Greetings from the new President

By Linda Guebert

I'm happy to be serving as the new president of MPFA, the organization for all part-time faculty at Mendocino College. This promises to be an exciting year for us. We have a committed executive, lots of enthusiastic members, and, I think, a sense that things are improving for all of us. Part-timers are essential to the College - we teach 60 percent of the classes, after all - and our professionalism and dedication matches any that is demonstrated in other segments of the college population. It's time for the College to recognize us (and, yes, reward us) for the important role we play in providing education for Mendocino students. I'm hopeful that we will see some significant improvements in the near future.

In my six years at Mendocino College, I have often felt frustrated by the difficulty that part-time faculty have in communicating with each other. We seldom see each other and even more rarely have the chance to talk. Our busy schedules off-campus make it nearly impossible for us to have regular MPFA meetings. That's why I'm glad that we've made communication a major focus of this year's MPFA activities - with an expanded newsletter; a new website, e-mail access and a listserv (internet discussion group); and (my personal favorite) regular socials on the last Friday of the month where we can spend time together in a relaxed way and share our common interests. I hope that all of you will be able to attend at least one social this year.

We want you to feel that you belong, that this is your organization. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call me at 994-8456 (279-4514 after Oct. 4) or e-mail me at guebert@telis.org. Or, contact anyone else on the executive. We want to hear from you!

Email: Mendocino College Part-time Faculty
Last Update: 8/23/98