense to, but at the same time it’s very confusing. Because when I was registering today, they were like, ‘Oh, you can register now.’ I know what I need to take for my program, but at the same time I don’t know what I’m going to be taking. It seems like they’re trying to rush everyone to get in and get out. But me, I need to take my time or pretty much fail.”
Kyle Jacobs
Lyza Muckler
23, Tecumseh, Business Management
23, Milan, Dietician
“As long as it is being used in a useful manner, I don’t really see a problem with it. It’s not really too much money to increase it by, but as long as it’s for something good then I’m down for it. I guess that’ll just give more people a reason to get it done earlier. I could see maybe that’ll initiate more people to pre-register.”
“It doesn’t sound like the worst thing as long as it doesn’t go up each year, because it sounds really small for the time being. But if that kept increasing and increasing over time, I could see that being an issue. “Only current students? I could see how it might be unfair, but I think it’s always like that at colleges how current students have some sort of advantages anyway. I don’t see a huge problem with that.”
“Honestly it’s not that much. I take 16 credit hours, so there’s $32 extra I’d have to pay outof-pocket. And most teenagers nowadays live on their own, so they have to pay bills besides tuition. They’ve cut down on grants a lot, too, so we don’t have as much money that we could get to pay for school. That $32 could go towards gas to getting here. So I don’t believe they should raise it at all; I actually think they should lower it. “I believe that’s good for the students that come here – who have been here before. But for the students who are coming in, it’s not fair to them, especially because they’re just fresh out of high school. Most of them don’t understand how college works yet. So they’re going to have to pay more for a place they don’t know much about.”
“I used to go to Eastern, so anything that’s still cheaper than going there is fine with me. So if you register early, you get to keep the same (rate)? Oh, yeah, I’m registering early!” Kirin Qidwai 30, Canton, Human Resources
BUDGET FROM A1
projecting that to decrease.” But Thomas commended the school for continuing to function despite an annual drop in state aid. Looking back to a peak in 2002, he said there has been no increase in government-allocated funds to WCC and that the school is receiving $6 million less, not adjusted for inflation, than it was 11 years ago. “If this was adjusted for inflation, we’d be in the double digits,” said Trustee Richard Landau. Thomas also said that the school has experienced a 26-percent increase in enrollment since 2002 and, despite reductions in state aid, has continued to flourish. “This is an amazing statistic,” he
said. “It’s to the credit of community colleges everywhere that can maintain their service to their communities in the face of this. The college is growing and very healthy. Overall the trend is up.” But WCC’s faculty community is on the decline. Fillinger reported that the biggest savings the school can expect are due to 20 vacant instructor positions caused by low enrollment. “Our biggest empty pot is faculty,” she said. But non-personnel spending, Fillinger said, will be maintained from last year’s allocation, a facet of the budget she said she watches carefully. “There really hasn’t been much of an increase, they’ve maintained relatively flat,” she said. “That’s something
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we watch very closely to make sure things don’t skyrocket.” But although a 15-percent decline in funds taken for a furniturereplacement plan were reported in WCC’s general fund budget projection and planned for the 2012-13 year, a 507-percent increase from $28,820 to $175,000 was reported between last year and the previous. Comparisons between WCC and other schools for 2012-13, however, show that Washtenaw is one of the lowest-spending schools in terms of administration expenditures. “Everyone is concerned that we’re not spending too much on administration,” Thomas said. “We’re one of the lowest. It speaks highly of WCC.”
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Trustees worry about overspending
“That’s where our strategic plan comes in and funding for the new initiatives.” She continued that the fund was established to respond to departmental requests, mainly instruction, to further their programs using new techBy ADRIAN HEDDEN nologies and teaching concepts they Managing Editor need to reach the objectives of the strategic plan, per their own research. Washtenaw’s Board of Trustees “Every initiative is different,” aired concerns for $400,000 given to Bellanca said. “Some people ask for “institutional objectives” – a category brochures, others want to get on a soprimarily opened to fund the strate- cial network. They’re all very differgic planning initiatives instituted by ent. Some may need $1,000 and some President Rose Bellanca. might need $20,000. I don’t know. “Is there no way to cost it out or it is “And that’s going to vary because just an unknown cost?” asked Trustee next year it might all be different so Diana McKnight-Morton of a lack of that’s why we can’t give just an accuinformation in how the $400,000 will rate number. We felt this number we be spent. “How did you come to that could fit into our budget. I don’t recall number?” how we figured it out.” But Bellanca responded that the But trustees still wondered how ambiguity of the funding is its essence. the funding of $400,000 was decided “For me, that’s one of the most on for the strategic plan. important categories because it’s all “So it was kind of a stab in the dark,” about the future,” Bellanca said. “To McKnight-Morton said in response cut costs in innovation is cutting into the vague number. your future, so that’s why that area is “A smart stab…,” responded extremely important. Bellanca. “…An educated stab.”
Administration takes ax to deferred maintenance this year. “I think we were fairly clear that this was a priority for us,” said Trustee A resolution passed last year by the Stephen Gill of the resolution. “I hope board mandated that $4 million would we can protect those dollars.” be put into a fund for deferred mainOther trustees were concerned at tenance and that $1 million would be the dramatic drop in funds for campus spent annually for next three years repairs and maintenance, hoping that before reassessing. cuts could be made elsewhere. But financial planners pulled “I think if we do 800 (thousand) back on that expense, allotting only that’s a lot better than what we have $800,000 for deferred maintenance been doing but we do have that By ADRIAN HEDDEN Managing Editor
resolution out there that we passed,” said Trustee Pamela Horiszny, regarding the board’s deferred maintenance plan. “The campus maintenance and repair number has really been pared back.” Budget specialist Barb Fillinger explained that cuts had to be made to keep overall expenses consistent with last year. “We started with the scenario that we’d zero out,” she said of the budget.
“In order to keep the other costs rather flat, we had to pull back somewhere and we took it out of campus repair and maintenance.” Horiszny suggested that savings could be made in non-personnel expenses, which saw little change this year. She worried that reducing the maintenance budget will fail to address the necessary problems with the physical campus itself. “We have to be realistic about
needs,” she said. “And for campus repair and maintenance to drop $337,000 is a lot of money.” Fillinger responded that in April, budget hearings will take place in which each department will have the right to make requests for the reallocation of funds. “We do try to move funds around per the requests,” she said of the hearings. “There will be movement between the categories.”
A6
News
March 18, 2013
they’ve had little say in despite continuous attempts to collaborate with faculty union in a scheduled month- the president’s office. ly meeting. “We’ve been asking for clarifica“Of course it happened during the tion on this position,” said biology WCCEA meeting. instructor David They did everyWooten as he and think Stuart’s the most well- other union memthing they could loved and respected VP this col- bers congregated to not handle anything profes- lege has ever had,” said WCCEA Vice near Blacklaw’s ofsionally,” said President Maryam Barrie. “I was a fice hoping to say graphic design in- student here, so I’m used to thinking goodbye after the structor Kristine of this as a beautiful place. decision – in vain. “It’s heartbreaking to see ugliness Blacklaw was alWillimann. “He’s out immediately, intruding here.” ready gone. which a nice way “And we’ve to say he’s fired.” been getting the runaround,” Wooten Blacklaw had concluded the meet- added. ing just one hour before Bellanca sent The only clarification faculty reout the announcement, via email, that ceived came in the form of Bellanca’s Blacklaw had been “relieved of his du- email. ties effective immediately.” “This decision was reached afWCCEA President Jennifer Baker ter long and careful consideration,” was bitterly disappointed by the deci- Bellanca wrote. “As president, buildsion as well, asserting that Blacklaw ing a team with the necessary leaderwas one of the most respected VPs ship skills is critical to the success of ever at the college. the college.” “We don’t support this at all,” she The union was not impressed. said somberly. “It was less than ideal. “What a cowardly move,” said I think it’s fair to say that this institu- chemistry instructor Kathy Butler. tion has not had a VP of instruction “This is at the very least not supportthat has more support from faculty. ed by the union.” “That’s all I have to say.” Abernethy was unavailable for comTeachers were certain that the ment, and VP of Human Resources WCCEA would take a stance against Douglas Kruzel deferred questions the change in personnel that they felt to the college’s public relations office. VP INTRUCTION FROM A1
“I
The Washtenaw Voice
WCC down to two CFO finalists interview process tailored specifically to each candidate. She offered no information on either of two finalists from more than 50 applicants. Meantime, Chuck Thomas, a 35year employee at Macomb County Community College, where Bellanca By ADRIAN HEDDEN once taught, has been filling in since Managing Editor November. “There are always challenges in Since former Vice President keeping the costs associated with edof Administration and Finance ucation low,” he said. “But generally, Steven Hardy resigned suddenly things are well run.” in November, Washtenaw officials Thomas works on campus one have been entrenched in the ardu- day a week and has been available ous process of replacing him. But constantly by phone, according to last week they were confident of Bellanca, who added that Thomas’ finding a successor soon. stint at WCC was nearing an end. He “We’re at the final round of in- retired from Macomb in 2010. terviews,” WCC President Rose “I knew Rose from back in those Bellanca said at a board retreat last days,” Thomas said of his past at Tuesday. “It’s going very well.” MCCC. “I know a couple people in the In early December, Bellanca budget office. It’s been fun, but this was confident she could have a week is about the end of it. new CFO in place by Jan. 22. But “That was one of my conditions in as mid-March approached, she was the first place.” ambiguous regarding a target date And despite the impending exit of for filling the position. the school’s interim CFO, the Board She said it depended on the of Trustees deferred immediately to
President uncertain of timeframe, but interim help is gone
Dr. Bellanca when asked about the job opening. Trustee Stephen Gill was indifferent to the vacancy, certain that Dr. Bellanca will take care of its replacement. “The board is not concerned,” Gill said. “The president has it under control.” And other trustee members are looking forward to the long-range vision that a permanent CFO could bring to the college. At the board’s March 12 retreat, budgeting information provided by Thomas projected trends spanning just one year. “Once we have a new VP, we’ll start looking further out,” said Trustee Pam Horiszny. Past reports have forcast up to 10 years to allow for adequate time in planning for changes. But trustees are wary that such long-term planning may be the victim of circumstance. “We could have never predicted in 2007 what happened in 2008 and 2009,” said Trustee Richard Landau of a dramatic spike in enrollment and the ensuing challenges it produced. “Our projections were vaporized.”
