Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Higher Education Committee

HB 2089

Brief Description:  Implementing provisions for part‑time faculty at community and technical colleges.

Sponsors:  Representatives Kenney, Cox, Gombosky, Skinner, Keiser, Fromhold, Jarrett, Quall, Campbell, Conway, Santos, Hurst and Schual‑Berke.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Implements proportional pay over a period of 10 years.

Hearing Date:  2/19/01

Staff:  Marsha Reilly (786‑7135).

Background: 

Part-time faculty represent 42 percent of state-funded full-time-equivalent faculty positions in the state community and technical colleges.  The community and technical colleges rely on part-time faculty for flexibility in responding to changes in enrollment and program needs, to offer expertise by current practitioners, and to increase student access by helping to keep costs down. 

Traditionally, part-time faculty have been paid less than full-time faculty, even when comparing salaries based exclusively on teaching duties.  The 1996 Legislature passed SB 6583 directing The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) to convene a task force to conduct a best practices audit of compensation packages and conditions of employment for part-time faculty. The Best Practices Task Force reported to the Legislature in January 1997.  Part II of this report contained a synopsis of discussions and recommendations addressing faculty salary disparities between part-time and full-time faculty.  The SBCTC endorsed the best practices principles and salary recommendations identified in the report.  In doing so, they agreed to include budget requests of $15.8 million each biennium to bring part-time faculty salaries up to 76 percent of full-time salaries.

A budget proviso in 1997 directed the SBCTC to "address part-time faculty salary disparities and to increase the ratio of full-time to part-time faculty instructors. . ."  The sum of $2.9 million was appropriated for this purpose.  In addition to COLAs, a 1 percent increase was authorized for FY98 and an additional 2 percent was authorized for FY99.

In the 1999-01 biennium, the Legislature provided $10 million for increases to part-time faculty with a proviso that colleges must provide a local match.  The SBCTC set the minimum local match at 40 percent and each district determined their local match through the collective bargaining process.  As a result, part-time faculty salaries increased by 22.2 percent bringing the ratio of part-time salaries up to 56 percent of full-time salaries, 20 percent below the recommended level in the Best Practices Audit.

Summary of Bill: 

To the extent funds are available, part-time faculty at the community and technical colleges shall receive proportional pay to be distributed on a yearly, incremental basis until 2010, or until proportional pay has been achieved.

In addition, the community and technical colleges shall increase the number of full-time faculty positions based on the current workloads of their respective part-time faculty.  Colleges will also notify part-time faculty when full-time, tenure-track positions become available.  Current part-time faculty meeting the minimum requirements and who apply for these positions shall be considered.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 14, 2001.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.