SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6028

As of February 23, 2001

Title:  An act relating to directing the state board for community and technical colleges to develop principles and guidelines for part‑time faculty hiring and employment.

Brief Description:  Directing the state board for community and technical colleges to develop principles and guidelines for part‑time faculty employment.

Sponsors:  Senators Kohl‑Welles, Shin, Sheahan, Jacobsen, Spanel, Costa, Kline and McAuliffe.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Higher Education:  2/26/01.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Staff:  Casey Bui (786‑7448)

Background:  In 1996, the Legislature required the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) to recommend ?best practices@ to address part-time faculty personnel issues at the state's community and technical colleges.  The SBCTC developed a list of ten principles related to issues important to part-time faculty.  Since that time, various fiscal and policy efforts have been undertaken to address these best practices.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Community and technical colleges must provide a written policy outlining a fair and equitable system they use to assign classes and schedules among qualified part-time academic employees.  When full-time academic positions become open, the college is required to conduct an internal search among its current part-time faculty.  The internal search is not required when:  (1) less than 40 percent of the courses in the hiring department are taught by part-time faculty; (2) an analysis of the current part-time and full-time academic employees reveals that hiring a current part-time academic employee would hinder the effort of the college to increase diversity among its faculty; or (3) a condition exists where the proportion of courses offered by part-time academic employees is artificially higher than historic numbers.

The SBCTC must submit a report to the appropriate committees of the Legislature on the adoption and use of the policies in this bill by December 1, 2002.

Existing collective bargaining agreements cannot be altered.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The original bill was not considered.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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