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Most recent comment posted first
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(In response to a thank you note sent to all of the OCC Board of Trustees by the Chuck Storey) Well said. Actually you had my vote when I first heard of the problem in June. Thanks for coming forward and speaking frankly. We need more of that to make sure we are speaking for the whole college.
Sandra L. Ritter
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| I want to thank the OCC Alliance group, faculty, staff, and all the students who worked so hard to help maintain the integrity of the tutoring and SI programs at OCC. Tutors and SI Leaders take their responsibilities to both the college and the students very seriously and strive to excell by continued training, CRLA certification, and student and faculty assessment. During the last few months, many of us have felt devalued and unappreciated by the move to out-source us as temporary, thus disposable, employees. Thanks to all the support, we can now, again, take pride in our contributions and continue to offer the high quality services OCC students deserve and have come to expect. Thanks again! |
Thanks for directing me to the wonderful letter from Riley. We hear so many of these stories as tutors and so few in management and administration have the opportunity to read something so inspirational. I just hope it makes a difference. I wanted you to know that I informed almost all of our tutors at the AH PASS office about tomorrow and especially about the board meeting. Hopefully, we'll have a good turn out at both.
Thanks again for all you do |
Chuck,
Thanks for the great job you are doing on the webpage! I sent the following along to the Oakland Press, to add my 2 cents' worth. Feel free to use my comments on the webpage, if you find them helpful. The links referred to here are from your pages.
Thanks again,
--Nancy Bergum
Math tutor, HL |
Hello Chuck
We all have won and it is a great victory for the Alliance. My congratulations to both Jeff and you. Well done a presentation. |
| Thank you, Chuck for all you did on behalf of us! You are a cut-above! Marilyn |
| Chuck, I was just looking at the letter that Pubic school Employees Retirement system sent me. Under contribuitions and interst it has what was withheld from my paycheck. No where does it does it list one dime of contribution by OCC it's self. Under the other contributions line (The only other place such a thing might go) it reads $0. On my yearly SS letter it shows that OCC matches my SS withholding and medicare. Just thought that I would let you know this, on the off chance you haven't heard this. -Jackie |
I have been employed, part time, with the State of Michigan since 1988. I have worked for OCC since 1996, first as a tutor, and now 30 hours a week as a part time manager. I am only a few months short of being vested in a pension (time worked must add up to ten years' worth of full time work). Because I came in under an older system, no contributions were taken out of my check to be applied to my pension. An employee can only pull out what he or she has contributed, not what the employer has contributed. In other words, I can pull out ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! If I can manage to continue working for OCC for a few months more, I will be vested; if not, I will retire with no pension. Human Resources has provided very glib assurances regarding how everyone can "roll over" their pensions into a 401(k) and retire and continue to work. This clearly does not apply to everyone. I have contacted Human Resouces regarding my situation - I did so in March. They will make no exceptions for me or anyone else in my situation - decision that lacks not only common sense, but common decency. |
| I have a complaint to add in - Adecco has recently switched to a new payroll system which is online and DOES NOT WORK in any browser but Internet Explorer, so Mac/Linux users are supposed to just make time to get to a Microsoft computer. Absolutely ridiculous! This needs to be stopped! |
I've become aware of the situation the college is facing regarding the outsourcing of tutors and am deeply saddened by the impact this may have on the quality of education for struggling students. I have utilized both the accounting tutors and the math tutors on several occasions and it has proved to be very successful in my educational endeavors. In fact I managed to make the Dean's list by utilizing the resources provided by OCC. My concern is that with the outsourcing and pay cuts of the tutors that the good tutors will leave and no longer be available except on a cost to the student private basis, if at all. Michigan's economy is very bleak at best and expenses are rising at an almost unmanageable rate which makes private tutoring out of reach for many. Personally as an unemployed student, I am gravely concerned at the quality of help that I would receive knowing that the attitude of the tutors may be heading south due to the situation at hand. I can only hope that the "powers that be" realize the fundamental impact such a decision could make on the overall educational experience of students. OCC is known to be one of the best community colleges (if not the best) in the State of Michigan and should do everything in its power to remain the top provider of education to those who choose to attend. It is the duty of Oakland Community College to keep the quality of education and resources held at the highest level and work to improve the student's lives and our community. Sincerely, |
