Show r P W e t i j i 1 If d t ti i ol P oh d 9 ui jj Y i j i R l D Wick dl 1 pe e L Head With all the hassles with agencies we as Americans have bave to deal with it seems unfortunate that our governments as soon as they have havea a problem set up agencies to deal with them and to regulate Well an interschool agency has dealt its blow to a faculty member here at school and it is with this problem that this interview deals Rod Derrick is the department head of Cosmetology here at He genuinely enjoys teaching and has been doing so here at for eight years and would probably continue doing so except for one catch Seems Rod has been regulated An agency which calls itself the FCC that is the Faculty Credentials Committee reviews faculty members' members qualifications by a point system and makes and makes determinations determinations determinations deter deter- as to whether or not the faculty member qualifies for a move on the salary scale The problem or for Rod has not been a lack of willingness to attain their required points b but t their their lack f willingness to accept his efforts efforts efforts ef ef- ef- ef forts in the hair styling field as valid valia as it seems hes he's too competent foo-competent competent even though this is his field Anyway in the interest of accuracy with the exposure of and the facts of this this' problem Points West presents this interview with Rod Derrick for your own information and determination P PW W. W Rod what is the problem that has been going down anyway ROD The problem as I see it is here at the school w we have the option of moving along the salary scale by a system of points awarded award award- ed for work experience with a bit of academic up back-up to keep us current or to take the academic route for salary advancement In my particular area after achieving my 45 hour certificate which included included included in in- all of the basic teaching techniques Ive I've chosen to stay current current cur cur- rent in my trade and have chosen to make salary advancements by staying current and working in the trade The FCC has stated that they believe that because I have won certain competitions here in this state and other western states that I already know enough about hair and that therefore in order to get credit for work experience full credit I must go into something else that is related to ha hair such as selling supplies beauty supplies s. s I believe believe believe be be- lieve that in order to stay current with hair I l must stay in the ha hair business and continue to do hair and I will not compromise that principle and let the students down by not still doing hair to receive my credit instead by going and being a supply salesman Its It's true that I have the option of going to classes only to receive credit but I believe in my particular trade that once you have the basic teaching teaching teaching teach teach- t ing techniques and continue to take a couple of classes each year to stay current with teaching techniques to broaden your scope that ar of f hair hah that I can be my major emphasis should be in terms so prepared prepared prepared pre pre- pared in that area PW These points that are awarded by the FCC the Faculty Cre Credentials Committee are they determined by any set stand jd rd and have you had any trouble with this in the past or is this ne ness ROD The problem began two years ago when I was turn 1 i down as I submitted my work experience request and as I met wi i 1 them and took members of my profession in to the committee an and anc letters A J Continued rr Iii I page 5 ti POINTS WEST INTERVIEW cont cent from the Advisory Committee stating that I did need to stay current in my trade They at that time indicated that if I would change salons they were willing to give full credit at least every other year for work experience PW Now when you say every other year does that mean full credit every other year for forone one years year's work when in fact you would have done two ROD No this particular committee felt that I did not need the work experience every year Ah Ab it was agreed I thought at the time that it would at least be full credit every other year and that for the ye year r we were speaking of at that time they would give me 5 points but at least the full credit for the previous year It didn't work out that way as I submitted the paper work and so forth this time they did not remember any of that in fact they again told me if I would switch salons they would give me credit Even though it was on on the paper work that I already had switched salons they were not aware of it Well as I said aid I had already switched salons They were going in circles at that time The problem again came up that since I was not given credit for every other year that I would not be able to make the salary advancement this year and in calling Pat Tinnin to see what decision decision decision de de- de- de was made after I found out they weren't giving me the credit that was promised to me he said Dont get excited dont don't give up still stay here because the committee has given their word that they would give full credit for next year since there has been a problem over the last two years as you are only getting 5 points where there should have been about 34 PW Five out of thirty-four thirty ROD Five out of thirty-four thirty P. P PW W. W Did you earn the thirty thirty four four ROD In my opinion I sure did because I continued to wor work in the trade for that many hours But this we accepted because I 1 still wanted to teach here I bent and said alright but I dont don't believe them anymore I want it in writing that they'll give me full credit for next year which would be another 17 points for this coming year They around and did not get me the paperwork for another month when it finally came back to me instead of 17 points they had arbitrarily decided that all they would give me was 10 points that all I needed to stay current in my trade was hours rather than the amount that the document calls for so they cut it down from 17 to 10 with the option that I could either go and be a supply salesman or take classes rather than staying current in my myown myown myown own trade Since I dont don't believe in dropping the concept of staying current in my trade and therefore in my opinion be a better teacher Iwas Iwas I Iwas was faced with a decision The second thing ing we need to be aware of is that my supervisor Mrs Larson came to me and again said In behalf of the students so that you can stay here and work with them them- would you be willing to toJ J let t me propose counter-propose something to the FCC well we'll we ll cut the ho hoback hours back instead of being the 17 or full 1040 hours cut it cut it back just to just hours of work experience and bend with them and have you take another class in order to meet your goals of staying current I said What the heck well we'll go one more shot It was logically presented that I had had more credits in classes than in work experience more credits in trade shows and so forth but again they were not even willing to work with it at all They again turned that down PW FLAT ROD Yes just a flat out No with no other hope and so with that Im I'm left with no choice PW Now for the purpose of staying current in your trade how tough is is' it Do you need to stay that current ROD Yes In the cosmetology trade there are several sources that release trends For example the national hairdressers and cosmetologists cosmetologist's cosmetologistS cosmetologists gist's association releases a new trend every six months every January January January Jan Jan- uary and every July a complete new trend with haircut perm and styling Along with that the Fasion industry also brings out fads that we must stay upon like the that jumped in because because because be be- cause of the Olympics or Farrah Fawcett's that jumped in simply because because because be be- cause the world fell in love