Frequently Asked Questions

• All faculty are to perform the instructional, non-instructional duties, and shared governance established for their specific teaching area.
• With faculty with loads less than 100%, non-instructional duties are to be performed on a pro-rata basis. Accordingly, an faculty who teaches 50% of a full-time load will receive 50% of a full-time salary.

• No more discounted and limited hourly pay schedules for “part-time” faculty.
• No more “parity pay” if and when performing “comparable duties”.
• All current full-time, part-time, and newly hired faculty will be placed on the same multi-step, multi-column salary schedule based on seniority, experience, and level of education.

• All faculty shall have access to the same health insurance and retirement programs.

• No workload limits under 100%; no routine overloads (assignments over 100%)
• All part-time faculty are able to build their workload up to 100% based on seniority.
• Newly available assignments will be offered to regularized part-time faculty before new faculty.
• Work in addition to 100% full-time shall only be permitted when deemed absolutely necessary and after such assignments have been offered to regularized part-time faculty.
• Faculty scheduling preferences must be considered in making assignments.

• Performance observations shall be limited and scheduled.
• Evaluations shall be distinguished as summative or formative.
• Summative evaluations are used to determine suitability for regularization and are only performed during the probationary period.
• Formative evaluations are done routinely throughout employment with the goal of improving and maintaining educational standards.
• Provisions for improvement shall be made available and negative summative evaluations shall be subject to review and grievance. 

• Professional development time and funds shall be required and available to all faculty. 
• Conference travel and tuition-support funding shall be available to all faculty. 

• All faculty have academic freedom protection from the first day of hire. 
• Protections extend beyond normal grievance procedures with disputes being resolved by third parties independent of the institution.

• As the exclusive collective bargaining agent for all faculty, the local union shall uphold the ideals of equality and democracy in extending fair representation and opposing the discrimination and elitism inherent in a two-tier faculty workforce.
• The union shall be dedicated to equality for all those it represents, especially the most vulnerable.

In order to provide the best possible education for our students as well as equal and fair working conditions for all faculty, CFE is focused on achieving a one-tier system in the California Community Colleges, in which all faculty receive equal pay and benefits and have equal job security and academic freedom regardless of load, within this decade.   

We support equality that is based on a one-tier system, achieved by significant legislative, mandated, or negotiated changes.  While the goal of CFE is an entire system change, we will support incremental changes as long as they are done with the goal of achieving a truly equal one-tier system within this decade.  CFE may take a position on ancillary issues when there is a clear intersection with the major components of the one-tier system: regularization, equal pay and benefits, fair working conditions, and participation in governance.  

A faculty that is fully supported is imperative. If hiring more full-timers causes existing part-time employees to be displaced, this exacerbates the inequality inherent in the current system. We respect the desire of part-time faculty to seek full-time work and such positions should be filled by currently employed part-time faculty in the college. However, our primary goal is to improve the working conditions for all faculty by establishing a one-tier system. 

Under a one-tier system, all faculty regardless of load who have completed a probationary process will have continuous stable employment and academic freedom, with termination only for just cause after due process.  

• Click the "Contact Us" menu item and send us your contact information. We need all the help we can get to overcome this two-tier system and unfair practices.