FASCC Home Page | Faculty Association Suffolk Community ...2011) Congratulations to all of the creators of these award-winning entries! Our annual Community Outreach program spring

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1 One Voice United for education 4 FA receives Best of Best, other awards 13 New member and leadership dinners2 FA spotlight: Katherine Aguirre 5 Seniors win professors’ hearts and minds 14 Top 10 reasons to monitor MOOCs3 FYI and other news of note 10 Joy and sorrow stitched with love 15 Community outreach year-at-glance

One Voice United for effective education reform by Cynthia Eaton

Summer 2013Vol. 39 • No. 6

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The pineapple and the hare were there. The crowd was 10,000 strongrallygoers arrived on 225 buses and packed the Empire State

Plaza in Albanybut you simply could not miss the pineapple and the hare. A South Country School district (Brookhaven) teacher and a friend wore

the costumes as a visual reminder of a controversy over the 2012 8th grade English Language Arts test; Pearson’s use of the nonsensical story by Daniel

The FA contingent to the One Voice United rally for public educationprotesting, in part, the state’s excessive reliance on expensive standardized testingon June 8 includes, from left, Lisa Aymong, Marie Hanna, Joyce Gabriele, Doug Cody and daughter Andrea Cody, Ellen Schuler Mauk, Kevin Peterman, Mohini Ratna, Cynthia Eaton and Sean Tvelia. The sons of the latter two, Micah and Kai, stand in the front row. Not shown is Al Heraghty.

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Cynthia Eaton.................Editor-in-Chief

Kevin Peterman..................PR Director

William Burns...............................Writer

Susan Rubenstein DeMasi.........Writer

Last August, some of Suffolk’s best and most illustrious met for a week long workshop as part of The Chair Leadership Academy. Even in a galaxy of wonderful, talented people, one star shone especially bright. That star is Katherine Aguirre, a counselor and assistant professor on the Eastern campus. Katherine has been at Suffolk since 2008, starting her career at the college as a professional assistant in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. She was hired as a full time counselor in 2009. Katherine has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Dowling College and a master’s degree in counseling from Long Island University. As a counselor, Katherine’s primary goal is to be an advocate for students. This advocacy requires her to be reliable, supportive and empathetic with every student. Her approach to counseling is student driven, focusing on each individual student’s needs, situation and purpose. She strives to be non-judgmental, caring and understanding of the complex lives and obligations of all students who seek her help. Katherine takes a holistic approach to counseling: raising awareness of a whole rounded life, particularly in focusing on how the personal and academic can inform and strengthen

all aspects of a student’s life experience. This attention to counseling the whole person has resulted in crucial constructive feedback from her students. Though students will come to her with serious concerns, Katherine’s approach is one filled with optimism, candor and practicality. Katherine’s counseling prowess extends to not only helping students in the counseling center but also in admissions, testing and multicultural affairs. Katherine’s counseling philosophy is most concerned with building and then supporting relationships. As a counselor, she cultivates, develops and maintains authentic connections with her students. Her strategy is multifaceted and adaptive; she sees a counselor’s job as focusing primarily on listening, supporting, encouraging and asking questions. A counselor must also be able to not only interpret what is being said by a student but also to observe body language, facial expressions and tone. Timeliness and method are also essential factors in Katherine’s counseling repertoire: knowing when and how to approach an issue or concern with a student takes careful reflection and attention to nuance. Katherine feels that a successful counselor must also be a “cheerleader” too, raising self-esteem and encouraging students to fulfill their goals. There is no greater joy for Katherine than seeing students actualize their potentials and realize their personal and academic objectives. For Katherine, these counseling skills are also life skills she practices in her personal relationships with family and friends. If you are friends with her, you have a tireless ally whose enthusiasm will inspire greatness.

Katherine will continue to be an advocate for students and a devoted adherent to the mission of SCCC. As times and generations change, Katherine sees success being redefined as a constant stream of students come to counseling looking for help and advice. This contribution to students’ lives extends to her determination to support her colleagues and SCCC as well. In the next five years, Katherine wants to raise graduation rates, prepare students for transferring to other schools and provide resources for under-represented students. She is particularly interested in working with SCCC’s K-12 partners in our surrounding communities to address and alleviate retention issues. Clearly, if all SCCC students got to experience the Katherine Aguirre phenomenon, we would have far fewer retention problems.

FA spotlight: Celebrating members’ success on campus

The caring star by William Burns

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FYI: Highlights from the Executive Counciland other news of note

• FA and Benefit Fund offices this summer: In the fall and spring semesters, the FA office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Benefit Fund office is open 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Throughout the summer, the offices have different hours plus a few days on which they will be closed, as indicated below.

