(1) The legislature finds that community colleges and technical colleges have an obligation to carry out their roles and missions in an equitable fashion. The legislature also finds that governing boards for community colleges and technical colleges have a responsibility to provide leadership and guidance to their colleges in the equitable treatment of part-time faculty teaching in the community and technical colleges.

(2) The state board for community and technical colleges shall convene a task force to conduct a review and update of the best practices audit of compensation packages and conditions of employment for part-time faculty in the community and technical college system conducted in 1996 and reported on in 1998. The task force shall include but need not be limited to part-time faculty, full-time faculty, members of the state board, community college administrators, and members of community college and technical college governing boards. In performing the review and update of the audit, the task force shall focus on the employment of part-time faculty, and shall include the following issues in its deliberations: Salary issues, provision of health and retirement benefits, the implications of increased reliance on part-time rather than full-time faculty, the implications of workload definitions, and tangible and intangible ways to recognize the professional stature of part-time faculty.

(3) The task force shall report its findings to the state board, local governing boards, and other interested parties by December 1, 2005. The report shall include recommendations on a review of the status of the set of best practices principles for the colleges to follow in their employment of part-time faculty developed in 1996. The state board for community and technical colleges shall adopt and periodically update a set of best practices principles for colleges in the community and technical college system to follow in their employment of part-time faculty. The board shall use the best practices principles in the development of each biennial operating budget request. The board shall encourage and, to the extent possible, require each local governing board to adopt, revise, and implement the principles.

Findings—2005 c 119: "The legislature finds that:

(1) The part-time faculty in the community and technical colleges provide a valuable contribution to quality instruction;

(2) The part-time faculty are essential to the success of the open access opportunities provided by the two-year colleges to the citizens of Washington;

(3) The two-year colleges employ a core of skilled, well-trained faculty whose contributions are critical to the quality and breadth of program offerings;

(4) The community and technical colleges have an essential role in educating and retraining high-skilled workers who are vital to the economic health of the communities of Washington;

(5) It is vital to attract and retain highly skilled faculty capable of preparing students to transfer to four-year colleges and universities and for the workforce;

(6) Low and stagnating salaries as well as the lack of career advancement options for part-time faculty are detrimental to the morale of all faculty;

(7) Part-time faculty contribute to the learning environment offered to the students through advising and attention that all good educators bring to their profession; and

(8) Although progress has been made since the initial work of the best practices task force in 1996, additional progress needs to be made to improve and implement best practices for part-time community and technical college faculty." [ 2005 c 119 s 1.]