higher ed newsletter september 2011
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Higher Ed Newsletter Sept 2011TRANSCRIPT
The NSEA Higher Education Academy hosted the
Third Nebraska Biennial Higher Education conference
over June 17-18, 2011, at the Country Inn and Suites in
Lincoln. Over 60 faculty, staff and guests from across
the state gathered to discuss higher education issues of
pedagogy, politics and educational reform. The theme
of the conference was “Something’s Happen-
ing Here—Change and Consequence in Higher
Education.” Keynote speakers tied local dy-
namics to the international reform move-
ment. On Friday evening Dr. Marty Mahler,
the Executive Director of the NebraskaP16
Initiative, analyzed the local and state de-
mands for more college graduates to com-
pete in an increasingly international mar-
ket. On Saturday, Dr. David Robinson,
Associate Executive Director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers
(CAUT) and a senior advisor to Education International, surveyed global higher ed
reform agendas and outlined the challenges to all faculty and higher ed profession-
als. The 12 conference sessions covered such topics as: Online teach-
ing, assessment management, the implications of an aging faculty, co-
curricular learning, the Concerns Based Adoption Model, faculty
workload issues, the “Red Balloon” curricular and faculty reform
movement, issues for mid-management academic professionals. Dr.
Karla Hayashi, from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, detailed a
unique collaborative writing project involving public high schools
and two and four year colleges. Dr. Ron Wirtz, head of User Services at UNK, explained the
New Information Literacy and how it is transforming academic libraries and research infrastruc-
ture.
August/September, 2011 Volume 5, No. 1
The Higher Education Advocate
NSEA Board
Meeting Dates
Fall/Winter 2011-12
Sat. October 15, 2011
Sat. November 5, 2011
Sat. December 3, 2011
Sat. January 28, 2012
Sat. February 18, 2012
Inside this issue:
HEA 3rd Higher
Ed Biennial Conf.
1
Higher Ed at the
2011 NEA RA 2
Higher Ed at the
Delegate
Assembly
3
NSEA Higher
Education
Advocacy
Conferences
4
NSEA GR Team
fights for CIR
4
Meet SEAN
President Patrick
White
5
Visibility Grant
Outcome:
UNKEA Logo
5
Wayne, Chadron
And Peru State
6
Academy
Directorate
7
Academy Hosts Third Biennial Higher Ed Conference
Dr. Marty Mahler
Dr. David Robinson
Dr. Ron Wirtz Dr. Karla Hayashi
Page 2 Volume 5, No.1 Volume 5. No. 1 Page 2
Mike Kasper
HEA Higher Ed Conference (Continued) Dr. Mike Kasper, a Senior Policy Analyst with the National Education Asso-
ciation (NEA), reviewed details of the Partnership for the 21st Century
program and how the NEA was responding with programs and policies to
assist at both the national and regional levels. Chris Waddle and Karen
Rodgers offered an update on legislation in the Unicameral, developments
with the P16 initiative and on community college campuses. The confer-
ence also featured awards presented to the University of Nebraska at Kearney
Education Association (UNKEA) and to the Nebraska State College Professional
Association-Wayne State College (NSCPA-Wayne). The Higher Education Academy presented
checks in the amount of $100 to each of the locals for having five or more members in atten-
dance at the conference. Congrats to Kearney and Wayne! Com-
ments from the conference evaluations included the following: “
Unbelievably great speakers across the sessions /keynotes. Great
interaction in sessions.” ; “Gave me a better understanding of
NSEA, the HEA, and our local group.”; “The entire conference
gave me food for thought. Need to keep thoughts flowing, not just
in conference setting.”; “Great event. I would like to see this
event happen every year.” Feedback is always important. So if you
have any ideas or suggestions about the Biennial Conference
please send them along to any member of the Directorate.
