The Columbia Chronicle

‘Oops’: 14 adjuncts were overpaid by the college. Now, they have to pay it back

March 9, 2020

One unassuming day, Kayli Plotner picked up the phone when she realized a Chicago number had been trying to reach her. It was a payroll officer from Columbia who told her she was overpaid in the Fal...

Fiction lover Keturah Shaw-Poulos spread her passion for writing until the last day

March 6, 2020

Keturah Shaw-Poulos, 51, an adjunct faculty member in the English and Creative Writing Department, died in her sleep Wednesday, Feb. 12 from illness, according to her husband Tony Poulos. "She had ...

Letter to the Editor: After CFAC election, ‘it’s time to move on,’ says adjunct

December 16, 2019

I’m going to ask for a cease-fire in union wars with no more commentary on either sides’ motives or dedication to Columbia. It’s time to move on. If anyone wants to know what support and tangible...

Part One: CFAC candidates on teaching at Columbia

November 27, 2019

Editor's Note: This is part one of a three-part series introducing the part-time faculty members running for leadership positions for CFAC in the December election. Part two will address the candidates' ideas for the union, if elected; part three will address alle...

Sleeping At Last still wide awake

March 31, 2014

As the Christian-rock genre was reaching its peak in 1999, Christian rockers Sleeping At Last were just hitting their stride in Wheaton, Ill. Over the course of the next decade, the members went from emo o...

Provide equality for all who teach

March 31, 2014

P-Fac, Columbia’s part-time faculty union, settled its tense contract negotiation with the college in fall 2013. The staff union, United Staff of Columbia College, is currently bargaining for its contract, but one group of teachers is falling between the cracks: staff members who teach part-time.Staff Who Teach, an independent group of Columbia staff members who teach classes, created a petition March 11 asking P-Fac to a...

Bonus system could bridge college income gap

March 3, 2014

As college faculty unions fight for realistic living wages, national attention has shifted to the income disparity found at universities. To address the growing gap between administrative salaries and faculty wages, the faculty union at St. Mary’s College of Maryland has proposed limiting the salary of the college president to no more than 10 times that of the lowest-paid staff member.The concept of tying staff and adminis...

Hilton partnership furthers Wabash Arts Corridor

By Tyler Eagle

January 28, 2013

Columbia and Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave., have partnered to display student art on the back of the hotel.The partnership is part of the Wabash Arts Corridor project, an initiative dedicated to transforming the seven blocks worth of buildings on South Wabash Avenue, between Congress Parkway and Roosevelt Road, into a gallery of student work, according to Mark Kelly, vice president of Student Affairs.Kelly said he select...

Neo-’60s heartbreak artist

By Emily Ornberg

November 19, 2012

Kirby Kaiser’s vintage style of music transports listeners to a time of sugary pop melodies seasoned with retro, doo-wop harmonies. Her music may even be mistaken for that of ’60s girl groups like The Supremes and The Shangri-Las. Kaiser, however, is a 19-year-old Boystown resident.Inspired by heartbreak, Kaiser started writing music in high school after Fiona Apple’s songs helped her through boy troubles. She issued her...

Skatalites continue to jam

By Alex Stedman

October 22, 2012

Band breakups are all too common, but some bands stay active for decades.Since its formation in 1964, Jamaican ska band The Skatalites has released 15 studio albums and had a number of lineup changes after a few band members died.The current members—Lester Sterling, alto saxophone; Doreen Shaffer, vocals; Azemobo Audu, tenor saxophone; Andrae Murchison, trombone; Kevin Batchelor, trumpet; Val Douglas, bass guitar; Natty ...

P-Fac wrestles administration

By Senah Yeboah-Sampong

September 4, 2012

Two major developments in the ongoing battle between P-Fac, Columbia’s part-time faculty union, and the college administration were announced during summer break.The first was a July 31 National Labor Relations Board ruling that upheld P-Fac allegations of unfair labor practices against the college. The complaint concluded the college refused to bargain collectively about the effects of prioritization and new contracts fo...

Columbia survey: texting most frequent between parents, students

By Lisa Schulz

December 12, 2011

Emoticons can be used to emphasize tone while texting or they can substitute for the lack thereof. Even with a typed heart and smiley face expressing love, however, it seems college students and their parents may be growing further apart rather than closer together with each frequent tap of the “send” button.A communication survey conducted at Parent Weekend on Oct. 17 found that most parents converse with their son or...