Restroom vandalism 

Campus police were dispatched to the first floor of the LIB men’s restroom on Feb. 13 in response to property vandalism. Upon arriving to the scene, police observed the message “Beware, Be, Beware the Blood Madness” and a crown drawn in reddish-pink paint on the inside right-hand wall of the handicap stall. The damage was photographed and housekeeping was made aware of the matter.

Viewing of pornography in the library 

Police received information on Feb. 20 about an individual viewing pornography on a library computer. Upon arriving to the Billington Library Building and speaking with a witness, police encountered the subject who at the time was playing a videogame. When asked if he was a college student, the individual replied that he wasn’t, and after the police had instructed him to shut down the game, a pornographic video was seen playing in the background. The officer then asked the subject to leave the library for questioning in the lobby. It was then the officer had asked the subject for identification to which he stated he didn’t have, adding that he was a local high school student. Campus police attempted to contact the juvenile’s father but to no avail. After being advised that it was a violation to view lewd content on a college computer, the subject was released and instructed to exit the campus.

Compiled by Valerie Velikaya, news editor, vvelikay@jccc.edu. 

Illustrations by Alyssa Jolitz.

College’s Facebook application shuts down 

A Facebook app that enabled students to communicate with each other was disabled on Wednesday, Feb. 12. According to Mindy Kinnaman, manager of student life and leadership development, it was a cost-cutting issue that was a result of the recent $3.7 million chopped from the budget.

“We felt that the funds being spent could be better allocated to directly serve a larger group of students than the application currently reaches,” Kinnaman said in a post.

In order to communicate with others across campus, students are encouraged to visit the college’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JCCC411.

End in sight for ANGEL 

It is has been determined the Angel Learning Management System will be discontinued for community members on Sunday, June 1. Students taking summer courses will be able to access Desire2Learn, which will sequentially replace the Angel production server.

Any questions about D2L can be answered through contacting the Educational Technology Center in LIB 375 during business hours. To schedule an appointment, call 913-469-3842.

Apply for a full-ride scholarship to study abroad 

Meet with Barbara Williams at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28 in COM 319 for instructions on receiving a full-ride scholarship to China. Students must have their student ID as well as check-in and check-out with the student engagement ambassadors in COM 311.

Compiled by Valerie Velikaya, news editor, vvelikay@jccc.edu.

An updated look at the reading co-requisite

By Jessica Skaggs

Last semester, the college decided to go forward with the previous administration’s reading initiative known as the “Reading Readiness requirement” effective for the current semester. In doing so, there was campus-wide reaction, as normal procedures for course changes was not followed. Such course changes are expected and required to go through the faculty-driven group Educational Affairs.

“What happened [as a result] was last semester in Ed Affairs, the decision was made to invite individual programs and departments to decide for themselves whether they wanted the requirement on their courses,” Dennis Arjo, Educational Affairs member and professor/Chair of Philosophy and Religion, said. “That happened and in January the results of that process were sort of collected and that’s when number one the implementation problem for the spring enrollment became very, very clear, and the results of the faculty and departments and programs deciding for themselves ended up with a very uneven distribution of the requirement.”

In the weeks to follow that meeting, questions and concerns regarding the challenges students would face in the upcoming enrollment periods, as well as the decisions of faculty groups continued. On Feb. 12,  Educational Affairs met again, where discussion of  the reading initiative occurred. It became obvious that classes which were expected to have a lot of reading had the requirement, while other classes that were also expected to have a lot of reading did not.

“That just kind of made things even more questionable,” Arjo said. “And so we discussed whether or not we should proceed with a policy that was causing a problem with enrollment, inconveniencing large amount of students and seemed to be very inconsistent. That’s when we started talking about maybe at this point we should raise the white flag and realize this is not working.”

However, raising the white flag would not be the perfect solution, as there were some specified courses that particular departments requested the requirement to be included.

“We had to be careful about how to proceed because we had colleagues who had done exactly what Ed Affairs had told them to do, and we had to keep focused on  this is what students need but we also had to balance that with well we’ve had faculty who said, ‘this is what I need for my classes for my own students,'” Beth Edmonds, Educational Affairs member and math professor, said.

The decision made at the past meeting was done after all the options were looked at, according to Edmonds.

The options included the complete dismantling of the initiative, including the courses in which faculty had requested the requirement to be included, the dismantling of the requirement for all courses except those who had requested the requirement, or to leave the requirement as it was. However, the vice president of Educational Affairs Andy Anderson had additional recommendations which would be pursued in concurrence with whatever motion Educational Affairs made.

