NTTF Rights and Responsibilities Highlights of Guidelines (pre multi-year contracts)

Why? 1. Transparency and consistency: - NTTF Task Force survey identified problem - Our effort: gather in one document established practices, policies that are commonly accepted, identify governing sources 2. New policies/practices for UCCS: Incorporate best practices from UCCS, CU system

What? Guidelines or policy document? - Guidelines for now - Policy when multi-year contract policy is established

STEPS NTTF Committee wrote working draft Open Forum allowed wider faculty input NTTF Committee refined draft Coordinated through Associate Deans, Deans, Heads of Academic Units, AVCAA, Provost, Chancellor and Faculty Assembly Final document published Fall 2012

Introduction Ties UCCS Strategic Plan to importance of lecturers, instructors, and senior instructors. Strategic Plan states that UCCS should “define the role and status of non-tenure track faculty”.

Definitions “Rostered” faculty Primary unit Limited appointment Indeterminate appointment At-will Workload Teaching load Etc.

Roles - Lecturers Lecturers: teach on a course-by-course basis (temporary vs. ongoing); => if temporarily 50% or more, must be offered benefits (all but retirement) => if 50% or more for a year, instructor position should be created, if possible.

Roles - Instructors Instructors: ≥ 50 % workload, “rostered” faculty. Should be fully integrated into faculty governance => Department by-laws written to allow broad participation => By-laws must be posted on dept. website

Roles – Issues of Workload Service and/or professional development are elements that distinguish instructors from lecturers. Can range from 5% (attend dept. meetings) to 20% depending on dept needs, teaching workload, and instructor’s interests. We encourage consideration of differentiated workloads.

Roles – Senior Instructors Senior instructors: rank “permits higher recognition and salary than that of instructor”. (Regent Policy 5-L) Can be reached through promotion or direct hiring into rank. Unit will clearly state criteria for appointment, promotion and reappointment.

Rights – Faculty Governance Instructors and senior instructors are members of system-wide Faculty Senate (per Faculty Constitution) At UCCS, all rostered faculty are members of Faculty Assembly and are eligible for election to Faculty Representative Assembly. NTTF Committee of FRA (so far, UCCS only in CU system)

Rights – Contracts Lecturers: new letter of offer for each semester and if workload changes Instructors and sr. instructors: College may choose multi-year renewable letter of offer -- does not supersede at-will status (this can now change with legal multi-year contracts) -- shows mutual commitment over longer term Letter of Continuation or Non-Continuation: by 1 June (not needed if on multi-year contract)

Rights – Workloads Standard instructor workload (per semester): -- Teaching: 12 credit hrs (4 x 3-credit courses) -- Service or professional development (5%) Factors affecting teaching load (# of courses): -- labs, large classes, no multiple sections of same course, development of new course, etc. Dept Chair ensures equitable workloads across dept, Dean does same for depts. across college.

Rights – Workloads Annual Workload Plan: -- already used in Engineering and Nursing -- document workload agreement for the following year, signed by both, updated in writing Differentiated Workload: -- might be appropriate to develop new course/ new curriculum, extensive professional development, etc.

Rights – Evaluation Lecturers: -- not eligible for merit review -- performance should still be evaluated -- units need written evaluation policy Instructors/Senior Instructors: -- must be evaluated annually -- eligible for annual merit reviews/pay -- service/professional development included -- multiple forms of teaching evaluation

Rights – Promotion Promotion to senior instructor is single promotion for NTTF: -- should carry prestige and weight -- all instructors should have the opportunity to compete -- each unit must have written criteria -- not up-or-out! Model criteria: -- 5 years of excellent performance -- opportunity for early consideration

Rights – Promotion Promotion amount: -- standardized to $3000 in 2010 -- amount for new promotions will increase each year (like tenure & tenure track promotion amounts)

Rights – Professional Development Professional development is imperative for outstanding quality of education: -- realistic expectations in workload plan -- must be supported by unit and college

Rights – Compensation and Benefits Floor salaries must reflect market and salaries at peer institutions Benefits assigned according to Benefits Eligibility Matrix Colleges/administration must track cases of uncompensated merit and resolve these

Rights – Resources Dept. must provide all teaching faculty: -- professional working environment -- private space to meet students (FERPA) -- access to office supplies, computer, copying

Rights – Non-Continuation/ Termination Reasons for termination must be clear and justified, and should be limited to: -- poor performance (documented) -- major program changes -- financial exigency

Rights – Non-Continuation/ Termination Faculty at-will are not “dismissed for cause” -- cannot contest termination as a dismissal HOWEVER at-will faculty may contest non- renewal to Committee on Privilege and Tenure (P&T) and college grievance process We expect multi-year contracts will change this (ability to contest dismissal)

Rights – Non-Continuation/ Termination Procedural fairness: -- outlines steps to give faculty member fair opportunity before non-continuation / termination

Rights – Grievance Process Model Procedures for NTTF Grievances: -- appendix to document -- developed by Associate Deans and David Moon -- each college should develop/publish process Goals are consistency, fairness, and timeliness

Rights – Grievance Process All instructors should be informed of ability to grieve College procedure should be posted on website College creates committee to review grievances and make recommendation to dean Committee should contain peers of likely grievants and demonstrable independence from likely respondents Grievance made in writing to the dean within 30 days of adverse action Written findings to dean within 30 calendar days Dean’s written decision within 45 days of original filing of grievance

Rights – Grievance Process Defining adverse action: -- action that violates departmental, college or university policies or established practices -- action that adversely impacts pay, status, or performance rating and award -- disciplinary action including suspension in pay, reduction in pay, demotion, or written reprimand -- action that fails to observe procedural fairness in significant way

Rights – Grievance Process Possible problems: -- written only for instructors/senior instructors => what should lecturers be able to grieve? -- decision of the dean is final => what if dean’s decision is source of grievance? (can still go to P&T)