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5footway.inn Project Bugis
Looking for a stylish and affordable accommodation while you immerse yourself in cultural lights of Kampong Glam?
Located in the heritage rich Kampong Glam, 5footway.inn Project Bugis is a few minutes walk from the famous Sultan Mosque and Arab Street. The only 5footway.inn property with designer rooms, each of these specially themed rooms in Project Bugis is designed by Singaporean artists.
A charming boutique hostel, which provides guests the options of dormitories, private rooms or designer rooms, all beds come with private lockers, electrical sockets and reading lights. Fully air-conditioned with Wi-Fi network available throughout the property, Project Bugis also provides Mac computers for free access. Guest can enjoy hot beverages for free all day. The cozy terrace in the hostel is a favourite hangout spot for guests and in any case of emergency, the reception is available 24 hours and the property is equipped with CCTVs for security.
5footway.inn, established in 2011 and managed by The Uncharted Co., is the largest boutique hostel chain in Singapore.
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hostel Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Reception
- Adaptors
- Age Restriction
- Air Conditioning
- Book Exchange
- Free Breakfast
- Credit Cards Not Accepted
- Free City Maps
- Free Internet Access
- Free WiFi
- Hair Dryers
- Hot Showers
- Internet Access
- Key Card Access
- Laundry Facilities
- Linen Included
- Security Lockers
- Luggage Storage
- No Curfew
- Non Smoking
- Reading Light
- Steam Room
- Taxes included
- Towels For Hire
- Washing Machine
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 5 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
Must-Read Hostel InfoThis property has specific Terms & Conditions.
-To upkeep the backpackers environment, we do not accommodate children under the age of 2 years old. All children 2 years old and above, must pay for a bed at the standard rate and children aged 2-12 years old must be accompanied in a private room.
-For the safety and security of all our guests, visitors are only permitted at the reception area.Guest is responsible for producing a valid passport and/or visa of entry into Singapore. We reserve the rights to deny any guest without valid documents.
-In the event of cancellation within 5 days prior to arrival or no-show, one night charge is applicable.Property do not accept cancellation through phone call. You may cancel via Hostelworld account or email the property.
-Towels are complimentary 1 piece per guest for private room bookings. For dorm bookings, they are available for loan at the minimal fee of $2 per piece.
We accept payment only in Singapore Dollars, cash.
- Check in time: 1500 hours
- Check out time: 1200 hours
Property accept email request ONLY in case of any cancellation or change.
To check-in, guests must have a minimum age of 18 years.
Security deposit will be forfeited for late checkout and additional one night charge applies for check out after 2pm.
No refund will be given for early check out.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
Step 1: Proceed to Changi Airport MRT and take the East West line heading towards Tanah Merah MRT (EW4).
Step 2: Alight at Tanah Merah MRT (EW4). Proceed towards platform B (East West line) and board train going towards Joo Koon MRT.
Step 3: Alight at Paya Lebar MRT (EW8) (CC9) and board the orange Circle line towards Dhoby Ghaut MRT.
Step 4: And finally alight at Nicoll Highway MRT (CC5).
Step 5: At the station lookout for EXIT A and you will reach an overhead bridge that brings you all the way to Jalan Sultan Road.
Step 6: Cross over to the street next to Jalan Sultan and you will see 5footway.inn Project Bugis at 10 Aliwal Street.
The journey will take approximately 40 min. The single trip MRT ticket will cost S$ 2.20.
Located Near
5footway.inn Project Bugis is located in the heritage-rich area of the Arab Street district, a melting pot of flavours and a tease for the senses. From here. it is only a minute's walk to the historical Sultan Mosque, a 5-minutes' walk to Golden Mile Complex and Nicoll Highway MRT Station. Bugis Junction and Bugis Street are about a 10-minutes' walk away.


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HARDIN COUNTY — The Hardin County Sheep Improvement Association will
hold their annual Lamb Banquet on Saturday, March 1, at St. John's
United Church of Christ, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the banquet can be
obtained from the Extension office at 1021 W. Lima St. Suite 103,
Kenton. Adult tickets are $14, Children $7 and 2013 Hardin County Junior
Fair Sheep Exhibitors are free with a reservation given at 419-674-2297
by Feb. 24.
Tickets can be purchased until Feb. 24 from the following county
Sheep Improvement Association Directors: Adam Burbach, Scott Elliott,
Matt Klingler, Barry Musselman, Dave Burkhart, Kristie Fay, Max Garmon,
Don Haudenschield, Kenny Williams, Jeff Bowers, Bruce Oberlitner, Gene
Haudenschield, Peter Previte or Russell Senning. Tickets can also be
purchased from Madelyn Lowery or from the Extension Office at 1021 W.
Lima St., Suite 103, Kenton. The guest speaker will be Amy Schroeder, a
sheep producer from Hancock County, who will be sharing information
about wool processing and marketing opportunities.
For more information contact OSU Extension, Hardin County, visit the
Hardin County OSU Extension web site at www.hardin.osu.edu, the Hardin
County OSU Extension Facebook page, or call Mark Badertscher,
Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator at 419-674-2297.
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Information published on this site is not for republication in print or web media without the expressed written consent of Ada Herald Media.

subset: commoncrawl


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IBADAN, Nigeria – Mobil Producing Nigeria, a local unit of Exxon Mobil Corp., said Tuesday it was continuing to clean up an oil spill off the coast of the country's southeastern Akwa Ibom state and 500 local personnel are involved in the effort.
Personnel and equipment have been deployed over the past week "to support efforts as cleanup continues of oil released from one of the joint venture's offshore pipelines on Nov. 9," it said in a statement.
MPN said last week that the source of the leak had been identified and a pipeline had been shut down.
The company said it was investigating the cause of the leak, but didn't say how much oil had been lost.
An oil spill near an Exxon facility also occurred in August. Residents said that spill had left a long slick along the Akwa Ibom coastline. The company said it had cleaned up that spill.
Oil industry officials say oil spills occur regularly onshore in the Niger Delta, where nearly all of Nigeria's oil is exploited. But they say most of the spills are caused by oil thieves damaging pipelines, while others are due to the pipelines' old age.
"We are working closely with the Department of Petroleum Resources, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment and local community leaders in a joint team to determine coastal shorelines that might have been affected," Mark Ward, MPN managing director, said in the statement.
MPN, the operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. joint venture in the state, said dispersants approved by DPR had been used to disperse the leaked oil.
Copyright (c) 2012 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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From the Rangers:
April 11, 2010 – New York Rangers 1, Philadelphia Flyers 2 SO (Game #82, Road #41)
· The Blueshirts were defeated by the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-1, in a shootout today at the Wachovia Center, to close out their 2009-10 regular season schedule. It was the Rangers' seventh shootout of the season (3-4).
· The Rangers finished the season with a record of 38-33-11 (87 pts.) overall, including a 20-16-5 (45 pts.) mark on the road, to rank ninth in the Eastern Conference standings.
· New York posted a 7-1-2 (16 pts.) record over the last 10 games of the season, dating back to a 5-0 win vs. the Islanders on Mar. 24, to come within one point of their fifth consecutive playoff berth. It is the second time this season the Rangers registered 16 points in a 10-game stretch, having posted a 7-1-2 record from Dec. 17 at the NY Islanders to Jan. 6 vs. Dallas.
· Henrik Lundqvist stopped 46 of 47 shots through regulation and overtime, and turned aside one of three shootout attempts, to finish the season with a record of 35-27-10, including an 18-11-4 mark on the road. He posted a 7-1-2 record in the last 10 games, registering a 2.18 goals against average with a .930 save percentage and two shutouts over the span. Lundqvist's 46 saves marked his fourth game this season with 40-or-more saves, which is a career-high.
· Jody Shelley notched the game's opening goal at 3:27 of the first period, and finished the contest with four hits and a team-high four shots on goal in a season-high 13:58 of icetime. Shelley notched a goal in back-to-back games for the first time in his career, having tallied a goal on Friday vs. Philadelphia at MSG, and has now recorded five points (two goals and three assists) in the last eight games vs. Atlantic Division opponents.
· Defenseman Michal Rozsival tallied the primary assist on Shelley's first period goal and logged 26:54 of icetime. Rozsival registered two assists in the final three games to finish second among team defensemen with 20 assists on the season.
· Artem Anisimov recorded one assist in 18:01 of icetime to finish the season riding a four-game assist streak (four assists), and registered five assists in the last six games.
· P.A. Parenteau converted his shootout attempt in the second round of the shootout, improving to three-for-three in the shootout for his career.
· Marc Staal skated in a team-high 29:16 of icetime and finished with three hits in the contest. The third-year player led the Rangers in average icetime this season, logging a career-high 23:07 of icetime per game.
· On Mar. 25 at New Jersey, Lundqvist registered 35 saves through regulation and overtime, and stopped all three shots faced in the shootout, to post his 30th win of the season. Lundqvist is the only goalie in NHL history to post 30-or-more wins in each of his first five seasons, and is the first Rangers goaltender in team history to post five straight 30-win seasons. He recorded his 150th career regular season win with a 29-save shutout on Nov. 1 against Boston, becoming the fastest goalie to 150 wins (279 games) in franchise history, reaching the mark 16 games ahead of Mike Richter (295 games). Lundqvist also established career-highs in saves and shots faced, stopping 50 of 55 shots on Mar. 4 vs. Pittsburgh.
· In his first year as a Ranger, Marian Gaborik led the team with 42 goals and 44 assists for 86 points, along with a plus-15 rating and 14 power play goals. Gaborik established career-highs in assists, points and power play goals, and tied his career-high in goals. He began the season with an eight-game point streak, tying the franchise record for longest point streak to begin the season by a new Ranger, set by Dave Creighton in 1955-56. Gaborik's 42 goals tied Phil Esposito's mark during the 1978-79 season for 11th on the Rangers' all-time single season goals list.


