Volume 45, Number 1 - November/December 2009
Project culminates three years of work
Following three years of research, two reunions of former presidents and staff, and a compilation of more than two hours of video interviews, it's a wrap for the CCA History Makers project.
Compiled by former CCA President Carolyn Inmon at the request of the board of directors, "History Makers: The Story of CCA told by CCA Leaders, Volume 1," is a 65-page softbound book that provides oral histories from more than a dozen past presidents.
Former leaders found
Realizing the importance of chronicling CCA's history, Inmon began a search of former leaders through the internet and e-mail, after serving on a history panel at the CCA Academy for Building Strong Locals in the winter of 2006.
"I was e-mailing people in Minnesota, Idaho, Florida – all over the place. After awhile, I thought I'd be arrested for cyber-stalking," Inmon said. Yet, over the three years, Inmon gathered responses from 14 former presidents and almost 19 past and current staff.
In addition to finding former presidents that dated back to 1972, Inmon also read 50 years of CCA board minutes to trace the history from when faculty chapters functioned more as "teacher clubs" to when they gained the right to collectively bargain their contracts.
CCA milestones
Ten of the former presidents and several staff members showed up for reunions at two CCA conferences where they talked about highlights of their years on camera. The history provides a chronicle of CCA milestones that included the Rodda Act instituting collective bargaining; the impact of the anti-tax measure Proposition 13 on education funding; the passage of AB 1725 that implemented Shared Governance as well as Proposition 98, California's minimum funding guarantee to education; and the growing voice of part-time faculty.
The History Makers book will be mailed to CCA chapter presidents. It will also be available on CD and soon on the CCA website .
