Welcome to a new academic year! 

It is back to school time, and I’m sure you’re all as sick of seeing that everywhere as I am, so I’ll stop there. Happy fall semester, and welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! On the union side, we have lots going on. Here are the highlights and headlines. 

Transparency, Communication, Engagement 

These are the words that interim president Steven Cauchon hopes will define the relationship between the union and unit members this term. With a vision of increased communication that includes member input at monthly E-Board meetings, shared agendas and minutes, regular updates for members, and a campaign to raise awareness of the contract, he hopes to engage and empower unit members to know their rights, know their contract, and work together to enforce fair conditions and a great work environment for all full-time faculty members.

 Union News – Elections Update

As you may know, there are currently a couple of open positions on the CTA Executive Board; we are in the process of holding a special election to fill the Vice President and Faculty Representative positions. At this point, we are happy to announce that we have an elections committee in place and are moving forward! Say hello to your new elections committee: Beatriz Avila, Allyn Leon, and Jose Plascencia! You should have an email from Beatriz already. Definitely check it out and consider running for a position.

 On Our Radar – Evaluating Equity?

The chancellor’s office has asked all community colleges to add an equity piece to faculty evaluations. Our Academic Senate has asked for faculty representatives on an IVC Task Force. The union will need to agree to any changes before the District can officialize, but we want you all to be aware that changes will be coming and ask you to offer your input and insights when the time comes.