SB 5802-S - DIGEST

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 3/15/05)

Finds that Washington's community and technical college system is among the most successful in the nation, enrolling more than sixty percent of postsecondary students and geographically dispersed across the state to offer maximum opportunity for residents to pursue basic skills, academic transfer, work force training, and personal enrichment.

Finds that part-time and adjunct faculty play a significant role in the success of the colleges, teaching nearly half of the overall instructional workload.

Recognizes that in 1996, the legislature directed the state board for community and technical colleges to conduct a best practices audit on compensation practices and working conditions for part-time faculty. The best practices task force developed a ten-year plan to improve the salaries, benefits, working conditions, and ratios of part-time to full-time faculty in the college system. Among the goals of the plan was to reach, at the end of ten years, a level of pay equity for part-time faculty. Although state investments have been made in the intervening years, the goal has not been met.

Declares that, as the ten-year anniversary of the best practices task force approaches, the legislature reaffirms its commitment to part-time faculty at community and technical colleges and to the goals of the best practices task force.

Declares it is the goal of the legislature in the 2005-07, 2007-09, and 2009-11 fiscal biennia, to provide sufficient funding within available funds to the community and technical colleges for the colleges to implement and maintain one hundred percent pro rata pay for part-time faculty. Salary schedules implemented under this act are subject to local collective bargaining.