WHEREAS, the California State Budget is the strongest it has been in years; and
WHEREAS, many programs that benefit temporary faculty and contribute to student success and retention have been cut or eliminated during the Great Recession and have yet to be restored; and
WHEREAS, temporary faculty now comprise 75 percent of higher education instructors in the United States; and
WHEREAS, temporary part-time faculty are required to hold the same academic qualifications and credentials as their full-time colleagues; and
WHEREAS, at most colleges full-time instructors are paid significantly more than part-time faculty for the same duties of preparation, teaching, and grading/assessment; and
WHEREAS, many colleges do not fund or underfund office hours for temporary faculty; and
WHEREAS, due to poor prospects for career advancement and inadequate pay many qualified temporary faculty leave the profession annually; and
WHEREAS, the retention of qualified instructors supports institutional viability and directly contributes to student success; and
WHEREAS, most temporary instructors are not compensated for, yet are essential to, the task of realigning courses and updating programs to meet the needs of a changing world; and
WHEREAS, recent studies have shown that a well-paid, stable faculty workforce contributes to student success and retention; and
WHEREAS, student access to faculty outside of the classroom and during office hours is an important contributor to student success; and
WHEREAS, current full-time faculty are already overworked and overburdened with many of the responsibilities of shared governance and serving student needs;
Therefore, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate of Palomar Community College requests that the Governor and the Department of Finance allocate additional funds in the January 2015 budget proposal for parity/equity compensation and paid office hours for part-time temporary faculty in the California Community College system in the amount of $30 million for paid office hours, and $50 million for parity/equity compensation; and
Therefore, be it further RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate of Palomar Community College requests that the Governor and the State Legislature allocate $100 million for the conversion of existing part-time temporary faculty to full-time faculty status