"When you have the power to create your own reality..."

The truth about spin at OCC

An inconvenient reality

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/2/07

TOMS RIVER

The week before classes were to begin, two dozen faculty members from Ocean County College, past and present, gathered at a restaurant on the waterfront to celebrate, to toast a First Amendment champion, one of their own.

Karen Bosley, a professor who has been teaching journalism at OCC for the better part of 36 years, had settled her lawsuit against the college. She had been restored to her proper position, teaching in her area of expertise rather than in some other field, and she had been awarded $90,000 by the court.

Another suit settled over the summer, brought by three past editors of the Viking News, resulted in Bosley being reinstated as the student paper's faculty adviser. The judge in the case spoke of the "chilling effect" the removal of an adviser could have on students and their First Amendment sensibilities.

In addition, two professors who were fired by OCC in 2005 took the college to court and won the right to know why their contracts had not been "renewed." The ruling was handed down in the spring. Each of the former professors was awarded $50,000 and granted assurances that the college would not speak ill of them to prospective employers. The case set a precedent.

The good guys had won, it seemed. There was cause for celebration. Together, teachers and students had struck a blow for freedom and fairness, two antiquated concepts that sometimes appear to elude the administration at OCC.

"I am relieved the lawsuit is over," said Bosley. "The three former editors and I have been vindicated ..."

She paused for a moment to allow the other shoe to drop.

"But the cost in human pain has been high," she went on. "Several student journalists, valuable members of the OCC faculty and others were disparaged because of administrative hubris ... some of the college's best faculty and administrators left earlier than planned, and two others were fired because ... they dared to exercise their First Amendment right to speak.

"The lawsuits have led to the adoption of a strong policy statement against censorship and reprisals. It remains to be seen whether more employees will exercise that right. I certainly hope they will."

Wait until the president of the college hears about this. His people have been going around telling everyone they got what they wanted out of the Bosley deal.

You know, pretty much.

"We got a lot of things we wanted," Tara Kelly was quoted as saying.

"It was not a one-sided settlement," she insisted.

Kelly is the vice president of college advancement, a title that sounds like a euphemism dipped in a vat of irony.

President Jon Larson, meanwhile, has been notable by his silence on anything pertaining to lawsuits or settlements.

Then again, when you have the power to create your own reality, what's the difference? When you can spin anything you want, any way you want, so what if your insurance company has to pay out all those piddling settlements and you have to concede control over certain trifling matters?

Man, how that must hurt. Not the money, the concessions.

"It's the insurance company that's paying the money," said Randy Monroe, an English professor and president of the faculty association. "But I did notice in the board report the other day that our insurance premiums were going up."

Years ago, when he was president at Luzerne Community College, Larson demoted a woman named Susan Merkel for some fuzzy reasons. She was an associate dean of human resources. She claimed he demoted her because she wouldn't lie for him.

Merkel sued the college. The first day of the trial, the insurance company heard her testimony and promptly offered her a hefty settlement.

For years after that, Larson's friends at OCC continued to spread the fantasy that Merkel's complaint was judged to have no legal merit.

Just churn out your own reality, no matter how far you might stray from the truth, no one will ever notice. They call this a management style.

It worked for a long time, too. Then the kids from the Viking News started poking around. They would eventually win national recognition, both for their investigative work and their First Amendment fight.

Yet, they were treated like outcasts by an administration that never tried real hard to hide its contempt for the paper's long-time adviser.

"No one ever wanted her to leave," Bosley remembers hearing one of the trustees say at the settlement conference last April in Trenton.

Heaven forbid.

Once again, truth seemed no match for a convenient reality.

Anyway, under the terms of their settlement, the students have their adviser back, they have their computers, they have a budget and they have a new advisory board that can't exercise editorial control over them.

"Is this what the college wanted, for a judge to tell them how to set up an advisory board?" wondered Pat Demko, a chemistry professor.

The question was largely rhetorical. Like many, Demko can't believe it ever came to this. What sense does it make, after all, wanting to control people to the point where they feel they have to take you to court? How did such an autocratic mindset ever become part of campus life?

While there's no way of predicting how court-ordered freedoms might affect life at OCC, you got the distinct feeling at the quiet celebration on the waterfront that this was indeed a new day.