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A NURSING home near Pershore has won acclaim for the standard of care it provides its residents.
Bricklehampton Hall Nursing Home is among more than 500 others across the country to achieve the Gold Standards Framework in the Care Homes Quality Hallmark Awards.
The award recognises homes that have helped lighten demand on hospitals and helping residents live their last days in a place of their choice.
To be accredited a home has to fulfil 20 criteria including leadership, support and dignity.
Gold Standards Framework national centre lead nurse Maggie Stobbart-Rowlands said: "Increasing numbers of people are now being cared for in a more compassionate and coordinated way which means they are receiving the care they want, where and when they want it.
"Homes like Bricklehampton Hall are a beacon for others to follow as they are providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time, offering their residents the sort of care we would want for ourselves or our loved ones."


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Additional Information
Wholesale Ben's 30 Spray Pump Insect Repellent / 3.4 Oz
Wholesale Insect Repellent
Insect repellent is a type of lotion or spray that is applied directly to the skin or clothing to keep unwanted insects from biting and crawling on you. Insect repellents help keep insects away that might be carrying diseases such as malaria, Lyme disease, Dengue fever, bubonic plague and the most common, West Nile Virus. One of the most commonly found substance in insect repellent is DEET. 100% DEET was found to offer up to 12 hours of protection while several lower concentration DEET formulations (20%-34%) offered 3-6 hours of protection. DEET is a chemical that was developed by the United States Army as the result of jungle warfare during World War II. DEET was first used by military personnel in 1946 and by 1957 it was available to the public. Insect repellent is an essential item to have when going camping, hiking, or for a hot summer night stroll to protect against unwanted bug bites. A test of various insect repellents by an independent consumer organization found that repellents containing DEET or picaridin are more effective than repellents with 'natural' active ingredients. All the synthetics gave almost 100% repellency for the first 2 hours, where the natural repellent products were most effective for the first 3060 minutes, and required reapplication to be effective over several hours. For protection against mosquitoes, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued a statement in May 2008 recommending DEET. Insect Repellent is also known as mosquito pest control sprays, insect-off repellant, natural bug DEET-based repellants, emergency outdoor preparedness replicas, government issued safety survivalists skin protection, house fly deflectors, etc. Insect Repellent is commonly misspelled as cheap army navy discounted hikes gears, hiking geers, etc.
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Aug 21, 2012 1:55PM
Listen: The Avalanches New Demo
A spoken-word song.
The Avalanches have just released a new demo on their website. 'A Cowboy Overflow of the Heart' is a different direction for the electronic act who have gone down in Australian history for their 2000 release Since I Left You. You can download the poem-come-song from their site now (you just have to register). They also tweeted this photo along with the name of the song. Cryptic, very cryptic! Can we assume 'A Cowboy Overflow of the Heart' will appear on their long-awaited upcoming album?


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The 5 March, 2007, edition of Le Soir, one of Belgium's major dailies, carried a report discussing the global impact of Harun Yahya's The Atlas of Creation.
Titled "A red book refutes Darwin's thesis," the report described Harun Yahya's book as "a work of genius." It emphasized how Harun Yahya had become an author known to all scientific institutions in France and Belgium within a matter of a few weeks and the enormous impact he has had. The report discussed how the author had conducted a comprehensive study, "using plain evidence," to reveal how evolution never occurred, and contained the following terms:
0000-00-00 00:00:00


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Robert Eugene Shultz, Virginia
Feb 20, 1944 — Robert Eugene Shultz
Robert Eugene (Gene) Shultz attained the rank of Sergeant and became the left-waist gunner and engineer on a B-24 Liberator bomber. He was assigned to the 44th Bomb Group and 506th Bomb Squadron based out of Shipdham, England.
On their very first mission to bomb over Helmstadt, Germany, their aircraft was struck by flak and damaged. The aircraft could not keep up with the bomber formation and soon became a target for fighters. Sgt. Shultz was either killed or badly injured during these attacks.
His body was initially interred in the District of Forest Oberrosphe six miles east of Treisbach, Germany. On May 15, 1945, Sgt Shultz and three other of his crewmates were reinterred in Netherlands Cemetary. Later, the body was returned to the family and interred at St. John's Reformed Church, near Middlebrook, Virginia.


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Future Sound Systems Decade Counter DC1 Demo from Future Sound Systems.
Buying a software synth is the gateway drug to harder synth purchases. After a few months of soft VSTs you may grab a used hardware virtual analog. Next thing you know you own a real analog then a vintage analog. Before you know it you end up starting a modular system. You have been warned. You can get the DC1 at Analogue Haven for $180.
"A Decade Counter takes a clock signal (usually from a square-wave LFO) and shares the clock to 10 outputs, sequentially counting through them. There are reset and disable inputs to allow interesting sequences with more LFOs or other gate/trigger/clock sources, and a /10 output to give a gate output when a step-cycle begins. There are many uses for this module. As well as a 10 step gate sequencer driven by an LFO, a gate signal could be set to drive the module and trigger up to 10 different sounds. With only 2 steps used, the performer can alternate between two different voices per note, which can be useful for creating a bowing effect. The DC1 can also be clocked to frequencies well within the audible range, so the module can act as a sub-oscillator or general audio mangler. If two square-wave oscillators are used with one patched into the clock input and the other patched into the reset input, interesting sync effects can be achieved by changing the pitch of the reset oscillator." – futuresoundsystems.co.uk
For more info: futuresoundsystems.co.uk


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/1/2012 (2036 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Ever wondered what's going on at the back of the line when the Winnipeg Jets come out for the start of home games?
Most fans are focused on the players as they step out onto the ice, but if you look up to the Jumbotron, you'll see a flurry of activity in the shadows. That's where many of the Jets conduct a last-second meeting of their Secret Handshake Club.
Luckily, the first rule of the Secret Handshake Club, isn't, "Don't talk about the Secret Handshake Club."
It's part of their pre-game routine and it's fair to say they're careful not to walk underneath any ladders or let any black cats cross their paths before a game.
Let's not even talk about breaking mirrors.
"Guys always go out behind certain guys and they have their certain routines and superstitions. It's pretty cool. If you stood here and watched us go out, it would be the same thing every time with the handshakes and the order," said defenceman Mark Flood, the undisputed president of the SHC.-P96xavpg.js">
Flood has a half-dozen unique handshakes he performs with other players and trainers before game time. It can start off with something simple and then be added onto as the players see fit, he said.
"If something doesn't go right, or you don't have the proper chemistry, you can always switch it up. I always start with something small and build on it. I think it's cool when a guy hits a home run in baseball and comes back to the bench and has eight different handshakes with guys. I don't know how they remember them all," he said.
Flood and Al Pritchard, the Jets' massage therapist, for example, do the following before each game: two low-fives followed by a pair of short hair-fixing motions.
Goaltender Chris Mason is also a fan of baseball's post-home-run celebrations in the dugout. He said the Jets' "funny little handshakes" are fun and help get them going before they head out on the ice.
"You have to do more than the token high-five. You work with your buddies and come up with a new handshake. We have some pretty good ones right now," he said.
Mason said he's fine with the three handshakes he does and he has no desire to match Flood's total.
"They're high-quality. Three quality ones is good for me," he said.
Forward Tim Stapleton said handshakes aren't planned out in advance, either.
"You don't talk about it; it just happens," he said.
Stapleton admits his pre-game ritual with Flood is a little "cheesy."
"His favourite movie is Top Gun and he feels the need for speed. I'm Goose and he's Ice Man. I don't know how it started; it's his idea. I just go along with it. I'm just another hand he high-fives. I'm not even sure he realizes that it's me," he said.
"We just started doing it before the games as a joke. I just stand there and I wait for him to come by. He's from P.E.I., so he's kind of a weird guy."


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Founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru, Ram Das, Amritsar is home to Sikhism's holiest shrine, the spectacular Golden Temple, one of India's most serene and humbling sights.
With its Golden Palace and a name that derives from the pool that surrounds the temple and translates as 'holy pool of nectar', a trip to Amritsar is a journey into the heart of the exotic Indian subcontinent. Fly to Amritsar with Qatar Airways and you'll discover a vibrant, shimmering oasis, filled with exquisite architecture and bustling markets.
The most obvious 'must visit' location for any trip to Amritsar has to be the Golden Palace. This vast complex is quite literally, golden, but is a sum of many parts. The walkway towards the temple gives you that first, stunning view of the palace, and you'll enter the main complex itself through the distinctly Victorian main entrance or Ghanta Ghar". The Harmandir Sahib is the Golden Temple itself, while the vast pool that surrounds it is known as the Amrit Sarovar, and gives its name to the city.
Other attractions that should be added to any itinerary during a trip to Amritsar include the labyrinthine tunnels that make up the remarkable Mata temple. The Summer Palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Ram Bagh Park is now a museum with an eclectic collection that ranges from weapons and coins through to some exquisite works of art and miniatures. Jallianwala Bagh, reached through a gatehouse on the road to the Golden Temple, this poignant park commemorates the 1500 Indians killed or wounded when a British officer ordered his soldiers to shoot on unarmed protesters in 1919.
Dance and theatre are integral parts of life in this part of India, so there are often festivals, events and displays throughout the year. These are invariably brash, bright and colourful, and expect to be encouraged to join in with the dancing! For more sedate leisure activities, some of the larger hotels have their own spa and wellness centres.
For something that is unique to this region, jump in a taxi and head around 30km out of Amritsar to the Wagah border point between India and Pakistan. Here every evening you'll witness one of the most rumbustious and wonderfully brash ceremonies, when the border between the two countries is closed for the night with much pomp and circumstance! A short cultural display by bhangra dancers is put on for the crowd's entertainment, before the main event takes place. It's a unique experience, and unlike anything else you'll encounter during your trip to Amritsar.
Free meals are handed out to all visitors to the Golden temple, but there is a donation box should you wish to make a contribution (be sure not to leave anything on your plate as wasted food is frowned upon). Look out for restaurants that specialise in authentic Punjabi food during your trip to Amritsar include known as dhaba. Dishes to try include kulcha (Punjabi-style parathas with herbs, potato and pomegranate seeds), and Daal Makhni. Don't forget to try a glass of Lassi after a meal. This is a yoghurt curd drink and is a true taste of the region.
There are plenty of options for non-meat eaters. Some of the best vegetarian options are Channa – Battura, Mutter Paneer, Rajma, Kadhi and Paneer Bhurji.
While there are plenty of standard shopping opportunities in the city, if you travel to Amritsar then it's worth checking out the unique handicrafts available here, in particular Phulkaari. This is a type of embroidery that is particular to the Punjab and parts of Pakistan. It's literal translation is "flower making", and you will see examples of it everywhere. It adorns everything from head scarves to shawls and sarees. The best examples are in the Hall Bazaar and Kapra market. Hand-embroidered ones can be pricey and are very popular during festivals. Be prepared to bargain, especially in Kapra market.
Flights to Amritsar with Qatar Airways arrive at Doha and then connect on to the main airport for the region, Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, which is approximately 11km from the city centre.
Visa restrictions for entry into the country will depend on your country of origin, length of stay and whether your trip is for business or pleasure. So before you fly to Amritsar please check the visa and passport requirements.
Currency: Indian Rupee (INR)
Voltage: 230 V 50 Hz
Plugs: Type C / D
Language: Hindi / English
International dialing code: +91
Join Privilege Club and make travelling with Qatar Airways even more rewarding
Great car booking rates and personalised service available from more than 40,000 locations worldwide.
Explore Discover Qatar's stopover packages offered by Qatar Airways Holidays. Book hotels, desert safaris, city and architectural tours including visits to Katara Cultural Village, Souq Waqif and The Pearl.


