BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                          AB 420
                                                          Page  1

CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 420 (Wildman)
As Amended September 7, 1999
Majority Vote
  
ASSEMBLY: 51-26                 (June 3, 1999)                   
SENATE:   24-8 (September 9, 1999)      
   
  Original Committee Reference:   HIGHER ED.  

  SUMMARY  :  This bill makes enhancements to the compensation and  
benefits for part-time faculty at California's community  
colleges.

  The Senate amendments:   1) delete the requirement that part-time  
faculty be compensated at a salary/hourly rate proportional to  
full-time faculty; 2) delete the requirement that part-time  
faculty be given a preferred right of re-employment; 3) delete  
the requirement that governing boards of community college  
districts to adopt a schedule of salaries for faculty based on  
the uniform allowance for years of training and years of  
experience; 4) require the California Postsecondary Education  
Commission (CPEC) to conduct a comprehensive study on the  
compensation of part-time faculty with a preliminary report to  
the Legislature and Governor; 5) further refine the eligibility  
for compensation under the Community College Part-Time Faculty  
Office Hours Program; and 6) appropriate $500,000 from the  
General Fund to fund the enhancements to the Part-Time Community  
College Health Insurance Program.

  EXISTING LAW  provides that:

1)California's community colleges are governed by locally  
  elected officials within districts that comprise one or more  
  colleges.  These locally elected boards are responsible for  
  administering their respective campuses, although the  
  Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Board  
  of Governors provide guidelines and direction. 

  Most full-time faculty teaching at community colleges are  
  members of a labor association which has secured collective  
  bargaining agreements with the college district's governing  
  board.  Most part-time faculty also fall under collective  
  bargaining agreements, however, these faculty do not  
  necessarily enjoy all of the benefits from districts that  








                                                          AB 420
                                                          Page  2

  full-time faculty receive.  

2)Allows community college districts, in conjunction with the  
  Chancellor's Office, to establish and participate in the  
  Part-Time Community College Health Insurance Program in order  
  to provide qualified part-time faculty members and their  
  dependents with the option of accessing health care benefits.   
  It is the intent of the Legislature to provide the funding for  
  this program annually in the Budget Act.

3)   Establishes the Community College Part-Time Faculty Office  
  Hours Program in order for districts, in conjunction with the  
  Chancellor's Office, to provide compensation to part-time  
  faculty members (as defined) to hold office hours for students  
  to visit upon with questions, comments and guidance in  
  coursework.  The program is funded by the State.

  AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this measure would have enacted,  
contingent upon a specific appropriation in the Budget Act for  
each Fiscal Year (including the 1999-200 Fiscal Year), a variety  
of incentives and mandates to ensure that part-time community  
college faculty are adequately compensated in relationship to  
their full-time counterparts.  Specified that in any year that  
the appropriation provided is insufficient to fully-fund the  
requirements of this measure, the Chancellor of the California  
Community Colleges shall prorate the funds among the colleges  
affected by this measure.  Specifically, this measure as passed  
by the Assembly:

1)Required after July 1, 2003 part-time faculty shall be  
  compensated at a salary/hourly rate proportional to full-time  
  faculty, provided there is comparable training and experience.

2)Required that part-time faculty be given a preferred right of  
  re-employment provided they meet specified conditions.  The  
  bill establishes a grievance process whereby a qualified  
  part-time faculty member seeking a preferred right of  
  re-employment can challenge a district's decision to not  
  retain the services of the part-time faculty member.

3)Required governing boards of community college districts to  
  adopt a schedule of salaries for faculty based on the uniform  
  allowance for years of training and years of experience.

4)Deleted the requirement that, in order to be eligible for the  








                                                          AB 420
                                                          Page  3

  Part-Time Community College Health Insurance Program, a  
  part-time faculty member must teach in two or more districts.   
  Instead, this bill institutes a 40% of full-time load  
  regardless of the number of campuses or districts.

5)Deleted the requirements that in order for dependents of  
  part-time faculty to be eligible for the Part-Time Community  
  College Health Insurance Program, a part-time faculty member  
  must teach at least three consecutive semesters or four  
  consecutive quarters.

6)Deleted the requirement that in order to be eligible for the  
  Part-Time Community College Health Insurance Program, a  
  part-time faculty member must select only one district for  
  their health care benefits, even though they are employed by  
  more than one district and each employing district may offer  
  their respective health plan.

7)Required that districts provide compensation to part-time  
  faculty equal to "at least" one paid office hour for every two  
  classes or more taught per week.

  FISCAL EFFECT  :  This bill appropriates $500,000 in Proposition  
98 funds to the Board of Governors of the California community  
colleges to better support the Part-Time Community College  
Health Insurance Program.  The bill also expresses the  
Legislature's intent to provide $150,000 to fund the CPEC study  
on the overall compensation of part-time faculty.

  COMMENTS  :  For over 10 years, the Legislature has considered a  
number of legislative efforts to reverse the trend of community  
college districts hiring part-time faculty members in lieu of  
full-time members.  Much of the reason to utilize part-time  
faculty, even in cases of core campus curriculum (English,  
History, Chemistry, etc.), is the lower costs associated with  
such personnel.  Many believe students are under-served by a  
lack of full-time faculty who are more accessible and generally  
have more teaching expertise in core curriculum.
 
As passed by the Assembly, this bill was a comprehensive  
approach to compensate part-time faculty in a like manner with  
respect to their full-time colleagues.  The bill addressed four  
key areas of concern to part-time faculty:  1) establishing a  
proportional pay system; 2) giving part-time faculty preferred  
rights of re-employment and proper notification; 3) enhancing  








                                                          AB 420
                                                          Page  4

eligibility and access to health care for part-time faculty and  
their dependents; and, 4) providing additional compensation for  
part-time faculty of hold office hours.

In the Senate, the bill has been drastically amended to only  
focus on three key items:  1) a CPEC study to review the overall  
compensation of part-time faculty; 2) refining the definitions  
and conditions of how part-time faculty perform their student  
office hours duty, and thus, eligible for compensation; and 3)  
most significantly, an expansion of health care benefits for  
part-time faculty and their dependents.


  Analysis Prepared by  :  Paul A. Smith / HIGHER ED. / (916)  
319-2021 


                                                      FN: 0003597