FA office summer hours:

• Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

FA office summer closures:

• July 3 & 8• July 25, 26, 29, 30, 31 • August 15 & 19

Benefit Fund summer hours:

• Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Benefit Fund summer closures:

• July 1-5, Aug. 1• August 8,15, 22, & 29

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Outgoing FA president Ellen Schuler Mauk addresses community college union leaders from across the state at the annual NYSUT Election District (ED) 39 meeting. Held on May 31 to June 1 at Westchester CC, participants heard a legislative update from NYSUT and discussed SUNY seamless transfer, adjunct issues and the Affordable Care Act, Open SUNY and issues currently affecting each local.

If you too are interested in networking with union educators from across the state, let us know at [email protected].

• Try Buycott: As union activists and concerned educators, we care about whether our purchases are supporting causes that we oppose or companies whose practices we abhor. Well, there’s an app for that.

Buycott is a free app that you can download to scan a product’s barcode. Buycott will look up the product’s company (and trace back to its parent company) so you can make more informed purchases.

So if you’re looking to avoid giving your money to the Koch Brothers or Monsanto, try Buycott!


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The independent capital region journalists who determine the NYSUT Journalism Competition awards offered high praise to our newsletter this year:

The WORD is an extremely attractive publication that provides essential information to its mem-bers in a format that’s easy to read and even easier to understand.

Using a relaxed, colloquial style of writing, virtually every article is both interesting and inspirational. Just a few of the standouts are “Help for Harry” and “What’s your sign?”

The three‐column layout makes reading a breeze, and the graphics are simple yet effective. The photos are truly excellent, large and sharp and do a very good job of complementing the information in the stories.

Articles are well re-searched and well written and provide a variety of material from features to pocketbook issues to community involve-ment.

The FA was honored with being named a tied winner for the Best of the Best category this yeara category for which our work is judged against locals of all sizes throughout NYSUT.

In the other eight categories, our submis-sions are judged against

FA honored with Best of the Best and other journalism awards by Cynthia Eaton

locals of similar size. For these, the FA received the following awards based on our 2011-2012 communication efforts:

1. First Place for Best Profile: “What’s your sign?” by Susan Rubenstein DeMasi (Dec 2011)

2. First Place for Best Publication The WORD by Cynthia Eaton

3. First Place for Best Website www.fascc.org by Kevin McCoy (2011-2012)

4. Award of Distinction for Best Use of Social Media FA Facebook Site by Kevin McCoy (2011-2012)

5. Award of Distinction for Best News Writing “Hospice can wait” by Cynthia Eaton (June 2012)

6. Award of Distinction for Best Opinion Writing “Notwithstanding Everything” by Ellen Schuler Mauk Mar 2012)

7. Award of Distinction for Best Editorial Design “Help us support pro-labor, pro-education county leaders” by Cynthia Eaton (Sep 2011)

8. Award of Distinction for the Solidarity Award “‘Do it yourself ’ university with ‘no conventional instructors’: The future of online education?” by Cynthia Eaton (Sep 2011)

Congratulations to all of the creators of these award-winning entries!

Our annual Community Outreach program spring plant saleall proceeds from which benefit the AHRC Respite Houseraised $1,500 on the Ammerman campus and $2,042 on the Grant campus.

Thanks go to Ammerman coordinator Susan Orlando and Grant coordinator Mohini Ratna (shown above in red at the May 1 plant sale) along with volunteer Bruce Seger (in back).

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“What am I up to now,” quipped Gladys Brand, “a PhD?” Brand, a resident at Island Nursing and Rehab Center (INRC) in Holtsville, has graduated from all four Professors on Wheels programs since the program began at INRC in 2010. Professors on Wheels is an FA initiative by which faculty offer free educational lectures and workshops to the senior population throughout Suffolk County. This year’s INRC commencement exercises, held on June 19, celebrated 26 graduates ranging in age from 58 to 100. Graduates had to attend a certain number of the 17 different classes to earn their diploma. The program began with resident Eleanor Hundt singing “God Bless America.” When introduced, she teased, “Who, me? Me?!” then insisted she’d do so only if the audience sang with her. They did, alongside every crisply and beautifully enunciated syllable from Hundt. One of Brand’s and Hundt’s instructors this year, Jeanneth Sangurima-Quiles (Spanish), enjoyed her time with the residents. “They are so appreciative and warm,” she said. “You can really feel the difference in the desire to continue learning instead of having to learn.” When the residents start correcting one another’s pronunciation, Sangurima-Quiles said, she knows she’s reaching them. Clearly one of the popular new professors at INRC, Sangurima-Quiles was interrupted during our interview by a resident eager to meet her: “Oh, you’re the Spanish teacher? How can I take your class?” Sangurima-Quiles explained the process and the resident left, thanking her profusely. “So many of them knew Spanish,” she noted, “but have lost it through lack of use.

