BILL NUMBER: ACR 31	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Ruskin

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2009

   Relative to the California Community Colleges.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 31, as introduced, Ruskin. California Community Colleges:
faculty.
   This measure would express the intent of the Legislature that the
California Community Colleges increase the number of full-time
tenured and tenure-track faculty and increase salaries and specified
benefits for part-time and nontenure-track faculty.
   Fiscal committee: yes.



   WHEREAS, An increasing percentage of the courses offered in public
colleges and universities in California are being taught by
part-time and other nontenure-track faculty; and
   WHEREAS, The system of higher education within the California
Community Colleges has become dependent upon a contingent workforce
that is poorly compensated and too often lacks basic supports,
including health insurance; and
   WHEREAS, These twin developments, the economic exploitation of
part-time and other contingent faculty and the shrinking of the ranks
of full-time tenured faculty, limit the ability of the state's
public higher education system to provide high-quality education,
research, and support for economic development; and
   WHEREAS, Providing sufficient numbers of faculty with full-time
tenured and tenure-track employment and improving the conditions
under which part-time and other nontenure-track faculty work will
result in better service for students, communities, and the economy;
and
   WHEREAS, Fair tax policies are the financial foundation of a
modern society; and
   WHEREAS, Property taxes are the most reliable revenue source for
public services; and
   WHEREAS, Proposition 13, an initiative measure approved by voters
at the June 6, 1978, direct primary election, moved education
decisionmaking to the state level and created difficulties in funding
education; and
   WHEREAS, Federal tax breaks have caused cuts in federal support
for higher education programs; and
   WHEREAS, Funds have been provided through the annual Budget Act to
assist community college districts; and
   WHEREAS, Many community college districts have made substantial
progress in increasing the number of full-time tenured faculty, but
too many districts have not; and
   WHEREAS, The principle of equal pay for equal work requires that
part-time faculty be provided with compensation that is directly
proportional to the compensation of full-time faculty; now,
therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That it is the intent of the Legislature that at
least 75 percent of the full-time equivalent faculty on each campus
of the California Community Colleges be tenured or tenure-track; and
be it further
   Resolved, That it is further the intent of the Legislature that
all part-time and temporary faculty receive pay and benefits that are
equal to those of tenured and tenure-track faculty of comparable
qualifications doing comparable work, as determined on a pro rata
basis; and be it further
   Resolved, That each community college district should determine
the number of undergraduate courses that will be taught by part-time,
temporary, nontenured, tenure-track, and tenured faculty; and be it
further
   Resolved, That the longstanding policy of the Board of Governors
of the California Community Colleges that at least 75 percent of the
hours of credit instruction in the colleges be taught by full-time
instructors should be advanced; and be it further
   Resolved, That commencing in the fall term of the 2010-11 academic
year, and continuing each academic term thereafter, each campus of a
community college district with less than 75 percent of its
full-time equivalent faculty being tenured and tenure-track faculty,
should increase the percentage of full-time tenured and tenure-track
faculty so that the 75 percent minimum is accomplished no later than
the fall term of the 2017-18 academic year; and be it further
   Resolved, That commencing with the fall term of the 2010-11
academic year, each campus of a community college district should
reduce the gap between 75 percent and the current percentage of
full-time equivalent faculty who are tenured or tenure-track by at
least 10 percent each academic year; and be it further
   Resolved, That each community college district should develop and
adopt plans to meet the requirements related to increasing the
percentage of full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty; and be it
further
   Resolved, That the development and adoption of plans related to
increasing the percentage of full-time tenured and tenure-track
faculty should be subject to a collective bargaining process that
includes the exclusive representatives of the full-time and part-time
faculty serving at that institution; and be it further
   Resolved, That each community college district should determine a
minimum salary goal for part-time and temporary faculty employed on
each campus that is prorated to the salaries of full-time tenured
faculty who have comparable qualifications and do comparable work;
and be it further
   Resolved, That commencing with the fall term of the 2010-11
academic year, each community college district should increase
part-time and nontenure-track faculty salary by an amount sufficient
to close any gap between the pro rata salaries of part-time faculty
and full-time faculty no later than the fall term of the 2017-18
academic year; and be it further
   Resolved, That the determination of the method of prorating
salaries should be subject to a collective bargaining process that
includes the exclusive representatives of faculty serving at that
institution; and be it further
   Resolved, That a community college district should reduce the gap
between the salaries of part-time and temporary faculty and full-time
tenured and tenure-track faculty by at least 15 percent each
academic year; and be it further
   Resolved, That if, during a calendar year, a part-time or other
nontenure-track faculty member of a community college district
teaches at least 40 percent of the number of hours per week that is
considered to be a full-time assignment for tenured and tenure-track
faculty, that part-time faculty member should be eligible for the
same health care benefits that are received by tenured and
tenure-track faculty at that campus; and be it further
   Resolved, That each community college district should establish a
process under which part-time and other nontenure-track faculty may,
after successful completion of a probationary period, receive timely
notice of, and priority consideration for, appropriate teaching
assignments in future academic terms and preferential consideration
for attaining a tenure-track position when one becomes available; and
be it further
   Resolved, That the process should ensure that part-time and other
nontenure-track faculty receive the accumulation of seniority,
notification about job openings at that institution prior to the
publication of announcements of those openings outside of that
institution, and preferential consideration for appointments to
tenure-track positions; and be it further
   Resolved, That the implementation of these requirements should be
subject to a collective bargaining process that includes the
exclusive representatives of the full-time and part-time faculty
serving at that institution; and be it further
   Resolved, That each community college district should make
progress toward the goals described in this measure; and be it
further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the governing board of each district of the
California Community Colleges and to the author for distribution.