HB 1660

Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS

Higher Education Committee

HB 1660

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Requiring that part-time community college faculty be paid on the same scale as full-time faculty.

Sponsors: Representatives P. Sullivan, Ormsby, Williams, Campbell, Appleton, Dunn, Chase, Dunshee, Fromhold, Santos, Dickerson, Kagi, Quall, Schual-Berke, Wood, Haigh, Moeller, Simpson, Green and Darneille.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires each community and technical college to have only one faculty salary schedule and only one step increase schedule.

Hearing Date: 2/14/07

Staff: Jennifer Thornton (786-7111).

Background:

Salaries for faculty at community and technical colleges are established through local collective bargaining agreements. Most salary schedules provide for increments based on some combination of years of service and education. However, state law limits salary increases provided through collective bargaining agreements to the amount or percentage established by the Legislature in the appropriations act and allocated to the Board of Trustees by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC).

Since salary schedules are locally bargained, they vary from district to district. There are currently 30 different schedules in the state. Most colleges do not have a salary schedule for part-time faculty, and instead pay a flat rate linked to the mode of instruction.

In fall quarter 2005, there were 5,167 part-time state funded instructors teaching 44 percent of community and technical college courses. The average salary for full-time community and technical college faculty members is $49,518. If part-time faculty were employed full-time, their average salary would be $28,801, which is 58 percent of the average full-time faculty salary.

The mix of full- and part-time faculty varies significantly by department. Basic skills and developmental education courses rely most heavily on part-time faculty (72 percent) Mechanical and engineering courses use part-time faculty the least (21 percent).

Summary of Bill:

Each community & technical college will have only one faculty salary schedule and only one increment or step increase schedule.

By July 1, 2007, part-time faculty:

must be placed on the same step in the salary schedule as comparable full-time faculty when hired;
must be paid on a pro rata basis, dependent upon the percentage of a full-time teaching load;
must move up the increment schedule pro rata. They will advance up the same percentage of a step increment as the percentage of a full-time courseload that they teach;
will be allowed to teach up to a full-time load;
who teach at more than one institution will have all their experience counted at each institution; and
may be assigned non-teaching duties on a pro rata based, based upon teaching load.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 13, 2007.

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