Professors on Wheels presenters enjoy residents’ smart questions, warm personalities, enthusiastic participation

by Cynthia Eaton

They like that I keep them interacting lots during my conversational Spanish class.” Marianne McNamara (Biology) also found the residents actively engaged and interested. “I never want to ‘dumb down’ the science or make it so educational that it is no longer entertaining,” she said of her talks on her time in the Antarctic or on the role of jellyfish in the ocean. “And the one thing that really surprised me,” she continued, “is how smart they are. You forget that these are former educators, doctors, lawyers, etc., and they really know their stuff. The questions they often pose to me are, by far, the most thoughtful and in depth of any I get elsewhere, including at some scientific conferences.” Resident Rose Young has made it quite clear that she remains eager to learn. “I’ll attend any lecture,” she asserted, “as long as it’s not crafts.” This is Dolores Gilhooly’s first year at INRC,

and she eagerly jumped right in taking Professors on Wheels classes. Gladys Cienskiwho proudly announced her age to be 97is a Wheels enthusiast too. “This is the best place on Long Island,” Cienski declared. “I don’t know what I’d do without it.” Leslie Derenfeld (Early Childhood) knows from her parents’ experiences about life in a nursing home. “I’m doing this for the residents,” she asserted, “but also as an homage to my parents.” Derenfeld explained, “When we’re young, our lives are mapped out for us, our activities restricted by adults. When you’re older, your physical self might be restricted again, but they can’t restrict your brain.” An avid Wheels presenter, Derenfeld offers two lectures structured to keep residents active and engaged. “I don’t lecture. I move around constantly. I appeal to their senses. They need

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100-year-old Sally Greco smiles as she listens to commencement speeches at the Professors on Wheels graduation ceremony at Island Nursing and Rehab Center held on June 19.

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this stimulation.” If any FA members feel a hesitation about participating in Professors on Wheels, Derenfeld invites them to co-present with her as a way to see what a wonderful, gratifying experience it can be. Linda Smith (Career Services), who does a lecture on cultural heritage at INRC, also enjoys her senior audience: “Many senior residents have a treasure trove of life experiences, whether it be integrating into a new society, finding work, raising children, learning a new language, to name a few. Also, many residents have traveled extensively after retirement, so having them share those experiences is enriching as well.” Professors on Wheels volunteer Courtney Brewer (Psychology) has delivered nine lectures this academic year, superseding all other Wheels presenters. “I find the elderly residents

Professors on Wheelscont. from page 5

I talk to have a surprising number of questions after each presentation,” she agreed. “They often don’t raise their hands during a presentation to ask a question but wait until it’s over. Sometimes it’s hard to gauge how interested they are because they are so quiet but at the end you realize they were listening and saving their questions.” Brewer indicated that the residents are very willing to share their stories and give personal examples to demonstrate the concepts she talks about“a little more so than my Suffolk students are,” she added. Vivian Viloria-Fischer, a former county legislator, pointed out that residents like the 100-year-old graduate Sally Greco “capture the essence of what it means to be a lifelong learner. Education keeps you young, sharp, engaged!” Viloria-Fischer said that the FA’s Professors on Wheels program “similarly captures the essence of what community is all about.”

The age range means little to Jane-Marie Wright (Mathematics). “The Professor on Wheels program is wonderful,” she declared. “Senior citizens can be amazing. Snow on the roof doesn’t mean there’s no fire inside.” Wright’s workshop on the mathematical analysis of Civil War quilts gets the residents “very chatty” as they share their own quilt stories. The residents’ warm personalities and sense of humor were on display throughout the graduation exercises. Noticing that INRC staff were taking photos of each graduate when handed a diploma, Edith Lusuriello raised her diploma over her face three times, playfully tormenting the photographer who was unable to snap her picture. Catherine Staniecki, who reportedly wears three hats a day, mock pouted, “How much longer do I have to wear this thing?” pointing to her mortarboard. “The difference between the senior group and SCCC students is the senior asks for hugs at the end of class and the student asks for a grade,” laughed Robin Hill (Instructional Technology). Bill Burns (English) also has a sense of humor about the residents’ reactions to his presentations. “My favorite moment was after finishing my Hitchcock presentation I asked the audience if there were any questions. A lady raised her hand and asked me if she could have a drink of water.” Burns chuckled at the memory: “I immediately went over to the sink and got her water. Attentive speakers always meet their audience’s needs no matter what they are!” Consideration of audience is precise-ly what drove Joan Cook (Library) to select her topic. “I am passionate about sharing how technology provides great opportunities for elderly or shut-in individuals to connect with the outside world and their loved ones.” Offering presentations on browser basics and

The continued rise in popularity of Professors on Wheels has increased demand for even more FA members to volunteer for this worthy, personally fulfilling program. continued on page 7


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how to open a Gmail account, Cook hopes to spark an interest and alleviate any fears and apprehension seniors may have about using technology. Sonya Lorrain expressed concern about her topic too, fearing that a lecture on Long Island beaches “might make some sad knowing they may not have an opportunity to leave the facility.” Her fears were quickly allayed. “The excitement in their eyes, the questions they asked and the stories that they

