- Join These!
- CEI: Annual dues: $15, full-time faculty; free, part-time faculty. To join, complete and mail the application form.
TYCA-Southeast: Annual dues: $20, full-time faculty; $10, adjunct faculty. To join, complete the and mail the application form.
- NC Faculty Association: If any group can succeed in pushing toward higher salaries for us, this is it! Please join and support the Faculty Association. To join, complete the online application form.
CEI Officers and Reps
President
Vice-President
Secretary/Treasurer
Membership Chair
Newsletter Editor
CEI Online
Eastern Regional Reps
- Sharon Mills
- Cheryl Saba
- Vacancy
Central Regional Reps- Anne Helms
- Clem Welch
- Jo Ann Buck
Western Regional Reps- Tom Hearron
- Vacancy
- Vacancy
According to the CEI Constitution, the duties of a regional rep are as follows: "Regional Representatives will communicate with faculty within their respective regions; represent faculty within their regions; attend regularly scheduled Executive Board meetings, as well as annual business and regional meetings; work with the Board to nominate representatives when vacancies arise. " If you would like to fill one of the open positions, please contact Liz Meador.
Treasurer's Report
The latest CEI Treasurer's Report is available. CEI membership username and password are required.
Faculty Salaries and Employment
(reprinted from the NCCCFA newsletter)
According to an October 2002 Research Brief published by the Planning and Research Section of the North Carolina Community College System:
- Relative to other states, North Carolina community college faculty earn monthly salaries that rank at the bottom.
- Faculty who leave the NCCCS earn higher salaries.
- New faculty are hired at lower than average salaries.
- NC community college faculty are not state employees, but employees of the local community college.
In order to read the entire NCCCFA report, please go to ncccs_report_2002.pdf.
Need for Regional Repsnewsletter Editor If you have read the October Board meeting minutes, you know that we need 2 western regional representatives and 1 eastern regional rep. In addition, we need a newsletter editor. Please think about assuming these leadership positions vital for the strength and continuity of CEI!
Regional reps assume these responsibilities:
- attend CEI Board meetings held 3-4 times, usually fewer, during a year (CEI pays for lunch, and your college may provide a vehicle and gas, so your only expense is time. Most of us have library or other assignments for the students or have colleagues cover classes for us.
- help plan the regional meetings in the spring and the state-wide conference in the fall
- bring to the Board meetings issues, concerns for CEI's attention
Please contact Liz at if you are interested in knowing more and/or willing to be a regional rep or newsletter editor (of this publication!).
Happy Birthday, CEI!
 If we had had our fall conference, we would have celebrated our 30th birthday but proper! We still have plans at Fall Conference 2003 for a belated birthday celebration, complete with birthday cake, so be there!
As it is, we recognize the presidents of CEI from the past and thank Betty Cochran, now retired from Beaufort CC (but working there part-time), and CEI member Sherry Sherrill, Forsyth TCC, for this information. Sherry wrote: "CEI will never be in the past for me. . . .this group is my lifeblood and my connection to the English community." Thank you, Sherry, for long-term support of CEI:
Past CEI Presidents
Roy McGaillard–Western Piedmont, charter chair; Bertie Fearing, Rita Reaves; Pete Mann; Blair Hancock; Phyllis Barber; Louise White; JoAnn Buck; Becky Mann (1995-1997); Betty Cochran (1986-88); Polly Davis; Debbie Lamm.
Interesting Conference Statistics
Did you know that in 1998, 80 teachers attended the CEI Fall Conference in Asheville?
In 1999, 89 attended in Southern Pines?
And in 2001, 87 came to Wrightsville Beach? CEI skipped a fall conference in 2002, but President Meador challenges all of us to top these numbers in 2003.
Tom Hearron, CEI western regional representative, has been working hard to arrange our Fall Conference 2003 at the Broyhill Inn & Conference Center.
Call for Papers
 There are still a few openings for presentations at the CEI Fall Conference 2003. The theme this year is "Expanding Our Boundaries." Innovative teachers and programs are expanding the three-sentence course descriptions in the Common Course Library, and distance learning courses are providing students with challenges and opportunities beyond the traditional boundaries. The conference will explore ways that individual instructors, courses, and colleges are serving students in our field. If you want to make a presentation, please review the Call for Presentations.
