FACCC Supports a One-Tier Faculty System

2023 FACCC Statement in Support “One-Tier” Faculty at the California Community Colleges 

The Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC) Board of Governors believes that implementing a “one-tier” faculty system in the California Community Colleges would have a long-term, substantial benefit for students, faculty, and the California public at large.

FACCC shares the intent of the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) State Council resolution to “Develop a Strategic Plan to End the Two-Tier System” in California Community Colleges adopted at their meeting in San Francisco on March 19, 2023.

Furthermore, the FACCC Policy Committee’s draft paper includes language on this issue:

A bold new approach is needed to end contingency and establish a one-tier structure for faculty equality. Such a structure, with proportional compensation and benefits, together with job security based on a tenure-for-all principle, would provide faculty equality, which, in turn, promises a number of benefits for students, the faculty body, our colleges, and social well-being in the state. Until now, FACCC’s advocacy on behalf of part-time faculty has been an incremental approach to an equitable system – but a two-tier system has proven to be, by definition, inequitable. For this reason, FACCC now declares its support for a one-tier system: a natural progression from previous policy positions and one designed to provide the justice and equity to which California education aspires.

Therefore, the FACCC Board of Governors supports the concept and philosophy of the “one-tier” faculty system and will create a task force to explore the best way to expeditiously implement a “one-tier” faculty system in the California Community Colleges.

The FACCC One-Tier Taskforce will create substantive research-based documentation that will be developed and published to explain the reasons for FACCC’s position, develop strategies for implementing a one-tier system in the community colleges, and communicate them effectively to our students, colleagues, legislators, and the California public.

• A Unified Faculty Model: The Remedy for Decades of Failed Education “Reform” in the California Community Colleges  by Dr. Debbie Klein
  A longer, academic, research, and evidence-based paper documenting the broader value of a unified faculty model – most notably for students. This paper was primarily written by FACCC's Past President, Debbie Klein. It is intended to present the argument that a unified faculty model is possible and has a much better chance of producing student success and value to the public than the long succession of foundation-funded reform movements.

The FACCC Board charged the One-Tier Taskforce with creating a substantive research-based paper. While Debbie Klein's paper serves as a cornerstone in fulfilling this directive, the One-Tier Taskforce recognizes the need for additional resources to support the transition to a one-tier system. To further bolster the case for change and provide practical guidance for implementation, the One-Tier Taskforce includes the following supplementary documents alongside the research document:

• One Faculty: A Path to One Tier – FACCC Policy Committee 
  A compelling moral argument for transitioning from the current two-tier faculty system to a single-tier model in California's community colleges. The paper highlights the stark inequalities between full-time and part-time faculty, arguing that these disparities have persisted for too long and that a bold new approach is needed to establish a one-tier structure that ensures faculty equality. The paper underscores that moving towards a single-tier faculty system is a moral imperative for the success and well-being of all stakeholders in California's community colleges.
  
  
• Legislative Briefing Memo 
  This concise document, drafted by FACCC staff, is a valuable resource for initial lobbying efforts. It targets potential supporters and legislature members to introduce and advocate for transitioning to a single-tier faculty system in California's community colleges. The memo presents vital arguments in favor of the one-tier model, highlighting its potential benefits for students, faculty, and the overall success of the community college system.

• CFT Resolution and task force currently working on potential implementation.
  - CFT One Faculty Task Force Vision
  
  

• CCA has created a One-Tier Task Force to study the creation of a one-tier faculty model by looking at the Vancouver model and current work being done by other groups, such as FACCC, CFT, and the CCC.

• CCCI at the Spring 2024 CCCI Conference, the CCCI Representative Council voted to affirm its support of the Unified Faculty Compensation Model, also known as the One-Tier Model, in the California Community College System.

• Part-Time Faculty Symposium | Unified Faculty Model: One-Tier May 10, 2024 | Virtual Event

• EdSource commentary piece by Dr. Debbie Klein: "Undoing Overreliance on Part-Time Faculty Could Reverse Decline of California Community Colleges"

• Amplifying Voices | Advocating for Equity: Episode 16 of the FACCC podcast introduces John Govsky, an Associate faculty member at Cabrillo College, who shares his personal journey and insights into the challenges faced by contingent faculty. John passionately advocates for a one-tier system, or Unified Faculty Model, drawing inspiration from the Vancouver Model in British Columbia. 
  
  

• The One-Tier Concept for  Advancing Student Success and Achieving Faculty Equality By Cynthia Mahabir, Laney College