NATHAN CLARK THE WASHTENAW VOICE
KELLY BRACHA THE WASHTENAW VOICE
Speaking to excellence: Former Vice President of Instruction Stuart Blacklaw speaks to WCC students, family members and staff at the Honors Convocation held Jan. 24.
Future discourse: WCC President Rose Bellanca discusses the future of the college, from the budget to student success, at the Board of Trustees’ spring retreat at Weber’s Inn on Jackson Road, last Tuesday.
Could library have a plan to relieve textbook cost woes? “OER cover a lot of subject areas, and they can potentially serve Staff Writer as supplement to or replacement of student textbook requirements, and in For years, students have been clam- the process lower the education costs oring for someone to do something for students,” Liu said in his address about the cost of textbooks. Well, the to the board. college may finalHaving just heard a different prely be doing somesentation that, among other things, thing about it – or revealed how restrictive purchasing at least it’s contextbooks with financial aid can be, sidering it. Diana McKnight-Morton, the board’s At the March vice chair, responded enthusiastically. 6 meeting of “I’m really encouraged because this the WCC Board is not too far away, for me, for students of Trustees, to be able to access free textbooks,” Victor Liu Victor Liu, Dean McKnight-Morton said. of Learning Liu and his staff have been workResources, delivered a presentation ing hard over the past year to research, about Open Educational Resources, or compile and publicize OER. The OER, which encompasses free online Bailey library website now contains media available to anyone – including information about OER and links to students and faculty. OER repositories. According to Liu, OER include e“The field is so big, evolving so books, e-textbooks and videos that are quickly and there are so many propublished under a Creative Commons viders of e-resources out there that license, which makes them flexible, we felt that we needed to provide some accessible, and – best of all – low-cost structure, so that when people say, or even free. ‘I’m an instructor teaching ENG 111; By MICHAEL J. HLYWA
if I really want to find an alternative to an expensive print textbook, I need to know how to find those resources,’ and that’s what we have done so far.” The next step, Liu said, is to get the administrators and faculty to collaborate on a trial course designed around the use of OER in lieu of print textbooks. “I think that it’s the right time to do some sort of pilot and see how things go,” Liu said. To further facilitate this process, Liu is sending his librarians to meet with faculty departments. During each meeting, the librarians will explore the department’s needs regarding text content. Armed with specifics, they will then compile a list of relevant OER and forward it on to the department for their consideration. At that point, Liu thinks it’s up to the departments. “There’s definitely a difference in the quality of the OER out there, no doubt about that,” he said. “Therefore, it’s very important for the faculty to make a determination about whether the author has the credentials to do it,
and, second, whether the content is appropriate for this particular course given the learning outcomes that they are aiming for.” Liu acknowledges that redesigning an existing course around OER may be a laborious endeavor, but he is confident that the faculty is up to the task. This week librarians are scheduled to sit down with the math department. For math professor Brenda Foster, whether to adopt OER comes down to two factors. “We’re always very interested in saving money for our students,” Foster said. “We also want quality materials for our students at the best price, and if that best price is free then we would make the decision as a department to adopt that material.” But what do students really want? Many, like business major Jordan Jones, 27, of Ann Arbor, already purchase e-books and would certainly appreciate the cost-savings of their OER counterparts. “If I had access to download the book physically so I’m able to study without Internet access, or if I had
Be our guest
some type of DRM capabilities, I would definitely be interested in that,” Jones said. But Liu calls the idea that everyone wants free e-books a “blanket statement.” “It’s not as cut and dry as that,” Liu explained. “I think you always have a segment of the student population that gravitates toward e-books, while others gravitate toward print books.” Kelly O’Neil, a 24-year-old occupational therapy student from Brighton, definitely agrees not everyone wants e-books. She routinely studies with an array of texts and notebooks spread out in front of her. “I hate that I have to pay for books, but I like things that are really tangible. I have to have it in front of me, and I like to write in my book. I study better with the book,” O’Neil said. So for tech-savvy students who prefer to breeze into class carrying only a tablet, OER may lighten the financial burden as well. But those who prefer the aroma of a stout textbook should continue to expect equally rich educational expenses.
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What do you call someone who went to WCC?
Undead C1
VOICE THE
April 1, 2013
Volume 19, Issue 15
washtenawvoice.com
The student publication of Washtenaw Community College
Yo u r
v o i c e .
Yo u r
p a p e r .
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Bellanca appeals to faculty union: ‘Give me a chance’
Editor’s note: This article has been updated by Voice staff after it was determined that there were multiple critical errors in a Page One story in our March 18 issue regarding the college’s finances.
Budget crunch
Despite declines in enrollment and government funding, WCC still operating in the black By ADRIAN HEDDEN Managing Editor
NATHAN CLARK THE WASHTENAW VOICE
Despite declining enrollment and annual reductions in state aid, Washtenaw Community College projects an increase of 1.2 percent in revenue next year. “Over the past 18 months we’ve had a decline in enrollment,” said WCC President Rose Bellanca. “We know it impacts the budget, but how does it impact the budget?” At the Board of Trustees’ annual spring retreat, Interim Chief Financial Officer Chuck Thomas and Budget Director Barb Fillinger delivered several surveys that explained many contributing factors to the college’s revenue over the past four years. Factors included drops in enrollment since the college’s highest registration counts in 2008, while reductions in state aid and a decrease in revenue from property taxes were taken from that year as well.
Trustees discussed a $5,000,486 decrease in revenue since 2008 due to lowered enrollment and tuition payments and they were presented another $5,114,000 decrease since 2008 from their property tax budget which now stands at $46 million. “For those areas between tuition and fees and other revenue drivers, it’s about $11 million,” Fillinger said of the reduction over the past four years. “It will mostly impact investment income because we will have less to invest, so therefore we’re projecting that to decrease.” The college estimates that investment income has dropped $500,000 as well and that recent sequestration laws may cost WCC $40,000. Officials also anticipated that by this year, state aid is down $600,000 from a peak in 2002. “I added a few years to this because it’s a pet peeve of mine that for community colleges overall, there’s been no increase, as a matter of fact there’s been a significant decrease over that 11-year period,” Thomas said of projections presented to the board. “For us here at Washtenaw it’s about $600,000 less than we received in 2002, which BUDGET CONTINUED A3
‘We are better than this’: WCC biology instructor David Wooten speaks at the March 26 Board of Trustees meeting, denouncing the firing of the Vice President of Instruction Stuart Blacklaw.
Union concerns come to light at contentious Trustees meeting By BEN SOLIS. Editor
In a show of force and solidarity, over 50 unionized faculty and staff aired a second round of grievances toward Washtenaw Community College President Rose Bellanca in front of a standing-room only boardroom on Tuesday.
Their main concern: “anger” and “confusion” over the firing of former Vice President of Instruction Stuart Blacklaw – the faculty’s once-closest ally. “We are better than this. Stuart Blacklaw deserved better than this,” Wooten said in a rousing speech as he addressed the college’s Board of Trustees and Bellanca in the public comments portion in the opening of the 4:20 p.m. meeting. “This is not the UNION CONTINUED A5
NATHAN CLARK THE WASHTENAW VOICE
In defense: President Rose Bellanca addresses the facility in attendance, defending the reasoning for why Blacklaw was fired.
Voice Box Why VP Blacklaw was fired Considering recent news stories like the vice president of i n struction being fired and a mounting acrimony between faculty and administration, what do you think about this? Do these things impact you as a student and if so, how? “Yes they do impact me as a student, mostly because disputes between faculty and administration leads to less getting done. And they obviously don’t seem to be concerned about the students in this because they’re just talking between themselves – or, rather, not talking. It’s a concern because they’re arguing, and people are leaving at the same time; it’s creating more and more tension.” Jonathan Martindale, 17, Redford, Math and Science VOICE BOX CONTINUED A3
Tuition hike official: freeze for early registrants until Winter By ADRIAN HEDDEN Managing Editor
Washtenaw Community College’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously last week to raise tuition for next year, holding the line for students who register – and pay – for classes early. The resolution was adopted at the board’s March 26 meeting and will raise tuition $2 for in-district students, $4 and $6 for out-of-district and outof-state students respectively. The increases mark a 2.2-percent hike for in-district, a 2.7-percent increase for out-of-district and
a 3.2-percent hike in tuition rates for students who reside outside of Michigan. But for students who register and pay by Aug. 1, it’s a different story. They will be charged this year’s rate, seeing no change to their tuition until the Winter semester. “I want to applaud administration for allowing us to keep tuition frozen for early registrants,” said Trustee Patrick McLean. “It’s an important function of this board to make these decisions while weighing the longterm needs of the community college.”
Registration for Fall 2013 begins April 17. Students who enroll in payment plans before Aug. 1 will also see no increase to their tuition payments. “The board and I are truly pleased that we are able to offer this zero tuition increase,” said WCC President Rose Bellanca in a press release about the early registration rate. “I strongly encourage our current students and students interested in enrolling at WCC this fall to take full advantage of this opportunity.”
President explains reasons in review By ADRIAN HEDDEN Managing Editor
A performance review conducted by college President Rose Bellanca on June 28 and acquired by The Voice staff through a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that Dr. Bellanca saw Blacklaw as unfit to perform the duties required of his position and that she felt he failed to adequately communicate with her and her executive leadership team. “I have lost confidence in Stuart’s ability to lead and communicate with me in confidential matters when needed,” wrote Bellanca in the review. “The faculty and deans know that he does not support the president and believe that there is a conflict between us. With the exception of scheduled appointments and meetings, Stuart rarely speaks to me. “As the President, it is up to me to ask Stuart for updates. Stuart has also lost the confidence of many of his colleagues because of his lack of communication with individuals on the team.” Bellanca’s first issue with Blacklaw arose, she said, when the position of executive associate to the president was reassigned to his office. When she asked him to change the job description, she said he merely changed the title and sent it to Human Resources for approval. She said the only reason Blacklaw was to be kept on through the 2012-13 academic year was due to his strong relationship with faculty and that she would not recommend an extension of his contract to the Board of Trustees. “Stuart clearly lacks the experience needed to lead and make decisions as the Vice President of Instruction. Many of his duties have been reassigned because of lack of initiative on his part to learn and to become involved with the areas under his leadership,” she said.
