Faculty Update February 2025

Email update to faculty from the MCAAUP president sent 30 January 2025

Hello MC Ft Faculty and Colleagues,

It was so good to see so many of you at our Chapter meeting on the 21st. I am heartened by the interest as well as the time taken by so many to hear about what your representatives have been up to on your behalf. Here is a follow-up to some of those discussions and a few more bits of information to help get your semester started off smoothly. These are not necessarily in any order of importance as we add items to the list of things to share as they become relevant. So, I urge you to read these updates through to the end and skip over that which does not pertain to you, but am certain you are likely to see something in these monthly updates that is vital to you and your work.

However, one item that you will not find here in the list below is an update on negotiations. That is winding down and you will likely hear from us VERY soon on what has transpired over the last 4-5 months. Our team is tireless and committed to this work on your behalf so please watch for an email message on NEGOTIATIONS in the coming days.

Of course, to continue this kind of work and that which you will read about below, we need you to stay involved and informed. But if you are not a member, we really need you to join us! We are working hard for you and need your support.

  1. College Closings

The College or just one campus may close at any time for a number of reasons. Many of you use “Alert Montgomery” to get text messages or emails to keep informed of weather, traffic, and school alerts. If you have not signed up for this, I strongly urge you to consider doing so as it only takes 1 minute and could save you a lot of angst. Click here to do so: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OEMHS/AlertMontgomery/index.html

The College has a color code system to keep us up to date on the status of the college in terms of administrative services and instruction. Be sure you are familiar with these codes as this impacts ALL classes, even those online. Students and employees may rely on travel to get internet or computer access so, just because a class is online does not mean a class can still meet as scheduled if the college is officially closed.

Code Red – No mandatory class / student / lab meetings and extensions for all course work should be utilized. (This helps to account for those who must travel to access internet or computer services.) Faculty can meet with students for extra help online but this must be optional and no formal instruction is to take place.

            Code Orange – Remote meetings may continue as advised based on the circumstances of that particular day / time. Flexibility is still prudent.

Click here for more information: https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/offices/public-safety-health-emergency-management/emergency-management/closures-and-delays.html

  1. Executive Orders related to funding, federal grants, Title IX, and Sex / Gender

We are monitoring the news and gathering information regarding the Executive Orders from the President that can / will impact us all in higher education. Our local and national labor leaders are also in touch with the administration to get clarity and of course push back on that which would potentially impact students. Know that we are also in touch with our Employee and Labor Relations (ELR) colleagues here at MC as they share in our confusion and concern. 

If you or your program relies on Federal funding in any way shape or form, you should be sure to stay in touch with your contacts at the Fed level, keep your Dean apprised, and reach out to ELR folks whenever you have a question or concern.

There may come a time when we need to meet as a Chapter to get more information from you on the impact of any funding changes to your programs and discuss how best to mobilize either on our own or in concert with our national partners. Stay tuned and stay informed.

Also, a message from Krista Leitch Walker in MC HR was sent out this week on this matter and is here for you below.


I am writing on behalf of the College to provide clarifying information regarding the ongoing programs at Montgomery College in light of the January 27, 2025, memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) titled, “Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs.”

Shortly before 5:00 p.m. on January 28, 2025, a federal district judge granted an administrative stay, delaying the plan by one week and scheduling a hearing for further arguments next Monday, February 3, 2025. Then, today, the OMB issued a subsequent memo rescinding the earlier (January 27, 2025) directive. Please be assured that the College will be closely monitoring any developments, including Executive Orders, regulations, and guidance from government agencies and the courts.

At this time, the College will continue its programs and services as planned, in compliance with federal, state, and accreditation guidelines. Operations will continue as scheduled until further notice. 

Please know that you are a vital part of fulfilling Montgomery College’s mission. In support of your valuable work on behalf of our students and the College, we will continue to research and collaborate with other higher education institutions and relevant entities to review guidance and determine next steps. We will keep you updated as new information becomes available.

  1. Employee Wi-Fi network and Faculty Email distribution lists
  1. MC has a Wi-Fi network just for employees but you must request access. While the coverage area is not as widespread as the MCPA network, you may find that it works well where you are located and is not as busy. If interested, please submit an WORK ORDER REQUEST via email to the MC Helpdesk with attention to the Network Engineers to request access / authorization. Be sure to provide your Campus location, email, phone, M# and role at the college.
  1. Also, there are TWO email distribution lists for full-time faculty that the college maintains (collegewide and specific campus). But we continue to hear that some faculty have not been added to these college email distribution lists. Even though the college maintains these lists, and we are authorized to use them as a Chapter to keep you informed, so we DO NOT have our own email distribution list through the college. Therefore, if we send a message, we assume ALL full-time-faculty are receiving that message, regardless of your MCAAUP/ AFT membership status.