"It's too early to tell how people will react," said Demko, who is entering her 17th year at the college. "It may depend on the individual person.

"In my case, they have nothing they can hold over my head — in theory. I feel emboldened. I feel I have the Constitution of the United States to say what I think, whether that's agreeable to the administration or not."

They may not even notice over in the administration building. Too busy spinning new realities.

Bill Handleman is an Asbury Park Press columnist. E-mail: handle@app.com

Comments

[Alberto Morales]

Thank you "PP." I, too, hope that the error is technical rather than something else. But, I hope that the OCC administration will see this as not looking too good on their part and step up to the plate to get monitors in to the Viking News with urgency. I already see a harmful start to the new school year because of these tactics.

On the flip side, all is going very well here in Indiana. Here is the latest story I did for our WEEKEND magazine: http://www.idsnews.com/news/story1_modify.php?id=41481

Also, if you all would like to keep up with my writing, please go to this link: http://www.idsnews.com/news/SearchResult.aspx?searchKey=d.%20morales&sec=General&p=1&s=pubdate

I haven't been writing as of lately. I'm working on long-term projects involving our city's local government and some funny business going on.

But, I'm working on getting a free press bill passed here in Indiana and have been speaking with some good people in New Jersey to try and do the same. While NJ's bill is taking longer than expected, Indiana's bill is starting to grow legs.

I've also reactivated Indiana University's chapter of SPJ. (Society of Professional Journalists) We started with 7 members in January and to date have grown to nearly 40 strong. I've worked long and hard with our Web master and have revamped our old Web site to the new one here: http://journalism.indiana.edu/studentorganizations/spj/
While the design is complete, the writing is not! haha.

I hope all is well, and anyone who would like to keep in touch can email me: determined1@gmail.com

I would also like to hear how everything is going regarding the Viking News. I speak with Boz from time to time, but have been quite busy as you can imagine.

Please take care and fight the good fight. Stand up for yourselves and trust in your beliefs.

-Alberto

[PP]

ALbert, you never cease to amaze me with your dedication to the VN, OCC, and justice. I think--I HOPE-- the delay has more to do with technical things rather than administrative machinations. I have every confidence that our first issue under the direction of BOZ surely will be a testament to those, including yourself, who fought long and hard to make it a vehicle of a free press! Hope all is well at Indiana.

[Alberto D. Morales]

Hello everyone,

It's nice to read some of your comments. But one that distresses me is the delay of the Viking News.

I'd like everyone to know that I'm watching the outcome of this with a legal eye.

If I even smell some type of censorship, I will step in.

I wish I could say something more positive, but it seems that nothing is changing for the better.

Cheers,

Alberto D. Morales

to help find an Adjunct try ocean cruiser under the academic heading and classes you can click on the class and get the professors email, click on the name (usually says if they are an adjunct and you can get more info on the professor I have found phone#'s and office info here as well. not a fast system but ou can get a student the correct info this way.

[Citizen Sane]

Got it?

[Citizen Sane]

The community of contributors do also.

[Citizen Sane]

To: Posted Sept 17, 2007 at 12:50 am

The community of contributers on this blog support the troops, dearly. Make no mistake about it.

I'm thinking back to my days as a student and the impact that a full-time vs. adjunct instructor had on my educational experience. One area of impact was office hours. Full-time instructors held office hours and were available for help, questions and guidance. Several also had long-term influence on me because they were also my academic advisors. Adjunct instructors weren't nearly as available. Usually, you had to catch them immediately before or after class as that was the only time they were on campus. There wasn't really a place to leave them a message or voice mail and, as students, we felt they were not as vested in the college or us. Fortunately, at that time and at that college, there were very few adjuncts.

I've encountered students here who are looking for their instructor's office, and I try to help. Many times however, it turns out that their instructor is an adjunct. Unless I'm mistaken, adjuncts aren't listed in the faculty/staff directory, so there's no easy way to look up their name, e-mail, phone number or anything else to help out the student.

These types of things can't combine for a very satisfactory experience for our students.

[Been here, done this]

My apologies, ladies and gentelmen, for misspelling the word "professor" in my prior entry.

