H-2088.2

SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1168


State of Washington	65th Legislature	2017 Regular Session

By House Appropriations (originally sponsored by 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)

READ FIRST TIME 02/24/17.

AN ACT Relating to supporting student success at community and technical colleges by increasing full-time faculty; adding a new section to chapter 28B.52 RCW; and creating new sections.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that having adequately staffed faculty at the state's community and technical colleges is a significant factor in providing students with academic excellence, better educational opportunities, and overall student success. It is the intent of the legislature to improve student success in the community and technical college system by increasing the number of full-time, tenured academic employee positions at community and technical colleges.

(1)(a) By December 1, 2017, the state board for community and technical colleges must create a plan, to be implemented in phases, to increase the percentage of full-time tenure track positions in community and technical colleges. The legislature's goal is that over the next several years, community and technical colleges increase the numbers of full-time tenured positions by adding thirty-four new full-time tenure track positions in fiscal year 2019 and fifty new full-time tenure track positions in each of the next three biennia, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose. The first phase-in implementation of the plan must begin by the 2018 fall quarter.

(b) 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.

(c) 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.

(d) In developing the plan, the state board must work collaboratively with each of the community and technical colleges, the collective bargaining representatives, and the legislature.

(e) Community and technical colleges shall implement the state board's plan to increase the number of full-time tenured faculty positions on its campus.

(2) Community and technical colleges that are required to implement the plan shall provide an annual progress report to the state board for community and technical colleges. The state board shall report to the higher education committees of the legislature by December 1, 2019, and by December 1st every two years thereafter until 2025, regarding updated faculty conversion cost information and information regarding the colleges' progress in increasing full-time tenure or tenure-track employees.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2017, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.