Professors on Wheelscont. from page 6

shared told me immediately there was no need for concern.” Lorrain works to enhance “the deep and rich knowledge they already have while taking in and appreciating the knowledge they share as it relates to the topic.” During his INRC commencement speech, FA leader and Wheels co-founder Dan Linker (English) indicated that the program has continued to grow, having offered over 60 presentations to some 3,000 Suffolk County senior residents this academic year. “This program is brought to you by our faculty union,” he explained. “Think about how the word union is

related to unity and united; it comes from the Latin word for one. We want to thank you for inviting us into your home and becoming one with you.” Paul Turano (Media Services) offered the same reason for other FA members to participate: “Being in a union is about looking out for one another for the greater good. At its very core, that is the main concept of this programexcept it isn’t limited to just union members, it’s about all people.” Turano paused. “Seniors have a lot to offer. At times I felt like I learned more than they did.”

Pride and joy is evident on the faces of the senior residents of Island Nursing and Rehab Center as they celebrated their graduation from the Professors on Wheels program.

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June 8 Rallycont. from page 1

Pinkwater and its corresponding am-biguous, confusing questions finally had to be thrown out by the state. Problematically, the pineapple and the hare had popped up previously in several other states. With contracts as large as $500 million in Texas, people asked, why persist in using and reusing exam questions that are faulty?

The exam controversy also led many to assert that the state’s $32 million five-year contract with Pearson for its standardized testing is equally nonsensical. Alan Singer of Hofstra, for example, has offered a litany of errors, misrepresentations and ques-tionable business practices of the British multinational conglomerate in his Huffington Post blog (www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-singer) and has called for all states to end their massive investments in the corporate giant. Diane Ravitch, education historian at New York University, has leveled similar criticisms against the practices of for-profit Pearson (www.dianeravitch.net). On June 8, the voices of teachers, administrators, parents and students echoed these concerns loudly. Speakers addressed teacher concerns about school reform based on standardized

tests. Beginning this year, state law requires school districts to use student performance on these high-stakes tests, and up to 20 percent of teachers’ annual evaluations is based on student performance. Teachers can be fired after two years of low ratings. “We are here to fight alongside our brothers and sisters in K-12 not only because it’s the right thing to do,” FA executive vice president Sean Tvelia told a reporter, “but also because we don’t want this coming to higher ed.” With the increasing emphasis on assessment and accountability in state legislatures across the nation, coupled with a vilification of educators and public employees, the specter does not seem far off. Faculty do not want students coming into their SCCC classrooms that have been taught only to memorize information for tests in a “drill and kill, then bubble fill” fashion. They also recognizeas concerned parents and as citizensthat such educational policies might provide the “objective” data points that administrators crave but might not create the strong, independent, critical and creative thinkers that our society needs. As rally speaker John Nichols, Washington correspondent for The Nation, put it: “Standardization is not education.” It’s not that public educators and their unions are opposed to being held accountable for their work. “We all know there is a place for assessment and accountability done in the right time and right way,” NYSUT president Dick Iannuzzi told the cheering crowd. “We are joining with AFT in calling for a moratorium on high stakes for students and teachers.” AFT recently polled its membership and found that over 75% supported the Common Core standards but they haven’t had sufficient time to share strategies with colleagues and implement them effectively into their

class curricula. AFT has launched the campaign for a moratorium on the Common Core State Standards until they are implemented fully and correctly. As AFT president Randi Weingarten asserts,

We have the ability to transform the very DNA of teaching and learning, to move away from rote memorization and endless test taking, and toward problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork—things I know we have been advocating for years.

It’s kind of amazing that we have to call on states and districts to implement the Common Core State Standards before making the new assessments count. But that’s what we’re doing.

Go to http://go.aft.org/brakesonstakes to urge U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and NYS Education Commissioner John King to support the moratorium.

“...we come together to speak with one voice about the future of public educationcelebrating ed-ucators, not demonizing them, supporting quality in higher education, not gim-micks and sideshows and pathways that lead to no place.”

~ NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi

Ellen Schuler Mauk poses with the pineapple and the hare at the One Voice United rally.


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Best of the best protest signs at the One Voice United rally

photo by Kevin Peterman, Sean Tvelia and Cynthia Eaton


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The quilt. It conjures a patchwork of emotions: the coziness of a warm cover on a chilly autumn evening, the scent of our grandparents’ homes, the brightness of the geometric patterns.

Assembled during a quilting bee or by an individual, quilts seem to perfectly capture the diversity and unity of what community means. They bring together varied individual layers and fragments of fabric that retain their distinct character while stitched firmly into a larger, more beautiful whole.

Like a quilt, the uniqueness of our individual stories and experiences are not lost when they come together to form a collective voice. This fall, that voice will speak up about breast cancer as the FA participates in a special project for breast cancer awareness.

