BILL REQ. #:  H-4364.1 

Read first time 01/27/2004.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to faculty salary increments for community and technical colleges; adding new sections to chapter 28B.50 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the community and technical colleges offer quality, cost-effective instructional programs to the citizens of the state. The legislature also finds that an experienced, educated faculty, up-to-date in respective disciplines and effective teaching techniques is vital to the quality of instruction. The legislature further finds that a system of compensation for all academic employees that recognizes experience, education, and continuing professional development will foster quality teaching throughout the faculty ranks. It is the intent of the legislature that state appropriations be adjusted to an amount which, together with faculty turnover savings, provides for a fair and equitable funding of faculty salary increments for both part-time and full-time faculty.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Community and technical college boards of trustees shall award faculty salary increments based on local agreements developed under chapter 28B.52 RCW. Each biennium, the state board for community and technical colleges shall submit in its biennial budget request an amount of funds, which together with faculty turnover savings, is sufficient to cover the projected costs of increments for the community and technical college system. It is the intent of the legislature that the annual cost of salary increments under this subsection, exclusive of turnover savings, should be funded by legislative appropriation, not to exceed three percent of the faculty salary base. Upon receipt of a line item appropriation from the legislature, the state board for community and technical colleges shall distribute the funds to the college districts in a fair and equitable manner. Allocation from the state board for community and technical colleges shall recognize turnover savings.
     (2) The state board for community and technical colleges shall convene a task force comprised of representatives from the state board, the presidents' organization, the trustees' organization, the faculties' organization as defined by RCW 28B.52.020(7), as well as the Washington part-time faculty association, to advise the state board on guidelines for the fair and equitable distribution of increment funds to both part-time and full-time faculty.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The community and technical college boards of trustees shall use the collective bargaining process to develop local agreements for the awarding of part-time faculty increments using the principles in this subsection.
     (a) Part-time faculty salary increments shall be equitable and comparable to full-time salary schedules. Colleges are encouraged to allot increments in a manner so as to decrease the disparity between part-time and full-time faculty pay; in no case may part-time faculty increments contribute to an increase in the disparity between part-time and full-time salaries.
     (b) When a part-time faculty member is first hired, his or her prior teaching experience shall be counted in placing him or her at the appropriate increment step.
     (c) Experience gained by part-time faculty at other institutions of higher learning, including other community and technical colleges, shall be counted toward moving up the increment scale.
     (d) Current part-time faculty shall be placed on any new increment scale according to prior experience, and in no case shall they receive a lower salary rate than their current one.
     (e) The number of part-time incremental steps should be comparable to the number of full-time incremental steps, so as to ensure that long-term part-time faculty remain eligible for moving up the increment scale.
     (2) If local part-time faculty increment scales include a service component, then the college shall provide equal access for the part-time faculty in their efforts to attain service credits, engage in professional development, and keep up with their disciplines through continuing education. If necessary, the colleges shall develop policies to support part-time faculty in these endeavors, including the granting of professional leave.
     (3) The colleges shall have their part-time salary increment scales in place within one year of the effective date of this section, and salary increments shall be awarded to part-time faculty retroactive to the beginning of fall quarter 2003.