“Behind each of these options was Andy Anderson’s view of then we’re going to form this committee to really study what was going on, and what  was best for the whole group of students and faculty as well. So that was really where it was like do this, with this committee etc.,” Edmonds said. “So then once those three options were laid out and we had some conversation, that was about two hours and finally someone said okay we have to do something. [So we voted to] remove the Reading Readiness requirement except for the 12 courses that faculty specifically said that they wanted it for, with the understanding that there will be more study to come.”

The college will continue to identify students who need additional assistance in reading through Compass assessing, of which Anderson’s committee will continue to look into further and seeks to improve. For those students whose compass score is below 80 in reading, they will be asked to see a counselor with what is known as a “SC” or see counselor hold. From there, counselors will encourage and advise students to get take additional reading courses, as well as fill out a new form known as the “Johnson County Community College Reading Plan.” Students will sign the form, acknowledging their test scores indicate that extra reading courses are recommended for their success.

“It’s a counseling tool that we will use when working with students whose Compass scores reflect that they need additional reading skill development,” Gloria Rosso, counselor said. “This will help the student make informed choices regarding the options presented to him or her. The student’s decision regarding his or her choices will also be reflected on the form.

The form will also include contacts to available resources for students who need additional assistance. Counselors will be able to discuss each resource with the students and help them decide which would be the best option for them to pursue.

“This will give us a chance to really review some data to see how students do who chose not to take the reading class as opposed to those students who go ahead and do take the reading class, so we can gather some data that will help us in evaluating the decisions,” Anderson said. “So in terms of the Reading Readiness issue, its morphed, changed into another issue that’s really going to be based on advising students to make good choices and so that is where that has come to rest and I think Ed Affairs and the faculty feel pretty good with where it ended up.”

Going forward Anderson believes a better solution can be met.

“In some ways the Reading Readiness as it unfolded, really grew out of an effort to try and direct as best we could the students who needed the additional help as was indicated by scores, but we basically developed a policy to try and help three or 400 students probably a semester, but it became perhaps an obstacle to the 15,000,” Anderson said. “What we really need is to take a more global approach and come up with the best strategy for giving students good advice on what they should be taking and developing a set of prerequisites if we need them, and wherever we need. However we approach it, we need a way that facilitates the whole population of students to enroll in their programs and to be advised as effectively as possible and then whatever strategies we take around reading, around developmental reading, developmental writing, developmental math, should not be obstacles to everyone. It poses interesting challenges but I think we can get there.”

Contact Jessica Skaggs, managing editor, at jskaggs4@jccc.edu.

By Stephen Cook

The college’s enrollment has seen a 5 percent decline this semester compared to the spring 2013 semester, according to numbers provided by MargE Shelley, assistant dean, Enrollment Management.

Shelley said the 20th day official numbers are key when comparing enrollment for a semester. Those numbers should then be compared to the semester a year prior, in order for proper analysis. These numbers are finalized once the 20th day of classes has taken place; this semester, that day was Feb. 12.

The data for the 20th day of classes (spring 2013 and spring 2014) can be seen below:

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Compiled by Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, at scook35@jccc.edu.

By Stephen Cook

Virginia Krebs, the college’s first employee and first trustee emeritus, died Feb. 8 at the age of 94.

Krebs served on the college’s Board of Trustees from 1985 to 2008, having been elected for six consecutive terms. She was later named the college’s first trustee emeritus, after resigning from the board in October 2008.

“Mrs. Krebs dedicated her life to the education of children and adults throughout Johnson County,” Joe Sopcich, college president, said in an email sent out earlier today. “She truly was a leader in making JCCC one of the best community colleges in the United States. Our community is forever indebted to her and her family for all they’ve done to improve the quality of life in this county.”

A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at noon, Saturday, March 8 in the college’s Polsky Theatre. Memorial contributions may be made to the JCCC Foundation.

Obituary

“Virginia Krebs, distinguished public servant, Johnson County Community College’s first employee and first trustee emeritus, passed away peacefully at the age of 94 on February 8, 2014.

“Mrs. Krebs dedicated her life to the education of children and adults throughout Johnson County,” said Joe Sopcich, JCCC president. “She truly was a leader in making JCCC one of the best community colleges in the United States. Our community is forever indebted to her and her family for all they’ve done to improve the quality of life in this county.”

Krebs was a member of the JCCC board of trustees from 1985 to 2008. She was elected to the board for six consecutive terms, the last in April 2005. When she resigned from the board in October 2008, she was named the college’s first trustee emeritus. As a college trustee, she served as clerk, treasurer, vice chairman and chairman.