Bellanca further blamed B l a c k l aw f o r communication problems between herself and instructors. Stuart Blacklaw “A s the President, I believe that having a positive culture to work and learn in is very important,” she wrote. “Unfortunately, the deans or faculty members are not aware that their issues are not researched and presented as thoroughly as they could be and because of that, they often receive an unfavorable answer. “And often the ELT (executive leadership team) is not apprised of issues early enough so that we can facilitate an appropriate, positive response.”
Blacklaw’s performance before Bellanca Bellanca’s evaluation of Blacklaw was in stark contrast to one he received a year earlier from former WCC President Larry Whitworth on April 25, 2011 which showed staunch support for Blacklaw, detailing his positive relationships with administrators and faculty alike. “Stuart has done an exceptional job this past year at developing a positive, productive working relationship with faculty, department chairs and deans,” Whitworth wrote. “He contributes significantly to the management of the college, and I’m particularly impressed with his willingness to take on responsibility for difficult issues and to find effective resolutions. “Stuart has done an exceptional job this past year, learning and becoming part of the Washtenaw Community College culture.” VP FIRED CONTINUED A5
Voices
The Washtenaw Voice
Voice Box By MICHAEL J. HLYWA Staff Writer
Considering recent news stories like the vice president of instruction being fired and a mounting acrimony between faculty and administration, what do you think about this? Do these things impact you as a student and if so, how? Voice reporters Natalie Wright and Shayler Barnes contributed to this report. “I feel like “I didn’t know “I’m not sure nothing ’s there were probif their disagreechanged for me. lems, but I realments really I didn’t know ly should know affect me. I’m about it. I feel about it. It does mostly worried like people fight affect me. The about tuition and cause probfaculty is here for going up in the lems for other us. They’re lookFall. I was uppeople so evening out for our set that the Vice best interests, so we should be upset President Blacklaw was fired, though. tually it’s none of my business.” Becca Mason, 20, Brighton, Nursing if their voices aren’t being heard.” From everything I heard, he was doClaire Myers, 20, Ann Arbor, Elementary ing a good job.” Education
Roya Sadaghiani, 18, Canton, Undecided
“My professor, “It’s concernSally Adler, talks ing to see that about it a lot. She there’s issues betries really hard tween the faculty to make the point and the administhat even though tration. It conthings are uneasy cerns me because right now, it will then there could change and will be issues with the get better. I don’t really know how it school altogether. And then it doesn’t directly affects me though, other than concern me because I’m not faculty, that she always talks about it in class.” I’m not an administrator, I’m one of Rachel Marengere, 18, Southgate, Child the students so I don’t know exactly Care what really goes on.”
“I can’t say it directly affects me. I haven’t really noticed any of it in the classroom. None of my teachers have really spoken about it. I’m sure it affects some people – the teachers involved, it probably affects them – but for me, personally, none of this affects me.”
“Of course they impact me. Any world or public event, when it has this much power in society, will impact us, especially if it has to do with the administration. That has a direct impact on the student body. If you’re going to college somewhere then you should understand what’s going on within the administration because that’s going to affect you. Whatever happens, there’s going to be some ripple effect on you somehow.”
“I think it does because when you’re thinking about those who are running the school, if there are conflicts there, that’s going to eventually seep down into the students, and that can cause problems in classrooms. It’s something that needs to be worked out because they’re the ones running the school, and if there are issues there, it’s just going to cause problems in the future for students. And I don’t know anybody that wants to go to a school where there’s issues that can’t easily be resolved.”
“It sounds like the VP was an advocate for the staff and helped them do what they need to do, which is teach. The faculty speaks for the students and their needs, and Blacklaw spoke for the faculty. If the president so abruptly got rid of him, I’m interested to know what her motivation was. She’s not on the same page as the faculty and the students, and she seems to only want to give vague, politician’s answers.”
“I would say it affects us, because if the teachers are supposed to communicate what the students need. So if they’re not being heard, we’re not being heard. For example, I’m in the video program. When our software becomes out-ofdate and isn’t compatible with what we have at home, that would be our teacher’s job to communicate the need to the administration.”
“C l e a r l y i t hasn’t affected me much yet, because I didn’t know about what was going on. I did have a similar experience in high school, though, where there was conflict between the teachers and administration and that definitely had a huge effect on the students. So, I would say I’m worried that if it continues it will start to directly affect us.”
“There really hasn’t been much of an increase, they’ve maintained relatively flat,” she said. “That’s something we watch very closely to make sure things don’t skyrocket.” As a reduction in funds for a furniture-replacement plan was planned for 2013, according to WCC’s general fund budget projections, an incline in the budget from $28,820 to $175,000 occurred between 2010-11 and 2011-12. The budget for 2012-2013 is $150,000. Comparisons between WCC and other schools presented by Thomas for 2012-13 show that Washtenaw is one of the lowest-spending schools in terms of administration expenditures. “Everybody is concerned that we’re not spending too much on administration,” Thomas said to the board. “You’re one of the lower ones in terms of the percentage spent on administration. I think it speaks highly of WCC and is something you folks should be proud of.”
realizing an $11 million shortfall in revenue next year, as reported by The Voice in its March 18 Page One edition. Rather, the $11 million in decreased revenue is an aggregate total from 2008 to 2012. • The $5,000,486 decline in revenue due to enrollment and tuition was also taken from 2008 to 2012 and it does not reflect a future or present loss, as reported by The Voice. • The $5,114,000 in property taxes was the difference between the property tax budget of $47 million, and the peak in 2008. It is also the amount of revenue to decline from 2008 to 2012. • These figures presented in the story were not reflective of next year, but of the past four years. The Washtenaw Voice regrets these errors, and the student journalists who reported them endeavor to work harder in the future, with the help of the college, not to repeat them.
Amalie Young, 19, Ann Arbor, Liberal Arts Transfer
Elise Jayakar, 20, Ann Arbor, Human Services Transfer
“Not directly but it does worry me a little bit. I’m not seeing an impact, but I worry about my instructors. How is it affecting them? I’m in the nursing program, and we have a really close working relationship with our instructors. I haven’t really asked any of them yet, but I’m thinking about it and I worry.” Angela Whitter, 40, Ann Arbor, Nursing
was really the peak in state aid. “And that, to me is just an incredible statistic.” But Thomas commended the school for continuing to function despite the continued wane in state aid. Thomas also said that the school has experienced a 26-percent increase in enrollment since 2002 and has continued to flourish. “It’s a credit of community colleges that they can maintain their service to their communities in the face of this,” he said. “The college is growing and very healthy. Overall the trend is up.” But WCC’s faculty community is on the decline. Fillinger reported that the biggest savings the school can expect are due to unoccupied instructor positions caused by lower enrollment. “Our biggest empty pot is faculty,” she said. “We currently have 20 vacant faculty positions, but that’s tied into our decrease in enrollment.” And non-personnel spending, Fillinger said, will be maintained from last year’s allocation, a facet of the budget she said she watches carefully.
Bonny Hakken, 27, Ann Arbor, Nursing
Destiny Cook, 19, Tecumseh, Communications
Jordan Lemanski, 20, Brighton, Digital Video Production
BUDGET FROM A1
Eric Loveless, 18, Ann Arbor, Sports Management
•
Corrections
Washtenaw Community College is not at risk of
Colin Camper, 21, Westland, Transfer Student
April 1, 2013
A3
SNIPS The Year of Water at WCC By MARIA RIGOU Staff Writer
The Sustainability in Literacy Task Force is sponsoring a year-long series of events and activities focusing on Michigan’s waterways. The “Year of Water” officially started in July and August of last year, but events are carried out throughout the academic year. “The idea is to educate leaders for tomorrow who know about green issues,” said Emily Thompson, biology professor and task force member. In order to do this, the task force outlined a series of events taking place the first weeks of April. The Fleming Creek Nature Walk will take place on April 4 from 1-3 p.m. It will be led by naturalist Shawn Severance of Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission and water ecologist Jerry Frenzel of the Huron River Watershed Council. Register by April 1 at the Student Activities office. For more information contact David Mackres at dmackres@ wccnet.edu. A sustainability focused dinner prepared by WCC students, followed by the movie “Tapped” will be held on April 5 at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at Garrett’s from 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Monday-Thursday until April 4. River Clean-up Day and Canoeing in Gallup Park will be held, weather permitting, on April 12. Register by calling 734973-3500 or stop by Student Activities at SC112. Help remove the invasive purple loosestrife near Fleming Creek at Parker Mills Park with Shawn Severance of Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission on April 18 from 1-3 p.m. Register by April 1 at the Student Activities office. For information call 734-973-3500. WCC again stars at 2013 Autorama By BENJAMIN KNAUSS
Voice Correspondent
drivable car.” The WCC auto and motorcycle display was used as a program recruitment tool at the show. WCC language students Costa Rica bound By MARIA RIGOU Staff Writer
Eight students traveling abroad this summer to study Spanish received a Foundation grant from Washtenaw Community College, college officials announced last week. It will assist students in the foreign language study immersion program in Costa Rica. When students enrolled in the program, they were not expecting financial assistance. The grant will help offset student expenses. Fast Track Reading Students with a Reading Level of less than six are eligible to take Fast Track Reading for three weeks, starting April 1. The cost of the course is $25. Instructors guide students through a computer-based curriculum to help improve their reading score. This is an opportunity for everyone to raise their reading levels and demonstrate it by retesting with COMPASS. Students interested have to attend at least three times a week, for a minimum of five hours. Register with Student Connection. Limited capacity. Earth Day On April 12, WCC will be hosting an Earth Day Celebration from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the second floor of the Student Center building. There will be a special presentation from 11 a.m.-noon by the Leslie Science Center. Education about environmental issues and the measures taken to address them will be the primary focus of the event. “We hope that our students and the community members who attend will learn about and discuss ways in which we can live on this planet in a sustainable manner,” said Kathleen Stadtfeld, who is helping organize the event. “We welcome nonprofits, governmental organizations and businesses to campus to share information about solutions to the many environmental problems we face.” Participating organizations include The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, The City of Ann Arbor and Batteries Plus, among others. For more information about the WCC Earth Day Celebration, contact Kathleen Stadtfeld at 734-973-3487 or at kathys@ wccnet.edu.