To Whom It may Concern,
My name is Candice and I just completed Calculus I. Before this class, the last math class I had was 2 years ago. I had forgotten a lot of my Precalculus material, and when we began Calculus I we didn't review any of it. I had a lot of catching up to do. Something that really helped me was attending the S.I. sessions with Scott in order to review the material. Scott prepared worksheets and helped us narrow down what we should review. This was very important since it was a compressed course and we didn't have much time to catch up. Scott was also very helpful during class time when he would walk around and help us with the problems that we attempted. Without him Calc would have been a lot harder than it was. It would be really sad to see people like him go. Candice A |
To whom it may concern: When I came to OCC to take summer classes, I found the focus on positive, quality instruction here to be really impressive, especially the great deal of extra help available to me. One of the best resources has been our SI, Scott, who leads tutoring sessions for our calculus class and supports our professor during class time. He is a very capable mathematician and teacher, and we are able to make more of our limited class time when he is around. I was therefore very concerned to hear that Scott and others like him were being asked to contract with Adecco and, for that reason, considering leaving OCC. This, and the fact that these SIs have concerns about how their rights, privacy, and benefits would be treated by this outside company, suggest that the proposed change would be a poor one to make. Not only would the college lose some of its most talented personnel, but the loss of employee satisfaction and security that would likely result would diminish the atmosphere of optimism and mutual respect I have come to value at this institution. Caroline B |
My name is Ashley, and I have been a student at OCC for two years. When I found out about the outsourcing of the tutors and student instructors, I was shocked and disappointed. The tutors and SI's have really helped me. I go to the SI sessions before each class and each session has made my education so much better. My mother is a parapro at the SF ASC. She finds that the tutors are very important to the needs of the students. They are very dedicated and diligent employees, "It takes a special person to tutor mainly because of the patience required to effectively teach some of those who are lacking in skills." They are not only tutors, they are also friends who really seem to be caring of ones education and success. They are an important part of the wellbeing of OCC students and the ir commitment to everyone is unbeatable. If they are to be outsourced to an agency called Adecco, which is a Swiss company, they could be isolated from the college or even reassigned a new job. Without the help from the tutors and SI's, I believe that you will be losing some of your most dedicated employees and many students will not be able to further their education because it just makes it that much harder for them. |
Over the semester i have been in to use the tutors many times and they are very helpful. I think it will be a big disadvantage to future students in any class who do not have the tutors i had. Scott was especially helpful to me throughout the semester when i would come in early to class. I do not think it is a good idea to implement this new plan for the tutors and si's. The college and students will loose many good instructors that help make this college strong. Please consider this when making your decision.
David B |
| I am a student at Oakland Community College, this past semester I had the privilege of taking my first math class in over twenty five years, although I had pervasively made an attempt the semester before to take a math class, yet due to the 4 hour, one day per week schedule, this situation was not working for me. Displeased with the circumstances I discussed it over with some of the knowledgeable math scholars at OCC math lab. I was advised to retake the class at twice a week for 2 hours per period and was given a couple of instructor’s names to choose from. I followed their advice and tried again this semester and the rest is history. Even though I could have been mired, given up and not try again, however for the experienced of OCC math tutors this was not the case. This past semester I practically lived there I used to joke with other hard working math students that we lived at OCC on the third floor, because we were there so often and long. I learned math is experience, patience and practice. Due to this experience even though my program does not require more math I am seriously thinking of taking more math classes, but only at OCC partly due to the experienced staff, of OAKLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE TUTORS!
