When the president of Colorado WINS learned that the president of the United States might be targeting Denver next in his anti-immigration campaign of terror, she knew how she’d begin to mobilize. One simple thing Diane Byrne does is deck out her activists in matching T-shirts. Wearing union colors promotes team spirit and builds confidence, she says. The AFT Public Employees program and policy council, meeting in New York City Feb. 5-6, abounded with tips to help locals mobilize. PPC chair Gary Feist, president of North Dakota Public Employees, recommended finding members who can tell a personal story to draw media attention. With more media on the issue, he said, legislators will become more motivated to fix the problem.

Federal immigration actions are rapidly expanding, with deadly consequences. The killings of poet Renee Nicole Good and nurse Alex Pretti by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis have brought intense focus on the use of excessive force. An AFT webinar, co-hosted by AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang on Jan. 28, featured experts on immigration and the law. It highlighted AFT resources and showcased how our locals are showing up to minimize fear and trauma.

Summer is upon us, and parents, children and teachers are winding down from what has been an exhausting and fully operational school year—the first since the devastating pandemic. The long-lasting impact of COVID-19 has affected our students’ and families’ well-being and ignited the politics surrounding public schools. All signs point to the coming school year unfolding with the same sound and fury, and if extremist culture warriors have their way, being even more divisive and stressful.

Attacks on public education in America by extremists and culture-war peddling politicians have reached new heights (“lows” may be more apt), but they are not new. The difference today is that the attacks are intended not just to undermine public education but to destroy it.

RANDOLPH, NJ—The County College of Morris (CCM) chapter of the United Adjunct Faculty of New Jersey (UAFNJ) has recently launched an award for students who participate in television production in the campus media center.  The Gerard Bevan Award, valued at $500, will be given annually to a student who demonstrates professionalism and commitment in the weekly production of “CCM: All Access,” the College’s first weekly television program.

            Gerard Bevan was one of the founding faculty members at CCM when the College opened in 1968.  Hired into the English Department, Bevan developed and taught the College’s first speech courses.  A native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Bevan received the baccalaureate degree in English from the University of Scranton in 1964 and the Master of Arts degree, also in English, from Duquesne University in 1966.  He taught at CCM for twelve years prior to departing in June of 1980. Bevan currently resides in Florida.

            Two students have been selected as the inaugural recipients of the award.  Daniil Barkov, a sophomore majoring in business administration from East Hanover, NJ; and Brenda Todd, a sophomore majoring in broadcasting arts and technology from Randolph, NJ, will be the first to receive The Gerard Bevan Award.  Barkov and Todd have both worked on “CCM: All Access” as on-camera talent and crew members since the show’s first season.

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Daniil Barkov (left) and Brenda Todd (right) will be the inaugural recipients of the Gerard Bevan Award on April 23, 2019.

            “CCM: All Access” is a weekly talk show that is taped in the Alex DeCroce Media Center’s television studio, featuring interviews with faculty, administration, and students.  Production began in January 2018, and the show is now nearing completion of its third season.  The show is aired every Monday on Morris Educational Television (METV), and is also viewable on YouTube.

            For more information, please contact Julian Costa at jcosta@ccm.edu. To learn more about the CCM Adjunct Faculty Federation, visit http://ccmuafnj.nj.aft.org. 

RANDOLPH, NJ—The County College of Morris (CCM) chapter of the United Adjunct Faculty of New Jersey (UAFNJ) has established a new grant fund to support union members in scholarly and professional development. This fund, titled The James Baccaro Adjunct Faculty Travel Grant, exists to serve union members who are actively engaged in scholarship, creative, or professional activities pertaining to their academic discipline.

            Julian Costa, secretary-treasurer of the CCM chapter, established this grant fund as part of the Chapter’s new initiatives in growth and development. “I wanted to develop something that would allow our chapter to invest in its members,” said Costa.  “This way, the union can do more than advocate for its members: we can support their growth as professionals and scholars.”

            The grant fund was named in memory of James Baccaro, who was the CCM chapter president since its incorporation in 2009.  Baccaro, who was a graduate of Farleigh Dickinson University and long-time employee of the Xerox Corporation, taught in the Business Department at County College of Morris from 1986 until his death in 2018.

            The first recipient of this fund is Lisa Mathus, adjunct professor of Mathematics at County College of Morris.  Mathus, who has taught at CCM since 2008, and currently teaches algebra and calculus for the Mathematics Department.  Mathus was instrumental in the establishment of the ALICE Scholarship, which is a joint effort between the United Way and CCM-UAFNJ.  Funding from the Baccaro Grant will allow her to participate in the fundraising events used to generate monies for the ALICE Scholarship.

            For more information about The James Baccaro Adjunct Faculty Travel Grant, please contact Julian Costa at jcosta@ccm.edu.  To learn more about the CCM Adjunct Faculty Federation, visit http://ccmuafnj.nj.aft.org.