SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5557
As of February 9, 2023
Title: An act relating to pay equity for part-time faculty.
Brief Description: Providing pay equity for part-time faculty.
Sponsors: Senators Liias, Hasegawa, Valdez, Conway, Hunt, Keiser, Lovick, Nguyen, Nobles, Salda?a, Salomon, Stanford, Wellman and Wilson, C..
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Higher Education & Workforce Development: 2/10/23.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Directs the community and technical colleges to develop and implement plans to provide compensation to part-time and adjunct faculty that equals or exceeds 85 percent of comparably qualified full-time peers.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Staff: Alicia Kinne-Clawson (786-7407)
Background:

The Legislature passed SSB 6583 in 1996, which provided guidance to community and technical colleges (CTC) on the definition of full-time academic and part-time academic workload to determine eligibility of state-mandated benefits. Additionally, a task force was created to conduct a best practices audit of compensation packages and benefits for part-time faculty in the CTC system. The Legislature reconvened the task force in 2005, to review and update the best practices audit of compensation packages and benefits for CTC part-time faculty. The best practices were intended to encourage local collective bargaining negotiators to review and identify practices that improve part-time faculty working conditions, and increase student success.
Summary of Bill:

The CTCs must develop and implement plans to provide compensation to part-time and adjunct faculty that equals or exceeds 85 percent of the compensation provided to comparably qualified full-time and tenured faculty by the 2026-27 academic year. The standards used to determine equal compensation must include time spent in direct student support, time in class, preparation for class, grading and assessment, and office hours.

 

A report is due to the Legislature on the progress of implementing pay equity by December 1, 2025, with a report on full implementation by December 1, 2027. At a minimum, the report must include:

  • the percentage of full-time pay attained by part-time and adjunct faculty;
  • demographic data about faculty contracts not meeting pay equity plans; and
  • progress at the individual college-level toward meeting pay equity plans.
Appropriation: The bill contains a section or sections to limit implementation to the availability of amounts appropriated for that specific purpose.
Fiscal Note: Requested on February 6, 2023.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.