Our lives are like quilts: bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love

This old quilting expression reminds us that, for some, the sorrow might involve a diagnosis of breast cancer. The joy might be found in remission or in our fond memories of loved ones lost to this disease. Stitching together these stories with love will be a dedicated group of FA volunteers.

The FA is creating a quilt in honor and in memory of members of our college community who have been impacted by breast cancer. FA members can either create their own block or decorate a pre-cut block.

A member of the committee will assemble the blocks into a quilt to be carried at the annual Making Strides Breast Cancer Walk at Jones Beach on October 20, 2013.

Many of our members know someone whose life has been impacted by this insidious disease, and our FA

Joy and sorrow stitched with love: The FA breast cancer quilt by Cynthia Eaton

leadership is no exception. As this project moves forward, we hope that members will contribute to the quilt and share their stories. To start, here are some experiences from FA leaders, activists and members affected by breast cancer.

Jane-Marie Wright

Beverly Broomell, who retired from the math department, was my best friend—at work, at home and at church.

When she retired in June 2009, she had been complaining about her back hurting. We kept urging her to go to a doctor but she’d go to a walk-in clinic for pain management or muscle relaxants. They advised her to follow up with her regular physician but we realized later she never did.

I knew it was getting bad when she stopped doing things with us. By March 2010, the severe pain had her rushed by ambulance to the ER. Her son called me, and I called her other two sons who live out of state. The next day, her back pain was diagnosed as end stage breast cancer that had metastasized and spread into her bones. A tumor was pressing on her spine. She spent several days in ICU at St. Charles and later transferred to Stony Brook’s oncology floor. She suffered greatly.

I was there almost every single day over the next month and a half. I sat with her and comforted her. She was very worried about her three sons. Some days she’d get upset, knowing her daughters-in-law were cleaning her house because she was afraid they’d toss things that shouldn’t be tossed. Other days she was very concerned about her online classes. Some days I could do nothing but hold her hand.

She never left the hospital. She died on April 28, 2010.

Part of me was really angry with her because she never got a mammogram. She didn’t follow through on what her doctors advised. It might have prevented or delayed this. But she was better at taking care of others than herself.

Not a day goes by that I don’t miss my best friend.

My best advice for others is get that mammogram. Yes, it hurts like the devil but there’s no excuse because of our wonderful health insurance coverage. Take advantage of these preventative diagnostic tools. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family and friends.

Ellen Schuler Mauk

I know too many people who have had breast cancer: my mother, my officemate Pat Powers, former colleague Sam Ligon’s wife, an EMHP colleague, a NYSUT community college colleague, a close neighbor.

Breast cancer doesn’t know age, race or gender. It’s not like other diseases where you can say, “Hey, I’m healthy, I eat well, I exercise, I don’t have a family history” and feel safe from breast cancer. It is pervasive. It affects everyone.

My mother died in 1991 of breast cancer. I remember getting the call in 1988. My mother had just had her very first mammogram, and they found a lump. My sister said our mother just had surgery and it looked like she was going to be okay.

The diagnosis resulted in my parents deciding to make the most of their time together. They traveled several times to

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Europe and took a couple cruises. It’s a good thing they did. My

mother died from a recurrence in 1991. They found a spot on her lungs, did a biopsy and discovered it was breast cancer cells.

A very private person, she never let on until the very end. My children were young then, and we traveled to Kentucky to be with her. I sat in the room with my sisters, and we talked with our mother until she eventually slipped into a coma.

You know, people have this sense of immortality, this sense of “it’s not going to happen to me.” But it can.

The only way to address it in any systematic way is through preventative care. Get the baseline mammogram. If there’s a family history, men have to be concerned as well. Our former account rep for EMHP, John Muldoon, had breast cancer. It was randomly picked up in an annual physical. He’s a survivor, and he talks about it all the time. “Look,” he’d say, “I work in the medical field and even I didn’t realize.”

If there’s no family history, it doesn’t mean you can’t get it when you’re 70 years old; a portion of the population develops breast cancer at random.

Learn about breast cancer: the types, risks, preventative measures, treatments. Do the Making Strides walk. Raising awareness and funds is absolutely critical in finding new instruments, new treatment protocols and new methods of addressing its numerous effects on the patient.

Kevin McNamara

My wife Suzi was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2010 and was operated on two weeks later.

