The Board of Trustees has officially reversed their decision and granted Catherine the tenure she earned. This outcome reflects the persistence of a community that refused to overlook an injustice. I am deeply grateful for the time and energy you contributed to righting this wrong.
August 13, 2018
Final supporters
Dear Pasadena City College Board of Trustees,
On March 9, 2018 you made a decision to do something that hasn’t happened on the PCC campus in over 2 decades – to deny tenure to Catherine Datko, one of, if not the first full-time faculty instructional designers in the California Community College system.
This petition is a call upon you to reconsider your vote and grant Catherine tenure. Catherine is an extremely accomplished faculty member who has contributed greatly to the PCC and California community college system. Her tenure denial is not only unjust, but it is illegal.
Catherine has worked full-time at PCC since 2012. Here are a few facts about her time at PCC:
- Catherine has presented at numerous conferences; helped other campuses with their transitions to the Canvas Learning Management system; and earned the President’s 10+1 Award from the Pasadena City College Academic Senate for Distance Education Program Development as well as the CATESOL Ron Lee Technology Award for her proposal to use technology in the development of an online Open Educational Resource. She was recently profiled in the PCC Courier for her work.
- As an instructional designer at PCC, she worked with faculty to create the successful online model course program and training. This training was noted in one of the few commendations by the district’s accrediting board, the ACCJC.
- As an interim Associate Dean, Catherine’s training courses and support materials earned the district the Quality Matters program certification for Online Teaching Support – the gold standard in the field of distance education. While an interim Associate Dean, Catherine also obtained a 70k equity grant for an online student success initiative.
For the past three years, however, the District has conducted her faculty evaluations in violation of the PCCFA contract and the California Education Code. Catherine, her peers and the PCCFA have all submitted ample documentation to the district detailing this. Her peer and student reviews are stellar and have been consistently and blatantly ignored in the process of her evaluation.
Finally, in 2015, the Board had voted on Catherine entering her third year contract, yet, without notice to Catherine, in 2016 they once again voted for her to enter her third year contract, essentially sweeping the 2015-2016 year from her time on tenure. Catherine was also transferred to work in the ESL Department without an official vote from the Board.
We call upon the Board to rectify this situation by granting Catherine tenure, restoring her time on service and ensuring that she is working in similar position for which she was originally hired.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
June 27, 2018
77 Comments
Your Distance Education course (Course Design 101 and 102) was transformational; I would not be the instructor I'm today if it wouldn't have been for your exemplary teaching and support. Thank you Katie.
Katie Datko is the best professor I have ever met in my life! She taught me a lot of English skills in ESL and she is so patient when I ask her questions!!! Honestly, she really focused on what students need and help them accordingly!!!!
Katie has been an exceptional colleague, trainer, and workshop leader and has been instrumental in the success of our DE program. She is exceptionally qualified and I urge you if not to revote to give her tenure, at least to reinstate her and re-do her evaluation in a transparent manner.
Katie was invaluable when I needed to improve my courses in Canvas. Not only is she a wiz in Canvas but she understands best practices. Now we don't have anyone in that role. I just don't see how PCC can not give her tenure. She is collegial and really smart.
I began working with Catherine Datko at the University of Southern California in 2004. Katie is hard-working, knowledgable, creative, and a true teacher. To deny her tenure amounts to nothing but dirty politics. Such politics are no longer acceptable in academia.
Do the ethical right thing!
I first met Katie in March 2014 when I started teaching online at Pasadena City College. Since I have known her, her dedication, skill set, professionalism, and collegiality have been exemplary. I wholeheartedly add my voice in asking for her tenure decision to be reconsidered by the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees.
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The Board of Trustees has officially reversed their decision and granted Catherine the tenure she earned. This outcome reflects the persistence of a community that refused to overlook an injustice. I am deeply grateful for the time and energy you contributed to righting this wrong.
August 13, 2018
Final supporters
Dear Pasadena City College Board of Trustees,
On March 9, 2018 you made a decision to do something that hasn’t happened on the PCC campus in over 2 decades – to deny tenure to Catherine Datko, one of, if not the first full-time faculty instructional designers in the California Community College system.
This petition is a call upon you to reconsider your vote and grant Catherine tenure. Catherine is an extremely accomplished faculty member who has contributed greatly to the PCC and California community college system. Her tenure denial is not only unjust, but it is illegal.
Catherine has worked full-time at PCC since 2012. Here are a few facts about her time at PCC:
- Catherine has presented at numerous conferences; helped other campuses with their transitions to the Canvas Learning Management system; and earned the President’s 10+1 Award from the Pasadena City College Academic Senate for Distance Education Program Development as well as the CATESOL Ron Lee Technology Award for her proposal to use technology in the development of an online Open Educational Resource. She was recently profiled in the PCC Courier for her work.
- As an instructional designer at PCC, she worked with faculty to create the successful online model course program and training. This training was noted in one of the few commendations by the district’s accrediting board, the ACCJC.
- As an interim Associate Dean, Catherine’s training courses and support materials earned the district the Quality Matters program certification for Online Teaching Support – the gold standard in the field of distance education. While an interim Associate Dean, Catherine also obtained a 70k equity grant for an online student success initiative.
For the past three years, however, the District has conducted her faculty evaluations in violation of the PCCFA contract and the California Education Code. Catherine, her peers and the PCCFA have all submitted ample documentation to the district detailing this. Her peer and student reviews are stellar and have been consistently and blatantly ignored in the process of her evaluation.
Finally, in 2015, the Board had voted on Catherine entering her third year contract, yet, without notice to Catherine, in 2016 they once again voted for her to enter her third year contract, essentially sweeping the 2015-2016 year from her time on tenure. Catherine was also transferred to work in the ESL Department without an official vote from the Board.
We call upon the Board to rectify this situation by granting Catherine tenure, restoring her time on service and ensuring that she is working in similar position for which she was originally hired.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
June 27, 2018
77 Comments
Katie has been the one responsible for much (or most) of the success of our distance education program. She is a delight to work with, informed, cheerful, and always helpful. I don’t know of anyone who has been as much deserving of tenure. Ken Cheney Professor of Physics
Your Distance Education course (Course Design 101 and 102) was transformational; I would not be the instructor I'm today if it wouldn't have been for your exemplary teaching and support. Thank you Katie.
Katie Datko is the best professor I have ever met in my life! She taught me a lot of English skills in ESL and she is so patient when I ask her questions!!! Honestly, she really focused on what students need and help them accordingly!!!!
Katie has been an exceptional colleague, trainer, and workshop leader and has been instrumental in the success of our DE program. She is exceptionally qualified and I urge you if not to revote to give her tenure, at least to reinstate her and re-do her evaluation in a transparent manner.
Katie was invaluable when I needed to improve my courses in Canvas. Not only is she a wiz in Canvas but she understands best practices. Now we don't have anyone in that role. I just don't see how PCC can not give her tenure. She is collegial and really smart.
I began working with Catherine Datko at the University of Southern California in 2004. Katie is hard-working, knowledgable, creative, and a true teacher. To deny her tenure amounts to nothing but dirty politics. Such politics are no longer acceptable in academia.
Do the ethical right thing!
I first met Katie in March 2014 when I started teaching online at Pasadena City College. Since I have known her, her dedication, skill set, professionalism, and collegiality have been exemplary. I wholeheartedly add my voice in asking for her tenure decision to be reconsidered by the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees.
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Katie has been the one responsible for much (or most) of the success of our distance education program. She is a delight to work with, informed, cheerful, and always helpful. I don’t know of anyone who has been as much deserving of tenure. Ken Cheney Professor of Physics