A mix of Batmobiles, jet-powered boats, Kid Rock and Washtenaw Community College were a major draw for what many call the Super Bowl of car shows. The School of Automotive and Service Technology represented WCC at Autorama 2013, Mar 8-10, at Cobo Center in Detroit. Motorcycle Service Technology brought home the hardware from the show this year with two first place trophies. Shawn Deron, instructor for the Motorcycle Service Technology program, said WCC had two custom, student-built bikes on display. Each bike received a first Ride for Recovery place trophy, one for Best Drag Bike and WCC students, faculty and staff are the other Best Antique Asian Custom. invited to have a good time while sup“We also took an engine and a drive porting a good cause at Dawn Farm’s line cutaway and two frame tables to Fourth Annual Ride for Recovery. display,” Deron said. The Ride for Recovery will take place Automotive Services displayed a 1994 on April 28 from 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. at Dawn Mustang drag car that students have been Farms, 6633 Stony Creek Road, Ypsilanti. working on. The car was entered as an ex- The event will include opportunities to hibit only and was not eligible for awards. participate at any fitness level, including “We are getting the car ready to race bike rides and walks/runs. There will be April 27 in Milan,” Mike Duff, Automotive activities for children of participants, tours Services instructor, said. of the farm, animals to pet, breakfast A student-built custom 1968 Camaro snacks and lunch with hot food. was the contribution to the WCC disRegistration fee until April 1 is $25, play from the Custom Cars and Concepts after April 1 it increases to $35. program. The Ride for Recovery provides an op“Our car is a work in progress, it did portunity to support a critical Southeast not even have an engine in it,” said Bob Michigan community service. Lowing, Auto Body instructor. “Autorama For more information about the event, rules state that in order for a car to be contact Dawn Farms at 734-485-8725 or eligible for an award it must be a running, visit http://bit.ly/106b7Gc.
SECURITY NOTES A thermos was reported stolen from LA 200 at 9:30 a.m. on March 9. A wallet was reported stolen from a restroom on the first floor of the Student Center at 1 p.m. on March 25. A cellphone and charger were reported stolen at 2:13 p.m. on March 26 from the lobby of the ML building.
A hit and run was reported on March 26 at 8:28 p.m. in parking lot 7F. A Chevy Silverado was damaged in the crash. The case was turned over the Washtenaw County Sherriff’s Department.
From redacted incident reports provided by Campus Safety and Security, and interviews with Director Jacques Desrosiers.
News
The Washtenaw Voice • Initiative: learn the areas you are responsible for leading. The United Association contracts Highlights of Blacklaw’s and Small Business Development performance review Centers initiatives were realigned out of Blacklaw’s office due to a Although Bellanca’s June 2012 repossible lack of leadership. view of Blacklaw’s performance deAttendance at curriculum, on-line tailed his professional demeanor and and other key instructional meetings; high regard among faculty as well as delegates all of his authority to his his skills in verbal communication and subordinates the positive image he created for the college, she listed several areas she Blacklaw’s response felt needed attention for a satisfactory review: When he agreed to provide a state• Communicating with the college ment in response to Bellanca’s evalpresident and her executive lead- uation, Blacklaw refused an appeal ership team and did not indicate any disagreement • Visibly support the college presi- with her statements. dent in communications with fac“We well know that people learn ulty and staff in multiple ways,” Blacklaw wrote in • Maintain confidentiality in re- response to his June evaluation. “It gards to negotiations should be no surprise that people lead • Skill in handling administrative in multiple ways as well. matters with other departments “I am a servant leader, and I believe in regards to last year’s concerns servant leadership is the only effective over WCC’s involvement in the style of leadership for a group of indiMilan Speedway viduals who, through tenure or con• Make decisions on well-docu- tract, cannot easily be removed. One mented facts and objective review who inherits a protected workforce rather than basing it solely on the cannot move an organization through approval of reporting adminis- intimidation. You must achieve the intrators; when asked why a matter stitutional goals through inspiring the has Stuart’s approval, his answer best performance of those assigned is “because I support my deans.” to you.
VP FIRED FROM A1
“Those who empower and respect their staff get better performance in return.” Blacklaw quoted a letter he received last May from math instructor Jason Davis, who thanked the former VP for his leadership and the positive energy he felt Blacklaw created at WCC. “I just wanted to take the time to say thank you for all that you do for WCC and its faculty,” Davis wrote to Blacklaw. “I’m sure that I don’t have to tell you that since you have come to WCC the culture here is so much more positive and uplifting. “This college and its community are more important to me than I can sufficiently express in words, it is my lighthouse, and I know many of my students feel the same way. “The joy that you protect for the work done here is infectious and it makes it that much easier to do our best work, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for the leadership you provide.” Blacklaw defended himself as a motivational leader to faculty, a sense he felt reciprocated into the student population as well. “This is not an isolated feeling,” he wrote of Davis’ support. “I deliver the college a division filled with motivated and innovative people, dedicated to
April 1, 2013 their work. They carry that excitement to our students. I do that by inspiring excellence; by supporting and facilitating. I focus my interventions on areas of need when people or departments are not reaching their goals. I do not waste time and precious resources watching over the shoulder of exceptional people. “I have always seen my leadership roles as being centered on the development and growth of the people with whom I work. What has been the most exciting for me has been the impressive talent I have found in every group I have been charged to lead. I set goals and measure outcomes – and then serve as a resource and advisor for the leaders who report to me as they find the best route to those goals. “My work as vice president in Ann Arbor, as a dean in Rochester, my previous administrative appointments and my department and program leadership has afforded me the opportunity to find ways to let the talent of the organization’s people shine. “That, and the satisfaction of guiding excellent ideas into effective and inspiring new direction for the institution are what have made my work rewarding.” Last Friday, the day after his termination Blacklaw spoke with Voice reporters addressing the college and
What they said being fired, it’s an issue about the general way she conducts business with the faculty.”
By VOICE STAFF Aside from choosing to let biology instructor Dave Wooten speak for the collective faculty body, faculty members and others in attendance at Tuesday’s Board of Trustees meeting had much to say about Washtenaw Community College President Rose Bellanca’s response to their second round of concerns. Below is a collection of comments gathered by The Voice during and following the meeting. “I felt her response was very patronizing. She assumes that if there’s a complaint, it’s just about the process of Anne Garcia change. She won’t acknowledge that our issues are substantive problems. She says she’s willing to communicate and collaborate, but only under her rules. This means that we have been told what is happening rather than being involved in the process.”
- Marvin Boluyt, biology instructor and Life Sciences department chair
Marvin Boluyt
“As a member of the Board of Trustees, I am not blind to your concern and to what you have brought Patrick McLean forth this evening. I think it’s fair to say that not a day has gone by in the last month where I haven’t looked at my role as a trustee perhaps in a different way. I have had some great concern about these issues as they are being brought forward. In fact, at the end of our conversations with the president, she has expressed her willingness to continue to reach out. I and take her on her word on that. – Trustee Patrick McLean
“Mostly, we have no problem with what she said, but “The only thing she never addressed I will say to that is the communication that Washtenaw issue. Well most of C o m m u n i t y Sherry MacGregor them (the trustCollege has an ex- ees) responded last week. At least he cellent history of (Trustee Patrick McLean) acknowlDavid Rutledge good labor rela- edged that there were communication tions and I expect that to continue. It issues, which I appreciated.” is a mutual respect between the union - Sherry MacGregor, nursing instructor and the president, and conversely the president and the union. I am certain“My reaction is ly a supporter of organized labor, the it was the same old reason being that organized labor ofsame old from Rose, fers an excellent balance between an and we’ve been havadministration and its staff. The final ing the same old note is if you look at our history, the same old since she’s Breege Concannon college’s labor relations, whether it has been here. We need dealt with faculty or staff, have pro- action, and we’re not going to get any. duced a win-win situation for both the We’ll have some communication bestudents and community. They have tween ourselves and collaboration to been excellent, and my expectation is figure that one out. I felt like we were that they will continue to be excellent, treated as if we were bold children in even given the ups and downs the col- there. And I’m sorry, I’m not a bold lege is going through.” child. “Faculty are demoralized – of - State Rep. and former WCC Trustee course it’s going to impact students. David Rutledge Our productivity is going down. Why would I want to do anything new “Bellanca said and innovative? Why would I? Why ‘change can be wouldn’t I just use the same handouts stressful, even if it’s from five years ago?” for the better’… The - Breege Concannon, chemistry instructor problem is, we’re not convinced it’s “This meeting for the better. We was historical. This Rosemary Rader can’t be, because is the most faculty we are not involved in the change. to ever attend. She Her email to the faculty said that she had the perfect opwanted to communicate with us. But portunity to just Kathy Butcher essentially, to her, this means keeping simply say, I started us informed of her decisions. The ad- off badly. Instead, she gave a list of her ministrators have come to the faculty accomplishments, and didn’t address for help, to speak out for them. They our issues in any way. It’s an easy anhaven’t come officially because they swer to just say change is always hard. have no voice.” All we want is for her to come to the - Rosemary Rader, chemistry instructor table and address our concerns, so we can move forward,” “I found her response to be very - Kathy Butcher, Department Chair of Chemistry. disingenuous. She has ignored all four requests from the faculty and has talkVoice Editor Ben Solis and reported right past us. She has a lack of un- ers Shayler Barnes, Michael Hlywa derstanding about what our issues and Natalie Wright and compiled this are. It is not just the issue of Blacklaw report. - Anne Garcia, psychology instructor
