HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1168

As Reported by House Committee On:

Higher Education

Title: An act relating to supporting student success at community and technical colleges by increasing full-time faculty.

Brief Description: Supporting student success at community and technical colleges by increasing full-time faculty.

Sponsors: Representatives Gregerson, Haler, Pollet, Appleton, Stanford, Orwall, Sells, Tarleton, Chapman, Goodman, Fitzgibbon, Peterson, Lytton, Doglio, Frame, Farrell, Riccelli, Lovick, Pettigrew, Sawyer, Springer, Ortiz-Self, Bergquist, Ormsby, Fey, Hudgins, Santos and Macri.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Higher Education: 1/24/17, 2/14/17 [DPS].

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 4 members: Representatives Hansen, Chair; Pollet, Vice Chair; Sells and Tarleton.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 3 members: Representatives Holy, Ranking Minority Member; Van Werven, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Stambaugh.

Staff: Trudes Tango (786-7384).

Background:

According to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (State Board), in the fall of 2014, 54 percent of state supported instruction was completed by full-time faculty and 46 percent by part-time faculty. Also according to the State Board, on average, a part-time instructor teaching full time would earn 62 percent of the amount paid to full-time instructors.

Part of the State Board's 2017-19 budget request includes a request for funds to be used by colleges to transition part-time positions to full-time positions and/or to provide for salary increases. According to the State Board, converting a part-time position into a full-time position costs on average $26,100 per position.

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Summary of Substitute Bill:

By July 1, 2017, the State Board must create a plan, to be implemented in phases, to increase the percentage of full-time tenure track positions in community and technical colleges (CTCs). The Legislature's goal is that over the next several years, the CTCs increase their full-time faculty positions by adding 200 new full-time tenure track positions in each of the next three biennia. The first phase-in of the plan must begin by the 2018 winter quarter.

The plan must include converting part-time faculty positions to full-time positions, creating more opportunities for part-time faculty, and converting classes or assignments left vacant by attrition. The plan must address how to increase full-time tenure track positions at those institutions identified by the State Board as having below average percentages of full-time faculty relative to the program mix at the institution, while also recognizing that for certain programs there is a strong rationale for reliance on part-time and adjunct faculty.

The State Board must work collaboratively with each CTC, the collective bargaining representatives, and the Legislature. The CTCs that are required to implement the plan must provide an annual progress report to the State Board. The State Board must report to the higher education committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2017, and every two years, until December 1, 2024. The report must provide updated faculty conversion cost information and information about the progress made by the CTCs.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The original bill required the State Board to have a plan with a goal of having 70 percent of the faculty employed at CTCs be full-time tenure track positions by the year 2023 statewide and at each CTC. The original bill did not require the State Board's plan to consider programs that are best taught by part-time faculty.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Community and technical colleges need stability. Part-time faculty go from one campus to another trying to make ends meet. They are not able to provide advising and wrap-around services, which are key to student success. This is not a new concept and a few years ago the colleges did convert about 20 part-time positions to full-time positions. Increasing the percentage of full-time faculty is one of the recommendations made in the report on best practices for faculty. Although these employees are called part-time, they actually work more hours than part-time. They work on a quarter-to-quarter basis and have no security.

(Opposed) This bill is a false solution to a real problem.  The cap on how many hours part-time staff can work should be changed and there should be a limit on how many overload hours full-time staff are allowed to teach.

(Other) This bill is expensive. The State Board requested funds to increase salaries. Some colleges have up to 90 percent full-time staff and other colleges have less than 50 percent full-time staff. It is not known what the right mix of full-time and part-time faculty is at each college. It depends on the programs that are being taught. Some programs are more stable, even during recessions, because there is a predictable demand for those programs. The 70 percent goal for the entire CTC system presents a problem because the colleges are not all the same.

Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Gregerson, prime sponsor; Representative Pollet; Carla Naccarato-Sinclair, Washington Education Association, Tobi Rosenberg and Lynne Dodsen, Washington State Labor Council; Colette Colburn, Whatcom College; and Renee Potter, Pierce College.

(Opposed) Jack Longmate, Washington Association of part-time faculty.

(Other) Marty Brown, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; and Shoaun Pan, Seattle Colleges.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.