ActionLine NEA

NEA members across the country who have Web access will be able to follow the historic debate on the Principles of Unity at this year's Representative Assembly via a live Internet audio hook-up.

More than 10,000 delegates will gather in New Orleans over the July 4 weekend for one of the most significant---and largest---RAs our Association has ever held.

The debate on the creation of a single, united organization of educators will take place on July 4. You can pick up the audio feed from the NEA Web page: www.nea.org.

Delegates will vote on July 5 on the Principles of Unity. A two-thirds majority is necessary for passage, with the results likely to be announced early that afternoon.

In the meanwhile, you can get the latest information on unity and take part in the debate by visiting: www.nea.org/unity.

A task force, appointed by NEA President Bob Chase, wants the Association to play more of a leading role in the higher education arena.

The task force was charged by NEA's Board of Directors with developing a set of systematic and positive responses for NEA's state and local affiliates to use to respond to attacks on public higher education.

After meetings in April and May, the task force is preparing recommendations to present to the president and Board of Directors.

Task force members say they want NEA to establish clearly that the Association is a leading organization in higher education.

The task force hopes to encourage NEA leaders to become more visible as spokespersons on the importance of higher education.

NEA should be as involved in associations and organizations that represent higher education, as it is in K-12 associations, notes task force chair Roger Knutsen.

The 1998 NEA Higher Education Critical Issues Seminar tackles the issue of the Association's role in improving teaching.

More than 50 higher ed Association leaders, members, and staff from two- and four-year colleges and universities across the nation grappled with issues ranging from peer review and distance learning to quality in part-time teaching.

Notes seminar coordinator Christine Maitland: "I'm impressed by the determination of NEA higher ed leaders to make the Association a critical part of improving teaching and learning on the campuses."

Some of the recommendations from the seminar: NEA should develop a list of "best practices" for use by local affiliates on campuses that are using peer evaluation or post-tenure review.

The group also called for a "best practices" document in the area of distance learning.

Among the seminar group's recommendations was a call for guidelines that full-time faculty associations could use to help their part-time colleagues organize and begin collective bargaining.