KELLY BRACHA THE WASHTENAW VOICE
Addressing concerns: WCCEA President Jennifer Baker speaks to the Board of Trustees, objecting to the method in which Blacklaw was fired. UNION FROM A1
WCC we recognize.” In his address, Wooten explained that none of the concerns brought forward at previous meetings have been actively addressed, and that faith in administrative decision-making has been strained even further with Blacklaw’s dismissal. His remarks were followed by Bellanca’s calm and empathetic defense of her actions. “I’m asking that you give me a chance as we move forward,” she said. The meeting, which typically begins at 6 p.m., began with a closed session at 4 p.m. Doors opened to the public at about 4:20 p.m. Soon, faculty and staff members filed en masse into the usually lightly attended meeting in ML 150. So many members of the WCC Education Association attended the meeting, including two former WCCEA presidents, that there was talk of moving the meeting to a larger location. “We are here because we are a strong faculty, we are a competent faculty, we are a cohesive faculty; but at the moment we are a confused and an angered faculty,” Wooten said. “We understand it is President Bellanca’s prerogative to hire and fire administrators as she sees fit. We have observed this since Day One with numerous changes to the organization of our administration; these changes have a direct effect on us as faculty, and they are concerning. Yet we are told they should not be our concern.” For Wooten and the union, the fact that Blacklaw was fired was not the core of the issue, but rather the way that it was done – in secret and “under their noses. “We accepted we were going to lose Stuart, plain and simple,” he said. “But, the fact that Stuart was fired, ‘effective immediately’ during a time when the entire faculty was in a meeting, the fact that he was in front of us not five minutes prior talking about his continued efforts for faculty support; the fact that he was not given the opportunity to leave his position respectfully and with prior notification. “The fact that faculty were in a union meeting discussing how to communicate and collaborate better with this administration, while that same administration was firing our VP right under our noses without any communication to us is beyond ironic.” In a final plea of for rebuilding all broken communications, Wooten said that the current mode
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further explaining his stance that at WCC, instruction trumps all. “Washtenaw is an awesome place,” he said. “There are faculty members here who are truly the best I have ever seen - and I have been in this business for 27 years,” Blacklaw told The Voice. “There are amazing people here who just somehow reach students and inspire them. “I love that. I am excited by that. I think there is no greater achievement as an academic leader than to help faculty do their work -- give them the tools they need, the support they need and the encouragement they need to do great things. Washtenaw’s faculty do great things.” Further documentation found in Blacklaw’s file said that he is not to come to campus as of March 14, except for necessary business and that he must “refrain from comment regarding this action and from making statements disparaging to the college, its trustees, its personnel or programs.” Blacklaw was hired at WCC in 2010. He will continue to receive his annual salary of $128,270 until his contract officially expires in June, totaling to three months’ pay at $32,067. Bill Abernethy, dean of humanities, social and behavioral sciences will act as interim VP, being paid $131,400 per year. 26-page collection of documents and emails detailing all communications between faculty regarding their main points of concern – which go beyond the firing of Blacklaw and communication issues. Aside from the two points raised by the union in front of the board, other areas of concern include chain-ofcommand processes, hiring decisions, financial expenditures regarding office renovations and new non-instructional staff. According to the documents acquired by The Voice via the WCCEA, discussion about how to handle their issues with Bellanca began on Jan. 15. On Feb. 12, the department chairs met to follow up a several meetings to identify their concerns with a new path of communication that Bellanca was beginning to establish. WCCEA leadership also set up a meeting with Bellanca at this time scheduled for Feb. 18 to address the president on how the faculty would like to be dealt with. According to the WCCEA, the intent was to work with Bellanca on a way to deal with the issues they saw arising in the long run. Stating the need for a new mechanism for “problem-solving as it relates to student success, satisfaction and improved communication processes,” Bellanca sent out an email detailing the assemblage of a Presidential Academic Cabinet three days prior to the Feb. 18 meeting. The cabinet, which is not the same as the administrative leadership team that already exists, would be an advisory body to the president and would be “comprised of one department chair from each division, the dean of each division and a faculty member and dean representing counseling and library services,” Bellanca wrote. For Bellanca, this path was the best way to move forward with increased faculty collaboration. However, through many meetings, informal and formal votes, the faculty union chose to reject most of these measures on Feb. 19. While the WCCEA members were proud of their efforts, culminating in Wooten’s speech, some were not impressed by Bellanca’s reaction statement. “None of what she said was about the central issue that is communication. I have no heartburn with the factual content of her speech; it neatly skirts what the issue is and that is communication,” said David Fitzpatrick, the WCCEA’s chief negotiator. M a r y a m Barrie, the union’s vice president, was more reflective than put off. “The thing that I hope she Maryam Barrie understands is that collaboration involves coming to us before decisions are made,” Barrie said. “Not that we have to get our way; we just want to be consulted and involved in the discussion. “We’re used to that. Maybe we’ve been spoiled as we have been shown a great deal of respect by past administration.”
of solving WCC’s faculty issues “isn’t working and it needs to be fixed by those responsible.” He also added that union members “are ready and willing to come to the table” to correct the damages, and asked Bellanca, “how about you?” In her response, Bellanca thanked the WCCEA for its passionate response to the issues at hand, and she said she agreed with what they were saying. “You are what makes us great,” Bellanca said. “I respect that, and together we can work to reach our goal, together we can figure out a way to communicate effectively. It is going to take time, and I hope not too long. But we will continue to keep working with the same end in mind.” To defend her actions thus far, Bellanca shared a list of her accomplishments, which included a $2.9 million Department of Labor grant awarded to the college and expanded outreach to K-12 schools. She also compared herself to former WCC President Larry Whitworth and his first 18 months in office. Bellanca has Larry Whitworth served a total of 18 months and 26 days. “During that time, we have had three executive-level staff departures. In contrast, the immediate past president of WCC terminated a dean and 10 directors within the first 18 months of his tenure.” Bellanca spoke for about 10 minutes. In concluding, she acknowledged that “change can be stressful for any organization, even when that change is for the better. “I also understand that the anticipation of an unknown change – even though it may never occur – can be just as stressful. I am confident that our direction is the right one and that the decisions we have made thus far are sound.” After the meeting, Bellanca told The Voice that he she was not surprised by the overwhelming faculty response, and that it shows just “how important all of this is to them.” Prior to Wooten’s speech, WCCEA President Jennifer Baker, in her regularly scheduled faculty report said that “four weeks ago, in preparation for the February board meeting that subsequently was cancelled, I delivered to you a packet of information that outlined faculty concerns and asked for a response from you. One week later, our chief negotiator reiterated our concerns to you. “We have yet to receive a response.” Voice Managing Editor Adrian The packet of information was a Hedden contributed to this report.
The Voice celebrates Record Store Day
Hash Bash blows through Ann Arbor
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VOICE THE
April 15, 2013
Volume 19, Issue 16
washtenawvoice.com
The student publication of Washtenaw Community College
Yo u r
v o i c e .
Yo u r
p a p e r .
Ann Arbor, Michigan
From behind bars to building cars Student shows what is possible by battling challenging times
Faculty union is ‘appreciative,’ but not very impressed
By BENJAMIN KNAUSS
Staff Writer
When times get tough, life gives you exactly what you need, when you need it, as long as you are paying attention and not busy giving up. Eric Jiskra, a lab tech with the Washtenaw Community College Custom Cars & Concepts program, has a story to prove that. “It’s really weird how the chain of events have been unfolding in my life for the past few years,” said Jiskra, 34, of Ypsilanti. “Four years ago I started this program, but four years prior to that I was in belly chains on my way to prison.” Jiskra worked in construction prior to being sent to prison for an alcohol related offense. During his incarceration he spent time learning how to work out. After his release, he came to WCC and enrolled in the nursing program so he could study physical therapy. “The biggest thing when I got out, for me, was I wanted to find a way to give back to the public for being a scum bag,” Jiskra said. “As far as society is concerned, I have paid my dues, I did my time, and I got out. On a conscious level, for karma so to speak, I wasn’t in the clear with me yet. I thought physical therapy would be really good.”
By BEN SOLIS
Editor
BENJAMIN KNAUSS THE WASHTENAW VOICE
Turning a new leaf: Eric Jiskra (right) works with a automotive student David Churchill, preparing a door for a coat of primer in their Auto Body Restoration (ABR111) course.
