HB 1279

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to public postsecondary education
3	personnel; creating ss. 1012.835 and 1012.947, F.S.;
4	providing requirements for community college and state
5	university faculty excellence; requiring institutions to
6	increase the number of full-time faculty members with
7	tenure or continuing-contract status or on a tenure or
8	continuing-contract track; specifying faculty member and
9	salary goals that must be met during a 5-year period;
10	requiring institution plans and reporting; providing for
11	appropriation of funds; providing for construction of
12	provisions; providing an effective date.
13
14	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16	Section 1.  Section 1012.835, Florida Statutes, is created
17	to read:
18	1012.835  Community college faculty excellence.--
19	(1)  Full-time and part-time community college faculty
20	members are critical to the success of the community college
21	system and require adequate compensation and basic supports to
22	serve students and communities effectively. An increasing
23	percentage of the classes offered in community colleges are
24	taught by part-time or adjunct faculty who do not have tenure or
25	continuing-contract status or who are not on a tenure or
26	continuing-contract track. This section is created to increase
27	the number of full-time faculty members with tenure or
28	continuing-contract status or on a tenure or continuing-contract
29	track.
30	(2)  Each community college shall determine the number of
31	classes that are taught by part-time faculty, adjunct faculty,
32	other contingent faculty, tenure-track or continuing-contract-
33	track faculty, and tenured or continuing-contract faculty in
34	each academic department. Beginning in September 2008 and in
35	each succeeding year, each academic department that does not
36	meet the goal of having 75 percent of its classes taught by
37	tenure-track or continuing-contract-track faculty and tenured or
38	continuing-contract faculty shall increase the share of classes
39	taught by such faculty to meet the 75-percent goal by 2013.
40	Community colleges shall have flexibility in meeting this goal.
41	However, each community college shall reduce the gap between the
42	percentage of classes taught by tenure-track or continuing-
43	contract-track faculty and tenured or continuing-contract
44	faculty by no less than 10 percent each year in meeting the 75-
45	percent goal.
46	(3)  Each community college shall create a plan to meet the
47	75-percent goal. The plan shall be subject to collective
48	bargaining when applicable. In its plan, a community college
49	shall state how it intends to meet its goal with priority given
50	to creating new opportunities for part-time, adjunct, and other
51	contingent faculty members to attain full-time faculty positions
52	on a tenure or continuing-contract track and by filling vacant
53	positions.
54	(4)  Each community college shall determine a salary
55	standard for part-time, adjunct, and other contingent faculty
56	members employed in each academic department that constitutes a
57	pro rata salary compared to the salaries of full-time tenured or
58	continuing-contract faculty or tenure-track or continuing-
59	contract-track faculty who have comparable qualifications and
60	are performing comparable work. Beginning in September 2008,
61	each community college shall increase part-time, adjunct, and
62	other contingent faculty salaries by a sufficient amount to
63	reduce the pro rata salary gap in each academic department, if
64	one exists, in order that by September 2013 the goal of pro rata
65	pay is met.
66	(5)  Annually by March 1, 2009, through March 1, 2013, each
67	community college shall report to the Governor, the President of
68	the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives its
69	progress towards achieving the goals in subsections (2) and (4).
70	(6)  The Legislature shall annually appropriate funds for
71	each community college in an amount sufficient for each
72	community college to make a one-fifth advancement annually in
73	meeting the 5-year goals of this section.
74	(7)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or
75	reduce salaries, benefits, or hiring rights in existence at a
76	community college on the effective date of this section.
77	Section 2.  Section 1012.947, Florida Statutes, is created
78	to read:
79	1012.947  University faculty excellence.--
80	(1)  Full-time and part-time state university faculty
81	members are critical to the success of the State University
82	System and require adequate compensation and basic supports to
83	serve students and communities effectively. An increasing
84	percentage of undergraduate classes offered in state
85	universities are taught by part-time or adjunct faculty who do
86	not have tenure or who are not on a tenure track. This section
87	is created to increase the number of full-time faculty members
88	with tenure or on a tenure track.
89	(2)  Each state university shall determine the number of
90	undergraduate classes that are taught by part-time faculty,
91	adjunct faculty, other contingent faculty, tenure-track faculty,
92	and tenured faculty in each academic department. The number of
93	undergraduate classes that are taught by graduate assistants or
94	research assistants shall not be counted for purposes of
95	implementing the provisions of this section. Beginning in
96	September 2008 and in each succeeding year, each academic
97	department that does not meet the goal of having 75 percent of
98	its undergraduate classes taught by tenure-track faculty and
99	tenured faculty shall increase the share of undergraduate
100	classes taught by such faculty to meet the 75-percent goal by
101	2013. State universities shall have flexibility in meeting this
102	goal. However, each state university shall reduce the gap
103	between the percentage of undergraduate classes taught by
104	tenure-track faculty and tenured faculty by no less than 10
105	percent each year in meeting the 75-percent goal.
106	(3)  Each state university shall create a plan to meet the
107	75-percent goal. The plan shall be subject to collective
108	bargaining when applicable. In its plan, a state university
109	shall state how it intends to meet its goal with priority given
110	to creating new opportunities for part-time, adjunct, and other
111	contingent faculty members to attain full-time faculty positions
112	on a tenure track and by filling vacant positions.
113	(4)  Each state university shall determine a salary
114	standard for part-time, adjunct, and other contingent faculty
115	members employed in each academic department that constitutes a
116	pro rata salary compared to the salaries of full-time tenured
117	faculty or tenure-track faculty who have comparable
118	qualifications and are performing comparable work. Beginning in
119	September 2008, each state university shall increase part-time,
120	adjunct, and other contingent faculty salaries by a sufficient
121	amount to reduce the pro rata salary gap in each academic
122	department, if one exists, in order that by September 2013 the
123	goal of pro rata pay is met.
124	(5)  Annually by March 1, 2009, through March 1, 2013, each
125	state university shall report to the Governor, the President of
126	the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives its
127	progress towards achieving the goals in subsections (2) and (4).
128	(6)  The Legislature shall annually appropriate funds for
129	each state university in an amount sufficient for each state
130	university to make a one-fifth advancement annually in meeting
131	the 5-year goals of this section.
132	(7)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or
133	reduce salaries, benefits, or hiring rights in existence at a
134	state university on the effective date of this section.
135	Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.