with her All of these are things that come up new up-new new each year that one should stay up on If I were to stay out of hair even as they suggested for only one year and then catch it the next year I would be completely behind because of that one year As I indicated at another time and I hope this is not misunderstood I do believe that a person could stay current in their trade without working working working work work- ing in the field by entering National contests because of all the hours of preparation that go into that and by doing national hair shows To Tobe Tobe Tobe be of the caliber to even participate in these things you must put in inmany inmany inmany many many hours of preparation The committee of course does not have an avenue for credit in those areas and even though I do all those I only submitted for credit along the work experience line which the document does state is not repeat work experience if youre you're in a trade that you must stay current or up to date in It also states that if your supervisor recognizes you need that experience that they go ahead and grant it I believe these men the FCC committee are well intentioned men but primarily those that are governing it are of an academic background they do not appreciate that in any trade you must STAY current PW It seems logical to assume that these meets and these awards that are possible to attain in this field mean something to the industry of cosmetology as they are held wide country-wide and ROC and locally PW Youve You've entered these ROD Yes P. P PW W. W How much of your own personal assets and time have you given to these that they wont won't take into account and seem to ignore ROD As AsIe w we Ie a began the program and took over the cosmetology department department department de de- de- de I had six students two of which graduated the first two weeks so we were left with four students to try and build a program I decided in my own mind that in order to do this I would have to get out and make something of myself in terms of the public image In order to then along with that image be representing and the state o of Utah in competition to build our total image I dont don't like to use that word so so much What I mean is the view of the public towards tow towards to to- w wards our school so they would realize we could offer quality training And so within the last eight years since I began here I began entering competition and I figured it out the other night out t of personal personal personal per per- curiosity that weve we've won over two twenty-two awards and national Weve We've won Idaho championships and championships in Wyoming Utah Cosmetologist of the Year t and Mens Men's Hairstyling Champion for last year These are a few of them and the total outlay of my own money has been a little over four thousand dollars so I have invested in entry fees hotel rooms and for models to go to these different contests I have no bad feelings about that whatsoever I just feel that it is sad that we come to a final point where Ive I've done d oe all ll this to prepare myself and cosmetology department and Im I'm given the answer that if I r I did not know as much about hair as I do that they would award me full credit but since I know as much as I Ido Ido Io do o th they y say no way to full credit PW In other words you being this competent in this field is working against you At least that would seem to be the truth of it ROD Yes it seems so as I understand it they indicated to me that if I did not know as much as I do about hair they would grant me full credit s so I could learn that but since Ive I've already accomplished that they feel that I would be repeating my work experience They just dont don't recognize the fact that styles change so rapidly PW So they then assume that there is a point you can reach wh where re you could learn no more about hair ROD Yes I dont don't really know what they think P. P PW W. W And there is no need for change VT ROD Correct PW That's their view basically ROD As I understand it that's the message the they have been conveying to me PW These titles and recognitions that you have brought to cosmetology department which has ob obviously us y grown wn has been largely due to efforts on your part above the call of the instructor instructor tor even to the point of the expenditure of your personal finances Is Is' there any sort of reimbursement for this ROD I did not receive any personal financial reimbursement nor did I want any and the same feeling in terms of time I just did it inthe in inthe inthe the evenings and nd on weekends as I traveled to different states tates and participated in the contests PW It seems at least here that at least some of th the decisions ns of the faculty credentials committee are rather arbitrary in nature They seem to make up their minds on any given subject to the point of not looking totally consistent and definitely not flexible ROD The thing that makes me feel bad is that I have brought in letters from our advisory committee from people in the field fiel and as I indicated earlier our supervisor who to some degree does understand understand under under- stand our area and recognizes that I need to stay curr current nt We submitted submitted submitted sub sub- all of this and they have the time to check with someone from the field to see if these things are relevant and valid They have made a decision on their own based on their own background having nothing to do with what is happening in n this particular trade One of the members of the committee one of the times I was making an appeal looked right at me and said My wife has her hair done each week and I can see that there is not that much involved in staying current I just jus dont don't believe he is aware enough along the lines of cosmetology to make that decision PW Really that's not unlike telling an electronics that there really isn't that much to it when the TV man only took f fifteen teen minutes I l mean youve you've seen one TV youve you've seen them all I Ha yea tell em that Laughs So this whole problem was brought to our attention by the petition that some obviously concerned students have been passing around Alot A Alot Alot lot of signatures are on that document therefore indicating a sizeable sizeable sizeable size size- able lobbying effort in your behalf This pressure and or presence presence of such a strong definite opinion seems to have had no effect Why ROD I really appreciate this effort and the fact that the students care to me that means a great deal But I 1 have to stay by what I believe is right I think its it's super that they have made an effort an all out effort in my behalf They met with the committee and the committee indicated that they thought they had done a good job but that it really would make no no d difference ference PW The committee was polite to them and all that but there was no way they would bend or even reconsider points ROD Right and the problem is that there is no appeal other than to this committee Ah Ab even to the president P. P PW W. W The president here ROD Yes as I understand it he will not intercede over the authority authority authority auth auth- that has been granted this committee Therefore I have no appeal that I am aware of at this time PW I understood you to say will not Can he Does he have havethe havethe havethe the power to intercede or overturn ROD That I dont don't know P. P PW W. W So at this point there is nothing even a group of f students can cando cando cando do I ask that because this paper takes the stand that the student is the employer of everybody and anybody that is on this campus Be Bethey Bethey Bethey they janitors grounds crew faculty or the administration ulti ultimately the student is the employer ah even to the point that after the student pays tuition books and supplies he then returns to thereal the thereal thereal real world and pays the taxes that support this institution |