CEI Board Meeting The next meeting of the CEI Board will be at noon on April 25 in Boone, NC. Board members will meet with representatives of the Broyhill Inn to make final preparations for the fall conference.
In Memoriam CEI extends condolences to family and colleagues of English instructor Caroline Connat of Johnston CC. Caroline had diabetes and was adjusting medication, according to Stephanie Hunt, one of her colleagues at Johnston CC.
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- New CEI Publications
CEI has updated its "Resources" section. The Guides to Using Microsoft Word® contain many new features that are especially useful for students whose teachers require them to use MLA format for essays and research papers. The new document contains a searchable table of contents with more than 30 separate sections. New features include a guide to inserting automatic page numbering with text to conform with MLA guidelines, changing page margins, and using different font styles. This latter feature is especially useful for ENG 114 students.
The outlines and bibliography section contains a new feature on locating sources on the Internet and then using and documenting the use of those sources in a research report: Locating and Documenting Sources in MLA Style
For teachers who use materials other than a textbook, CEI publishes an explanation of the new copyright laws, which are especially relevant to those who teach via Blackboard: Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers.
Special Recognitions
Many thanks to Jean Alford, Robeson CC! Jean sent in memberships for 100% of her department. For her loyalty, the Board awards her with a free t-shirt or tote bag when we meet for the fall conference!
A nice idea is for colleagues to go together to pay the $15 CEI membership fee for newcomers to the department. That's my "Welcome Here" present to Roeethyll Lunn, the newest English faculty member at Wayne CC. Roeethyll (named for 2 aunts) began in the fall semester after having taught part-time at Craven CC. She has a master's degree from Long Island University and Southampton College. She has become involved with the Creative Writing class with Margaret Baddour as instructor.
Sharon Mills, Carteret CC, sends news of a Civil War Roundtable Symposium held on Saturday, January 25, in Joslyn Hall, Carteret CC, that included speakers, lunch, readings, music, and an essay contest for middle and high school and college students. Cost was $25 or $15 for students. In November, Carteret hosted a free program on African American literature, featuring the works of Langston Hughes. Students taking ENG 273, African American Literature, coordinated the program.
JoAnn Buck, Guilford TCC, says that 4 English and 2 religion Teaching Associates are in the Faculty-in-Training program there with 5 faculty members serving as mentors. "The Faculty-in-Training program continues to promote interest in community college teaching as a career and in faculty development," she said.
Thanks to JoAnn Buck for securing Fred Chappell as our guest speaker for the conference-we-didn't-have-after-all. We hope he will be willing to try us again in Boone! Fred had a wonderful farewell address in the December 29, 2002, News & Observer that I hope everyone will read: "A Poet's Hail and Farewell."
Edgecombe News Monika Fleming, Edgecombe CC, writes that Edgecombe County has embarked on a literacy program, “Edgecombe Reads–Literacy Lights the Way.” The public schools will have students read 250,000 books during the school year, about 25 books per student! The college and community are joining the effort so that ½ million books are read this year.
New English faculty at Edgecombe CC include Marcia Chesson and Brent Mayes. Marcia worked part-time at Pitt CC and Wilson TCC. Married, she has 2 daughters. Brent, a recent ECU graduate, likes music and performs in his spare time. He will be offering some online classes this spring.
Monika received an award in November from the NC Genealogical Society for editing the best genealogical publication in the state, Lines and Pathways–a bimonthly newsletter of the Edgecombe County Genealogical Society. Monika edits and contributes articles to the newsletter. She is also near completion of a new book, Edgecombe County Along the Tar River, a history in the Made in American series by Arcadia Publishers.
Transfer Performance Funding Each year, as mandated by the North Carolina legislature in 1989, the NCCCS must evaluate its program based upon its mission. As stated in the "Introduction" to the 2002 Critical Success Factors for the North Carolina Community College System, "the Critical Success Factors Report has evolved into the major accountability document for
the North Carolina Community College System. The purpose of this report is twofold. First, this document is the means by which the community college system reports on performance measures, referred to as core indicators of success, for purposes of accountability and
performance funding. Second, this document serves as an evaluation instrument for the System strategic plan.
