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FACE legislation passes first legislative committee hurdle
Leaders of the FACE coalition join Assemblyman Tony Mendoza on April 17 in a Sacramento news conference to launch the effort to pass AB 1343. From left, Dennis Smith, President, FACCC, Ron Reel, Treasurer, CCA/CTA, Marty Hittelman, President, CFT, Mendoza, and Susan Meisenhelder, Political Action Chair and former President, CFA. Fred Glass photo
Sacramento, CA - Assemblyman Tony Mendoza’s AB 1343, the Faculty and College Excellence Act (FACE), passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee April 17 on a vote of 4 to 1. The FACE legislation is an effort to improve the quality of education in California's community colleges and state universities by bolstering a strong core of regular, continuing faculty, and addressing the lack of equity in pay and benefits for the increasing numbers of part-time and temporary full-time faculty.
FACE addresses the employment trend in public higher education that is reducing the numbers of tenured faculty and increasing the numbers of contingent academic workers. It is part of a national campaign to fix higher education employment, led by the American Federation of Teachers.
CFT President Marty Hittelman applauded committee passage of the measure, "Our students deserve to have faculty with whom they can meet and with whom they can have a continuing connection."
Since 2003, the proportion of tenured or tenure-track professors has shrunk by 4%, or one per cent per year, in degree granting colleges and universities. As a result, the American Federation of Teachers is supporting legislation similar to the FACE Act in several states.
FACE is supported by the California Federation of Teachers, California Faculty Association, California Teachers Association, and the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges. |
