COCAL VI Brochure

What is COCAL ?

The Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor is a floating conference and a network of North American activists working to improve higher education through the collective achievement of job security, livable wages, academic freedom, and time and resources for academic research and professional development for contingent academic laborers. COCAL promotes grassroots contingent faculty organizing through events like Campus Equity Week but is not affiliated with any single labor union. To achieve its aims, COCAL dedicates itself to alerting the broader community about the trends to undermine the tenets of higher education by staging media events, improving legislation governing funding and so-called accountability efforts, and identifying colleagues at institutions and assisting them in forming collective bargaining units and winning strong contracts. Because COCAL’s world view recognizes that the fight for contingent faculty parallels the struggles of other contingent workers, many members also participate in NAFFE (The North American Alliance for Fair Employment), a broader network concerned about the growth of contingent work in general. In addition, many members of COCAL organize around issues such as war, health care, free trade, and human rights. COCAL sees the strength and freedom of faculty as a key to maintaining accessible, quality higher education and, ultimately, free inquiry for a democratic society.

Past COCAL conferences:  Montreal, San Jose, Boston, New York, Washington D.C.

Program Highlights

Like past COCAL conferences, Chicago’s gathering will include plenary speakers and  workshops addressing issues relevant to contingent faculty in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. including:

·         Local & national updates

·         Organizing how-to’s

·         Strategy & long-term vision discussions

·         A presentation by non-faculty contingent workers

Social events will include a reception in a favorite world music club & art gallery and some meals on your own in nearby restaurants.

On Friday afternoon, conference participants will join local activists in a march to a number of nearby campuses to publicly issue progressive “report cards” on working conditions.

To view the draft program schedule, please visit www.chicagococal.org.

What’s New This Year

Mentor Match-up

Seasoned activists and union staffers who volunteer to participate will be matched with emerging leaders. Mentors will serve as “conference buddies” during COCAL VI, offering to introduce friends, answer questions, and provide an informal orientation to the conference.

Caucuses

Besides caucuses based on national union and common geographical location, COCAL VI introduces a new set of caucuses (people of color, women, queer, perhaps others).

Registering ahead is not required for caucus participation. However, because caucuses are a new feature of COCAL, we are interested in assessing the level of interest in order to provide proper room or restaurant accommodations. Note that the listed groups expressed interest in forming a caucus during the last conference. However, other caucuses, such as teaching disciplines, may form if there is interest by even a small number of registrants. Please indicate if you are looking for another caucus group that is not listed.

Pre- and Post-Conference Activities

Chicago is a great place to vacation in the summer. We hope that the low rates we negotiated for hotel rooms will motivate some participants to bring their families. Tours of neighborhood murals on Thursday afternoon and Haymarket labor history sites on Monday morning will be available. Please reserve seats at registration.

On Sunday night after the conference, Chicago’s famous Second City improvisational comedy troupe will perform in a private show for conference participants and their guests. Please reserve seats at registration.

For more information on Chicago tourist attractions, see www.metromix.com.

Registration Form

(Registration and payment are also available through the website: www.chicagococal.org.)

_____________________________________

Name

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address

_____________________________________

Phone number(s)

_____________________________________

Email address(es)

Affiliations

__________________________________________________________________________

Institution(s)

__________________________________________________________________________

Union(s)

__________________________________________________________________________

Professional association(s)

Languages

Preferred language(s): ___________________

I can understand presentations in: __________

_____________________________________

Translation will be provided based on need.

Check all that apply:

I teach at a . . .

__ Community college

__ Public College/University

__ Private college/university

__ For-profit school

__ Other organization: ___________________

I consider myself to be . .  .

__ A union member

__ A contingent instructor

__ A potential “conference buddy” (see Mentor Match-up in this brochure)

__ A new activist

__ An elected or appointed union leader

__ A paid union staff member

__ A graduate employee

__ A full-time non-tenure-track instructor

__ A labor educator

__ A researcher on contingent labor or higher education

Caucuses

Please indicate if you would be interested in participating one or more of the following caucuses. Members of these groups and allies are welcome.

__ People of color

__ Women

__ Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender

__ Other: __________________________

Other Accommodations

Please list any special diet or accessibility concerns. Also, if you would like to take advantage of childcare, please list the ages of your children. We will do our best to accommodate you. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

Diet: _________________________________

Accessibility: ___________________________

Childcare: _____________________________

Prickett/Wakefield Award

Optional: Nominate an activist for the award. _____________________________________

Registration Fee

Includes some meals

1.       Early registration--extended (postmarked or submitted online by Apr. 9): 

$100 (U.S.)

2.       Late registration (after Apr. 9):

$150

                        Subtotal: _______

Optional Events

3.       Saturday night dinner/open bar

$30/person                  Subtotal: _______

4.       Thurs. afternoon neighborhood mural tour

$20/person                    Subtotal: _______

5.       Mon. morning Haymarket labor history tour

$20/person                  Subtotal: _______

6.       Second City improvisational comedy event

$15/person  w/ registration

$20/person at the door (Sunday night)

                                        Subtotal: _______

7.       Contribution to scholarship fund for participants without institutional funding. Circle one:                                 $10   $25   $50

TOTAL ENCLOSED:                           $ _______

                -or-

TOTAL SUBMITTED VIA WEB:          $ _______

Fees may be paid by check submitted through the mail or credit card paid through our Web site. Make checks payable to Chicago COCAL.

Please complete and mail to:

Jocelyn Graf

COCAL VI Conference Coordinator

Roosevelt University; Box 187

430 S. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL  60605

Copyright © 2003-2008 COCAL-CA
Last modified: 08/19/2008