"In February 1999, the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges adopted 12 performance measures for accountability. This action was taken in response to a mandate from the North Carolina General Assembly to review past performance measures and define standards of performance to ensure programs and services offered by community colleges in North Carolina were of sufficient quality. In addition, the General Assembly authorized the North Carolina Community College System to implement performance funding based on a subset of those 12 measures."
If any funds are available to the NCCCS at the end of each fiscal year, then any colleges who have received a rating of "superior performance" will be eligible to share in the funding. To be eligible, a college must meet the NCCCS standard of performance in the first five of the twelve performance measures or in four of those five plus "significant improvement" in one of of those five or in one of the college's own choosing in the other seven performance measures. Since no funds were available last year, no school achieving a "superior" rating received any money, but twenty-six colleges were eligible for "superior performance funding" based upon their having met the NCCCS standard.
Forum: Questions to Think About Forum 1: Transfer Performance
Seventeen community colleges met the NCCCS standard for transfer student performance, and twenty-four colleges made "significant improvement" over their previous year's performance. Is there a way we can learn from these colleges how they are meeting the standard or making improvements? Does the standard itself or the way data are collected need revision? - Is the transfer performance standard fair, considering that transfer sophomores have to adjust to the university setting while their counterparts have had the freshmen year for acclimation?
- Would a fairer measure be of the junior and senior years since the transfers and natives would be more evenly matched at that point?
- What can CEI do to help all colleges meet the Transfer Performance Standard?
Forum 2: ENG 090
Does your college offer both ENG 090 and ENG 090A? If so, is the keeping of two rosters and the grading distribution a chore? What is the policy in your English Department? Please send some input about how you make the record keeping fair for students:
- Does each student receive a separate grade for ENG 090 and 090A?
- Must a student pass both ENG 090 and 090A to receive credit for either?
- Must a student make a "C" in ENG 090 to continue to ENG 111?
- Can a student have a D in ENG 090A, but a C in the lecture in still enroll in ENG 111?
Issue 3: Writing Resources and Opportunities
- Does your college have a Writing Center?
- Does your college have a student newspaper?
- Does your college have a writers' and artists' (literary) magazine?
If you are interested in participating in one of these forums, the CEI Forum for Spring 2003 will be available online beginning in March. CEI members will receive an email message announcing the forum to be completed online.
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President's Corner Dear Members,
We were all winding down the fall semester while preregistering for spring when I began this newsletter in early November! I hope all of you had a fruitful fall semester and are geared up for spring. I am sorry that the CEI Board had to cancel this year's fall conference because I look forward to seeing all of you and renewing acquaintances. Most of all, though, I missed the workshops that invigorate and stimulate my own teaching!
I wanted to share some of the analysis the Board did at its October meeting regarding the factors that resulted in our having to cancel the conference.
First were the extra loads and duties we all undertook with increased enrollments in community colleges statewide.
Second, the economy affected many areas with closings of textile and furniture industries.
Third, some members objected to the accommodations, desiring more luxury than The Summit offered. If colleges made funds available, people chose other, more exotic conference locations.
Fourth, some colleges could not promise reimbursement.
Fifth, the timing of our conference during fall break when some members had made other plans and others hesitated to miss planned workdays was unfortunate, though some of us preferred that time when we were saved the trouble of arranging for substitutes.
Sixth, the central location of the conference increased the numbers of us who wanted to commute, thereby reducing the number of rooms we had guaranteed The Summit!
Thus, with only a small number committing to attend the conference, we had no choice but to cancel, losing the $750 retainer treasurer Tom Labelle had sent to secure our reservations.
What did we miss? Each other–the sheer joy of company who empathize with our successes and pains. Sharing of expertise–the learning and interchange of ideas from each other. Specifically we missed these workshops and presenters (a few samples):
from Roxanne Newton, Mitchell CC
"The Threads of History": The session illustrates an innovative Learning Community in which student s participated in a three-part project involving family history, Mitchell CC history, and local history. Students completed historical narratives, conducted research, and produced a play. CEI members would have been given the course materials and seen a video of student activities.
from Matthew Cashion, Mitchell CC
"Integrating Media Literacy in ENG 111": The session will focus on media sources that provide information, education, and entertainment for mass consumption. This analysis of media acquaints students with culture communication theory and provides a solid foundation for critical thinking skills.
from Anne Baxter-Johnson, adjunct, Blue Ridge CC
"Fun (and Thrifty!) Activities for the ESL/Developmental English Classroom"
from Thomas Gould, Durham TCC
"Hybrid Classes: Maximizing Resources and Student Learning": Hybrid classes combine the best features of the traditional and virtual classroom, allowing students to hone skills crucial to their academic and professional success.