Thanks! UNKEA receives conference award
NSCPA -Wayne receives conference award
NSEA Vice President Leann Widhalm and NSEA President
Nancy Fulton at the keynote address
HEA Vice President Joan Trimpey and NSEA Bargain-
ing and Research Director Larry Scherer
Dr. Mike Kasper
Nebraska Higher Education at the NEA Representative Assembly
The NEA Representative Assembly was held June 30 through July 5, 2011 in Chi-
cago. Every year more than 9,000 elected delegates from across the nation gather
to direct policy and elect leadership for the NEA. It is very similar to Nebraska’s
Delegate Assembly but on a grander scale. This year the NSEA Higher Education
Academy was represented by Chris Waddle, attending as the NSEA Board mem-
ber and automatic delegate, and Roger
Davis, HEA President and elected delegate
from the UNK local. This was an unusual
year for Nebraska higher ed, because in
addition to participating in the work of the Nebraska delegation, Roger Davis was
also a candidate for one of the NEA Higher Education At-Large positions on the NEA
national board. With Chris as campaign manager, the Nebraska candidate addressed
21 state caucuses in 19 different hotels across the Chicago landscape! As most caucus
meetings ran from 7a.m. to 9a.m. each morning, it was quite an experience! With
three candidates for office, Davis did make the run-off for the second position, but
ultimately lost. However, overall, the higher education
membership won with two very distinguished higher education members on the NEA Board.
Elected to the Board were Dr. Catherine M. Leisek, Associate Professor of Visual and Per-
forming Arts from Brower College in Florida, and Dr. Lisa Ossian, Professor of History from
Des Moines Area Community College. All candidates are members of the NEA affiliate, Na-
tional Council for Higher Education (NCHE). Many thanks go out to the members of the Ne-
braska delegation who made campaign contributions, held signs and chatted with voters. It
was great to have some national visibility for higher education at the RA. Local associations are
entitled to send delegates to the RA and it would be great to double the number of higher
education members in the Nebraska delegation in the summer of 2012 when the RA will
be held June 30 through July 5 in Washington, D.C.
Roger Davis and Chris Waddle
The NSEA Higher Education Academy district delegates were a notable presence at the 2011 NSEA Delegate Assembly.
The DA was held over April 15-16 at the Embassy Suites Omaha-La Vista Hotel and Conference Center. Sixteen higher
ed delegates, representing eight of 14 locals, donned dayglow
green shirts in support of the slogan “ Building A Strong
Higher Education District.” Two delegates with scheduling
conflicts found an alternative way to join in a meeting. Patti
Blundell, HEA Faculty Area Rep, and Ann Petersen, HEA
Treasurer, joined the HEA Directorate members for a pre-
assembly meeting by Skype video. HEA Vice President Joan
Trimpey not only staffed the Higher Education registration
table, but also assembled some great “doggie bags” of goodies
for the delegates. Delegates for the 2011 DA included Vickie
Liles, Heidi Farrall and Christopher Waddle of Central Community College; Roger Davis,
William Aviles, Marc Albrecht and Jane Ziebarth-Bovill, from UNK; Joan Trimpey, Tim Bowl-
ing, Linda Chandler, Helen Tanderup and Kevin Throne, from Metro Community College; Bill Clemente from Peru State;
Karen Granberg from Wayne State; and Mary Lister and Pam Burks from Mid-Plains Community College.
Page 3 Volume 5, No. 1
Higher Education A Visible Presence at NSEA Delegate Assembly
Registration Table
DA logo VP Joan Trimpey and the “doggie” bags
Patti and Ann Skyping in
from Chadron!
Thirty –seven officers and leaders of NSEA higher education locals from across the state gathered on the
campus of the University of Nebraska at Kearney over February 11-12,
2011 for the second annual Higher Education Advocacy Conference.
The conference program featured presentations on communication
tools, budgeting, contract analysis, membership organizing, and a re-
view of political issues regarding the CIR. Presenters included Larry
Scherer, Rich Wergin, Al Koontz, Kristi Capek, Jerry Hoffman and Sheri
Jablonski from the NSEA. Also featured were Mark McGuire, NSEA legal
counsel, and Gregg Gascon, a fiscal analyst specialist from the Ohio
Education Association. The conference also provided a great opportunity for Higher
Ed leaders to network and share experiences and ideas. Comments on the evaluation sheets indicated a successful meeting.
Among the kudos were these: “Overall the conference was great. Great speakers, information, and food!;” “Good for folks to
meet and share ideas and just see each other.” and “Thanks for hosting this event. It was well organized and everyone
involved were great to visit with. The facility was great. The weather was great. Looking forward to next year.” And, next
year and the next conference are not far off! The 2012 NSEA Higher Education Academy Advocacy Conference will held over
February 10-11 again at the student union building at UNK. More information and registration will be announced later on.
