Welcome Back

As you heard from President Deegan in his email sent around on Friday afternoon, most of the college was going to re-open tomorrow. The final decision came earlier this afternoon confirming that starting tomorrow (10/29), all Palomar sites will resume operations except Ramona, which will re-open on Tuesday, and Fallbrook, which will re-open on Wednesday.

This has been a very difficult week for everyone in our district, and our department is no exception. Starley Dullien, who teaches in the night General ESL Program in San Marcos, lost her Ramona home to the devastating fires. Many of you had to evacuate. Many more have spent this weekend cleaning up the ash and soot.

The extent to which our ESL students were affected by the fires will become known once classes resume. Please keep in mind that Counseling Services, Health Services, and the Office of Student Affairs all have plans to provide for the needs of impacted students. As we go back to a heavy workload, Vice President of Instruction Berta Curon wants us to be flexible and sensitive and "create an environment that will be crucial to assisting and supporting all students through the end of the semester, but particularly those who have been displaced from their homes and have experienced loss."

As with any natural disaster, the wildfires this week truly brought out the best in all of us. I was heartened by the caring ways that each of you displayed during this emergency. Via emails and phone calls, colleagues inquired about each other's situations, provided updates, and offered help. Some, like Kevin Staff, who teaches in the night General ESL Program in San Marcos, even volunteered at various community centers for evacuated families and their children. Some kept their instruction going by receiving student papers and giving assignments through email and the Blackboard online course site.

Students cared about their ESL teachers, too. Many emailed their teachers to ask how they were doing. Joyce Rogers, who teaches in Fallbrook, accepted an offer from a former Vietnamese student to stay with her after the Great Fallbrook Evacuation. And Joyce had her like 10 years ago!

The union leadership on Tuesday and the college administration on Friday both responded positively to a legitimate concern of many adjunct colleagues: a possible loss of wages and salary. According to President Deegan's email this Friday, "We want to assure you that all District employees will be compensated for their assigned work schedule during the time in which the college and/or education center/sites is closed."

So, it is in this caring and supportive community spirit that I gladly welcome you back to work, albeit starting on various days depending on your work site. But remember that special arrangements will be made for leaves needed to recover from the fires. If you need such assistance, please let your coordinator or supervisor know. I am also available via email or at ext. 2273.