Faculty Association Update

Dear colleagues,

Thanks to your continued participation in the Dallas Community College Faculty Association (DCCFA) – 92% of DCCCD faculty joined during the 2015-2016 academic year – we are practicing shared governance in advancing the academic freedom and welfare of our faculty.

The Faculty Council is pleased to report to you that our solidarity and our advocacy continues to bring positive change to the DCCCD and our organizational climate. For instance, in a courageous move, our Board of Trustees is poised to vote Sept. 6 to keep our local property tax rates constant, in order to bring in additional tax revenues that a growth in the total assessed value of residential and commercial property in Dallas County allows. This will fund numerous important initiatives, including much-needed technology and security upgrades, increases in faculty base salaries, and a much needed base salary increase for those faculty – hired between 10 and 35 years ago – most harmed by “compression.” In explaining this to the Board, Chancellor May echoed many of the talking points and rationales our Faculty Council has shared with him during our monthly meetings over the past three years.

Likewise, DCCFA advocacy has proven instrumental in improving relations with the Board of Trustees. In fact, several trustees have come to trust, and routinely seek, our input on a wide variety of issues. Similarly, we continue to cultivate positive and pro-active relationships with the various vice chancellors, and our college leaders, which amounts to an increase in the influence we faculty have.

Going back to 1965, our founding chancellor, Dr. Bill J. Priest, reserved a seat at the table for faculty to be involved in decisions that affect the strategic direction of the DCCCD. Our forward-thinking founding faculty – some of whom celebrate their 50^th anniversary this year – launched DCCFA (and our constituent college faculty associations) further to represent faculty interests at all seven colleges and at the District level. Now our growth is less focused on building colleges, and more on leveraging technology to serve more students and a growing number of “non-consumers” who need our teaching and training to prepare to work the jobs available in our rapidly changing local economy.

Consequently, our input and influence as subject matter experts and as experts in the art and science of teaching and learning, is even more important today than it was 50 years ago. Therefore, joining DCCFA is a crucial means to remain engaged in the strategic direction of our District.

Thank you in advance for your membership.

Matt Hinckley, DCCFA President