Born Virginia Olive Witmer on August 2, 1919 in Denver Colorado, Virginia graduated from the University of Denver in 1940 and married Albert Krebs in 1942.  They moved to Johnson County Kansas, and had four sons: Fred (1946), Jim (1949), Jeff (1961), and Bill (1963). Virginia, a wonderful mother and spouse, was active supporter of the many and varied interests of her family.

Krebs spent a lifetime contributing to the community and to Johnson County Community College. She began on a small scale, as she helped establish the Crestview-Merriam PTA and served as its first president. Later, she served as the president of the Hocker Grove Junior High PTA, president of the Shawnee Mission North High School PTA Council and president of the Shawnee Mission Area PTA Council. Her articulate and forceful support of public education in Johnson County earned her statewide recognition, and she was named program chairman for the Kansas State PTA.

In this position, she was able to help lead the movement for a number of key bond issues that began to establish the county’s public school infrastructure. This leadership role also gave her a broad perspective on the key issue of school consolidation, which loomed large in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and she was appointed to state task forces responsible for revision of the state school code and the consolidation of area school districts. From this, the Shawnee Mission Unified School District was formed.

In 1963, following her PTA involvement, Krebs was appointed by the board of county commissioners to a task force charged with studying the feasibility of building a community college in Johnson County. She worked for three years on this task force, which organized the creation of the community college taxing district and put the issue to the voters. This proposal was approved two-to-one by Johnson County voters in 1967.

When the first board of trustees’ election was held that year for the new Johnson County Community College, a total of 137 candidates ran for the six board positions. Krebs was urged by many in the community to run, but chose instead to become the college’s first employee, the assistant to the first board of trustees. She kept the official board records, was instrumental in helping the original board establish the philosophy and mission of the college, and helped the board hire the first college president. She and her late husband, Al, also helped the college find and occupy its first buildings in Merriam.

In 1969, Krebs was hired as the first director of community services at JCCC and figured prominently in the development of what became one of the largest and most successful continuing education programs in the Midwest.  She helped identify needs and mobilize cooperation to create special women’s programs, special programs for senior county residents, a county-wide group to support the arts, a world affairs discussion program and family-oriented events, both educational and entertaining and was instrumental in establishing the college’s many cooperative agreements with community organizations that enable it to serve a range of educational and cultural needs. She continued to develop the college’s community services until she retired in 1984.

As a college trustee, Krebs received the American Association of Community College’s regional trustee award in 1993 and the Regional Leadership Award from the National Council on Community Services and Continuing Education, Region VII, in 1996. She was also recognized by the American Association of Women in Community Colleges, which conferred on her its prestigious Woman of the Year Award. In 2004, she was named to the Mid-America Education Hall of Fame at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Krebs did not confine her community service to the college. She was widely recognized and respected in Johnson County, where she served as a volunteer for and on the boards of many different community organizations.

In 1988, she helped win public support for the purchase of the old Merriam School to use as a community center. The school was completely renovated and is now a heavily used public building. As a member of the Merriam Community Center Foundation, she sought to raise private funds to enhance the center’s ability to serve the community.  In 1988, she was named the Merriam Citizen of the Year for her work on behalf of education and community services in that city she lived. She was also active in the Merriam Christian Science Church.

Krebs was also active in the establishment of the first Shepherd’s Center in Johnson County and served on the executive committee of the county’s Eldernet Coalition, a 150-member group formed to study the needs of the county’s elderly. She served on the Task Force on Programs and Services for an Aging Student Population and on the board of the Johnson County Area Vocational Technical School. In 1993, she was selected as one of eight Women of Distinction by the Santa Fe Council of Girl Scouts. In 2002 the Visitors Center on the first floor of the Carlsen Center was renamed the Virginia Krebs Community Room in honor of her. Representative Dennis Moore (D-KS) provided Virginia a wonderful Congressional Record tribute in November 2008.

Virginia is preceded in death by her siblings Robert and Mary of Denver Colorado, husband Albert, and her eldest son Fred, a history professor at JCCC for more than 40 years, predeceased her in December 2012. She is survived by her sons Jim and his wife Debbie, Jeff, and Bill and his wife Cindy. Virginia has four grandchildren, Kandi, Fred’s Daughter; Allison, Jim’s Daughter; and Kaitlyn and Emily, Bill’s daughters. Virginia leaves one great-grandchild, Aaryn, Kandi’s daughter. There are many nieces and nephews living coast to coast and friends from the community, JCCC, Christian Science, The Atriums, and Brighton Gardens.”

http://www.amosfamily.com/2014/02/virginia-krebs/

Compiled by Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, scook35@jccc.edu.