Thank you. David C - OCC student. |
To whom it may concern, The tutoring services offered at Oakland Community College are an important asset to the success of its' students. The tutoring center has been extremely beneficial from personal experience, and I know many fellow students utilize it as well. The SI in my class, Scott, is very helpful and easy to understand. He provides help sessions before class and answers any and all questions that we have in a simple, broken-down, and patient manner. Without him in the class, I think many students would not have done as well as they did. Scott and the other some 50 tutors employed by Oakland Community College are great teachers, and their ability to help other students would only be hindered by their employment under Adecco. Thank you for your time, |
The tutoring center is a great help to students. i used the tutoring center a number of times to go over a section I did not understand, to prepare for a test or to review my mistakes on a test. I found Margaret to be extremely helpful. I visited her about once a week to review any problems I came across or to prepare for a test. The tutoring center was a great source of help. it helped me to improve my test scores and understand the material better. Without the help of the tutoring center, I do no think I would have done as well as i did in my class. It is a great resource and has flexible hours to fit my schedule. I found it to be helpful rather than not. The people who are there are friendly and willing to help you understand. They explain things over and over until they feel you understand. it is nice to know i can go there and get the help i need to feel good about a test or an assignment. The tutoring center needs to stay with the same helpers or students will not be able to succeed in their classes. Elizabeth K. |
I attended a tutoring session with Margret. I went for last minute help with things I didn't understand that would be on the final. I got a better understanding about factoring, and various graphs like the parabola and polynomial inequalities. She was helpful and she took her time to explain things even when it took a while for me to understand. She also tried to help me with logs but I really wasn't understanding much. But overall her performance was good. She was very helpful and answer all my questions. She took time to show examples and she was very patient. I hope OCC changes their mind about the tutoring situation. Jamesa L. R. |
To whom it may concern, In this dark economic time, with more jobs going to China and India than US degrees being handed out to Americans, I find it appalling that a government institution would even consider hiring a foreign company for what can and should be done here. But to hear that it is being done at the expense of those that contribute so much to the education I get here at OCC is down right disgusting. I would not have made it through MAT1730 if it werenʼt for the constant help of Scott the SI / Tutor. There have been many other classes where Iʼve needed a tremendous amounts of help from the SIʼs. Chemistry, Physics, Algebra and Trigonometry name just a few. And no, not anyone will do. We need good, quality people that know what they are doing, the very people you will chase away by, what???? Saving ten cents an hour? This leads me to believe that this educational institution cares more about the money it generates than the students it educates. That is precisely the reason I refuse to attend the University of Michigan. Whoever thought of this should be ashamed of them selves for their cold, heartless, stock broker mentality; the same mentality that is crushing the life out of our state and our country. KNOCK IT OFF!!!! - Jeffrey D. R |
June 23, 2008 To Whom It May Concern: I’ve recently attended classes at Oakland Community College. With a few of the classes I’ve taken, I’ve also taken advantage of getting help from some of OCC’s tutors. I believe that the tutors in Calculus and Physics have really been able to help me, as well as other students to learn class material more easily. They were there to help with any questions I had and they always showed to have a good grasp of the material. The reason for this letter is in regard to Adecco taking over, and becoming in charge of the OCC’s tutoring system. I feel that with this change, OCC will lose a lot of their best tutors. This is an unnecessary change…..and it’s a change that will be in the hands of a foreign company. OCC is a community college, in which funding is derived through tax dollars. I feel that if OCC desires a change in how the tutoring center must be ran, it should be a change where a company is hired locally. Being part of a community is about being local. Making this change will tarnish this local aspect about OCC. Sincerely, |
To whom it may concern: It has come to my attention that the Board of Trustees is considering outsourcing the employment of SI's to a vendor outside of the college. In my opinion this is a mistake. I have found, based on my experience of 20 years in industry, that an employee is far more invested in the organization when they are as vested in it as possible. Employees who are contracted generally do not consider themselves to be a valued asset, only a "hired hand". In the Automotive Business we have used contractors for years, but we have generally limited the practice to two areas; non-essential services and as a temporary "trial period" for new hires. I would consider non-essential services to include food services, cleaning services, etc. However, those functions that lead to a competitive advantage should remain internal. From my experience with Scott Vance, your SI's offer a significant advantage for this college and they should be treated as valued members of the Oakland Community College family. Sincerely, |