Breast cancer cont. from page 10

Many women are very lucky to have the cancer encapsulated so that the surgeon can simply remove the sack and be done with it. Suzi was not that lucky. She proceeded to undergo three months of rigorous chemotherapy, then twelve weeks of intensive radiation. During the chemo she lost all of her body hair and a good amount of her dignity. During that six month period she also never came close to feeling 100% but she always maintained her “Suzi sunshine” attitude. She actually found strength helping several colleagues who were sharing similar regimes at the time. I struggle to explain how deeply cancer affected both of us. Personally, I felt very angry that this dreaded disease was attempting to take away my wife’s life. Suzi had been a registered nurse for 39 years at that point and had provided comfort to thousands of patients and their families. I could not understand why this was happening to her. We had been very happily married for 38 years at that point and the question of divorce had never entered either our minds at any time. Today, three years later, we still are very happily married; however, we constantly live with the threat of the cancer returning at any time. Therefore, our attitude towards life in general has changed. Suzi’s favorite motto these days is “Always take the scenic route.” We try to do so as often as we can and we don’t hesitate to enjoy life as much as possible. Tomorrow: you never know what it may bring.

Marie Hanna

Two of my first cousins are breast cancer survivors. Both kept it very private and only dis-closed the diagnosis after surgery and treatment. Perhaps the fear of dying kept them from sharing the information

beyond immediate family.Fortunately, my cousins are in

remission and doing wellas is a first cousin of my husband who also has breast cancer. I wish I had known earlier but I am grateful for the chance to celebrate their recovery.

They don’t like to talk about their experiences but their attitude toward life has been to enjoy each day because no one knows what tomorrow will bring.

As a nurse, I’d tell others impacted by breast cancer that it’s most important to listen to the survivor’s story. Affirm their feelings and help guide and support them as they travel down the road of treatment, setbacks and enduring the side effects of their medical plan.

The best things are the simplest: hold their hand, share hugs or just sit with them quietly. I would try hard to bring laughter back into their lives and wear a smile each time I see them. Let them know you’re just a phone call away. Care for your loved ones in a positive way.

Estelle and Dennis Kochis

Estelle: I’ve had breast cancer twice. You might think that the second time around, it would be easier. It wasn’t. Each time I was terrified. Once you have breast cancer, the thought of it returning is never far from your mind. You are always fearful of it returning.

Having breast cancer changes your perspective on life. It affects you and your family in many different ways. You learn to appreciate and be thankful for the little things.

I was lucky to have a very supportive husband and four children to help me through the surgeries and treatments.

Dennis: This is a disease that affects

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the total family. Our daughter Cynthia was attending college away at the time and would come home on weekends to help. A roommate would say to her, “Why don’t you stay and have fun on weekends? You’re missing all the action!” Well, Cynthia continued to come home to help. Our sons Christopher, Nicholas and Timothy helped with the cooking, running errands and just being available to Estelle and me too.

Estelle: All are not that lucky. After the second diagnosis I joined a support group. How some of these women coped with their illness was an inspiration. One woman’s husband left her. Another woman had lost her husband in September 11, had two young children and was taking care of elderly parents.

Dennis: Estelle was determined to beat cancer. It is now over ten years, and Estelle and I are now enjoying retirement, our children and grandchildren.

Estelle: The main thing to remember is to keep a positive attitude and to know that you are not alone in this struggle.

Anita Greifenstein

My mother, Erna Gabler, discovered a tumor that grew rapidly when she was age 58. She had a mastectomy. No chemo or radiation was done; all the cancerous cells and nodes were removed.

She felt the lump while in Florida during the winter months. Returning to Long Island, she saw her doctor who dismissed her and said not to worry; although he felt the lump, he did not perform a biopsy. It grew rapidly and she went to another doctor. She

learned the news on my daughter’s third birthday. It was a day of tears and hugs; it was like an elephant in the room as my daughter blew out her candles.

The family was angry at first, angry at the dismissive doctor. My mother was frightened. She was ready to do anything necessary but was so afraid of chemo. My sisters and I felt we needed to be strong for her. I refused to cry because we were fighting. I was not mourning and I chose to be positive.

This was the first time my father felt he might lose her, even though she previously had a heart block and a pacemaker inserted. His loud and larger than life personality grew subdued.

When my mother returned home after surgery, she stood in front of her bedroom mirror and became depressed. I promised her no one noticed any change in her appearance when she wore the mastectomy insert. She developed an infection after the mastectomy, was hospitalized and the wound was drained.

When she came home, it was I who changed her bandages. It’s hard for me to express it, but our relationship changed. I was no longer just her child. We were women and we had faced the fears, the surgery, the waiting for test resultstogether. She looked into my eyes as I cleaned the open wound. I smiled at her. I wanted her to feel comfortable and not ashamed. The entire experience made us more than mother and daughter. She became my best friend.

It’s so important to be supportive, to listen to their fears, to create a calmness in the family. Leave petty disturbances aside and focus on important things. Help in any way you can: run errands, clean the house, do the shopping.

She survived. She was one of the lucky ones. My advice? Get tested. Get your yearly mammograms and perform self-exams regularly.

Retelling this story, I had no idea that I would become so emotional. It

Breast cancer cont. from page 11

has opened up feelings that became dormant over the years. I thought I wouldn’t feel connected to people going through this more recently because it happened over twenty years ago.