Suspicious individual under the influence 

Shortly after 11 a.m. on Jan. 29, police responded to a man at the Carlsen Center was reported to have been acting strange, using profane language and asking where the adult detox was. The individual was found on a JO bus and then told officers he had been drinking earlier in the day, had numerous past arrests for drinking and was trying to find the Johnson County Adult Detox. Police, after detecting a strong odor, hearing his slurred speech and seeing his glazed-over eyes, transported him to the adult detox in Shawnee, KS.

Disorderly conduct and law enforcement battery 

Police were dispatched to the third floor of the Regnier Center around 11 a.m. on Feb. 6 to find an individual described as disruptive and possibly intoxicated. After making contact with the individual, the subject fled, screaming and refused to stop. While officers tried to restrain him, the subject pushed them away and attempted to again run away. When officers tried to place handcuffs on them, he broke free and struck an officer in the mouth with his right hand, causing an abrasion and minor bleeding.

After being placed in handcuffs, the subject continued to resist and exclaim profanities and abusive remarks as he was guided to the campus police department.

He was issued a “No Trespass” letter and continued to be uncooperative while in custody. The subject was transported to the Johnson County Adult Detention Center, having been placed under arrest for battery on a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice.

Theft of wallet at basketball game 

A theft of a wallet was reported around 2:45 p.m. on Feb. 8 at the women’s basketball game. The victim, who was scoring the game, looked back to check on her coat and wallet and found that her wallet was missing. An area search for the wallet was unsuccessful.

Compiled by Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, scook35@jccc.edu.

Valentine’s Dance cancelled 

The dance, originally scheduled for 8 to 11 p.m. in COM 155 and 156 this Friday, Feb. 14 has been cancelled. The event was going to take place in COM 155 and 156. Individuals who have already purchased tickets to the dance can return them to the Student Welcome Desk in SC 106 in exchange for an AMC Gold Pass (good for a free movie at a local AMC theatre).

Contact Keith Davenport with questions or concerns at (913) 469-3433 or kdavenp8@jccc.edu.

Board of Trustees to convene for February meeting 

The college’s Board of Trustees will gather for their regular monthly meeting at 5 p.m. on Feb. 20. The meeting will take place in the Hugh Speer Board Room, which is located in GEB 137. The packet will be published online (http:// www.jccc.edu/trustees/board-packets. html) in the days prior to the meeting. Be sure to follow @CampusLedger on Twitter for a live-tweet of the meeting.

International Dinner to be held on March 28 

The college’s eighth annual International Dinner will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday March 28 in RC 101. The dinner, which has a theme of “A Taste of India” is a fundraiser benefitting international students through scholarships.

The four-course meal will feature live music and will be prepared by Marc McCann, executive chef at the college, and international students will host and serve the meal.

Tickets are available for $30 per person, $50 for two or $200 for a table of eight. For more information, contact Patricia Donaldson at pdonaldson@ jccc.edu or call (913) 469-3835.

Compiled by Stephen Cook, editor-in-chief, scook35@jccc.edu. 

By Valerie Velikaya

As the college continues to barrel its way through a financial slump, certain members of the faculty are determined to have their voices heard around campus.

Although adjunct professors make up a majority of the institution, many instructors appear in the form of a mirage. Office hours are sparse as many part-time instructors leave after class to travel 20 miles or so to teach at another college. Some are retirees, dedicating their free time to the sheer enjoyment of advancing the minds of their pupils, whereas others have full-time careers on the side and others are in search for full-time careers.

In spite of working aggressively to provide a better learning environment for students, adjunct professors are met with meager compensations.

Vincent Clark, professor/chair of history and political science and Faculty Senate president, said, “They’re paid depending on the amount of time they’ve spent here and the degree they have […] so if they have a PhD rather than an MA, they’re paid a little more.”

Once an instructor has taught 11 semesters, they’re considered to have reached “top scale.” This moderately increases the pay rate, usually with the exemption of any benefits.

Irene Schmidt, adjunct professor of foreign language and secretary of Faculty Senate, said, “I don’t even qualify for KPERS, the State of Kansas Retirement System. A part-time regular staff person is KPERS eligible.”

These limitations contribute in the growing tensions between the upper administration and part-time faculty members. On the other hand, the hostile interplay between the two groups also relay in many other issues.

“I think one of the things that’s happened is during the past semester, the administration and the [Board of Trustees] said they needed to cut over $3 million out of the salary and benefits line […] nobody really knew how that was going to happen. Many people were afraid that they might lose their jobs as a result of that,” Clark said. “I think there was a lot of unhappiness and anxiety over that.”

Based on evaluations made by other colleagues, Schmidt believes the full-time faculty members play a part in spreading the negative energy at the college.