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PITTSBURGH – Clint Barmes liked to think he was immune to the pressure. He wasn't.
When the veteran shortstop arrived in Pittsburgh last spring after signing a two-year, $10.5-million free agent contract, he felt the need to prove his worth right away.
It led him down a path he knows he should have avoided. Though Barmes had been productive during his final season in Houston in 2011 – batting .244 with 12 homers and 39 RBI in 123 games for one of baseball's worst teams – he spent the winter tinkering with his swing.
He nearly tinkered it into oblivion.
Barmes hit just .170 the first two months of the season, remaining in the lineup only due to sublime work in the field and his lengthy relationship with manager Clint Hurdle that dates back to when Barmes broke into the majors with the Colorado Rockies in 2003. Hurdle stayed patient and kept sending Barmes out there even as the boos and the 0-for-4 nights piled up.
"It's hard to say if I had signed somewhere else if they would have stayed with me as long as Clint did last year," Barmes said. "But he knows me. I've spent most of my career under him. He had seen something like this before and he believed I would get it right."
The hole was so deep, it took Barmes the rest of the season to dig out of it. He finished the year with a .229 average, 20 points below his career mark. In a way, however, it felt like a success.
He could have bailed when things went south quickly. He didn't. He went back to work, fixed what he could and hit .251 over the season's final four months. Now the 34-year-old is hoping that momentum carries over into 2013.
"I've just made things as simple as I can make it on the offensive side," Barmes said. "I'm a lot more comfortable with where I'm at and expect to have a lot better start than I did last year."
It would be difficult to do much worse, though the way Barmes continued to grind even as his average plummeted immediately won over a young clubhouse in search of some veteran leadership.
"He's somebody that I've learned a lot from, especially with some of the things that he went through on the offensive end," second baseman Neil Walker said. "To see him go about his business on the defensive end has made me that much better of a defensive player."
And in turn helped provide the Pirates with some much-needed stability up the middle. Barmes and Walker quickly developed a rapport – both on the field and off – that helped Pittsburgh contend for a playoff spot until early September.
The fact Walker was sidelined the majority of the season's last six weeks with a back injury happened about the same time the Pirates began to falter isn't a coincidence. Sure, the Pirates missed his bat but they missed the fluidity of having their two middle infielders separated, too.
Walker is healthy and Barmes insists his confidence is high. It wasn't the smoothest spring. He hit .178 during Grapefruit League play, the lowest among Pittsburgh's regulars.
Still, there's no doubt Barmes will be penciled into the lineup for the opener against the Chicago Cubs Monday.
Given Pittsburgh's lineup, Barmes knows he doesn't have to come out and try to hit .450 the first month of the season. He also knows he has the trust of his manager and his teammates, allowing him to relax, something that was difficult last spring.
"When I go out there and try to make things happen and try to get results, it's usually blown up and backfired in my face," Barmes said.
Barmes is at the point in his career where he understands what he's good at, and what's best left to others. He will never hit in the heart of the order. There's no reason to swing like a slugger when you're not one.
"If you've got guys at other positions that are going to be big and drive in runs for you, you know it takes a little pressure off a guy like myself and my situation," he said. "If I go up there and I battle and I have good at-bats … at the end of the season, I'm going to be OK."
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Rockies go extras again, but emerge victorious
Barnes' single in 10th paves way for victory after Tuesday's loss in 16
CHICAGO -- Brandon Barnes perpetrated a simple, positive act that went a long way toward restoring baseball order.
Barnes waited on Wesley Wright's knuckle curve and lashed a bases-loaded single into left field to drive in the Rockies' go-ahead run in the 10th inning in a 6-4 victory over the Cubs on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field in front of 29,491.
Had Barnes not come through with the bases full, with Drew Stubbs scoring shortly afterward on a wild pitch by Wright, the Rockies would have continued to do their best to disprove the adage that starting pitching is a key to winning.
Lefty Brett Anderson added to the strong recent rotation work with nine strikeouts in seven innings, during which he gave up 11 hits but no walks and just two runs. The Rockies' starters' ERA since the All-Star break, which going into Wednesday was the National League's best over that period, is 2.66.
Because Barnes was clutch -- on a night when the Rockies suffered 15 strikeouts, or just three fewer than in Tuesday night's 4-3 loss in 16 innings -- the Rockies could celebrate their pitching.
"That's my favorite spot in the game," Barnes said. "When there's a lot of pressure on the pitcher, it's the time to shine for me. The opportunity to get a big hit is what this game is all about, to come through for the team."
The Rockies led, 4-2, with two out in the eighth when center fielder Drew Stubbs pulled up in front of the ivy-adorned wall and dropped Starlin Castro's fly ball. The next hitter, Luis Valbuena, launched a Tommy Kahnle changeup into the left-field bleachers. It set the stage for yet another extra-inning game.
"It seems like it's been Murphy's Law around here, so it was nice to see us fight for that win," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "They haven't been coming easy, and this one wasn't easy tonight. But it felt good to get the W."
The Rockies pulled all they could from a bullpen depleted by Tuesday's lengthy contest.
Rob Scahill (1-0), called up Wednesday from Triple-A Colorado Springs, threw a scoreless bottom of the ninth with one hit and one strikeout. Adam Ottavino, closing so the Rockies could rest LaTroy Hawkins after his work Tuesday, earned his first career save.
"I knew going into the game that I would close for 'Hawk'," Ottavino said. "I was aware of it, but I didn't try to think anything different."
Anderson missed three months with a broken left index finger and gave up six runs (five earned) in the first inning of his return. Since then, however, he's given up three runs, two earned, in 21 1/3 innings. Nonetheless, he has been rewarded with just one win because of unproductive offense and bullpen gaffes.
On Wednesday, he induced double-play grounders in the first, second and third innings and maintained control.
"Going into the game the bullpen was taxed after yesterday and I set out to pitch as efficiently as possible," Anderson said. "There seemed like there were men on first and second in every inning, but the double plays helped me out early."
Before the Cubs scored with two out in the fifth -- Ryan Sweeney reached on a sharp single that eluded second baseman DJ LeMahieu and scored on John Baker's double -- Anderson had completed 13 1/3 scoreless innings.
Anderson and fellow lefty Jorge De La Rosa have spearheaded this rotation surge. Both names have surfaced in rumors as the non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches on Thursday afternoon. But efforts like Anderson's Wednesday and De La Rosa's for the last several years have the Rockies likely to pick up Anderson's $12 million option for next season and make a $14 million qualifying offer to De La Rosa for next year in hopes of keeping him from walking as a free agent.
A Rockies offense that scored three first-inning runs but didn't score for another 15 frames Tuesday was spotty again. But Justin Monreau had an RBI single in the first, Charlie Culberson and Charlie Blackmon added RBI doubles in the second and Michael McKenry doubled in a run in the sixth against Cubs starter Travis Wood, who fanned a career-high 11.
"They got to me early and hit a couple balls and on good pitches, too," Wood said.
Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Hardball in the Rockies, and follow him on Twitter @harding_at_mlb. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Sun and sand make their siren call in August, tempting investors to a remote island or perhaps a crowded European beach. After all, summer tends to be a quiet time for stock markets with low trading volumes, or at least that's what holidaying investors like to think.
But what happens if unexpected economic news or currency trends trigger sharp stock market moves, asks Colin McLean, managing director of SVM Asset Management? It has happened before. This time two years ago, world markets were in turmoil as the credit crunch began to bite, and August was an abysmal month for hedge funds as they hit summer blues and most hedge strategies failed to perform.
In July and August 2008 there was a sharp market rotation from resources to financial stocks, while this summer's surprise is a continuing strong recovery in commodity prices, driven by encouraging growth in China, Mr McLean reminds us.
And today Barclays unveiled interim profits of nearly £3bn, helped by BarCap, the bank's investment banking arm, while equities rose to the highest levels of the year.
But whether the markets head north or south, Mr McLean recommends staying cool and avoiding any hasty decisions. So just in case there is a really big surprise over the next few weeks, shake the water out of your eyes, make sure your laptop screen is not obscured by the sun, and take a deep breath before pressing send.