| To whom it may concern, Putting Oakland Community College's part time workforce under the ADECCO company is a huge mistake. ADECCO is a Swiss company and OCC is a community college. These two organizations do not belong together and thus will harm the student body's potential of achieving the grades they deserve.ADECCO's strict and ludicrous privacy policies and lack or retirement benefits, many of the school's top tutors will be forced to quit. Scott was the SI leader for my class and was vital to the success of my classmates and myself, he provided the class with more teacher/student contact and allowed us to seek individual help during the class period. This would not be possible for the professor to of done by their self. Scott was very knowledgeable about the concepts and provided alternate ways of looking at the more difficult problems we were presented with. Unfortunately, if ADECCO takes over he will leave OCC. This seems like a huge mistake that benefits nobody in the long run. Please reconsidder and keep the students in mind when making a decision. Thank you for your time, Justin C |
| To whom it may concern: This is my first semester at Oakland Community College, and it is a wonderful place filled with people from all different backgrounds and walks of life. The class I chose to take this semester was one that I have taken in the past, but felt that I needed more understanding of. While the class was great, and the teacher was excellent, the class was still only 7 weeks long, and moved very fast. There were some concepts that I needed to pay more attention to than others, and during the day I work, so I am unable to attend my professor's office hours. I decided to use the hour before class, however to meet with his Teacher's Assistant. The TA had a passion for the subject and knew how to explain the concepts we were learning in a more personal way, and we could ask the individual questions that we were not able to in class. He helped me through tough subject matter and as I came in more and more, my test grades kept on improving. His knowledge of the class was exceptional and he was always willing to help and spend time with you if you did not understand something right away. Without this TA, the class would've been much more difficult than it already is, and I do not think I would have done as well without him. I can only account for this specific TA, but I know that others at OCC have the same passion and understanding for their class and students that he has. It would be a tragedy to lose these people and all their talents and gifts. Please consider them as essential to the college as the students do, and take this letter into consideration when making your final decision. Thank you. Michael B |
| To Whom it may Concern,
I am writing this letter in regards to the proposed plan to use the Swiss company, Adecco, to handle wages for student teachers and other part-time employees at Oakland Community College. My experience with student teachers and tutors has been extremely positive over the past two years. I understand that if this switch is made, many of our finest employees will quit. I would like to express how much the student teachers have helped me. I have taken three math classes at OCC: trigonometry, statistics and calculus. I earned an A in trig and stats and I attribute it to the helpfulness of the tutors. They were always there whenever I needed help with a homework problem or just help with an idea in general. It was because of their high quality of knowledge that students like me were able to learn quickly and efficiently from them. The idea that these people will not be there to help other students in the future is extremely unfortunate. I attempted calculus once before this semester and had much trouble with it. This time around, I exhausted all options to understand the material. One of them was our student teacher, Scott. He was always there before classes and after to answer any questions we had regarding the material. It was his goal that every student understood the material. It is very comforting to know that there is someone willing to help. I hope that this plan is reconsidered for the sake of the OCC students. I am unaware of how much money this will save the university, but I feel the cost of losing our best student teachers is much higher and the loss will be far greater on that side of the equation. I would appreciate it if you took my concerns to heart. Thank you, |
| To Whom it may Concern,
My name is Nathan Owen and I am a Calculus I student at the Royal Oak campus of OCC. I decided to take this course in a condensed summer semester, thinking I would have plenty of time to study during the summer. However, I have had to work much more than I expected, and I’ve struggled with understanding the class material often. I have been to every SI session since the class started, and the help of Scott Vance has been invaluable to me. His skill in teaching calculus has helped me reach a grade higher than I expected going into this class, and I feel that without it my grade would be suffering. I believe the decision to try to contract people like Scott into jobs that would cost them their privacy and contributions to retirement funds would lead to a serious loss of talent in the OCC staff. I hope that, for the sake of these employees and future students, the board does not choose to let Adecco contract OCC employees. Nathan O. June 23, 2008 |
| To Whom It May Concern:
I am disappointed to hear that Oakland Community College wants to pay Adecco, a foreign company, to have our Student Instructors and Tutors work for them. With our economy hurting, it doesn’t make sense to me why we would want our tax dollars going over seas. This Swiss company does not offer the same benefits as OCC such as retirement and has an unfair privacy policy. This change would hurt our tutoring center tremendously. Our Student Instructor, Scott, has been extremely helpful and crucial to my success in my Calculus class. Scott has already announced that he will quit if the deal with Adecco goes through and I would hate to see that happen. OCC will lose numerous Student Instructors and Tutors if this deal goes through and it will really hurt the students who attend Oakland Community College the most. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, |
| To: Oakland Community College Board of Trustees
I was recently disturbed to learn that a change in human resources, in regards to the company Adecco, may cause many of OCC's valuable employees to resign. More specifically, the change is to affect the tutoring center and the student instructors. I have used these resources many times in the past and have found them to be beneficial to my education. Losing such wonderful instructors would harm the quality of education available for the students here at OCC. The supplemental instruction provided by the student instructor in or Calculus 1 class, Scott, has allowed me to better understand the material presented in class. I would please ask you to take into consideration the effect that this change will have on the students. Sincerely, |
| Dear Sir/Madam
Throughout my high school and college years, I’ve always been struggling with Mathematics. Math has constantly been a tough subject for me. Nonetheless, my interest in Math has not changed; it has always been one of my favorite subjects. For me, Calculus undoubtedly came out as the toughest subject in college so far. With a shameful score of 36% on the first exam, the teacher recommended the tutoring center and SI sessions with Scott. Upon trying it, my scores not only doubled, but my self confidence was on a new, higher level. My second exam result was 82%. The tutoring center had been a big help to me. I’ve always been going to the tutoring center and SI sessions with Scott. The new policy with ADECCO in my opinion is awful. It is not only violating our constitutional rights, but resulting in loss of imperative and accommodating people such as Scott. Tutoring center and SI sessions are the only two reasons why I am still in Calculus. I think this policy should be shredded so that the tutoring center and SI sessions can still be part of our lives, helping us achieve what we go to school for: Education. Yours truly, Rameez K. |
| To whom it may concern, Since I began attending my class in the summer semester at OCC, I noticed a dramatic change in my performance from the last time I attempted taking the class. I greatly feel this change is due to the efforts of not only my professor, but the diligent and excellent help given by the student teacher. I have attended every SI since the beginning of summer semester, and have prospered because of the instruction given. I feel that giving these jobs to the foreign company Adecco would not only hurt the people working for the college, but also hurt the learning process of the students. My student teacher showed a passion for the subject he taught and was always eager to help out with problems or questions that the students had. I dont feel that such a passion could be found by hiring a third party company that has no real connection with its students. I am just writing this to please ask you to reconsider your proposal to switch the SI and tutoring centers to this third party company. I feel that it would be a detriment to the learning process, which should be the primary focus of the college. I thank you for your time and listening. Sincerely, Remi B |
| To whom it may concern,
I think that the switch to Adecco is a poor choice to make for Oakland Community College. It has adverse effects on those who work in OCC's ranks, and thus, adversely affects the student body. My S.I. Scott was a great help to my learning at the college. The extra help that I received before class was a very good resource to have. Talented students like Scott are hard to come by. With this new change to a foreign company, many students like Scott are going to leave due to their state benefits and other inconveniences brought on by this new change. I think it is unfair to treat the individuals who work so hard to make OCC a great educational facility with such little respect, by making changes that adversely affect them simply to pinch pennies. This kind of decision is not making the student body and the faculty a priority in an educational environment, and thus, is not a good decision for OCC I sincerely hope that whoever this letter does concern reflects upon what a change like this will bring on, and makes the right decision for the school, and not just for the school's pocketbook. Ross S. |
| To whom it may concern, I am a current student at Oakland Community College taking Calculus I at the Royal Oak campus. I have been struggling with the course at the start of the semester, having failed the very first test even though I studied the material very thoroughly. After a few weeks, a friend recommended that I take advantage of the SI (Supplement Instructor) sessions that occur before the start of the class. After attending my first SI session at OCC I started understanding the material presented to me in class much better, which motivated me to go the sessions more often. Our Calculus SI (Scott) is a wonderful instructor, and the phrase "very bright" is truly an understatement for Scott. He not only went over the material covered in the class during the previous session, he also answered all of the questions, and even handed out worksheets for us students to get more practice out of the material. After hearing the news of the possible change of the employer of these SI's to a foreign third-party company, which invades the privacy of its employers, I knew that it would not go very well with the current tutors and instructors. In fact, I have been told that many of these very bright instructors will quit their jobs and go to search for better paying jobs at colleges and universities that will invest more money in them without the invasion of privacy. I was looking forward to taking Calculus II next semester, but after diminishing my hopes of having someone like Scott tutor the class I'm reconsidering my choice of attending OCC. Sincerley, Saif F |