Not so much, he soon learned. “After my first year of basics, they denied me because of my felonies,” Jiskra said, referring to the nursing program. “I did not know what to do at the time, so I loaded down with a bunch of classes I knew would transfer and continued on.” He went back to work in the construction field. One winter he built the foundation for a hot rod shop in
Dexter, a shop owned by Gary Sobbry, year. He also started working in the an Auto Services instructor at WCC. WCC auto body shop as a lab tech “It was the middle of winter and three days a week last semester. I was hauling block,” Jiskra recalled. “I ended up down here (in the “He (Sobbry) says, ‘you know you’re custom auto program). The doors working too hard for your money.’ The opened and shut so fast, but I ended next thing you know, I took one of his up being involved in the program classes – and now I work in the shop that changed my life,” Jiskra said. that I built.” Jiskra has been working in that JISKRA Dexter hot rod shop for less than a CONTINUED A6
Spring/Summer enrollment on decline Officials point to summer jobs and changes financial aid By ADRIAN HEDDEN Managing Editor
For Christy Courtney, getting an education used to be a year-round endeavor. But the Ann Arbor resident and business major at Washtenaw Community College has recently seen her financial aid and desire to learn dry up in the heat, leaving spring and summer sessions an impossibility. And as her trust in the viability of WCC’s Web offerings during the Spring/Summer session gradually evaporated as well, Courtney, 26, now would rather appreciate the recreational benefits of the warmest months of the year. “I want to (take summer classes),” she said. “But the money is not there. I used up my financial aid but if there were more classes online that I needed, then that would be easier. Christy Courtney Everything offered online during the summer is useless. “And no one wants to be stuck inside when it’s nice out.” These sentiments are shared across campuses state-wide, according to Vice President of Student and Academic Services Linda Blakey. She explains a drop in enrollment for WCC’s 2013 spring and summer sessions as reflecting a student body committed to finding work as yearround Pell grants begin to dry up. By the end of last year’s spring and summer sessions, WCC had calculated a total of 42,262 budgeted credit hours, but currently has counted a total of
Trustees double down on Bellanca support
29,494 for 2013. With about a month until the first Spring semester session begins, credit hours are down about 30 percent. And last week’s headcount for 2013 was at 4,834 students, down 33 percent from the final headcount of 7,243 students for the Spring/Summer semesters of 2012. Those numbers could still change dramatically. Students can register up until 8 p.m., the day before their class is to start, and Blakey hopes that with the spring sessions starting a week later than last year on May 13, students will enjoy more time to register for classes. She also asserted that some of the decline may be attributable to students waiting until the last week of registration to enroll. “Looking at where other schools are, numbers are down across the state,” Blakey said. “People are working in the summer instead of going to school. They’ve used up financial aid and don’t have the funds to go in the summer.” So it is for Jeff Ratliff of Ann Arbor. The 24-year-old photography major usually prefers summer classes to overcoming the extreme weather of winter when commuting by bus to get his education. But busy working a wealth of summer events for local head shop Foggy Bottom Bayou, Ratliff will be sitting out school this summer, set to return to his studies in the fall. “Usually I do (take summer classes), but not this semester,” Ratliff said. “My new employer gets really busy over the summer, but usually I like summer classes because I don’t like treading through the snow. “And I like that classes are shorter; you can get it done sooner, and it’s not as crowded.” Hoping students will fill the halls of Washtenaw this summer, Blakey has planned a pilot program for the upcoming semesters, scheduling
back-to-back, six-week sessions to better allow for sequenced classes such as English Composition 111 and 226, to be taken before the fall. This pracJeff Ratliff tice, she said, can be found at other institutions in the area. “We got a lot of complaints that students needing to take a sequence of classes could not do that because the classes overlapped,” she said. “Eastern (Michigan University) does six-week sessions, so the idea was to mirror what Eastern does as we have a lot of students who attend both institutions.” Typically, Washtenaw has offered 7 ½-, 10- and 12-week sessions, but the six-week courses will replace the 7 ½ sessions, allowing the various departments to compress their classes or expand to a 10-week offering based on the needs of the programs. “Some departments went into the six because they could do sequencing, some classes were able to stretch it out to 10,” she said. “Some of the science classes are not going to fit the curriculums (into a six-week sessions). They didn’t fit it into 7 ½-weeks either.” According to Blakey, the college will be making phone calls to current students who have not registered for spring sessions and follow up with those Linda Blakey who have begun, but not completed, the application process. “We’re trying to help them walk through the process if they’re stuck somewhere,” she said. “That’s what’s happening right now.”
After months of holding their cards close to their collective chests, the Washtenaw Community College Trustees issued a formal statement of support for college President Rose Bellanca during its regularly scheduled public meeting on Tuesday. The statement, tepid in tone and written in the form of an open letter from Board Chair Anne Williams, acted as the board’s direct response to the myriad concerns brought forth by the Washtenaw Community College Education Association, the college’s faculty union. For several months, the faculty union waited for an official response from trustees regarding their trepidations, which were outlined in a 26-page packet of emails and other documents given to trustees in early February. Various union members expressed dissatisfaction that the trustees had not given them an adequate response, prompting several speeches UNION CONTINUED A5
Marketing, Public Relations continues to build empire College saves with consolidation, critics call it a ‘power move’ By ADRIAN HEDDEN Managing Editor
Washtenaw Community College’s bourgeoning marketing presence is going digital. “A full-service, creative agency: that’s the model,” said Annessa Carlisle, executive director of Marketing. “Web Services now reports to marketing. Now we have more resources and they (PRM and Web) can work together to create the piece that goes on the website. “And still have the message that we want.” The conversion was official as of last July and Carlisle was hired in the fall of 2012. Web Services previously fell under the supervision of Information Technology. “In order to reach a bigger audience, you have to go online,” said Chief Information Officer Amin Ladha. “The availability of robust Internet infrastructure, availability of great tools like Word Press makes it easy for any organizations to manage many of their technical needs themselves. “IT’s role is more of managing the data center, security and all the backend support.” Ladha said that the merger between Web Services and Marketing makes sense as more and more organizations have already made use of the growing convenience of online tools and services. He estimated that when WCC out-sourced its email server to Google, the college saved about $400,000. “Forward thinking organizations are making web services
part of their marketing department,” Ladha said. “It is not just to cut cost, but to use the web as an integral part of any of their marketing campaigns. “It makes it very efficient when you don’t have to go through three people to make adjustments to the website.” But sources familiar with the situation regarding PRM and Web Services at WCC have characterized the change as having nothing to do with resources. Rather, it constitutes a “power move” by administration to control the department. The sources also questioned whether anyone in the Marketing or Web Services department has the adequate background in Web development to manage the school’s site. They also debated the possibility of the college looking to consolidate resources, explaining that personnel in both departments have recently seen little-to-no downsizing. “We’re still trying to build that road map,” said Web Services Director Bryan Freeman who earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1999. “We’ve been working on trying to build our team here.” Freeman joined the college staff on Feb. 11. In building his staff, Freeman filled two vacant positions for a Web developer and programmer as of last week. The new employees begin on April 22, and Carlisle looks forward to developing her staff with the necessary skills instead of seeking outside consultation. “I’d rather spend a little on training rather than looking for outside help,” she said. “It’s utilizing the talents that we have.” And WCC’s message of affordable, higher-education has recently been WEBSERVER CONTINUED A6
Op-Ed
The Washtenaw Voice
April 15, 2013
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Iconic Herb David Guitar Studio in Ann Arbor closes – because it lost touch with its customers feel free to try out an instrument and not feel like you have someone babysitting you. If you’re uncomfortable with people playing your instruments, maybe it’s not the right line of business for you,” Feinberg said. The studio was held in high esteem as a premier outlet for high-end musical instruments in Southeast Michigan, with the likes of Eric Clapton, John Lennon and Bob Seger having their BRIAN KONICEK instruments serviced at the shop. It’s a prime venue for downtown Ann Arbor; After a half century in business, any business owner would salivate Herb David Guitar Studio has closed over the thought of having a storefront its doors. located in the iconic red house. The reason for the closure isn’t So why go out of business now? clear. David blamed downtown con- Stringed instruments haven’t gone struction for the drop-off in business. out of style, and despite electronic But mention the iconic store to local music becoming more of the norm on musicians and peruse the negative popular radio, a resurgence in tradireviews of it online, and something tional instrumentation and “the folk closer to what might be the truth be- tradition” has also taken place. That gins to emerge. sound has never left Ann Arbor – and “I feel like they never really em- it has been its niche for a long time. braced the concept of the store,” said Herb David’s had little competition Zac Feinberg, 25, a local musician who within the city, with Oz’s Music, locatgrew up in Ann Arbor. “It’s supposed ed on Packard, and Music Go Round, to be a communal place, where you can located on Oak Valley Drive, being it’s
closest opposition. Jonathan Apples, a local electronic musician, had conflicting feelings towards the closure. “To be fair, Herb David’s was in an undoubtedly expensive location, and probably had to operate on higher margins to survive,” Apples said. “I would occasionally pay the premium for the convenience of the location and because it’s a local business. “However, as a musician and potential customer, the limited selection and general atmosphere of unfriendliness discouraged me from ever wanting to spend my money there. Any time I opened that door I was given the vague feeling I was an unwelcome guest in somebody’s home, as opposed to a valued customer.” A few days before the doors closed forever, employees sheepishly offered a “no comment” on the closing. According to Ann Arbor.com, David reported a 50-percent decrease in sales during the construction of the underground parking structure on Fifth Avenue, which now has been complete since July of 2012.
Hitting the home stretch, finally
KELLY BRACHA It might just be a number to you, but to me it’s so much more. School has been a struggle for me since I can remember, but when I used the new graduation audit using DegreeWorks and saw that I was 75 percent toward getting my degree, my goal suddenly became so much more tangible. My parents never graduated college, as they were from a different country and got drafted out of high school. My brother attempted college, but took another path and found success through teaching yoga. I hadn’t realized that no one in my family had graduated college until recently, which is when I also realized that I am slowly on my way to becoming the first among us to do so. When I say school has been a
struggle, I mean since first grade. I have this hazy memory of my mother being pulled aside after class, and even at such a young age I knew something wasn’t right. They spoke about holding me back, but my mother refused the idea. I’ll never know if that was the best idea, not holding me back. In retrospect, I think I could have used the extra year of math, the one subject I struggle with to this day. Memories of high school are riddled with hiding my semester grades and notes home from my parents. I knew I wasn’t a bad kid, but I just couldn’t handle the pressures, the classwork, the tests and everything in between. If there is a phobia of classrooms, I must have it. Bad grade after bad grade and the fear of asking for help. Mental blocks. I saw failing grades as normal and delayed dealing with them until the administration was forced to deal with me. It was a close call, but I miraculously graduated high school on time. While all my friends were off to college, I needed a break. I put off enrolling, telling myself I don’t know what I want to study and it’d be a waste to take classes I
wouldn’t need. I basically used any and all excuses to delay going to class again. To pass the time I got a job and watched as my friends progressed through their college experience. It was when I was attending their graduations four years later that I realized I had just held myself back, and I would regret the time wasted. I enrolled into my local community college in Southern California, and tried. The time off from a classroom setting made me less inclined to stick to the schedule, and once again I was failing. I told myself that maybe I’m just not right for school; maybe I need to do something else. It has been six years since I graduated high school. I have barely anything to show for that time except some job experience. When I moved to Michigan, I dropped everything, moved as close as I possibly could to campus and devoted myself to trying this one last time. So, here I am at 75 percent completed and 25 percent remaining until I go to a four-year university. Just 2 ½ more years until I can truly say I conquered my nemesis. It might just be a number, that 75 percent, but it’s a number I cannot and will not take for granted.
NATHAN CLARK THE WASHTENAW VOICE
For the Earth: Raptor educator Sarah Gilmore, left, from the Leslie Science and Nature Center in Ann Arbor, talks to students about the kinds of amazing local birds they can find living their back yards, such as the Bran Owl resting on her hand, at the Earth Day celebration in the Student Center last week.
