Two bills that will strengthen both full-time and part-time faculty in the community colleges are wending their way through the State Legislature and show promise at being passed into law.
One bill, AB 906, carried by Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) would mandate the Community College Chancellor’s office to conduct random audits of college districts to make sure they comply with the Fifty Percent Law – a law requiring that 50 percent of the funding a college receives goes to instruction.
Although colleges are required to meet the Fifty Percent Law, a state audit conducted in 2000 revealed that only six out of 10 colleges fulfilled that commitment. It has been difficult getting any solid and accurate information since then.
The bill, which is in the Senate Education Committee, continues to evolve. Meeting with other faculty, administrators and legislative aides recently, CCA advocated that librarians and counselors also be factored into the 50 percent equation, providing the denominator include a representative proportion (for example, 53%) – a position that was being considered by the group.
“We are optimistic that AB 906 will ensure that that 50 percent of college funding really does go to instruction, that is, to meeting our students’ needs,” said Lynette Nyaggah. “After all, that’s why we’re here — to serve the students.”
AB 591
Another bill supported by CCA that is gaining momentum is AB 591 by Assemblymember Mervyn Dymally (D-Los Angeles). The bill would modify the current law which restricts part-time faculty to teach not more than 60 percent of a full-time class load, to allow them to teach up to 67 percent of a full-time load in one district.
“One of the ways we serve students is to support our entire faculty, including parttime/ contingent faculty who constitute a large component of our membership. That’s why we’ve taken a Support position on AB 591,” Nyaggah said.
“Many of our contingent faculty have been limited to one 4-unit or 5-unit class at a given college because districts feared exceeding the 60 percent limit. This bill, which has a very good chance of passing, would allow these faculty to teach more classes at one college, a boon for freeway flyers," she said.