Finding a Renewed Commitment Through CFA’s Leadership Academy

“I felt reinvigorated by CFA’s Leadership Academy,” said Dr. Nicole Arkadie, CFA San Bernardino member and Associate professor in the School of Social Work. “Although I’ve always been an advocate, I went through a lot these last two years that dimmed my light. All I was trying to do was survive. This experience motivated me to move forward and inspired me to continue to make a difference for other people.” 

Dr. Arkadie was one of dozens of attendees at the CFA’s second Leadership Academy, held in Pomona. Union leaders and staff provided leadership training to other members and staff. Together, participants learned more about the union’s structure and history, developed important organizing skills, and brainstormed around how to grow collectively to fight for change. 

Because of transitions happening in her department, Dr. Arkadie chose to get more involved in CFA. 

“We had a lot of colleagues retire, and we now have a lot more junior faculty than senior faculty,” Dr. Arkadie said. “I wanted to learn more about our rights so I can advocate for others.” 

When attending a CFA welcome meeting on her campus, Dr. Arkadie was invited to attend the Leadership Academy.  

“I learned a lot, but one thing I found interesting was the history of the CFA and the history of the CSUs,” she said. “I had no idea that the CSUs used to be free, and that costs only started to go up when the demographics of the students began to change.” She also learned more deeply about what CFA members were fighting for and what the chancellor and CSU management were trying to take away from our contract. 

The Leadership Academy also gifted her a deeper appreciation for the CFA Community Agreements. “Social justice is one of our core values and part of the code of ethics in social work, and I didn’t know that the agreements were viewed through a social justice lens,” Dr. Arkadie said. “It’s taking a stance on behalf of marginalized populations, and that definitely goes hand in hand with our work as social workers.” 

Although she only knew one other person from her campus that attended, she left with plenty of new connections to other faculty members and staff. “I met so many kind people and I had so much fun. Some of the other participants also let me know about CFA’s Black Caucus,” Dr. Arkadie said. 

Dr. Arkadie sees a natural connection between her work as a social worker and her role as an activist. “We’re teaching students how to be those change agents to transform lives and communities through policy activism and so much more,” she said. “We need to make sure we’re engaged in order to impart this to our students.” 

When asked if others should participate, Dr. Arkadie responded with an emphatic yes! 

“Just do it, like Nike’s slogan says,” she laughed. “You just have to get involved. You can’t complain about anything if you’re not part of the solution. There is both safety and strength in numbers, and we’re fighting for all of our rights. The more members we have, the stronger we become, and the greater the opportunity we have for CSU management to have to honor our demands.”