UPDATE: Implementation of New Non Tenure Track Faculty Language
To all Non-Tenure Track Faculty Members:
The Administration has recently provided chairs and deans with their plans for conversion to the new 14-17 contract language. The FSU reviewed the documents and has met with Admin and presented them with a list of questions and concerns. We also sent an email notice to NTT members detailing Admin’s plans and FSU’s response (you can see that information here). The following is an update on the most recent developments regarding conversion to the new contract language For more information on the new NTT contract language, click here):
The Administration has notified all current NTT of their new lecturer titles, new salaries (retroactive to 7/1/14, the effective start date of the new contract), and whether or not the individual NTT faculty member is on a continuing appointment (see #1 below for info on who is eligible for a continuing appointment; the salary floors for the new ranks can be seen on page 2 of the Memorandum of Agreement; members who are below the new floors once they are converted to the new titles will be retroactively raised to the new floor; if you have not been notified you should contact your department chair).
Chairs will notify those members eligible for continuing appointments on what their percentage of time said appointment will be. Questions on an individual member’s continuing appointment and/or Fall 15 course assignments should first be directed toward department chairs before being directed to the FSU.
The following are key elements of the conversion process and of the new NTT contract language that the FSU would like to remind you of:
1) All post-probationary Lecturer I’s, Lecturer II’s, or Senior Lecturers who are half-time or greater should be given continuing appointments at a percentage of time equal to their typical workload (see Article 21.10.4; note that ‘typical workload’ includes CAPS and Navitas courses ). ‘Typical workload’ is not defined specifically in terms of X numbers of semesters at X percentage of time. Rather, it is defined in such a way as to ensure that the department must explain what makes a continuing appointment at a particular percentage of time typical or not typical. This allows a member to contest a continuing appointment given at a percentage of time that is deemed to be less than their typical workload without having to use a specific work history formula.
2) All post-probationary Lecturer I’s, Lecturer II’s, or Senior Lecturers will maintain just cause rights (see Article 21.9.3 and 21.9.4; note that a post-probationary Lecturer I is an NTT with 3 calendar years of service from hire date; Lecturer II’s and Senior Lecturers are post-probationary by definition as both have accumulated more than 3 calendar years of service).
3) All per-course lecturers (i.e. those who are both half-time or less and non-benefited) will be converted to the Associate Lecturer title (see Article 21.10.3). Current post-probationary, per-course lecturers (i.e. those with 3 years of service from hire date) who become Associate Lecturers will also retain their just cause rights and will be given preference for course assignments in line with the new provisions for less than half-time Lecturers (see Article 21.8).
4) The new contract language stipulates that any additional work that arises in a department once the work is assigned to tenure track faculty and NTT with continuing appointments must be offered to qualified NTT bargaining unit members in order of seniority before it can be offered to anyone outside of the bargaining unit (i.e. before it can be offered to any new NTT hire).
5) All current half-time lecturers, including those who will be converted to the title Associate Lecturer, were eligible for benefits as of July 1, 2014 (see Article 21.4). The details of how this will be retroactively implemented will be worked out with the Administration.
6) All NTT will be converted to the new NTT titles outlined in Article 21.10.4 as of July 1, 2014 according to the title held on that date. Any unit member who was eligible for promotion under the previous contract language since July 1, 2014 will receive that promotion as of the effective date. Once the conversion is complete, NTT members will be subject to the new Article 21 language in regards to future promotions with the exception of current Lecturer II’s. The latter will be converted to Senior Lecturer and then will be eligible to apply for Senior Lecturer II after 10 years of calendar year service from their hire date.
7) The new language regarding reappointments, notification timelines for non-reappointments, just cause rights, terminations, and layoffs is effective as of July 1, 2014 (see Article 21.8 and 21.9 for details). Key elements of these provisions include: requirement of a year notice for layoffs or reduction in work for those NTT with continuing appointments, clearly defined notification of appointment/non-reappointment timelines for those NTT 50% or greater in their first 3 years of employment (see the chart in Article 21.9.1, paragraph 2), termination of members with continuing appointments only for just cause, and, for those NTT who are less than half-time and who have 6 academic years of service, priority for reappointment over non-bargaining unit members with a requirement that such members be provided with a written explanation if they are not reappointed (post-probationary per-course lecturers who are converted to Associate Lecturer will not be required to meet the 6 academic years of service just mentioned; see Article 21.8, 2nd paragraph for more information). Members who are reappointed, terminated, or experience a reduction in their percentage of time for Fall 15 in a manner that is NOT in accordance with the provisions above should contact the FSU.
Please wait to receive your appointment status and percentage of time under the new contract before bringing issues or questions to the FSU regarding your individual status under the conversion process. However, if you have any general questions on the new contract and the conversion language please contact the FSU office or click here for more information.
From the FSU