FACE: The Faculty and College Excellence Act
House Bill 2578

HB 2578 Would Provide Pay and Benefit Equity for Part-Time Faculty and Address Staffing Ratios in Oregon’s Higher Education System

SALEM—State Representative Peter Buckley has introduced House Bill 2578, the Faculty and College Excellence (FACE) Act. The bill has two goals. It aims to ensure that all faculty members receive the financial and professional support they need to do their best work. And, it looks to establish a better balance between the number of full-time tenured faculty and part- and full-time non tenure-track faculty

“Education is the cornerstone of progress and we must do everything possible to strengthen the institutions that prepare our students for the future,” said Representative Buckley. “HB 2578 will foster stable learning environments in our colleges and universities. That is good for both faculty and students, and essential for our state.”

Colleges and universities in Oregon and across America have increasingly turned away from filling full-time tenured jobs. The FACE bill creates more equity for part-time faculty and restores a structure to higher education that is based on more appropriate levels of full-time, tenure-track staffing.

“A higher education system made primarily of part-time workers is not only unfair to the employees, it creates serious limitations on the services that professors can provide their students,” said AFT-Oregon President Mark Schwebke. “This is not a simple challenge, but HB 2578 provides a thoughtful and comprehensive solution.”

With respect to part-time faculty, Schwebke noted that despite their considerable qualifications and contributions to student learning, many of these professors are forced to teach at multiple campuses just to make end meets. The practice is known as “freeway-flying.” And, it is common for part-time faculty to have to spend the majority of their day not in the classroom, but driving from one campus to the next. These same professionals are frequently denied health benefits and such basic tools as office space to meet with their students.

“For years, I have pieced together a full-time teaching load, by working concurrently at more than one institution. It’s tough, but I know I am making a positive difference in the lives of my students and I want to stay in the profession. I just think that if I’m teaching a full-time load, I should get full-time pay and benefits,” said Andrew Butz, who has a Masters in Sociology from Portland State University.

“Education is difficult, but it is extremely important work. And, anyone who puts in the hours of a full-time professional deserves to be treated and compensated as such,” added Mark Perlman, a full-time professor at Western Oregon University and President of AFT Local 2278, WOU Federation of Teachers. “It’s time we face facts and recognize that investing in our faculty really counts. Every one of Oregon’s higher education professionals is committed to helping students excel. The least we can do is support them in that effort,” he said.

HB 2578 is the latest step in a nationwide campaign by AFT-Oregon’s national affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers. The FACE campaign aims to improve working conditions for part-time faculty while addressing troubling staffing trends in higher education. In 1960, 75 percent of college faculty members had full-time tenured positions or were on a tenure track. By 2005, that number had decreased to 35 percent.

AFT-Oregon represents more than 11,000 education employees, including some 6,000 higher education faculty and staff. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) represents more than 1.2-million workers, including 160,000 higher education faculty, professional staff and graduate employees—more than any other national organization.