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A couple of Dallas' out officials discussed the challenges and benefits of running as an out candidate and serving as an open officeholder Wednesday at the third event in the city's "Honor, Educate and Celebrate" Pride series.
Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez, former Councilman John Loza and Dallas police LGBT Liaison Laura Martin, who stepped in last minute for the absent 116th Civil District Court Judge Tonya Parker, were panelists. A group of about 30 sat comfortably in couches in a casual setting at the United Black Ellument Cultural Center and asked questions about campaigns and the importance of out officials.
Valdez touched on the challenges of running as an openly gay candidate. In her first election in 2004, she worried constantly that she would be outed. When her opponent eventually outed her, she said she handled it with care and focused on her experience.
In a story about self-worth, Valdez explained that she received international calls when she first won. When a Collin County woman sitting next to her on a plane recognized her, she began to tell Valdez how she and her family including her gay son watched with pride when Valdez won on election night.
At the end of the flight, she told Valdez that she was her son's hero and her election validated her son. Valdez said her position shouldn't validate the LGBT community, but further instill in them a sense of confidence in being who they are.
"We do not need this kind of validation to be who we are," she said. "We just need to be who we are."


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Location:2012 Annual Report
1a. Objectives (from AD-416):
Specific experiments to be completed at Penn State by Gildow and Cox-Foster include: l. Comparison of RPV subcellular localization in vector and non-vector genotypes utilizing immunofluorescent microscopy combined with immunogold labeling for ultrastructural identification of virus and virus-tissue interactions associated with transmission barriers. 2. Characterization of RPV trafficking pathways utilizing injection recovery bioassays from vector and nonvector aphids to verify acquisition of infectious virus and to study virus viability and stability in the aphid hemocoel environment.
1b. Approach (from AD-416):
Identification of RPV localization in S. graminum will use a tandem immunofluorescence (IF)-transmission electron microscopy (TEM) approach to facilitate viral subcellular localization by TEM. Briefly, aphids either membrane fed or microinjected with purified virus will be fixed and paraffin embedded. Paraffin sections of gut and salivary tissues will be incubated in primary virus-specific polyclonal antibody, followed by secondary antibody linked to Alexa fluor 488. These will pinpoint the cells for EM sectioning. Then routine ultrastructural TEM studies will determine the cellular mechanisms regulating virus recognition and transport. Aphids of each nonvector genotype will be examined for pathways of virus acquisition through various sites along the anterior and posterior midgut and hindgut. An additional exciting finding that might emerge from this study would be the identification of a hindgut or midgut escape barrier by which virus is permitted to enter and traffic through the cell, but is prevented from exiting. These results when combined with ultrastructural observations of virus associations with cellular organelles should indicate whether virions are moving along the endocytotic-exocytotic transmission pathway. Failure to transmit may be caused by structural barriers to diffusion through the basal plasmalemma of the gut or ASG, missing cellular components preventing virus recognition and endocytosis at the cell membranes, or disruption of the transcytosis pathway preventing directional movement of virions through gut or ASG cells. Virions accumulating in HG or ASG as a result of failure to be transported through cells are expected to be visualized as aggregates of virions in lysosomes. Characterization of RPV trafficking pathways will use injection recovery bioassays to characterize RPV acquisition ability of all vector and nonvector F2 clones and determine whether non-vector aphids with an apparent strong ASG barrier have an immunological response that degrades virions in the hemolymph. Aphids with infectious virions in the hemolymph, but unable to transmit will identify genotypes with a major ASG transmission barriers. Efficiency of virus recovery should parallel efficiency of virus acquisition. Virus acquisition in hemolymph could be quantitated by immunospecifc EM analysis and real-time RT-PCR if appropriate. Real-time RT-PCR methods to quantitate RPV in hemolymph were developed during the previous grant cycle. If RPV virions are visualized escaping from gut cells into the hemocoel by IF and TEM, and verified by RT-PCR, but infectious virus cannot be recovered by hemolymph bioassay, this would suggest an aphid cellular immunological basis for a loss of transmission. Such a discovery would open a new area of study, as virus viability in the aphid hemocoel has not been extensively examined.
3. Progress Report:
No additional work was completed on this project during the reporting period. Funding from the grant that remained at PSU was returned to ARS to fund ongoing work at ARS in Ithaca to complete the grant objectives.
4. Accomplishments


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THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
So just like poor Hugo, I've been tagged by the menacing Denis, asked to describe the steps I will take to becoming a better developer over the next six months.
I gave this some thought, and decided that I won't commit to reading any more technical books--I have a huge shelf of books I've already read or am halfway through. And I won't commit to posting any more blog posts--I will try to post more, but no guarantees. And I won't study anything new or do anything at all with technology.
No, instead I'm going to go the other way entirely. I've buried myself far too deeply in the study of software development over the past few years, and I believe that if you're too obsessed with a single topic that you're going to end up either burned out or with tunnel vision. Luckily I think I've narrowly avoided both so far, but I don't want to risk getting there. So to become a better developer, I'm going to do the following:
I hypothesize that by increasing the non-technical influences in my life I will return to development with greater vigor and more focus, and therefore will be a better developer. I'll let you know how it turns out.
No tags, I'm going to let this one die right here. But Denis, watch out. Next time something like this crosses my path you're it.
If you would like to receive an email when updates are made to this post, please register here
Subscribe to this post's comments using
Today my twins are one year old . It is supposed to be a little easier from now on (until they hit 2
Yep i will take a break in January and read
The earth is flat
4 hour work week
Confessions of an economic hitman
the Baroque Cycle
Until then you know the list ;-)
Adam, you have EXACTLY the right idea. And Freakonomics is a great book.
I second the nod to Freakonomics. Very good read. And I agree with your approach on this too.
Read Pilgrims Progress. It's centuries old and written for children, though most adults today would struggle to read it. It is also short.
So how did all of this work out for you?


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 9/11/2012 (1746 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
On Tuesday, voters in Denver, Durango and Boulder decided it's OK to get Colorado high. Then the state decided to send Manitoba a Colorado Low.
If all goes according to meteorological plan, you should be able to look outside your window today and see copious quantities of snow, a substance once considered commonplace in southern Manitoba.
After the winter of 2011-2012, when the rivers barely froze and the snow barely fell, it's almost as if someone legislated against the white stuff north of the border.
Last winter may have been the worst in recent memory for cross-country skiing, thanks to a snowcover window that lasted barely more than two months.
After that non-winter, the return of snow is more than welcome in Winnipeg, where a huge part of our collective identity is derived from our relationship with the precipitation that piles up along our sidewalks, turns our back lanes into rutted Mattel tracks and covers up the leaves we didn't rake in October.
Without snow, Winnipeg is just another North American city with no leaves on the trees in January. Without snow, southern Manitoba is just an enormous expanse of frozen canola stubble, punctuated by a couple of gas bars and Chicken Chefs.
To celebrate the return of the billowy, white blanket of snow that beautifies this province, go out and enjoy an early-winter Manitoba the way it's supposed to be -- covered in snow.
The big dump expected today should mean good conditions by Sunday, although it's unrealistic to expect grooming to take place overnight. But there should be some tracks inside the city at Windsor Park Nordic Centre and just outside Winnipeg at Beaudry Provincial Park and Birds Hill Provincial Park, thanks to eager-beaver skiers who are probably camped outside, shovelling snow on the trails as you read this.
Further away from Winnipeg, the Shannondale trail system northwest of Morden is among the first in southern Manitoba to be groomed, thanks to efforts of ski fanatic David Lumgair. This privately owned Pembina Valley trail network has 16 kilometres of classic trails and seven kilometres of skate-ski trails on private land.
There's no guarantee Shannondale will be ready Sunday, but the absence of river crossings make this one of the safer early-season bets. To to get there from Winnipeg, take Highway 3 southwest to Morden and continue west to gravel Road 34 West, also known as the Thornhill turnoff. Turn right and drive 2.6 kilometres north. Turn left at Lumgair Seeds, a farm property with red barns.
This is the last set of structures on the left before the road dips into a river valley -- If you descend into the valley, you've gone too far. If you go, make sure to place a trail-maintenance donation in the dropbox at the trailhead.
Also within an hour of Winnipeg -- and devoid of river crossings -- the Bittersweet Trails sit on the northern slope of the Assiniboine River Valley southwest of Portage la Prairie.
This 21-kilometre, intermediate-level trail system features mostly one-way routes, with several hills and a good views of the valley to the south. There are also 12 kilometres of skate-ski trails, which won't be ready this early in the season.
From Winnipeg, take the Trans-Canada Highway west and continue past Portage la Prairie to Bagot. Turn south at Provincial Road 242 and continue going south until you begin descending the Assiniboine River Valley. The eastern trailhead and parking lot will be on your right, before the river. If you cross the river, you've gone too far. Again, use the dropbox for donations at the trailhead.
As well, all but one of the trails at Grand Beach Provincial Park is free of water crossings. This 16-kilometre system of forest and meadow trails are slightly less picturesque, but there is one glorious climb northeast of the trailhead.
From Winnipeg, take Highway 59 north and remain on it after it merges with Highway 12. Head west on Highway 12 when it diverges from Highway 50 and then exit to your right at East Beach entrance to Grand Beach. After you pass through the park entrance gate, the road to the trailhead is on the right.
For more ski-trail options, the Cross Country Ski Association of Manitoba maintains a great resource at http://ccsam.ca/


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AUSTIN, Texas - A recalled Ford F-150 is at center of a deadly fire that killed two young children, Austin fire officials said.
That fire at a southeast Austin home started about 3 a.m. Tuesday.
The truck was parked near a converted garage at the home, fire officials said.
Neighbors reported hearing tires popping, smelling smoke and then hearing screaming early Tuesday.
Austin fire crews arrived at the scene to help rescue five people at the home, but two brothers, ages and 5 and 7, died, most likely from smoke inhalation, investigators said.
In 2004, Local 2 Investigates uncovered a series of vehicle fires that led to a 2005 recall of about 800,000 Ford vehicles. A defective cruise control switch had the potential to start fires, government investigators concluded.
Austin fire officials said they believe the Ford F-150 at the center of Tuesday's fire appeared to be among those recalled. It is not clear what part, if any, malfunctioned on that specific truck.
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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It's more than just alliteration; it's a statement, a proclamation that Thursdays are when the weekend should really start. Kicking it off right is the key, and what better way than with a cocktail that not only takes the edge off, but tastes good too. A hard thing to disagree with, we know. Drink up, get down and go to sleep happy.
Creamy and refreshing, alcoholic and juice-filled, The Painkiller Cocktail packs a multifaceted punch. Each sip carries notes of nutmeg, along with an onslaught of sweet orange and pineapple juice, creamy coconut milk and aromatic dark rum. If you're looking to take a load off, look no further.
Bottoms up, folks.
The Painkiller Cocktail
1 serving
2 oz Dark Rum (Pusser's recommended)
4 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Coco Lopez, Cream of Coconut
Nutmeg, for garnish
Fill large (beer or water) glass with ice.
Pour all ingredients except the nutmeg into glass.
Stir with long spoon until ingredients are mixed.
Grate whole nutmeg on top of drink or sprinkle with ground nutmeg.
Get the Recipe:
The Painkiller Cocktail
More Summer Cocktails:
15 Margarita's We Love
Sangria Recipes for a Crowd
Cool, Minty Mojitos
For more tropical sips, check out Bahama Breeze's full lineup of Legendary Island Cocktails.