Wrong. Breast cancer changes your life.

Creating and displaying the quilt

We invite members to help stitch their individual stories, their joys and sorrows, into the quilt this summer and fall. You have two options:

1. Create your own block: 4.25” x 5.5” inclusive of a 1/4” seam allowance on all four sides.

2. Contribute to a pre-cut block.

Submit a 3” x 5” photo and any accompanying text (or the entire block can be text). We will print the photo and text on fabric paper to create the block.

Blocks will also be available at Convocation on September 3. You can write a message on your block with a fabric pen.

The deadline for all blocks is Wednesday, September 4.

The completed FA breast cancer quilt will be displayed on the three main campuses:

September 9 AmmermanOctober 6 GrantOctober 13 Eastern

Then the quilt will be proudly carried when TEAM FA walks in this year’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Jones Beach on October 20.

Please join us! This quilt stitched with love will surely be a strong and beautiful thing for years to come.


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Above, at the June 4 leadership appreciation dinner, newly elected FA president Kevin Peterman thanks FA leaders and activists for their work throughout the academic year. Members who volunteer in a variety of ways were treated to dinner and a gift for their contributions.

Above left, outgoing FA president Ellen Schuler Mauk addresses new members and their mentors at the new member social on May 3 at The Oar in Patchogue. Above right, new member Justin Turner (History) gestures toward colleague Chris McDougal (Sociology).

At left, Kevin Peterman presiding over his first EC meeting

as president.

At right, EC rep Dante Morelli greets

fellow rep Matt Pappas during the leadership appreciation

dinner.

photos by Kevin Peterman

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Top 10 reasons to monitor MOOCs by Cynthia Eaton

xMOOC pedagogy is questionable and there’s little research on its effectiveness. With an abundance of research indicating that the “sage on the stage” model is ineffective, it stretches the imagination to see how watching videos of famous professors and taking computer-scored exams differs from a large lecture hall classes with ScanTron-scored exams.

Online courses have a disparate impact on students of color, men and academically underprepared students. MOOCs claim to enable access, but recent research by Shanna Smith Jaggars shows that while all community college students perform worse in online settings, males, students of color and students with lower prior GPAs fare significantly worse. While SUNY MOOCs might be aimed at adult learners, if offered at a lower cost other students will flock to them.

Curricular control by faculty is lost. Across the nation, MOOCs have been imposed upon faculty by legislatures, university presidents and state system leaders. These top-down arrangements allow for-profit MOOC vendors undue influence on college and university curriculum, which traditionally belongs in the hands of the faculty.

MOOCs enable a contracting out of our work. In a MOOC model that feature professors from elite universities “teaching” the course, what becomes of our faculty role? Numerous sources have indicated that faculty could simply serve as tutors or mentors, as in the Western Governors University model. Also, if students are taking courses from elite professors at home, what becomes of our librarians, counselors and other professional support staff?

MOOCs further the deprofessionalization of what we do. In the disaggregated or unbundled model of online education, one person develops the core content, another plugs in library resources, another adds graphics, a different person delivers the course (e.g., tutors or mentors students), another assesses exams, etc. In the xMOOC model, a few elite professors do all the teaching and the rest of usespecially the expensive full-time faculty with their costly benefits and pensionsare reduced to one of the above mini-functions.

They further the corporatization of higher education and private company profiteering. The efforts toward the privatization of public higher ed seems evident in MOOC mania. For-profit companies like Pearson and ETS, for example, stand to gain a great deal from the integration of adaptive assessment systems and automatic essay grading programs that are a must in MOOCs, and MOOC providers like Udacity, Coursera and edX don’t provide their services for free.

The spread of MOOCs throughout higher ed would impact the K-12 system as well. Numerous sources already predict that MOOCs will be the salvation of K-12 as well as higher ed. Is this the best direction for our future, given that research shows students perform better with more individualized contact with their teachers, not less?

They could worsen the already hierarchical tiering of colleges and universities. It’s deeply disconcerting to think of a system in which privileged students might attend bricks and mortar campuses while the less privileged are educated via MOOCs. Taking a Harvard MOOC earns participants a Harvard certificate or badge, not a Harvard education.

MOOC providers’ rhetoric about teaching the great unwashed citizens of the world needs to be interrogated. There seems a neoliberal colonialist impulse to these grandiose claims of how MOOCs will unleash a billion minds across the world. If an Ivy League MOOC becomes the standard way the world learns, isn’t the world learning from only western perspectives, examples and perceptions?

They represent an exploitation of the austerity model and the completion agenda. The austerity model is the myth that legislatures haven’t been making choices that have caused a decline in public funding of higher ed for decades. Then they cry “austerity” as a way to justify continued underfunding. The completion agendawhich drives many of these “innovative” initiatives like prior learning assessment, competency-based education and shortened time to degreeaims to pump the most students through college in the shortest time possible to get them that credential. Whether or not they’ve learned new things or have grown intellectually along the way seems a secondary concern.

