S.198

Introduced by   Senator Illuzzi of Essex-Orleans District

Referred to Committee on

Date:

Subject:  Education; Vermont institutions of higher education; labor relations; wages; benefits

Statement of purpose:  This bill proposes to improve the educational environment in Vermont's institutions of higher education.

AN ACT RELATING TO EXCELLENCE IN VERMONT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:

Sec. 1.  FINDINGS

The general assembly finds:

(1)  At least 58 percent of all Vermonters who attend college in Vermont are enrolled in the Vermont State Colleges.

(2)  Approximately 52 percent of all these students are enrolled at the Community College of Vermont.

(3)  Over 60 percent of the students at Community College of Vermont are first-generation college students.

(4)  All the faculty teaching at the Community College of Vermont are part-time instructors.

(5)  It is in the best interest of Vermont and Vermonters that the best

part-time faculty available be hired and retained regardless of the institution in which they teach.

Sec. 2.  21 V.S.A. chapter 21 is amended to read: 

Chapter 21.  COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN CERTAIN PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT VERMONT COLLEGES AND

UNIVERSITIES FACULTY IMPROVEMENT

§ 1691.  VERMONT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES; FACULTY

               EXCELLENCE PLAN

All part-time and adjunct faculty employed by Vermont colleges and universities shall:

(1)  Receive pay that is equal on a pro rata basis to that of full-time faculty with comparable qualifications and performing comparable work.  In the event a Vermont college or a university does not employ any full-time faculty, the average salary for full-time instructional faculty at comparable institutions in the Northeast, as reported in the annual Digest of Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, shall be used for the pro rata calculations.

(2)  Be eligible to participate in any self-directed retirement plan on the same terms and conditions offered to any other employee or group of employees of the institution.

(3)  Be eligible for the same health care benefits on the same terms and conditions as are available to any other employee or group of employees of the institution.

Sec. 3.  VERMONT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES; WORKLOAD;

              STUDY AND REPORT

     Each Vermont college and university shall:

(1)  Determine in each academic department the number of undergraduate courses taught by part-time or adjunct faculty, nontenure track faculty, tenure track faculty, and tenured faculty.

(2)  Set goals for stabilizing and increasing the proportion of instruction carried out by full-time tenured and tenure track faculty.

(3)  Create a plan for reaching the goals of subdivision (2) of this section.  The plan shall be subject to collective bargaining with the exclusive representatives of all affected faculty at each institution.

(4)  Issue a written report to the general assembly that addresses subdivisions (1)-(3) of this section on or before December 1, 2008.