If you would like to see more photos of the conference, and a video of Mark McGuire’s presentation,
just visit HEA Secretary Bill Clemente’s blog site by typing “AroundPeru NSEA” in your Google search.
The NSEA Government Relations team worked tirelessly on behalf of all members to
preserve the integrity of the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations in the 2011
legislative session. The CIR has been successful in providing an effective dispute resolu-
tion process that provides predictability and reasonableness for school districts and
school employees when the parties are at impasse. The CIR process supports the public
interest by ensuring the continued delivery of essential public services without any
threat of employee strikes or work stoppages. CIR decisions are based on the average –
not top salaries, not the best benefits but rather the average compensation of similarly-
situated employees. Despite the fact that the CIR has been a fair, effective and reason-
able dispute resolution system for over the last 40 years, anti-labor interests launched
a major effort to terminate the CIR or significantly change its function into solely a recommending
body. The GR team of Karen Kilgarin, Jerry Hoffmand and Brian Mikkelsen logged extensive hours
in the capitol building working with friends and allies to turn back the assault on the CIR. Follow-
ing a difficult and lengthy process of negotiation the modifications to the CIR, deleting the Special
Master provision, were slight and the outcome maintains the body and its authority in place.
This was a great victory for all of organized labor in Nebraska and a special hard-earned accom-
plishment for our NSEA team. The next time you field a question about what members receive
for their dues monies, please note the hard work and success of our government relations
professionals working on our behalf in the political arena.
Higher Ed Advocacy Conference - 2011 and 2012
Karen Kilgarin
Volume 5, No. 1 Page 4
Jerry Hoffman Brian Mikkelsen
Sheri Jablonski
Gregg Gascon
NSEA EFFORTS PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF THE COMMISSION
OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
SEAN
Student Education
Association of Nebraska
Through the Student
Education Association of
Nebraska (SEAN), the NSEA
provides professional
resources and support to
teachers in training. That
added preparation helps
young teachers get off to a
successful career start, and
provides NSEA with a core
group of future Association
leaders.
SEAN chapters are located
on 16 Nebraska college and
university campuses, with a
combined statewide
membership of more than
1,500 and growing.
Dues for membership in
SEAN/NSEA/NEA are $28
annually. Membership
provides student with
important liability insurance
coverage while student
teaching, as well as many of
the same benefits as active
teachers/members.
A portion of the dues are
refunded to SEAN members
with their first year of
membership in the NSEA
when they begin their
professional career.
SEAN sends delegates to the
NEA Representative
Assembly as well as to
NSEA's Delegate Assembly.
The SEAN president serves
as a non-voting member of
the NSEA Board of
Directors.
SEAN website:
http://nsea.org/members/
sean/index.htm
Volume 5, No. 1 Page 5
Hello, my name is Patrick White! I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. I
attended St. Pius X/St. Leo School for grade school and Gretna High School.
There I was involved in theatre and speech and found a mentor in one of the
finest English teachers I've had the pleasure of knowing. Following high school, I
went on to study at Hastings College where I am now studying education. I
intend to become a high school language arts teacher. I was elected last year to
be Student Education Association of Nebraska President for the 2011-2012
year. Since being elected, I have been very busy working on promotional mate-
rials with Nebraska State Education Association staff, going to conferences to
improve our state chapter and participated in a rally in Washington, D.C., for
education. I will do everything in my power to make this a successful year for SEAN not only in
membership, but also in activism at our Outreach to Teach events and other activities. SEAN's
membership slogan this year is "Make It official.” The "Make It Official" slogan is to coincide
with our newly created Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SEANebraska<http://
www.facebook.com/SEANebraska>. Please join the site so you continue to be informed of any
and all SEAN updates. In addition to the Facebook site we are starting off the year strong with
nearly 500 members registered and it's only September! Thank you for your continued support
and please keep spreading the message of SEAN to your fellow students. Please feel free to
contact me at 402-660-2167 if you have questions, concerns, or ideas.
Meet Patrick White,
President - Student Education Association of Nebraska
HEA Visibility Grant Makes Its Mark!