| To whom it may concern:
After learning about Oakland Community College's plans of changing the tutoring program, I was very disappointed. In the summer of 2006, I was one of 9 students selected as an ambassador in OCC's annual Salzburg Seminar. During the time I was attending the seminar, I was taking classes and missed about 10 days worth of school. If it wasn't for the tutoring provided, I would have never been able to catch up. In my current Calculus class, one of the tutor's Scott, has been an outstanding help to all of us students. Without him, I can guarantee that my grade in the course would be at least a whole grade lower. I do not feel that it is in the best interest of the school to transfer the tutoring program to a Swiss company. I feel that by changing the way things are done, we will lose many of our best tutors. Also, our economy alone should be reason enough to keep the jobs here. What I am trying to state is that the tutoring services here at OCC are such a great aid to all students. Without tutors such as Scott, students, many of whom attend full time, would be finding themselves in a lot of trouble. I do not believe that we should change anything about the tutoring services, especially at the cost of losing some of the best tutors OCC has come to have. Thank you, |
| To whom it may concern:
This letter is in regards to the hiring of the Swiss company, ADECCO. ADECCO may have some benefits for Oakland Community College, but I am asking you to look at it from a different perspective. Some factors that are important to look at are the economy, the privacy act and the community involvement. Some of ADECCO’s rules and regulations are going against the educators of OCC privacy act. This entitles them to be able to search the tutors belongings and cars when they are on the campus premises. Not contributing to the educators’ state retirement is also another way that the tutors are being short changed. For being a community college, we all, especially the school, should be supporting our community. Out sourcing work would be supporting the wrong system. Instead of using other countries resources we should be using the ones that are right at our finger tips; the great support and education of our community members. Please take into consideration of the position of other people and their personal right when you are making the decision to work with ADECCO or not. You will be losing a lot of extraordinary tutors so remember to support your community and stick with OCC. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, |
| I found the availability of tutor assistance to be of sufficient help. Having the convenience of the campus as a meeting place makes it easier for students to get the help they need from former students of the class they are now taking. It would be a mistake to let go of individuals that are very necessary for the student body as a whole and the faculty. Faculty members often times direct students that are struggling in a class to the tutoring center in an attempt to help them get a clear understanding of the work that's given in class and it helps them to brush up on the areas of weakness that presents itself while trying to take test or do homework. The decision to let go of tutors will serve as a grave injustice to those who will attend O.C.C. in the years to come. Don't be a hindrance to the students, be a help to them. Tashima M. |
| What OCC is doing with all the part time employees and the tutor center to me is unnecessary. Bringing in a foreign company to handle the jobs of all the part time employees is making things worse. Many of the SI teachers do not approve of this and might leave because of this. To me, our SI teacher, Scott, for Calculus 1 has done an excellent job during class and before our tests in the class in preparing us. I have benefited a lot from the SI instructor and for him to leave because of something the school is doing to bring in a foreign company to handle the paychecks of all the part time employees is not right. Hopefully OCC changes its mind because these part time employees have been a big help to the school.
Thank You, |
| I got this back from the ORS. If OCC doesn't contribute to this plan, and tutors are being paid the same (except that adecco now has a 30% cut) - what possible benefit would there be to outsourcing. I did some numbers to compare 30 tutors and this 30% cut compared with having a clerk do the payroll. It came out to $6 penalty to go with adecco, and in the end, OCC employees still need to approve the adecco timecard. Q: I am employed by Oakland Community College. I notice that I have a deduction to the pension plan of 3% of my gross pay. Can you tell me if OCC is also contributing to my retirement?? A: (reply supplied from: the Office of Retirement Services) from If you are an MIP member, the employer does not contribute; you will contribute an amount based on your fiscal year earnings. That information is displayed on the contributions page of our website, found under the tab named "About Your Plan". |