From Daphne Holland, Mitchell CC
"Technical Writing Portfolios for ENG 114"
Let's resolve to attend CEI Fall Conference 2003 to be held at the Broyhill Inn & Conference Center in Boone, October 26-28. Tom Labelle, CEI treasurer, has already sent a required deposit check for rooms!
Liz Meador, Wayne CC - CEI President
Coups and Kudos! (a collection of tidbits about the doings of English faculty gleaned from department heads in the east and central who responded to my e-mail. We'll do the west in the next newsletter because my e-mail would not work for that region!. Western folk, please send some news! -Liz.) Jill Lahnstein, Cape Fear CC, has a new development textbook, The Big Picture, from Prentice-Hall. The text is designed for ENG 095 classes. Congratulations to Jill!Jenna Call, Cape Fear CC, has been doing English voiceovers for Japanese animation, performing as several characters in You're Under Arrest, a popular police series in Japan.Katrina Williams, Wilson Technical CC, participated in a 2-woman exhibition of her artwork at the Four Sisters Gallery for Self-Taught Artists at the Mims Gallery at NC Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, NC, where she sold her works to private collectors. Katrina taught herself to work with brush and color in watercolor and acrylic. She has sold pictures to Text Art Publishing and the Pen and Press Company.Rosalyn Lomax and Margaret Baddour, Wayne CC, completed a successful 3-day run of Driving Miss Daisy in October with Rosalyn in the lead role and Margaret as director. Retired English instructor Gerald Simmons played Hoke, and local attorney Geoff Hulse had the role of Boolie, Miss Daisy's son. Kathryn Spicer produced the play. In the upcoming production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in February 20-23, Rosalyn has the role of Bottom and Margaret plays Puck.Margaret Baddour along with her husband, former Rep. Philip Baddour, were honored with the Sam Ragan Angels of the Arts award from the NC Writers Network Conference. Kathryn Spicer, Wayne CC, was recently cited in Who's Who Among America's Teachers as was Thomas Hearron, Caldwell CC, also CEI western regional representative.Congratulations to Stephanie Hunt, English instructor, Johnston CC, selected as Instructor-of-the-Year statewide!Cheryl Saba, Cape Fear CC, was awarded the college's first Excellence in Teaching Award/Endowment in May.
The Book Nook
By Liz Meador Some CEI Board members thought the newsletter should carry a column about what we are reading that we find stimulating, provocative, etc. Aside from student papers, that is!
If you have not seen the film The Hours based on Michael Cunningham's novel of the same title, it is splendidly performed! I came home to read the book then checked out bios about Virginia Woolf because it had been ages since my reading of Mrs. Dalloway in senior seminar at Westhampton College.
Cunningham examines three lives in his novel: a contemporary woman (2001), a housewife in the 1950s, and Woolf just before her suicide. The film parallels the novel fairly accurately, changing only a few details. Ed Harris portrays a man dying of AIDS who is friend to the modern Clarissa in a sensitive performance. His suicide echoes that of Virginia Woolf, both tormented by illness and despair.
The novel and the film link the three storylines in a stunning way at the end, emphasizing the roles of choice and chance in our lives.
Another beautiful novel is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. You have probably read synopses of this first novel. Sebold has a one earlier work, Lucky, about her experience with rape while she was a college freshman. I admit to having a hard time getting past the first chapter when the rape occurs, though I am determined to continue!
The Lovely Bones offers a special comfort to those of us who need a realized concept of what happens in the afterlife. I loved Susie's sense of humor (the title refers to Susie's elbow that a neighborhood dog has dragged home after her rape and mutilation by a man in her neighborhood!) Despite this grisly start of the novel, it has lyrical moments in the middle and end.
Other recommended reading: Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf; Bias, Bernard Goldberg; Stonewall Jackson's Book of Maxims, ed. James I. Robertson. Jr. |