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The English Department engages its students in the study of literature, language, and cultural texts. Such study provides students with opportunities to develop critical thinking, speaking, and writing skills - skills that are simultaneously creative and systematic, personal and social, important for individual development and necessary in professional life. Course offerings cover great works of the literary canon as well as recently recognized texts by a diverse range of Western and non-Western writers. English faculty examine these texts with students while promoting a heightened appreciation for language, literature, and writing.
With faculty members as expert guides, students will develop thoroughly interdisciplinary methods of close reading, researching, and writing. Majors will be expected to learn how to read purposefully, develop and answer questions about textual meaning, formulate and express — orally and in writing — persuasive interpretations of literary works, and write for a variety of audiences with clarity and insight. Courses will challenge students to apply these English skills to explore ethical, philosophical, and historical questions about ourselves and the world we inhabit. Upon successful completion of English coursework, students will be prepared to communicate thoughtfully and effectively about a range of subjects, to assess the textual strengths and limitations of various media, and to live successful and purposeful lives in the new "knowledge society."
Students in English can choose between two majors: the Bachelor of Arts in English or the Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing. The Bachelor of Arts in English emphasizes the analysis literary and cultural texts in a range of historical and aesthetic contexts. Classroom activities and course projects require students to read texts from a range of perspectives, to deliver persuasive and professional-informed interpretations orally and in writing, and to conduct methodological research using the technological tools of the discipline. Students in the English major may also participate in the Secondary Education Certification Program, which will prepare students for a career in English education.
The Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing includes the study of rhetorical theory (including visual and digital rhetoric), the practicalities of day-to-day workplace writing, and an introduction to some of the software and technologies on which professional writers (and their employers) depend. Students in the Professional Writing major can choose to participate in a creative writing track, which provides them the same theoretical background but which also affords more opportunities to develop imaginative writing skills in workshop settings and to graduate with a robust creative writing portfolio.
Students who successfully complete a degree in English or Professional Writing from King's College are well-prepared to apply their skills in a variety of industries and fields. Many graduates now practice law or are high school or university educators; some work for advertising firms, newspapers, and publishing companies; some work in federal, state, and local government environments; and others hold positions of responsibility and leadership in business, industry, and the health field. For more information on career opportunities, including internships during undergraduate study, consult the Chairperson.
Except for the Senior Seminar (ENGL 491), Independent Research (ENGL 496) and Teaching Writing: Theory and Practice (ENGL 328), English courses are ordinarily open to all qualified students regardless of their major. Advanced Writing (ENGL 241) is a prerequisite for all advanced writing courses, and the Foundations Seminar (ENGL 200) is required for all majors and should be completed prior to enrolling in advanced literature courses.
Students majoring in English or Professional Writing have considerable flexibility in choosing courses, though selections should be made in consultation with a departmental advisor in the light of the individual student's interest and career goals. Depending on their interests, time, and career plans, students in these programs can pursue a second major or minor in other fields of study.
Degrees Offered:
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English Literature
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Professional Writing
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English—Secondary Education
Compatible Second Majors and Minors:
Education, human resources management, marketing, accounting, business administration, communications, philosophy, foreign languages, chemistry, history, theology, computer sciences, criminal justice, economics, international business, political science, and theatre.
Special Features
- Internships in London, Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg
- Writing Fellows Program
- Scholarship for Foreign Study
- Independent Study
- Visiting Writers Program
- Publishing Opportunities


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My cart is empty.
CHROME cologne was launched by AZZARO in 1996. AZZARO CHROME is an intoxicatingly masculine fragrance with bergamot, lavender, and ginger. Enriched with cardamom, sandalwood, rosewood, ivy, oakwood, and neroli this cologne is sure to tantalize the senses. Combine AZZARO CHROME with the aftershave for a long lasting scent. This fragrance is recommended for daytime use.
Release Year:
bergamot, lavender, ginger, cardamom, sandalwood, rosewood, ivy, oakwood, neroli.
America's Largest Fragrance Retailer Perfumania specializes in the sale of genuine designer fragrances, bath and body, cosmetics, skin care products and related gifts and accessories for men, women and children.


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ONTARIO - Rain wasn't going to stop Shari and Tifanie Williams from making the trek to Mathis Brothers on Friday afternoon.
The mother and daughter were there to make a donation for the 20th annual "Spark of Love" toy drive.
"It's about giving of ourselves, even if it is a little something. We do okay, but for somebody who is not going to have something, it's our way of giving back," Shari said. "What's a little rain?"
The event is a collaboration of ABC-Channel 7, Omnitrans and the Ontario Fire Department.
Despite the steady rainfall throughout the day, a total of 7 1/2 buses were filled with new, unwrapped toys and games for underserved children.
Capt. Marty Perez said he can't recall the last time they had rain at the Ontario event.
"We've had a little drizzle about 10 years ago, but I don't recall having rain like this," said Perez, who added as of 1 p.m. three buses had already been filled.
"We still had a good fun time. They're in very good spirits, they just want to come out and help out a little bit," Perez said.
Donors were treated with a commemorative 20th anniversary pin, and local businesses such as Farmer Boys, Starbucks, and My Delight Cupcakery gave away food.
KABC-TV weatherman Garth Kemp, who was dressed as an elf, stopped and posed for photos with members of the public.
Friday's event also kicked off the "Spark of Love" toy drive which is a five-county effort. The event stops in Cerritos on Friday, Canoga Park on Dec. 14 before ending on Dec. 21 in Anaheim.
Eva Morales of Ontario came out to the toy drive for the first time. She admits it was her husband, Angel, who came up with the idea.
"I watch it every year," Angel chimed in. "I was watching it earlier this morning..."
"I said `let's go get some toys for the kids'," Eva said.
Eva said she plans on doing this next year and would hope that more people helped others during the holiday seasons.
"It makes you feel good to know you are helping other people and helping others to feel happy," she said.
All the toys that are collected in Ontario helps thousands of children within the community. The Ontario Montclair-School District provides the fire department with a list of names and ages. The fire department will then organize the toys and allow the families to pick them up later this month.
To make a donation, visit an Ontario fire station or its other sponsor, the Farmer Boys restaurant at 1190 E. Francis St.
Reach Liset via email, call her at 909-483-8556, or find her on Twitter @DBOntarioNow.