“Some adjuncts would even argue that we’re in this situation precisely because of the full-time faculty […] sometimes they feel the most ostracized by their own full-time colleagues,” said Schmidt, who’s been teaching at the college for 15 years. She adds that, if anything, the administration treats adjuncts “in a more collegial, more professional, [and] more respectful way than full-time faculty.”

Adjunct professors, however, are not planning to surrender anytime soon. Organizations such as New Faculty Majority (NFM) are gaining momentum across the nation, specifically along the east coast. On its website, NFM states that its mission is “dedicated to improving the quality of higher education by advancing professional equity and securing academic freedom for all adjunct and contingent faculty.”

A lot of their goals have been making headway across the nation. Colorado has recently proposed a bill to increase salaries and provide benefits to their adjuncts.

“There has been a huge movement nationwide to bring more attention to that […] try to get across to students, and trying to get across to parents of college students – whoever is paying for the college,” said Schmidt.  “Where is that money coming from [and] where is that money going? What’s it paying for and do we go down that path of […] it affect[ing] your perceptions of quality?”

Schmidt said whenever Campus Equity Week, a national campaign, comes around within the next couple years or so, her senate and the college’s faculty members will “all rally together so that we can put [the college] on their national website,” which ranges from colleges to universities and two-year to four-year, public and private institutions.

The lack of training given to adjunct professors may consequent in them being just as oblivious to the college as new community members on campus, which could warp the students’ perception of the quality of their instructors. Schmidt wishes to bring this to light.

“Adjuncts might be just as qualified, just as experienced, […] the quality is there, but let’s also consider that some of our adjuncts,  […]  they are all over, and so if students want to try to have an office time with the instructor, that’s going to be hard,” said Schmidt.

Andy Anderson, interim vice president for academic affairs, served as the dean of English, enabling him to gain insight on both sides of the issue.

“It’s eye-opening in a sense,” said Anderson. “I mean you see things from a much different perspective.”

Anderson stated that, in terms of authority, most discussions oversimplify complex relationships. The challenge for both the faculty and administration is to “see the relationship in almost a conversational dimension.”

Despite possessing the power to create new goals and set the direction for the college, Anderson hasn’t forgotten the hardships pertaining to a part-time faculty role. Once an adjunct himself for nine years, Anderson instructed at two community colleges at once, making the trek from here to Longview. Based on personal experience, Anderson continues to sympathize with adjunct professors, attempting to work with the system in order to see if they can get paid for mandatory training or committee work.

“[The role of the adjunct is] probably the most difficult issue facing community colleges,” said Anderson. “The role and the rights and so on of the contingent faculty is just a huge issue, and it’s one, frankly, that I’d seen very little change in the 40 years that I’ve been in education.”

It’s simply a financial reality, expressed Anderson.

“To pay full-time salary and benefits, you would have to raise the budget of the college, and that would be an increase in taxes,” he said.

 Without benefits, adjuncts will continue to struggle if they’re not provided with healthcare in some way.

Some of the upper administration is trying to work with faculty members to ensure they’re provided with some compensation for their work. When the constitution was written on the Faculty Senate, there were requests made to get some sort of compensation. Nonetheless, most expected to get a flat fee for serving on the senate.

“Andy Anderson I credit with pulling through and making good on that […] to find money to help all five of our part-time senators […] be compensated for their time served on the senate,” said Schmidt. “We’re just happy. We’re thankful that he was able to recognize that’s an important task and an important role and should be met with some compensation.”

“At this college, there are a number of ways the administration actually solicits faculty opinion, […] there’s a Faculty Senate [which] debates all sorts of issues and says whatever it wants. [Sopcich] usually comes to that, […] he supports having a Faculty Senate,” said Clark. “The current president has gone out of his way to provide opportunities to hear from faculty members.”

In fact, there are a number of similar groups at the college that welcome their opinions, and there are numerous paths a faculty member can take in order to work with the system. Clark believes in shared governance, which would allow both faculty members and the administration to receive equal power.

“The administration should exist as a way to facilitate the teaching and learning at the college,” said Clark.

With budget cuts, turnovers and influxes in tuition and taxpayer costs, it’s difficult to see a change happen in the near future for the adjuncts at the institution. If benefits were to be instated for adjuncts, programs might get cut and the financial road would only get more tumultuous, Anderson said.

“It would be desirable, I would think, if one could have all full-time faculty – if you could have all the programs you wanted […] but it costs more than the money that’s available,” said Anderson. “I don’t see it changing anytime soon and that’s a reality.”

Contact Valerie Velikaya, staff reporter, at vvelikay@jccc.edu.