Massive open online classes (MOOC) are touted as a way to save colleges and students money while also improving graduation rates. However, faculty raise concerns particularly about xMOOCs that are offered via for-profit companies, typically deliver content via video recordings of professors from “elite” institutions and rely on robograding or peer grading. With SUNY recently announcing a relationship with MOOC-provider Coursera, here are ten reasons MOOCs merit close monitoring.

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Faculty Association 2013-14 Executive CouncilOfficers

• Kevin Peterman — President• Sean Tvelia — Executive Vice President• Marie Hanna — Secretary • Joyce Gabriele — Treasurer• Pete DiGregorio — Grievance Officer• Cynthia Eaton — Adjunct Coordinator

EC Reps: Ammerman Full-time

• Kevin McNamara — Accounting, Business Administration, Business Information Systems, Legal Studies

• Matt Pappas — Biology, Physical Sciences• Dante Morelli — Communications,

Languages, Reading, TV/Radio/Film• Matt Zisel — Counseling, Cooperative

Education • Mike Simon — Engineering, Computer

Science/Industrial Technology• Maria Kranidis — English• Michelle Fowler — Library, Central• Jane-Marie Wright — Math • Alex Nohai-Seaman — Music, Visual Arts,

Theatre, Philosophy, Women’s Studies• Lisa Aymong — Nursing, Health and

Human Services, Physical Education • Denise Haggerty — Social Sciences,

Behavioral Sciences

EC Reps: Eastern Full-time

• Louise Johnston — Library, Humanities, Counseling

• Nicolas Pestieau — Science, Math, Social Science, Business, Nursing, Culinary, Physical Education

EC Reps: Grant Full-time

• Ali Laderian — Business, HVAC, CIS, Technology, ETU Coordinator

• vacant — Humanities• Mohini Ratna — Library, Counseling, Media• Deborah Wolfson — Natural Sciences• Al Heraghty — Nursing, Health Science,

Physical Education, Veterinary Science• Andrea Macari — Social Sciences

EC Reps: Professional Assistants Full-time

• Maureen Arma — Programmatic• Deb Kiesel — Instructional Labs• Steve Ortiz-Rios — Technical Areas/

Instructional Centers

EC Reps: Collegewide Adjuncts

• vacant— Business, Accounting, Communications, Telecom

• Leslie Derenfeld — Counseling, Education, Freshman & College Seminar

• Priscilla Pratt — Culinary, Fire Protection Technology, Library, Electrical Tech, Drafting, Interior Design

• Angela Ridinger-Dotterman — English

• Marshal Stein — Foreign Languages, ESL, ASL, Reading

• Chris Gherardi — Guild, Retiree, PAs/Specialists in Programmatic Areas

• Michelle LaPorte — Humanities• Russell David — Math• Sarahjeanne Goldstein — Nursing,

Physical Education, Health Sciences• Maureen Sandford — PAs/Specialists in

Academic Skills Centers• MaryAnne Ellinger — PAs/Specialists in

Instructional Labs• Doug Cody — Science, Engineering, Auto• Frank DiGregorio — Social Sciences

New York State United Teachers

• Jonathan Rubin — Labor Relations Specialist

In keeping with every good union’s commitment to building and maintaining a strong sense of community, both internally and externally, the FA’s Community Outreach team has developed a series of events for the upcoming academic year.

Here’s a preview of what’s to come. Dates that have already been determined are provided; others will be announced in The WORD and via other means.

Interested in participating in or contributing to any of the following? Contact me: [email protected].

ongoing

Professors on Wheels program

FA lines up a banner year for community outreach by Tim McHeffey

September

• FA breast cancer quilt

9/29 Ammerman10/6 Grant10/13 Eastern

October

• AHRC plant sales• 10/20 Making Strides walk

November

• annual food bank donations

December

• Fair Trades sales

12/4 Eastern and Grant12/11 Ammerman

February

• Love Yourself month (a celebration of good health, good eating, and exercise)

March

• 3/5 Food Flip Day (event to help restock food panties in need)

April

• AHRC plant sales• Sustainability Day

May

• 5/10 FA family picnic


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Faculty AssociationSuffolk Community CollegeSouthampton Building 224J533 College RoadSelden, New York 11784-2899631-451-4151

FA president Kevin Peterman offers a toast to our outgoing president of 34 years, Ellen Schuler Mauk, at the June 4 leadership appreciation dinner held at the Bellport Country Club. The pair have worked very closely together for the past three decades.

A toast to outgoing president Ellen Schuler Mauk

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Documents

FASCC Home Page | Faculty Association Suffolk Community ...2011) Congratulations to all of the creators of these award-winning entries! Our annual Community Outreach program spring