When the UNK Education Association won their $400
Visibility Grant last Febru-
ary they determined to
insure that the dollars
would be spent in the true
spirit of the grant title. So
they launched a contest to establish a formal logo for the
University of Nebraska at Kearney Education Association
(UNKEA). The local offered $200 for the winning entry
and invited any faculty, staff, or student to participate. The
winner was UNK senior Alyssa Johnson from Grand Island.
A major in Visual Communication and Design, Alyssa certainly proved her worth by taking
home the prize! In her statement about the design of the logo she wrote:”Ideas in art,
theater, philosophy, and science that were adopted from the ancient Greeks have become core
aspects of our western society today. In designing the new logo for the University of Nebraska at
Kearney Education Association I felt that the ancient Greek column would best represent the as-
sociation. Not only does the column represent the
connection that the organization has with UNK, it
also represents the deep roots our society and
university system have in the ancient Greek cul-
ture. The Greek column is a fitting symbol for the
Education Association because of its commitment
to helping individuals who further education and
continually pursue knowledge.” Congratulations
to Alyssa and to the UNKEA for a job well
done, and, most definitely quite visible! Alyssa Johnson and Bill Wozniak
Patrick White
NSCPA-Wayne has recently
elected new officers. In addi-
tion, President Charissa
Loftis reports the following:
“Members also served concessions at the Majestic Theater in
Wayne as a fundraiser. Those who volunteered enjoyed the ex-
perience and the movie! (also) The NSCPA-Wayne is expecting a
visit from NSEA President, Nancy Fulton, at our October member-
ship meeting. We look forward to her visit.” A great example of
reaching out to the community!
Jerry Haugland, Chadron State College Education
Association Vice President and Scholarship Com-
mittee Chair, reports that three students at
Chadron State College were awarded $500 Aca-
demic Merit scholarships for the 2010-2011 school year by CSCEA. The school
of arts and sciences award was awarded to Ember Welsch. The school of educa-
tion, human performance, counseling, psychology and social work was awarded to Jamie Lewandowski.
The school of business, entrepreneurship, applied & social sciences and sciences was awarded to Anna-
mae Lindsley. Students from each of the college’s three schools are selected through an application
process. The money the students receive comes from the CSCEA faculty dues.
The Durham Museum, Omaha, Nebraska, is one of
five museums across the nation that has hosted the
Library of Congress Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibit “With Malice Toward None.” The committee that
planned the Museum’s activities to accompany the
exhibit included Dr. Spencer Davis, Peru State Col-
lege Professor of History and PSCEA Vice-
President. During the exhibit January – March,
2011) Professor Davis conducted Saturday guided
tours of the display and directed a Lincoln Reading
Club in conjunction with the exhibit. This is an-
other fine example of our HEA higher education
leadership involved in community programs and
projects.
Volume 5, No.1 Page 6
New Officers, Popcorn Days, and a Pending Presidential Visit for NSCPA at
Wayne State College!
Register Now! NSEA
Fall Bargaining
Conference
Holiday Inn-Midtown, Grand Island
October 21-22
Registration
Online at
NSEA.org
Pictured clockwise, starting with the upper left hand photo: Charissa Loftis
-President; Loren Kuchera-Vice President, Michelle Meyer-Secretary and
Derek Anderson-Treasurer
Chadron Members Support CSCEA
Student Scholarship Program
Peru State College Education Association Vice President Assists Durham
Museum Program.
Dr. Spencer Davis
Dr. Jerry Haugland
Page 7
Patti Blundell Chadron State College
Faculty Representative
308-432-6454
Karen Granberg NSCPA-Wayne State College
Academic Prof. Rep. 402-375-7321
Lael Churchill
Central Community College
ESP Representative 402-461-2491
Ann Petersen Chadron State College
Treasurer
308-432-6337
Joan Trimpey Metro Community College
Vice President
402-738-4675
Christopher Waddle
Central Community College
Board Member
402-476-8222
Roger Davis
University of Nebraska
at Kearney
President
308-865-8771
Bill Clemente
Peru State College
Secretary
402-872-2233
Your Higher Education Academy Directorate
Volume 5, No. 1 August/September 2011