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Organizational Structure Changes? May 2009
You may lose Social Security Benefits because you have STRS!
Acad. Calendar 2009-10
2/19/09 Seniority List
Handling a crisis
Upcoming ACE forums
Tuesday, October 27 at Mission, N2-301, 3 – 5 pm
Thursday, October 29, West Valley, Business room #9, 3 – 5 pm
Be ready to discuss and share ideas about compensation and benefits, and any other aspects of the contract.
Please note -- forums are for ACE members only. Other non-ACE guests may attend the open sessions of the ACE Council meetings.
The next ACE Council meeting with open session will be November 5, at Mission, 3 – 5:30, N2-301. Closed session 3 – 4:30, open session 4:30 – 5:30.
Negotiations update, October 19, 2009
The District's initial offer to ACE on salary and benefits offer is a permanent 10% cut in salary for all members, retroactive to July 2009, and a cap on the District's contribution to our benefits at $13,356 per member, an amount that falls almost $4000 short of the $17,000 those benefits actually cost. As you may know, a similar offer was made to SEIU. Reducing faculty salaries by ten percent and shifting almost $4000 of benefit cost to each individual member amount to approximately 16% less money spent on ACE members' salaries and benefits. This offer is made in a bad economic climate, but it attempts to wring a permanent concession to solve what is a temporary problem. It is an offer that would ultimately hurt all parts of the District. ACE is looking for a better solution.
There are three things to remember. First, the District has encouraged and incentivized faculty retirements for the last two years, resulting in substantial savings. We have had no COLA's for several years; instead that money was put into an account to cover health benefit costs. Yet, with the present situation the District is still focusing on the faculty to cover an unreasonably large portion of cost reduction to balance the budget.
This is what the District offer will do to the teaching AND non-instructional sides of the balance sheet. Our District has a total apportionment from the State of about $90 million, based on an enrollment of approximately 17,000 full-time equivalent students (FTES) and California state law requires that at least 50% of all monies be spent on instructional salaries and benefits. Of $90 million, $45 million must go to instructional salaries and benefits. If the District suddenly has to pay 16 % less, then the $45 million is now only $37.8 million, and almost seven million dollars are saved. But wait -- the non-instruction side will have to shrink by that amount, too, to stay within the 50% law, so now the District has to cut $7 million again, and now the savings are $14 million. The total budget for the District will have shrunk to $76 million.
How many instructors are required to teach those 17,000 students? As it stands now, the negotiated efficiency level of 525 weekly student contact hours per full-time equivalent faculty (WSCH/FTEF.) The current District plan is for the required efficiency to be 560. As efficiency goes up, fewer instructors will be needed, and upwards of 250 sections will be cut, and the remaining sections will pack in more students. Classes won't shrink, but class offerings will. The money that won't be spent on those sections amounts to about $1.1 million, calculated as almost 50 FTEF paid at associate faculty rate.
After subtracting that $1.1 million, the instructional side of the ledger has been pared to $36.7 million, and the total budget for the District will be a barely $73 million.
Taken together, these cuts are too severe. Cutting more than $8 million out of instruction and another $8 million out of non-instructional spending, when we only needed to cut a total of $6 million, is fiscal anorexia – obsessively shrinking our District for no good reason.
ACE is committed to working logically and constructively to get the District onto a sound financial footing. We are exploring ways to save money and increase revenues by means that make sense for our members. Our own members, drawing on their expertise within their areas, probably can suggest even more creative ideas to fold into ACE's counter offer. Send your suggestions to any of the ACE council members listed below.
Roberta Berlani
WVC, FT Rep, President
Donna Frankel
WVC/MC, AF Rep At Large, Secretary
Pat LaVallo
MC, FT Rep
Rob Leadbeater
MC, AF Rep
Home (650)364 3439
Eric Pape
WVC, FT Rep
Rick Rivas
MC, FT Rep, Vice President
Leslie Saito-Liu
WVC, FT Rep
Marge Throndson
WVC, AF Rep
Home: 408-871-9874
Jim VanTassel
MC, FT Rep
ACE PRESIDENT'S Message:
This is my last newsletter article, as I am retiring. I want to acknowledge the diligent and hard work of the ACE Executive Council. I trust I leave them in a better position than when I started. They have been informed of the issues and have engaged them.
Special THANKS goes to the Negotiating Team, Randy Castello (Chief negotiator), Ellen McAlister (Full-time-faculty negotiator), Louise Lodato (Associate Faculty negotiator) and Susanna Pancella (notetaker). I know that there will be many challenges in the coming years but I feel certain that the Council and negotiators will be successful in representing the interests and desires of the faculty.
I must also extend a special thanks to my executive Secretary, Susanna Pancella, who has kept me in place, on time (most of the time) and been a great confidante. THANKS, Susanna.
To the incoming President, Dr. Roberta Berlani, my best wishes, warm thoughts and you have my home phone number. I will pick up. :>))
Wishing the entire faculty of the District the best. I know that you will continue to surpass the District expectations and will provide an outstanding educational experience to our students.
Ed Kleppinger
President, ACE
ACE Update 4-20-09
The ACE Council would like to announce that Dr. Roberta Berlani, WVC Representative, will be the ACE President for 2009-2010. We congratulate Roberta and wish her well.
There has been talk that the Chancellor has directed that the Brain Trust recommendation regarding eliminating the Division Chair structure be implemented. Word has it that he has instructed the College administration to pull together an implementation plan by May 1.
Article 21 covers the organization structure. The article states that any revision or alteration of the organization structure is to go through a shared governance committee. Such revision is assigned by the contract to a shared governance committee and not the Administration EMT. If the District tries to unilaterally impose a different organizational structure then what has been recommended by the previous shared governance committee, it would be a MAJOR contract violation. ACE will defend to the full extent of the law the Contract that the District has agreed to and ratified.
ACE will be meeting with the Academic Senates at both colleges this week and urges all faculty members to attend, listen, and be heard! The meetings will be as follows:
WVCAS meeting on Tuesday, April 21 in WVC Board Room 2:10-4:30pp
MCAS meeting on Thursday, April 23 in Campus Center Room 219-220 2:05-4:05p
Ed Kleppinger, ACE President
Review of Faculty Distance Learning and Work Experience Appraisals April 14, 2009
Dear Colleagues,
As many of you may have heard and read there is a temporary faculty evaluation process for Distance Learning Courses and Work Experience. See Letter of Understanding (LOU) between ACE and the District, Article 26
Article 26 is being used.
Regular faculty members who have achieved tenure or associate faculty who have re-employment preference:
- If due for a complete appraisal there will be an evaluation team created (two members), a pre-appraisal conference, observations (one by each of the team members), student appraisals, and post-appraisal conference.
- If not due for a complete appraisal then student appraisals will be conducted.
Non-tenured faculty members will follow the complete appraisal process but every class will be observed and have student evaluations.
For distance learning or work experience appraisals:
- If the class section observed is a distance learning section, the appraisal team member and the appraisee shall arrange for one on-campus observation of that section. If a work experience instructor is being observed, the appraisal team member and the appraisee shall arrange for one on or off-campus observation as appropriate. The form to be used will be the distance learning observation form that was agreed to by ACE and the District on April 10.
- If the class section observed is a distance education section, the student survey Form (as indicated at the ACE website) and distribution process beta tested by the District in Fall 2008 shall be used. If a work experience instructor is being observed, the student survey form and distribution process beta tested by the District in Fall 2008 shall be used.
The student survey process was beta tested using the aforementioned student survey form that had been approved by ACE and the Academic Senate as the electronic evaluation form. These forms will be available to the students through a password-protected automated system.
Also, the outcomes for all appraisals are as stated in Article 26. The appraisal timeline is the same as for a class that meets at the college.
The evaluation process information will come through the Office of Instruction.
We have this information from the WVC Office of Instruction for the distance learning and work experience student appraisals (we believe that MC will be doing the same):
The Office of Instruction and Information Systems will initiate the process. An automated message will be sent to the instructor's students, as well as three reminders. Completed student evaluation summary reports will be sent towards the end of the semester for instructor signature, and the signature of the appropriate Department or Division Chair. Any student comments received will be made available to the instructor after grades are turned in.
Ed Kleppinger, ACE President
ACE Update 04/14/09
Dear Colleagues,
ACE and the District:
-are working on organizing and producing a copy of the contract for everyone. Every effort is being made to have this completed before the end of this semester.
-have clarified in the contract that the maximum load for associate faculty teaching in summer is 0.667.
-have agreed on a form and guidelines to be used for distance learning evaluations. A review of the appraisal process will be in a separate message.
-have agreed to compensation for the faculty whose classes maximum class size was unilaterally increased by the WVC VP of Instruction during winter 2009.
ACE has requested budget information from the District so they can prepare for negotiating the next contract. This information is imperative. We will keep you informed.
ACE has also filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) against the District. This ULP concerns the load issues we have been having with the District. These issues include the load for supplemental instruction and the 18-to-15 lecture load change. We will keep you informed as the ULP moves forward.
Ed Kleppinger, ACE President
Results of ACE Election
The following are the ACE Representatives affirmed by faculty vote for Fall 2009:
Mission College:
Full-Time: Rod Pavao and Rick Rivas
Associate: Rob Leadbeater
West Valley College:
Full-Time: Roberta Berlani
CPFA Conference at Mission College 4-18-09
For the first time ever, the California Part-Time Faculty Association Annual Conference is being held in the Bay Area. It will be April 18, 2009 at Mission College with a variety of topics and speakers all focused on part time community college issues.
CA Assemblyman Ira Ruskin will speak on his new bill for more full-time positions and better pay/benefits for part-time faculty. President Robles, Trustee Stampolis, Trustee Lucas, Santa Clara Mayor Pat Mahan and others will be attending.
Some topics that will be covered: Unemployment Insurance (EDD) with Louise Lodato, State Disability Insurance with Mary Ellen Goodwin, Medical benefit opportunities-Keenan and Assoc., figuring out your part-time retirement with FACCC's Deborah Dahl-Shanks, a panel on CCCA/CCC merger and much more!
Register with Chris Coyle at:
CPFA Director of Membership
29718 Red Mountain Drive
Valley Center, CA 92082
There is a discount if you register by April 12!
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included with your $20-35 registration fee!
Donna Frankel, ACE Representative Associate Faculty
Reminder: Vote for ACE Reps
You must vote by 12:00 p.m. (Noon), Thursday, March 26
Ballots have been placed in the mailboxes for faculty members to vote for ACE Representatives.
There are candidates for:
WVC Representative Full-time faculty
MC Representative Full-time faculty
MC Representative Part-time faculty
If you did not receive a ballot please let me know. Thank you for taking the time to vote.
Susanna Pancella, ACE Secretary
3/16/09 ACE Update
Dear Colleagues,
The faculty have ratified the remaining articles for the 2005-2008 contract. The vote was 149 to accept and 39 to reject the articles.
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to vote.
Susanna Pancella
ACE Secretary
3/9/09 ACE Update