[Been here, done this]

Since the discussion of the treatment of adjunct faculty has been initiated by Professer Germann, I want to suggest that all faculty, whether adjunct or full-time, re-acquaint (or perhaps acquaint) themselves with the following documents that were mailed in an e-mail addressed to Campus Faculty of Ocean County College by Orlando-Marquez C. Kittrell on 10/22/04. To be unaware of these documents is not prudent.

1. "Referral Guidelines for Assisting Students in Crisis"

2. "Suggestions for Dealing with the Various Types of Distressed Students"

3. "Guide for Faculty: The Utilization of Student Intervention Strategies in Today's College Classroom"

[Herb Germann]

Forgotten not gone,

Thanks for the info.

Over the last three years do to retirements, unfortunate deaths and medical leaves we probably have lost over 20 full-time faculties? So I guess11 full-time replacements is a beginning but the College needs to hire many more. One of the goals of ANJCCF (Assoc of NJ County College Faculties) is to stop the over-use of adjunct faculty and to have a reasonable ratio of full-time faculty to adjunct. This is an area that needs serious dialogue and discussion.

Herb

[Forgotten not gone]

No, the entire place is not corrupt. Just some particular aspects of it. Unfortunately, what starts at the top filters down and it beginss to affect everyone to varying degrees.

Burn the place down and start over? No. Just need to fix some of the things that aren't working. If you've really read through some of the past posts on this site, you'd realize that the complaints tend to stem back to the actions of particular individuals on campus.

Herb:
I've recently heard one of our executive administrators state that OCC now has around 400 adjuncts, but has also hired 11 new faculty members.

[Herb Germann]

To: Posted Sept 17, 2007 at 12:50 am

First of all you need to get some sleep. Secondly, a college community is an environment for critical thinking, analysis, and a place to challenge and to pursue the truth. Sure there is plenty good about OCC. We educate young citizens of the community and are dedicated to this task. But most faculty are under-paid, under-valued, and saddled with abusive insecure administrators who seem to rule with the iron boot instead of recognizing the fact that instructional authority was designed to encourage sound instruction rather than personal power.

You comment reminds me of “Love it or Leave it”. Should we all raise our arms in salute to “Der Furher” and never challenge?

Personalities in Western Tradition like: Socrates, Galileo, Luther, Descartes, Columbus, Lincoln and, many others, if professors at OCC would be brought up on bogus Article X hearings for daring to challenge authority with the truth.

One of the most serious problems at OCC is the climate of fear and intimidation caused by your kind of blind obedience and failure to understand the real issues. Lets just continue to kill the messenger.

Duuuuuuhhhhh.

If you had real courage you would sign your name?

Ps. No one wants to burn the campus. They want a better campus.

Professor Herb Germann

[Herb Germann]

To: Posted Sept 17, 2007 at 12:50 am

First of all you need to get some sleep. Secondly, a college community is an environment for critical thinking, analysis, and a place to challenge and to pursue the truth. Sure there is plenty good about OCC. We educate young citizens of the community and are dedicated to this task. But most faculty are under-paid, under-valued, and saddled with abusive insecure administrators who seem to rule with the iron boot instead of recognizing the fact that instructional authority was designed to encourage sound instruction rather than personal power.

You comment reminds me of “Love it or Leave it”. Should we all raise our arms in salute to “Der Furher” and never challenge?

Personalities in Western Tradition like: Socrates, Galileo, Luther, Descartes, Columbus, Lincoln and, many others, if professors at OCC would be brought up on bogus Article X hearings for daring to challenge authority with the truth.

One of the most serious problems at OCC is the climate of fear and intimidation caused by your kind of blind obedience and failure to understand the real issues. Lets just continue to kill the messenger.

Duuuuuuhhhhh.

If you had real courage you would sign your name?

Ps. No one wants to burn the campus. They want a better campus.

Professor Herb Germann

DITTO TO THE ABOVE

Its funny, you have someone come to a GRIPE board, and wondering if there is anything we like...haha!

This forum was NEVER meant to be anything but a way to vent, and as such that is what you hear. I have stated in public and private that I would never have come to OCC if there was not some redeeming quality about it. I must say the redeeming qualities are quickly fading and those that are left are found in the honest, hard-working employees, whether they be full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, support staff, what have you. I will admit to not liking anyone in an administrative function, because they don't care one iota about the student, UNLESS, it makes them look better. Part of the reason Phi Theta Kappa officers are Larson's pets. I have the grade point average to be in Phi Theta Kappa, haven't been invited yet. So you can't use the old, you're just jealous cause you aren't as smart as them, I'm probably smarter than all of them combined.

