Faculty Contract FAQ (In Progress)
On this page, we try to provide clarification on parts of the faculty contract that have been the most difficult to interpret.
What are the expectations around teaching in CORE programs?
Does faculty hiring count as governance?
What are the rules around Good Standing?
Why are temporary faculty paid 90 percent on the faculty salary grid?
1. What are the expectations around teaching in CORE programs?
In February 2010, UFE and the deans developed a joint statement addressing the expectations in the contract about teaching students at varying points in their educational development. (Curriculum Planning & “Expectations” in the CBA). To summarize: Within a four-year time frame (2010-2014) each faculty member is expected to offer curriculum for first-year and lower-division students. The CBA shifted the responsibility to individual faculty but in developing this agreement, UFE expected collaborative curriculum processes to continue via Planning Units and other groups. The current CBA language does not specify a requirement to teach CORE (see the details in the statement). As an alternative, one could plan curriculum for two (2) year-long programs designed for lower-division students within the four-year time frame. The overall goal was to share the workload (of teaching first year and lower division students) fairly among all member of the faculty so that it does not fall more heavily on newer or contingent faculty.
2. Does faculty hiring count as governance?
This question only makes sense if you put quotes around the words “count” and “governance.” What we call “governance” at Evergreen is really part of a wider concept generally called “service” in other faculty handbooks and contracts. “Service” is a professional activity of service to the college or community, and our recognition of service (both in the handbook and CBA) has included governance assignments, committee work, and community work. Our current contract does not define service on hiring committees as “governance” but it does “count” as service. Service on hiring committees is defined in the contract as part of a regular faculty member’s professional responsibilities (see Article 6). Serving on the hiring committee has and continues to be seen as a major assignment and faculty are typically not asked to take on additional governance assignments. In contrast, service on hiring sub-committees has been seen as relatively minor and faculty may be asked to take on additional governance or committee work.
In a related question, who does the counting? The Agenda Committee generally makes committee and governance assignments in collaboration with the provost. The UFE provides oversight on implementation and weighs in on contract interpretation in relation to these issues. Faculty members also have agency in which committee or governance assignment they are willing to take, and “counts” their service participation by documenting it in their portfolios.
3. What are the rules around Good Standing?
Good standing involves meeting two major agreements in the CBA – timely evaluations of students and the list of professional responsibilities found in Article 6. The most common cause of a temporary loss of good standing is failure to submit timely evaluations at the two week deadline after each quarter ends. The UFE and deans worked on a joint statement about good standing and timely evaluations issued Dec. 7, 2010.
4. Why are temporary faculty paid 90 percent on the faculty salary grid?
Prior to the 08-11 CBA, the Faculty Handbook indicated that visitors were paid 100 percent of the salary associated with their experience year on the faculty salary grid. The Handbook also had a special section on compensation for adjuncts, indicating that adjuncts were paid at 80 percent of the salary associated with their experience year on the faculty salary grid with the following explanation: “Adjunct faculty are paid at 80% of rates because there are no required governance or research duties.” (FHB 5.150)
In 2008, negotiations and the new CBA reframed the issue. We agreed that temporary faculty have the right and responsibility to participate in college affairs, including governance, and yet have different levels of responsibility with regard to other aspects of faculty work. The central difference is regular faculty responsibility for participating in long-term curriculum planning, and faculty hiring. Additional professional responsibilities of all regular faculty are outlined in Article 6 and include participation in Planning Units, ongoing professional development, faculty review panels, faculty hiring, and maintaining a portfolio.
In reframing the issue around professional responsibilities, the agreement brought adjunct pay up to 90 percent, and visitor pay down to 90 percent, recognizing the differential in professional responsibilities for temporary faculty.