This is the final week for voting on the remaining articles of the 2005-08 contract. As before, it is an all YES or all NO vote. Not every individual faculty member will agree with every line in every article of the contract; the purpose of the contract is to benefit the membership as a whole.
There has been much talk about the job descriptions. It was the intent of the Council to clean up the wording for all faculty job descriptions. We have generic job descriptions like instructor, librarian and counselor. The contract does not get to the detail level of history instructor, technical services librarian or Out Reach counselor. In the course of reviewing the Position Control file, the Negotiating Teams discovered several job descriptions that were not in the contract. In essence, these positions are outside the contract. While they might be filled with a tenured faculty member, there is no protection for that member if there is a reduction in force.
If the membership votes YES on the remaining articles, the Council will start work on the 2008-11 contract and select a new negotiating team for that contract. Management has already selected their team. If the membership votes NO, then the 2005-08 contract remains open and the current team returns to the table to continue working on this contract. Also, if the vote is no then any agreement between the District and the Union could be null and void, e.g. the new retirement incentive opportunity.
Please consider your vote carefully! PLEASE DO VOTE!
Ed Kleppinger
President, ACE
Retirement Incentive Information
Retirement Incentive Q&A
Retirement Incentive Proposal
Incentive Election Form
Dear Colleagues,
On March 5, 2008 the Board adopted a STRS "Plus 2" resolution; this means that the faculty have another opportunity to take advantage of the retirement incentive.
There is one window, referred to as Window #2, in which faculty may retire. To be eligible under this incentive plan a member must be at least age 55 and eligible to retire under the STRS or PERS system.
The following is a SUMMARY of the incentive: Window #2, which runs from July 1, 2009 through August 31, 2009: Full-time faculty members retiring in this window are eligible to select from one of the following options:
(1) the STRS "Plus 2" program OR
(2) a lump-sum payment equal to 65% of salary OR
(3) a lump-sum payment equal to 65% of salary a portion of which can be directed into tax deferred 403(b) and/or 457 plans.
Associate faculty members retiring in this window are eligible to receive STRS "Plus 2".
Attached to this message are the Retirement Incentive Proposal and the Retirement Incentive Election Form for you to complete. The Retirement Incentive Election Form must be submitted to HR no later than 5pm March 18, 2009.
Emeritus Status and banked load are also covered in the incentive.
Download the complete Retirement Incentive Proposal and the Retirement Incentive Election Form.doc or pdf.
If you are interested in retiring under the incentive please do your research NOW. If you have any questions please contact ACE or HR.
ACE Negotiating Team and ACE Council
ACE Forums:
Topic: ACE contract
West Valley College: Tuesday, March 3, in the Baltic Room from 1-2pm
Mission College: Thursday, March 5, in W1-602 from 2-3pm
ACE Contract Job Descriptions
Here are the facts concerning the tentative changes in the ACE 2005-2008 Contract.
• Open forums were held so that all faculty could discuss any issue being negotiated.
• Council meeting agendas specifically listed job descriptions as open for discussion.
• Faculty were (as always) encouraged to question and provide input to the Council.
• ACE cannot alone change any job description – district concurrence was required.
Contrary to the statement made in an Email sent to ACE:
• Services to faculty and students will be preserved – all functions are retained.
• Lab Faculty Specialist will now have more freedom to teach and interact with students.
The following titles, specified in the aforementioned Email, do not appear in the ACE Contract:
• Distance Learning Coordinator
• Instructional Designer
• Director of Technology Center
• Director of Instructional Labs
There were no job descriptions for these titles in the ACE Contract. For example, as written, the work description for Distance Learning Coordinator is not even a faculty position.
The job description for Lab Faculty Specialist and others were changed for the 2005-2008 Contract to align with Title 5 regulations, which declares that faculty, instructional and non-instructional, must have a majority of their duties assigned to instruction and/or direct contact with students, and they may not hire, fire, supervise, etc.
If a faculty member desires to have a Director/Supervisory position that does not require Minimum Qualifications, then they must personally negotiate such a position with the administration. Education Code clearly identifies specific coordinator positions as faculty positions; therefore, ACE must comply with State Statutes.
Susanna Pancella
ACE Secretary
2/25/09 Voting on Tentative Agreement Contract Articles 2005-2008
Dear Colleagues,
You are being asked to vote on whether to ratify the remaining articles that have been negotiated and tentatively agreed to for the 2005-2008 contract. To see the complete text of the articles, click on contract in the right upper part of this page.
Below is a summary of the changes in these articles:
Article 8 Association Rights:
Changes made referring to technology rights of the ACE Council District must give ACE a copy of the Position Control File—position control file must conform to negotiated job descriptions
Article 16 Calendars: 2009-2010 Academic Calendar
Article 18 Load:
Limitation of ACE Job Descriptions to a specific listing: Counselor, Department Chair, Division Chair, Instructor, Lab Faculty Specialist, Librarian, Work Experience Instructor, EOPS Coordinator, DSPS Coordinator, Health Services Coordinator, and LATC Coordinator positions. Details of these job descriptions are also included as an Appendix to the contract.
Article 52 Intellectual Property: New article
Article 53 Technology: New article
FORUMS will be held as follows:
West Valley College: Tuesday, March 3 in the Baltic Room from 1pm to 2pm Topic: Contract – present and future.
Mission College: Thursday, March 5 in W1-602 from 2pm to 3pm Topic: Contract – present and future.
A ballot with voting directions should be in your mailbox by March 2. If you have any questions about any of the articles please contact any ACE Council representative.
Thank you for taking the time to cast your vote!
Your ACE Council and Negotiating Team
2/25/09 ACE Council
Mission College
Full-time Faculty Representatives
Eligibility: Current Mission College full-time faculty member
Term: Two positions –
- Three years (starts fall 2009 ends spring 2012)
- Two year replacement (starts fall 2009 ends spring 2011)
Remuneration: Release time 0.1 per semester plus $50 per ACE Council meeting attended.
-Attends Council meetings 3-5:30 p.m., two Thursdays/month (sometimes 4/month).
-Informs the negotiating team of faculty concerns and questions. -Enlists support for negotiation proposals.
-Meets with faculty, department, division on a regular basis, relays concerns and questions to ACE officers and/or may place items deemed appropriate on Council meeting agenda.
-Knows the contract and, as needed, attends information sessions on the contract.
-At the request of the Council, serves on college, district, local, state committees as an ACE representative.
To Apply:
Use the attached application form, submit a statement of interest in 150 words or less to be used on the election ballot and a petition with signatures of 10 Mission College Association faculty members. (With the statement you may also include an e-mail and or personal Web site address.)
Application Deadline:
Noon Wednesday, March 11, 2009 to Susanna Pancella, Computer Applications Department, Mission College (MS#21).
For more information contact one of the persons below:
ACE President Ed Kleppinger at 855-5526
ACE Vice President Roberta Berlani at 741-2563
ACE Secretary Susanna Pancella at 855-5362
2/25/09 ACE Council
Mission College
Part-time Faculty Representatives
Eligibility: Current Mission College part-time faculty member
Term: Three years (starts fall 2009 ends spring 2012)
Remuneration: Release time 0.1 per semester plus $50 per meeting attended
-Attends Council meetings 3-5:30 p.m., two Thursdays/month (sometimes 4/month).
-Informs the negotiating team of faculty concerns and questions. -Enlists support for negotiation proposals.
-Meets with faculty, department, division on a regular basis, relays concerns and questions to ACE officers and/or may place items deemed appropriate on Council meeting agenda.
-Knows the contract and, as needed, attends information sessions on the contract.
-At the request of the Council, serves on college, district, local, state committees as an ACE representative.
To Apply:
Using the attached application form, submit a statement of interest in 150 words or less to be used on election ballot and a petition with signatures of 10 Association faculty members. (With the statement you may also include an e-mail and or personal Web site address.)
Application Deadline:
Noon Wednesday, March 11, 2009 to Susanna Pancella, Computer Applications Department, Mission College (MS#21).
For more information contact one of the persons below:
ACE President Ed Kleppinger at 855-5526
ACE Vice President Roberta Berlani at 741-2563
ACE Secretary Susanna Pancella at 855-5362
02/22/09 Additional Retirement Incentive Election Window
Dear Colleagues,
There will be another early retirement incentive election window which will open on March 6th, following the necessary Board resolution on March 5th to adopt a STRS+2 election window.
In order to allow eligible faculty members sufficient time to consider this additional election window, here is some information relating to the incentive:
a) There will be another early retirement incentive election window which will open on March 6th, following the necessary Board resolution;
b) The election options will be the STRS+2 and the two 65% of base salary cash options;
c) The last day to submit election forms to HR will be March 18th at 5pm;
d) The necessary election forms will be available no later than Monday, March 9th.
NOTE: the election period is to provide an opportunity for more faculty members to participate. It is not for those who previously elected to participate to withdraw their elections.
If you have any questions contact the ACE Secretary.
Susanna Pancella
ACE Secretary
2/18/09 Announcement of ACE Positions
ACE Council Representatives: starting in fall 2009
Mission College Representatives – full-time-faculty and associate faculty
West Valley College Representative – full-time-faculty
(The formal detailed announcement and application dates will be sent separately towards the end of February. Tentatively the application deadline will be March 10 with the election to follow.)
Positions for negotiating the next contract:
One negotiator from the full-time faculty at each college, one negotiator from the associate faculty and a note-taker (members of the current team may apply). The chief negotiator, who is one of the negotiators, is appointed by the Council. See the ACE Bylaws Article IV Appointed Positions.
If you are interested in a negotiating team position please send a statement of interest and indicate your experience for the position by noon on Friday, March 13 to the ACE Secretary, see contact information below.
Positions starting in fall 2009:
ACE Appointed Positions:
-Web Master
If you are interested in either of these positions please send a statement of interest and indicated your experience for the position by noon on Friday, March 13 to the ACE Secretary, see contact information below.
Position to be filled immediately:
Mission College faculty representative on the Load Committee.
If you are interested in this position please send a statement of interest by noon on Friday, March 13 to the ACE Secretary, see contact information below.
These are all positions of great responsibility. You will be expected to work for the good and the welfare of all fellow faculty members. All ACE Council members, officers and appointees must abide by the Contract signed with the District.
Please contact the ACE Secretary if you have questions or would like to apply for a position.
Susanna Pancella
ACE Secretary
Phone: 855-5362
Email: email@example.com
Mail Stop #21
Office: E2-403 F
ACE Update 2/12/08
Dear Colleagues,
ACE has reached a tentative agreement with the District to close the 2005-2008 contract. More information will be coming after the BOT meeting on 2/19.
ACE and the District have agreed to an extension of the retirement incentive. There is to be another date by which faculty, both full-time and associate, may retire with the STTS+2 incentive at the end of this semester. The window to apply will be March 6, 2009 to March 18, 2009. More and complete information will be provided shortly.
There is a promise from the District that there will be no pink slips for the academic year 2009-2010.
The articles/items to be ratified include:
- Article 8 (Association Rights – amended for technology items and for additional District requirement to provide ACE with the position control file)
- Article 18 (Load – amended job description section 18.1)
- New: Article 52 (intellectual property) and
- New: Article 53 (technology) - Specific job descriptions.