It's crazy that "New Jersey's First Community College" is so quick to rid itself of anything that speaks of its past. Continually replacing the old (and unbroken) with the new and fancy. A student wondering the other day, what are our official colors? Why can't I find any continuity? GOOD QUESTION....where is the pride? You want us to like something about OCC, well, how bout THEY start liking something about OCC besides their fat paychecks?

other then yourselves, is there anything at OCC you people like? you make it seem that everything is horrible and that the entire place is corrupt and should be burned to the ground and built anew.

[PP]

Here's a breakdown as far as I can tell: Some adjuncts are working at OCC for supplementary earnings --they have other day jobs, usually teaching. Others are retired teachers. Neither of these groups will speak out. The other group are the truly exploited: Those who have been adjuncts carrying the max load for years, some even hoping to get hired full time. Many of this group, if not all, know they are grossly underpaid and unequally compensated. What's the option? The adj.union has some power in negotations,the faculty union cannot represent them, and admin will NEVER equalize salaries. Strike? That's an option unless it's retaliated against since adjuncts are hired "at will" and probably fired the same way. Anyone out there have a solution? This is a problem that should be addressed and even perhaps brought to light in the VN. Sadly, I have heard that our adjuncts are better paid than other community colleges. That's pretty depressing.Then again, some schools pay double what we do.

What the adjunct need to see, is that the administration is indeed using them. They are basically saying to the adjunct faculty, you really aren't worth anything so we are going to use you while we can until you smarten up!

[PP]

Herb: I love the thought of adjunct administrators. Seriously, I agree that admin would be happy as clams to staff the college with part timers--they are underpaid and usually keep their mouths shut out of fear of being fired. I don't think our adjuncts get anywhere near 14K. From what I hear, they get on or about $575--700 a credit or $1600-2000 a course. It's blatant exploitation if you ask me. A "proliferation" of adjunct faculty is an understatement...one department has over 80 adjuncts. I really do not know if the union ever addressed this, but I seem to recall there is an allowed percentage but I am not sure of the exact numbers. Point of discussion for next faculty get together.

[Herb Germann]

Does anyone know how many adjuncts are teaching at OCC? Adjuncts are part-time faculty paid a pittance to teach higher education class. Some are excellent instructors dedicated to teaching, others, are warm bodies not qualified to be in the classroom. Pay an adjunct one fifth of a professional teaching salary and you demean a noble profession. I am certain that there are some Board members and administrators who believe the following: “Why should we pay full-time faculty a fair and professional wage when we can get an adjunct faculty for $14,000 a year”? Maybe we should hire adjunct administrators at one-fifth their salary. OCC could save a lot of money and use it to hire full-time faculty at professional wages.

Does any one see a connection between spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on disastrous lawsuits and the over reliance on adjunct faculty? (Money may be in short supply) Flawed administrative actions have led to lawsuits. Executive administrators and their minions blame the faculty and students for bringing lawsuits in defense of their rights. Weren’t they defending their rights under law and the constitution that unwise and insecure administrators violated in the first place?

I think Middle-States would have something to say about adjunct proliferation and abusive authority. But what do I know? I am only a teacher with a golden apple whom OCC administrators do not want in the classroom or affecting the good faculty with radical ideas such as teacher rights and instructional support.

Professor Herb Germann

[Pouty Professor]

PP learned from the best, CS!

[Citizen Sane]

PP shows how easy it is to fall in love with clarification.

[Pouty Prof]

OK OK, BHDT. Cool your jets! Admittedly, my choice of the word "fear" was not well thought out--I...we...are not "afraid," per se. Worried? Concerned? Not surprised if it happens? Look, what I do know is that because of Boz's courage , even if the "wrath" of Larson surfaces again, we will (as a group, as an individual) rise up and assert our rights without "FEAR" of retribution.

[Been here, done this]

Pouty,

You "fear the wrath of Larson"? Surely, all you need to do is consider the actions of Professor Bosley to understand how to be fearless. Don't you remember the words of Churchill to the people of England during the London Blitz?