Perhaps a better reason for the decrease in sales over the years is that Herb David’s lost touch with seasoned musicians and beginners, who are at the heart of music stores’ clientele. The shop merely failed to meet the needs of musicians as well as the common patron. “I hated the fact that if you wanted to play an instrument you had to ask to play it, remove most of your clothing and have somebody hovering over you the whole time,” said Rollie Tussing, a local blues guitar aficionado. Several negative Google reviews also complained of inflated prices, poor customer service and even numerous quarrels with David himself. “Twice a year for many years I made the same mistake: I would call Herb’s and ask if they had item X, the person on the phone would always say ‘Yes we do’, and of course I would make the trip and they would not have it. Every time!” Tussing said. “I am bummed that a small, independent local business is gone, which furthers the mallification of Ann Arbor, but Herb was kind of a (expletive).”
UNION FROM A1
and shows of force at subsequent board meetings in the months that followed. “We applaud our faculty members for all they do to help ensure that educational excellence is at the heart of all we do,” Williams wrote. “We have listened very carefully to concerns that have been raised by some faculty members concerning their desire for more communication from President Bellanca, and for more collaboration on decisions that they believe they affect them.” Yet the response may not be what the union hoped for. “We appreciate that the board has begun to address the issues at hand, but we are disappointed that the little of what she said had to do with what we think are the central issues, which are communication and David Fitzpatrick collaboration,” said David Fitzpatrick, the WCCEA’s chief negotiator. “We expect to have a communication for the issues at the college, specifically this administration’s inability to adhere to Board Policy 5085.” According to the letter, Williams and the other trustees “have also looked very carefully at the evidence of President Bellanca’s leadership, performance, and collaboration since her appointment as President 19 months ago.” Touting Bellanca’s accomplishments at Washtenaw thus far, such as the $2.9 million Department of Labor grant attained by the college and her ambitious strategic planning initiative, the letter of support coagulates sentiments mined from the individual statements made by members of the board at past meetings. Because of these examples, and others listed in the letter, the board
Regardless of the reasoning behind the closure, it still leaves a hole in the city’s menu of retail shops, especially with music being one of Ann Arbor fortes. Hopefully this will be seen as an opportunity for someone to put Ann Arbor back on the map as a complete musical destination. So what will take its place? No plans for the main floor have been announced. But for now, the third floor will remain a repair shop operated by David Collins, Hesh Breakstone and Brian Delaney, former employees of Herb David’s. It will be called Ann Arbor Guitars. “We’re going to deal with mostly fretted, plucked instruments like guitars, banjos and basses,” Collins said. Let’s hope the new repair shop can pick up the slack that’s been left behind from David’s in recent years. Such a fair and reliable business is vital for the city. Brian Konicek is a local musician – and a WCC journalism student. This is his first published piece.
believes that “there is clear evidence of her efforts to communicate and collaborate.” Hoping that the letter would be an acceptable response to the issues brought before them, Williams wrote that “we are confident that the combination of continued strong performance from President Bellanca and her ongoing efforts to work with the college’s faculty and staff members will help to ease some of the discontent we have seen in recent weeks, and allow us to work together to accomplish the important work ahead.” Seconding Fitzpatrick’s assessment, former WCCEA President Ruth Hatcher told The Voice that Bellanca’s attempts to communicate thus far have been half-hearted, and each of her moves have been more about attaining power than effective management. “It’s all about power for her,” Hatcher said after a board meeting on March 26. “She wants it all and will do whatever she can to get it.” Hatcher added that the issues Washtenaw face now are unlike any that the college, its trustees and the faculty union have dealt with before. Yet former WCC trustee and current State Rep. David Rutledge, D-Ypsilanti, said that he is positive Washtenaw will retain its unionfriendly reputation. “Washtenaw Community College has an excellent history of good labor relations and I expect that to continue,” Rutledge said. “It is a mutual respect, between the union and the president, and conversely the president and the union. I am certainly a supporter of organized labor, the reason being that organized labor offers an excellent balance between an administration and its staff. “If you look at our history, the college’s labor relations, whether it has dealt with faculty or staff, have produced a win-win situation for both the students and community” he added. “They have been excellent, and my expectation is that they will continue to be excellent, even given the ups and downs the college is going through.”
Voice Box
Words and photos by MOHAMED MAIZA Voice correspondent With taxes due around the corner, we wanted to get an idea of what students have done with the most enjoyable part of the bitter business, their tax returns. Tarenz Arnold Jake Orr
24, Belleville, Electrician Apprentice
“So far I have bought a lot of gas and dinner for my fiancée.”
21, Ypsilanti, Graphic Design
Amber Garner
Ben Gresley
Arthur Sweeney
Leslie Kain
19, Ann Arbor, Radiology
20, Belleville, Animation
18, Ypsilanti, Computer Networking
16, Romulus, Journalism
“Usually I just save mine. I just put it away for future college.”
“I got a new phone battery. I never really get anything crazy.”
“I mostly just put it towards more books for next semester.”
“I save it in a bank account.”
“I usually spend it on things I need – laptop for school and groceries. I did go on a trip with my family, and the money was spent on that.” Damon Peterson 37, Ypsilanti, Criminal Justice
James Kelly
James Hancock
Kelsey Landreaux
Raynard Slater
Tim Hoeft
20, Ann Arbor, International Business
18, Belleville, Liberal Arts
22, Ann Arbor, Human Services
21, Ypsilanti, Business
20, Ann Arbor, Liberal Arts
“To help pay for bills the same as a pay check, I never really got one big enough to buy myself a gift.”
“Tax returns? I haven’t done any.”
“I bought a lot of clothes, put money towards a car and bills.”
“I don’t work. I don’t get tax returns.”
“I usually spend them on books and tuition. I get financial aid so my money goes right back to the
“Last year I got a double bass pedal for a drum set.”
government.”
Diet myths & eating disorders
Suds for Buds: The Voice’s annual beer tasting
VOICE
C1
B8
THE
April 29, 2013
Volume 19, Issue 17
washtenawvoice.com
The student publication of Washtenaw Community College
Yo u r
v o i c e .
Yo u r
p a p e r.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
WCC embraces outsourcing? “The fact that she had to say, ‘I want to put to bed the rumors about me outsourcing or planning on outsourcing IT, or any department,’ is a bad sign that she might do it,” he said. Stringstubbe said that the decision to outsource is typical of Carlisle’s penchant for seeking unnecessary outside assistance while denying the conBy ADRIAN HEDDEN & BEN SOLIS tributions of her own staff. Managing Editor & Editor “The more she (Carlisle) got established, the more that (outsourcDespite statements from ing) happened,” he said. “All of that Washtenaw Community College’s could have been done by me or Jason Marketing department that its recent (Withrow, Internet professional inmulti-media advertising campaigns structor). All Annessa knows how to used only in-house talent, sources do is work with vendors. If we didn’t close to the college have come for- like a piece of what we were doing or ward to refute such claims. what they were doing, we’d say so. Contrary to previous statements “She didn’t like that.” by Vice President of Advancement Other sources have further refuted Wendy Lawson and Executive Director that the college’s recent billboard and of Marketing Annessa Carlisle, given television campaigns weren’t successto reporters and printed in the last is- ful at all. Another former employee sue of The Voice, the college’s newest said that fewer than 10 people visited billboard and Web campaigns have the college’s “landing page” over the been 100 percent outsourced, former summer from an advertisement on employees say. Ann Arbor Public Schools’ website. According to former web develCarlisle admitted that few people oper Patrick Springstubbe, College were visiting the URLs listed on variPresident Rose Bellanca sat down ous media campaigns, but she said it with all of Information Technology was a learning experience for her deand Web Services last year, saying partment and its new staff. she would not outsource IT, as in past Sources said the poor performance experiences. But Stringstubbe said he and othMARKETING ers were doubtful. CONTINUED A3
“When you keep it in the dark, you’re keeping yourself in the dark.” – Kira Turner, 21, Canton, Liberal Arts
College denies charges by former employees of multiple contractors, mismanagement in Marketing Department
WCC administration, union battle wages on WCC presents 100-signature petition to Trustees; retired faculty take action By BEN SOLIS
Editor
Washtenaw Community College’s faculty union fired another volley as the battle with the administration continued Tuesday, when instructors presented a 100-signature petition to the college’s Board Jennfier Baker of Trustees at Tuesday’s public meeting. The petition was drafted and signed by faculty members who could not attend the March 26 meeting,
when 50 WCCEA members met to show solidarity in support of former Vice President of Instruction Stuart Blacklaw, who was fired on March 14. Brought before trustees in the public comments section of the April 23 meeting, chemistry instructor Rosemary Rader said that while “the president has begun responding to a list of faculty expectations regarding communication and collaboration,” the union would be remiss to point out that “to date the ‘communication’ thus far has mostly been a dissemination of information. “We are not asking the administration to talk ‘to’ us, but that they talk ‘with’ us,” Rader said. “Simply holding a meeting or sending out an informational email is not our idea of communication.” The meeting Rader referred to was a department chair meeting held earlier this month – a meeting that, according to a source within the UNION CONTINUED A6
KELLY BRACHA THE WASHTENAW VOICE
Written in ink: Kira Turner holds up the T-shirt she created for the Clothesline Project inside WCC’s Community Room.
Victims hang emotions for all to see in Clothesline Project By KELLY BRACHA Staff Writer
Kira Turner learned in the most difficult way what love isn’t. Turner was sexually assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend when she was very young. The experience left her at a loss of understanding love – and understanding herself. “Because I was so young, being an innocent 6-year-old, to be subjected to such graphic things
screws up your whole perception on how you’re supposed to be treated,” Turner said. “I suffered with self-identity. Who was I in the world? What was my value?” Nearly a decade later, Turner cried over the incident for the first time. “You live in constant fear, which I still do, wondering if you’re going to see this person again,” said Turner, now 21 and a liberal arts student at Washtenaw Community College. “When I really started to express it to people, it came out through my tears.”
