Burke indicated this decision flies in the face of “shared governance.” My question is: If faculty voted to decrease their workload by 25 percent, i.e., teach three classes rather than four, did they also vote to decrease their pay by 25 percent? Also, doesn’t this four-credit system decrease the number of classes departments can offer? Fewer class offerings could be a hindrance to students at registration time. What about transfers? Do colleges that operate on a three-credit model give transfer students four credits when they transfer and enroll?

Further, since most colleges I have ever had contact with – and I realize that is only anecdotal data – operate on a three-credit model, are there accreditation issues for FLC? Burke throws out several statistics. I would like to see him publish the survey questions, answers and raw data, so we in the community can make our own assessment based on that data. As a community member, taxpayer, retired high school teacher and parent, I would like to ask Burke to educate me on the issues raised above. I believe the community deserves much more information on the three-credit/four-credit issue.

Joe Erickson

Durango