The Administration announced that they are in negotiations with the other units for a retirement incentive.
The tentative agreement is just one step. There is still much to do. Over the next few weeks you will receive more information. If you have any questions, please contact ACE.
Ed Kleppinger
ACE President
2/09/09 FYI: Currency Requirement for FSA (Faculty Service Area)
Dear Colleagues,
ACE has been asked to provide more information concerning Currency when applying for a secondary Faculty Service Area (FSA).
When applying for a Faculty Service Area (FSA) you must meet the CURRENCY requirement. What does this mean? You must have met one of the competency standards within the last FIVE (5) years. For example, if you were to apply for the FSA in March 2009 the five years of currency would be from March 2004 through March 2009. Anything before March 2004 would not be admissible.
Here are the Competency Standards:
You must meet the minimum qualifications in the discipline for the FSA and have completed one of the following competency standards.
1. Has taught the equivalent of 1.0 load in the subject matter area at an accredited post-secondary institution within the past FIVE years; OR
2. Has successfully completed a minimum of nine upper and / or graduate semester units in the appropriate discipline(s) with a grade of C or better, within the past FIVE years; OR
3. Has completed a combination of Standards #1 and #2 so that the percentage completed of Standard #1 plus the percentage completed of Standard #2 equals 100% within the past FIVE years; OR
4. Has successfully completed coursework that is deemed to be equivalent to nine upper division and/or graduate semester units in the appropriate discipline(s), with a grade of C or better, within the past FIVE years; OR
5. Has a minimum of six months, or 500 hours, of appropriate industry experience within the past FIVE years; OR
6. Has specialized skills or abilities determined by the AB1725 / Equivalency Committee that demonstrates competency; OR
7. Has completed a combination of Standards #1-2-3-4-5-6 so that the total percentage completed equals 100% within the past FIVE years
Hope the above information helps. If there are questions please ask.
Susanna Pancella
ACE Secretary
2/3/09 Faculty Service Areas
Dear Colleagues,
If interested, faculty may apply for a faculty service area (FSA) other than the one they were assigned to when they were hired.
Faculty may earn or maintain a faculty service area by submitting all of the necessary documents to HR so that the 1725/Equivalency Committee may verify that they meet the minimum qualifications in a discipline and have completed one of the following competency standards within the past five years:
-Has successfully completed coursework that is deemed to be equivalent to nine upper division and/or graduate semester units in the appropriate discipline(s) with a grade of C or better; or
-Has a minimum or six months, or 500 hours, of appropriate industry experience; or
-Has specialized skills or abilities determined by the 1725/Equivalency Committee that demonstrate competency; or
-Has completed a combination of standards so that the total percentage completed equals 100%.
The application to be submitted is attached to this message and can be found at the HR website. The competency standards are from the ACE Contract Article 28.
Susanna Pancella
ACE Secretary
ACE Forums in February
Dear Colleagues,
ACE will be holding forums to discuss our contract as follows: Mission College: Tuesday, February 10 from 2:30-3:30pm in W3-301 West Valley College: Thursday, February 12 from 3-4pm in BU9.
There has been much talk about an item presented at the January 15 Board meeting. The District announced the direction they were going to take in negotiations for the next contract. This information is attached to this message and will also be available at the ACE web page: District Sunshine initial proposal
At the February 5 Board meeting the public, which includes all faculty, is invited to make comments on this item. Faculty are encouraged to attend the Board meeting to comment or to send emails to the Board members (see below).
Thank you for your time,
Susanna Pancella
ACE Secretary
To contact Board members via email:
The page with the Board members' email links is:
Click on Members link at right side of page. The District has not yet activated Adrienne's e-mail or Chad's e-mail, but their campaign web sites with e-mail links are:
1. http://www.adriennegrey.org/
2. Smart voter site
1. http://www.walsh4collegeboard.com
2. Smart voter site
Contract Class Cancellation Policy:
Reminder: There is NO minimum class size in the contract. If a department is meeting their WSCH/FTE goal then the department chair is responsible for determining if a class has to be cancelled or not. There should be a good defense for allowing a small class to continue. If a department is not meeting their goal then the department and PGC will develop a revised plan for achieving the department's WSCH/FTE goals.
Susanna Pancella
ACE Secretary
PRINT Opening Day Roster
All of the faculty teaching in Spring 2009:
You need to print out your own First Day Opening Roster.
For Mission College you go to: www.missioncollege.org
For West Valley College you go to: www.westvalley.edu
Click on MyWebServices.
Log-in under Faculty.
Under your Faculty menu you will find the roster. This roster will have your wait listed students and ADD CODES on it.
Please make sure the associate faculty in your department have this information.
January 27, 2009
Increasing Maximum Capacity
Dear Colleagues,
As we all know there is an economic and financial crisis everywhere.
Many departments are being asked to raise the maximum capacity for their classes to help the District with their financial needs. Departments may do this. But it must be done according to the process in Article 20 with consultation within the department and with the division and department chair. No department is forced to make any change; they may continue to use their approved performance plan.
What could be the results of changing the maximum capacity? Raising the class capacities will increase revenue for the District. But when considering higher capacities departments should also be aware of:
-The change may not be educationally sound for the success or retention of our students.
-Some courses may have legally mandated maximum class sizes.
-Faculty members will increase their workload with no extra compensation.
-This would increase the District WSCH/FTE efficiency without negotiations.
-The change could cause a decrease in the number of a department's class offerings and thus result in a downsizing of the department. For example, a department has a course XX101 with a maximum capacity of 30 students per class; this department consistently gets 300 students for a XX101 so they have scheduled 10 classes. They decide to increase the maximum capacity on this class to 33, which means they are adding 3 more students to each class. The result of this is that the department can now only offer 9 classes of XX101.
-More students enrolled in "prime time" classes could draw students away from similar offered classes at "non-prime" times.
-Once a capacity is increased it may be difficult to return to a more appropriate capacity.
Please consider carefully the ramifications if you are going to increase your maximum capacity.
Thank you,
Susanna Pancella
ACE Secretary
Issues concerning: Article 20, PGC, Class max & Class cancellation
January 23, 2009
Dear Colleagues,
Issue: Changing the maximum class capacity: This matter is covered in Article 20: This Article establishes a Performance Goals Committee (PGC). The task of this committee is to work with departments and divisions to produce a plan that will work toward meeting the college wide WSCH/FTE goal for the year. Department performance plans are completed in the fall semester and are approved by PGC. A department's classes are scheduled according to that approved plan. Each approved plan includes the number of students to be served and the efficiency to be produced.
In the 2009 winter session the WVC VP of Instruction unilaterally increased some class sizes in effect increasing the efficiency goal for the entire district. WSCH/FTE is negotiable; it is not based on the class sizes from the load book. Another side effect of the Office of Instruction unilaterally increasing a department's planned WSCH and WSCH/FTE was an increase in an instructor's work load. Once the performance goals plan is approved, this means the district and the faculty have contractually come to an agreement on the number of students the department is going to serve, when, and how often. The district cannot unilaterally change what they have already agreed to.
The District has argued that the load book establishes a class maximum size for all classes in the district. In 1999 Fred Barnikel did an intensive review of the load book and informed both ACE and the district of the "problems" in the load book. He indicated the irrelevance of the class maximum size. The class sizes had not been negotiated. The district was urged to negotiate the load book.
Article 20 in effect replaced the load book when it was negotiated into the contract. Article 20 not only established a process by which a department is to plan and submit its WSCH and WSCH/FTE; it also addresses class size which should be based upon "…room size, teaching methodology, strategy of instruction and/or professional standards when developing the goals for the departments."
A department, when they construct their annual PGC plan, specifies what the class size will be for each section. This is how the WSCH/FTE is determined; the load book is not used. If the annual departmental plan is accepted by the respective PGC, then the plan contains the class size that the department is aiming at. Individual faculty members may take additional students BUT ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO. If a department is meeting their WSCH/FTE goals, they may allow for under enrolled class sections. However, the department will have to justify these classes to their respective PGC. If the department is not meeting its WSCH/FTE goals and if the department does not cancel under enrolled sections, the respective PGC needs to intervene. If the PGC does not intervene, the Administration may then step in and take action.
In the 2009 winter session the increasing of the maximum class size by the WVC VP of Instruction for some departments was a violation of the contract. A grievance was filed on this matter but the grievance was later rescinded. ACE is working with their attorney on a possible unfair labor practice in regards to this matter. Also ACE will negotiate compensation for the faculty who worked with large classes as a result of the increased maximum class size.
Issue: Class cancellation: We have heard that departments are being told to cancel classes if they have less than 20 students. There is NO minimum class size in the contract. If a department is meeting their WSCH/FTE goal then the department chair is responsible for determining if a class has to be cancelled or not. There should be a good defense for allowing a small class to continue. If a department is not meeting their goal then the department and PGC will develop a revised plan for achieving the department's WSCH/FTE goals.
Please contact ACE if you have questions or if any problems occur.
Thank you,
Susanna Pancella ACE Secretary
Response to the 12/18/08 Chancellor Update
Point 1: negotiations
Point 2: proposed prescription change
Point 3: load
Maximum Class Size, January 5, 2009
Dear Colleagues,
It has come to my attention that individual faculty members are being asked by their respective Offices of Instruction to increase their body counts in courses. In the Load Book there is a confusing column that the Administration and ACE differ over the use or importance of. It is called "Max class size". The majority of the figures used are from the original WVC Load Book. Some 30 years ago Mission and West Valley had separate Load Books. At one point in the past the two books were slapped together into one book. There have been several attempts during the past 30 years to "clean-up" this Load Book. At present all attempts have failed.
An overriding legal aspect is not what number is in the Load Book, but what the Fire Marshall will allow in specific classrooms. That would be the legal max size.
A department, when they construct their annual Performance Goals Plans, specify what the class size will be for each section. This is how the WSCH/FTE is determined; the Load Book is not used. If the annual departmental plan is accepted by the respective Performance Goals Committee (PGC), then the plan contains the class size that the department is aiming at. Individual faculty members may take additional students BUT
ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO. If a department is meeting their WSCH/FTE goals, they may allow for under enrolled class sections. However, the department will have to justify these classes to their respective PGC. If the department is not meeting its WSCH/FTE goals and if the department does not cancel under enrolled sections, the respective PGC needs to intervene. If the PGC does not intervene, the Administration may then step in and take action.
Ed Kleppinger
President, ACE