Individuals like Turner are what prompted The Clothesline Project, a program started more than 10 years ago to address the issue of violence against women by expressing their emotions by decorating a shirt that is then hung to be viewed by others as testimony to the problem. This year was WCC’s first time partaking in the Clothesline Project. More than 20 students showed their CLOTHESLINE PROJECT CONTINUED A5
College officials battle elusive class costs, fees of Trustees annual spring retreat last month. “Some of the colleges will charge quite a bit in excess of their tuition rate and hide it in the form of fees, and Washtenaw is quite low in that regard,” he told the board. As WCC remains moderate in comBy ADRIAN HEDDEN parison to other schools as far as extra Managing Editor class fees are concerned, according to the survey of Michigan commuWhile students at Washtenaw nity colleges presented at the retreat, prepare for next year’s tuition hike officials contend that the school has – and the subsequent blow to their maintained a philosophy of eradicatwallets – the school’s administra- ing the extra fees. tion looks to continue to truncate “Washtenaw has historically other student expenses. been, our board has been what I call “We’re right in the middle of the a fee-adverse institution,” said Vice pack and certainly not anywhere President of Student Services Linda near the highest in terms of the Blakey. “They do not like having or cost, total cost of college for the adding fees to anything. number of credit hours. And that’s “Our board has really tried to keep a good thing,” said former Interim tuition the lowest possible for stuCFO Chuck Thomas at the Board dents. They are not supportive of
Washtenaw ranks favorably compared with other schools
having a lot of fees.” WCC does asses a fee for ceramics classes and a printing fee for photography, Blakey acknowledged. But she looks to vocational and lab-based programs, using heavy amounts of physical materials, as having the most costs associated. “All that stuff costs,” Blakey said of class materials. “But with all the materials that get used, there’s no fees attached to those classes here. If you started looking at vocationals, fees will be much more variable.” Blakey asserted that despite lab and material fees assessed at other schools, WCC does not charge extra for material-heavy programs such as chemistry and welding. “There’s a lot of schools where if you’re taking any kind of lab class, CLASS COSTS CONTINUED A6
New veep of Instruction expected – but in 2014 “There’s going to be a search next year with the idea that they will Managing Editor have a permanent vice president of Instruction by the fall of 2014,” said Washtenaw officials say they hope a Bill Abernethy, dean of Humanities nationwide search for a new vice presi- and Social Sciences who has been servdent of Instruction will conclude next ing the position on an interim basis. year. The college is seeking a succesAbernethy was unsure if he will sor to Stuart Blacklaw, who was fired be included in the search. He was unlast month. able to make time to sit down with By ADRIAN HEDDEN
reporters for any further comments. But despite the anger and frustration surrounding Blacklaw’s termination, the faculty union is hopeful that Abernethy will lead all involved into better communication for a brighter future for Washtenaw Community College. “Although faculty clearly stated our disapproval of when, how, and why
former VP Dr. Stuart Blacklaw was fired, the appointment of Dr. Bill Abernethy to fill that position as interim, I think, has been well received,” said
biology instructor David Wooten. “Dr. Abernethy has been committed to this school for years, has been positive in making change, is competent, and most importantly to us is a ‘known variable.’” Other instructors point to
Bill Abernethy
ABERNETHY CONTINUED A6
A6
News
April 29, 2013
The Washtenaw Voice
Students play lobbyist role at state captiol By BEN SOLIS
Editor
COURTESY PHOTO MCT CAMPUS
Radiography instructor Jim Skufis doesn’t consider himself a political person, but earlier this month he and a group of Washtenaw Community College students exerted their power as citizens to lobby Lansing lawmakers for change. Two weeks ago, Skufis and 11 Washtenaw students joined 300 radiography technicians, patient advocates, healthcare professionals and other radiography majors from Henry Ford Community College at the Capitol to ask legislators to make across-the-board radiography certifications and licenses mandatory for all radiography technicians working in Michigan. According the Skufis, Michigan is one out of 11 states that does not require radiography technicians to be licensed and certified, meaning that the person shooting potentially harmful waves of radiation into your body could be anyone from a receptionist to a part-time waitress. “We go to conferences for radiography and other students or instructors are just dumbfounded that we don’t have mandatory certification on the state level,” he said. “When you visit a hair dresser or the person who fixes your brakes, they have to be certified, but we don’t.” In order to combat this, the MICARES bill was drafted this year and would force doctor’s offices to hire only certified or college educated radiographers. Although this bill is being passed around in Lansing, few legislators know it even exists, Skufis said. “The public has no idea that this is going on,” he added. “The problem is that anyone with a little training can legally do this. If that person is certified or had the proper education need
to operate the equipment, you could have exams that give you bogus results. If the exam isn’t given properly, or wrong, that exam is no longer useful.” The goal for Skufis and his students were to build the awareness needed to get the law passed, which included stopping off at the offices of Michigan representatives, making emotional pleas in the process. Among the examples used, the dangers involved with untrained workers topped the bill. Often times, Skufis said, doctor’s offices will train their existing staff to do the job of radiographer to save time and money in the process. This, however, can be a dangerous situation. Aside from botched examinations and the need for duplicate testing, which ultimately raise healthcare costs, the biggest concern from the radiography community is that untrained workers have overexposed patients in the past, Skufis said. Overexposure to this harmful radiation can cause everything from birth defects to cancer, experts say. “A lot of patients don’t understand the risks associated with overexposure,” said Kristy Murphy, a 38-year-old radiography student from Belleville who attend the trip. “The risk is huge if you don’t understand the positioning or the anatomy of the human body.” Andrew Miller, 37, another radiography student, said that this wasn’t about securing jobs from those less qualified workers – it was about keeping people safe. “I always stress to my students that they are first advocates for patients,” Skufis said. “All of the students were so enthusiastic to do this. Most students are only in a student mode of thinking, while these students asked ‘what can be done?’ “There were excited to make a difference at the state level.”
Making a difference: Students visited the Capitol this month to lobby for mandatory radiographer licenses.
UNION FROM A1
faculty union, college President Rose Bellanca does not typically attend. The source said that Bellanca also attended the meeting unannounced; no one was aware that the president was planning to be there. According to Jen Baker, president of the WCCEA, Bellanca’s presence at the meeting was a hopeful sign, yet the petition drive was still a necessary component in keeping the issues alive
and out in the open. In a twist, the second public call for action came in the form of a packet of letters not unlike those given to trustees detailing faculty concerns about Bellanca in early February. It was presented to the David Wooten board by retired
faculty member Edith Croake. Croake, who began her employment at the college when its doors opened in 1966, said that the packet was a coagulation of collective concerns among WCC’s retired faculty, addressing what they saw as a deep disrespect for “the finest faculty. “We are deeply concerned about the direction in which the college is moving,” Croake said, reading from one of the letters. “Never in the history of the college have two vice presidents left within six months of each other. . . Never in the history of the college have
ABERNETHY FROM A1 CLASS COSTS FROM A1
there’s a lab fee. It might be $20 or $30,” Blakey said. “All the stuff costs; we don’t have any kind of lab fees. For a lot of schools, there’s a lot of fees attached to those classes.” According to the survey, the total fees calculated ranks WCC at number 14 of the 28 institutions surveyed and found to have similar enrollment. The average total tuition rate calculated in the survey for a full-time, 15-credit student at WCC was $1,590. Despite lower tuition rates at other schools such as Lansing Community College with a rate of just $81 per credit hour, when added fees are assessed the overall cost can climb to well over $2,000. The total cost of attendance at Lansing is $2,176 for its average full-time student at 20 credit hours, 134 percent of its tuition rate. Blakey points to some com- Linda Blakey munity colleges that charge students tuition by contact hour rather than credit hour, as instructors are paid by contact hour.
A class like welding, she said, could pose eight contact hours and just three credit hours. WCC only charges by credit hour. “A lot of community colleges have transitioned and charged by the contact hour,” Blakey said. “That can make sense because faculty are paid by the contact hour. “But it makes a huge difference for the student.” With tuition at $89 for in-district students in 2012, added costs brought the average rate per credit hour to $106, 119.1 percent of the actual tuition rate students at WCC were charged. The rate marked a 3.9 percent increase from 2011. According to the survey, the total fees calculated puts WCC in the middle as far as cost over tuition among other schools in the area. But despite the college’s status, trustees hope that there are costs students pay, in addition to tuition, that can be cut down further to make education more affordable. “A dollar is a dollar, whether you raise it on a textbook or on tuition,” said Trustee Patrick McLean. “I really hope we’ll go back and discuss class costs that go beyond tuition. I think there’s some real opportunity for savings there, and I think we should take advantage.”
Abernethy’s past as a respected English instructor and dean of the department. They hope that his reputation for being fair and direct with his staff will translate into an open and fair administration. “When he was a faculty member of the English department, he worked with our basic writers and was a clear and patient communicator with our deMaryam Barrie velopmental
50 full-time faculty members come to a meeting to ask for your support in opening channels of professional communication.” Croake also addressed the climate of the work environment at Washtenaw as an observer, adding that “the fabric of trust that exists in most productive workplaces has turned to dust. “Most are distracted, anxious and angry,” she said. “Some wonder if they will be the next to experience a wellcoordinated, chilling dismissal such as Vice President Blacklaw received.”
As Croake gave the board the packet, applause erupted, yet unlike during past speeches made to trustees, board members and Bellanca did not thank or Croake for her input – an action that angered biology instructor David Wooten. “I think that they had a faculty member, a retired faculty member who has been here since the beginning, express the concerns of other retired faculty, and they didn’t thank her afterward?” Wooten asked, incredulously. “It was just unprofessional.”
students,” said English instructor and vice president to the Washtenaw Community College Education Association Maryam Barrie. “As a dean, I’ve found him to be reliably fair and supportive to the faculty in his division.” And president of the union Jennifer Baker, who has worked with Abernethy on a number of projects for WCC’s curriculum committee, looks forward to working with a VP she can support, allowing time to tell if his appointment was in fact the right decision. “I’ve worked with Bill on a number of projects over the years and found him very good to work with,” Baker said. “Was it a good choice? We’ll see. I think he’ll do a good job in his new role. I will support him.”
Chief negotiator to WCCEA David Fitzpatrick, a history instructor, is hopeful that recent problems in communication between WCC faculty and administration may be remedied by Abernethy’s experience and understanding. David Fitzpatrick “I think if anyone can facilitate a solution to the problem, he’s the one to do it,” Fitzpatrick said. “He understands our concerns and hopefully can work with the president. It’s not war, it’s not combat, it’s not battle; we problemsolve, and we hope that can continue.”
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