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6 WWW.FACCC.ORG | SPRING 2020 | FACCCTS
The California Community College system’s over-reliance
upon part-time faculty is the most chronic and systemic
inequity of teaching in the California community colleges.
Although the Education Code deems part-time faculty temporary,
part-time faculty are not only permanent but have comprised 70
percent of all California community college faculty for over two
part-time faculty be paid for anything beyond the classroom hour,
and current law limits a part-time workload to 67 percent of an
Making Progress
Toward Part-Time
by Debbie Klein
FACCCTS | SPRING 2020 | WWW.FACCC.ORG 7
will allow colleges to better serve students, achieve
order to make progress, the California Community
College system will need to invest in the following
changes:
»Make measurable and incremental progress
-
»
community college policy and programs,
»Meaningfully address the two-tiered system
in which the majority of faculty must function
under unjust and physically exhausting condi-
»Support the elimination of practices that margin-
alize part-time faculty so that student outcomes
How Did We Get Here?
between full- and part-time faculty date back to the
structure had a corrosive effect on students
but never exercised leadership to eliminate it
limiting part-time faculty for credit instruction
the system’s goal of 75 percent credit instruction
taught by full-time faculty into the Education
approved measures establishing state funds to
in the early 2000s by a line-item in the state budget
These efforts continued in more recent history,
Student Success Act linking student success
to access to faculty, along with a call for more
full-time faculty and increased support of part-time
upon the community college system to prioritize
progress in the percent of instruction taught by
Part-time faculty, with identical academic
are hired to prepare, teach, and assess their
>> continued on page 8
Figure 1: Data retrieved from the Chancellor's Office
8 WWW.FACCC.ORG | SPRING 2020 | FACCCTS
>> continued on page 22
Making Progress Toward Part-Time Faculty Equity | Continued from page 7
even though many colleges do not provide
of advocating for part-time faculty rights and
conversations about creating a statewide system
and culture that fosters respect, inclusion,
Making Progress: Lifting the Part-time
Workload Limit
is something our faculty, students, other
stakeholders, and community members can
The long-standing practice of limiting the load
taught by individual part-time faculty, currently
set at 67 percent of a full-time load, is a sacred
we need more full-time faculty to serve our
faculty teach at least 75 percent credit classroom
instruction was memorialized as a goal in the
the percentage of credit instruction by part-time
faculty has increased rather than decreased,
over the same period, the faculty head count has
stayed remarkably steady at around 70 percent
75 percent full-time faculty goal, the system
has also failed to make progress on part-time
embraced when it initiated, nearly 20 years ago,
three community college budget line items funding
sources have been subject to severe reductions
whenever state revenues falter and have only
rarely been restored when the overall revenue
success and so reliant on a part-time workforce
be so reluctant to provide essential budgetary
leaders have been willing partners in the state’s
exploitation of part-time faculty and unwilling
to do all they can to address the needs of our
The literature concludes that student access to and
of research on the importance of faculty to student
faculty are under contract and compensated
for maintaining such contact, but part-time
faculty, who teach almost half of the courses
part-time faculty do make themselves accessible,
success, it should be shocking to see that many
colleges have turned their backs on the state
funding, however meager, provided for part-time
paid at a rate much less than the full-time
of health care, professional development activities,
and personal leave allowances, many part-time
faculty are forced into a frenetic work life of
This leaves only a minimal amount of time and
energy for consultation with students, which is so
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Making Progress Toward Part-Time Faculty Equity | Continued from page 8
this current two-tier system in which the majority
of faculty must function under such stressful
strain on service to students and the colleges? Are
we comfortable with this situation?
teach a larger load at one college, these could all
occur:
»
faculty availability;
»-
»
»More faculty participation in shared governance;
»Greater faculty integration into the life of the
college;
»Part-time positions would become more
appealing and would attract more talent;
»Part-time positions and faculty would be more
stable;
»
a more viable career choice;
»
»Part-time faculty would be professionally
supported and could support themselves;
»
»Scheduling fewer part-time faculty would save
districts time and money;
»
part-time faculty to teach courses
What Can You Do Now?
»
Meanwhile, contact your local representatives in
community colleges are attempting to become
remain complacent under this permanent two-tier
impact on our students, the corporatized model
Community college faculty and their representative
organizations are re-envisioning community
best practices for student learning, engagement,
growth, and success, it should also lead the way in
implementing best practices for part-time faculty
Some of the ideas presented in this article have been
published in previous FACCC venues. I want to thank Rich
Hansen, Mary Ellen Goodwin, and Deirdre Frontczak for
collaborating on previous pieces focusing on part-time
faculty equity.