If you think you are missing out on emails that are sent out, please submit a WORK ORDER REQUEST via email to the MC Helpdesk at ITService Desk@MONTGOMERYCOLLEGE.EDU  to be added to BOTH the collegewide full-time faculty distribution list and to your specific campus distribution list. And, since some may not get this message, we ask that you check in with your colleagues, especially those who are new to MC to be sure that they are aware to take this action if needed.

  1. MC Benefit-Eligible Employees

    You may have received a mailing at your home address regarding changing your Supplemental Retirement Annuity (SRA) deduction from flat dollar amounts to percentages and directing you to make that change in Workday.  HOWEVER, the ability to make that change to your SRA is currently not operational in Workday. Therefore, please do not attempt to make any changes to your SRA at this time. Once the new function is operational in Workday, HRSTM will send you a notification. (As a reminder, the deadline to make changes to your SRA deduction is not until Friday, February 28, 2025.) If you have any questions, please direct them to the HRSTM Benefits Team.
  1. Benefits Reminder: Check Your January 2025 Paychecks


The Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management (HRSTM) Benefits Team recently mailed out a postcard to notify you to review your paychecks during the month of January 2025. If your benefit deductions are not correct for the January pay periods, please contact the HRSTM Benefits team.

Please note that you have until Friday, February 7, 2025, at 5 p.m. to notify the department of any issues with your benefit elections. For questions about benefits, please email HR Benefits.

  1. AI Training – February 13th, 2 PM – Online

Whenever we see a PD opportunity outside the college that may be worth sharing, we will do so. Please see the attached here to this message on a training online for AI. If you sign-up and cannot make it, you still get access to the presentation slides! Register soon! Here’s the attachment as a link for you to view: AI Webinar.docx

  1. Faculty Assignment and Alternate Esh Forms

We know that the transition to the new forms has not been an especially smooth one. The growing pains that will get us to a better place where less mistakes are made and the ease of use is just as real as these frustrations, will be worth it. Please hang in there as final edits are made to ensure that these forms work as they should and try to account for the various nuances of our numerous programs that are inevitable with a large institution such as ours.

  1. Adding Classes to the Schedule

Senior leadership urges faculty to advocate for their programs and classes when they see fit if they feel more courses / sections should be offered. HOWEVER, before reaching out to your Dean to do so, you may want to talk with your Chair to see if they are on board and would support this idea. Even if they do not support it, you can respectfully advise that you will still pursue this with the Dean.


Please note that faculty will need to provide justification for these requests that may include “Waitlist” data, sections that have run in the past at certain times with success, and a plan for coverage for these courses with a back-up plan if it is not offered or if it is offered but does not fill up.

We know that the pandemic put us in unexplored territory so enrollment and how we teach has drastically changed for many. Therefore, relying on recent enrollment numbers cannot and should not be the only criteria when these decisions are made. Do your homework and make a strong case. Feel free to reach out to us AFTER you have done so, if you have not had success.

  1. Banner + SRT Classes + Blackboard = No shells

Many of you who teach SRT courses are aware that Banner is still not recognizing SRT courses in many if not all instances so the shells in Bb are not auto populated as should be the case. We know that this has been an ongoing issue for some time now and have reached out to ELR and IT for more information as to when this might be resolved. In the meantime, if you teach an SRT course, always check to make sure you have a shell in Bb ready to build your course well in advance. Reach out to Robin Cook if you need assistance at robin.cook@montgomerycollege.edu

  1. Consistency / Fairness / Equity

We have heard on numerous occasions in the past couple of years that there are gaps in some of the selection / advertisement processes for various opportunities here at MC that could use some tweaking. Whether it how an Interim Department Chair or Faculty Associate is selected or even how these opportunities are shared / announced, we are actively working with our ELR partners to tighten up these kinds of things to ensure fairness and avoid even the perception of favoritism. Transparency and consistency serves us all well and is the goal so stay tuned for more on this when we have new information to share.

  1. AAUP / AFT Forum with Michael LeBlanc and Karl Smith

We will host a forum on Tuesday February 18th on Zoom at 3:30 PM. The topic will center on best practices in higher education and labor as identified by AAUP. I hope you join us then but watch for more information to follow on specific information we hope to share.

We hope you found this helpful and informative!

Best,

Tito