Faculty Council Names Standing Committee Chairs; Adopts Strategic Approach to Advocate for Current Emerging Faculty Concerns in One College Environment

The DCCFA Faculty Council met via video conference Thursday, June 4, 2020, to inaugurate the new Council term and to discuss a number of pressing issues that faculty across the District have raised in recent days and hours. The June 4 meeting minutes are located at this link.

DCCFA Standing Committee Chairs Named

In order to take a strategic approach to issues that are shared by faculty at many or all of the seven colleges, and in accordance with the DCCFA Bylaws, the Council prioritized the naming of its members as ex officio chairs to the seven standing committees of the DCCFA, as follows:

Budget & Finance: Keith Baker (North Lake)

Communications: Wade Hyde (El Centro)

Convention Planning: Ryan Pettengill (Mountain View)

Instructional Goals and Academic Freedom: Jennifer Hudson-Allen (Brookhaven)

Membership: Tommy Thompson (Cedar Valley)

Political Information: Matt Hinckley (Eastfield)

Welfare and Benefits: Carlos Martinez (Richland)

The Council members all agreed to submit to the respective committee chairs, the names of the members from their respective campuses, who have been elected to serve on these seven DCCFA committees.

Council Approach to Instruction in the One College Model

In past years, the Faculty Council met monthly with the seven academic vice presidents, in a group called The Instructional Leadership Team (TILT). Over time TILT also included several District Office personnel who helped to manage curriculum and other instructional issues at the District level. In Spring 2020, the instructional vice presidents indicated they wished to disband TILT, as instruction for the combined Dallas College would soon be supported by a Provost supervising seven Vice Provosts, each of whom would support a “School of” organized around a particular Guided Pathway. The dissolving of TILT therefore has left a gap in the structural means by which the Council effectively can represent faculty interests in discussions about instructional matters across the District. Consequently, the Council today agreed that it intends to establish a precedent to meet with the current Interim Provost, Dr. Linda Braddy, and continue that practice when the new Provost is named. President Ryan Pettengill agreed to take the initiative to that effect. In the meantime, though, the Council is aware of the numerous issues and concerns that are being raised by our members all across the District.

Enrollment Management Practices

The Council agrees that it supports a District-wide approach to enrollment management practices, particularly during a time when we are all teaching online and campus distinctions are, by necessity, in many cases becoming less apparent. However, the Council also believes that “one size fits all” approaches are not appropriate. For instance, the Council takes very seriously faculty concerns over decisions that are being made to combine sections, stack/bundle sections (or not), and/or cancel and move students to sections offered by other instructors at other campuses. The Council also agrees that not all academic disciplines – or even courses within a given discipline – should have the same enrollment thresholds to “make.” Certain courses in certain disciplines, such as studio art courses, some journalism courses, private music lessons, and co-ops and internships, among many others, need to be handled more like many CTE courses, where individualized instruction is the foundation of the particular student experience. In addition, different courses in various CTE disciplines also are different, where lab safety and industry accreditation concerns must prevail. Likewise, developmental studies and ESOL courses must consider that students need additional individual attention. In all cases, therefore, the Council maintains that faculty subject matter experts must be consulted before deans or the current academic vice presidents, make unilateral decisions to cancel or combine sections.

Because these enrollment management decisions are being made absent faculty subject matter expert input in many programs and disciplines across the District, the Council agreed to address this on a District-wide, systemic basis. First, President Ryan Pettengill intends to engage with District senior leadership to make the case for additional faculty empowerment in enrollment management decisions. Second, the entire Council will press these concerns when we next meet with the Chancellor on June 12. Third, the two Council members on the Rapid Response Team, Carlos Martinez and Wade Hyde, will continue to articulate these concerns with the Provost during the numerous times the RRT meets each week.

Working across the District with Colleagues in our Disciplines

The Council agrees that, along with enrollment management decisions, many other issues require the attention of faculty subject matter experts. As such, the Council strongly advises all DCCCD faculty – not just the individual campus curriculum committee reps, but all faculty in a given program or discipline – to engage with their colleagues in the same discipline/program at the other campuses. There are many issues where consistency and uniformity is appropriate, and in those cases the Council believes the faculty subject matter experts must make those determinations. At the same time, there are instances where the same course is used by different programs at different campuses serving different cohorts of students to be trained for different jobs or careers in different industries. Again, in those cases, it is faculty subject matter experts who need to articulate the reasons for those differences. The greater the cooperation and agreement within disciplines and programs across the District, the easier it is for the Faculty Council to represent those interests broadly when we advocate on our members’ collective behalf.

Faculty Professional Development

The Council agrees with previous work done by previous Councils, specifically, that faculty professional development is, first, separate and different from training required by federal, state, or local laws (such as FERPA, ADA, Title IX, etc.), and second, consists of two broad categories: advancing pedagogy and/or advancing or maintaining subject matter expertise and/or professional certification or licensure. The Council also agrees with the principle that professional development that improves us as teachers and/or advances our subject matter expertise, ought to count toward advancement on the faculty salary range scale, from Range 1 to 2 and from Range 2 to 3. The Council intends to continue to make these arguments as task forces and advisory committees are formed regarding faculty professional development.

Dual Credit

The Council also agrees that a District-wide, systemic approach is needed to deal with Dual Credit issues and concerns, in keeping with the recommendations issued in the faculty-generated Dual Credit Report that the Council delivered to Dr. May earlier this year. Until all dual credit operations and reporting relationships are centralized under one leader at District Office, we anticipate that issues and concerns will continue to arise. Consequently, the Council agreed that Jennifer Hudson-Allen, who both will chair the DCCFA Instructional Goals and Academic Freedom Committee and also serves on numerous District-wide dual credit committees, would represent the Council in advancing faculty concerns about Dual Credit at the District level. As such, Jennifer is representing emerging faculty concerns regarding the “dual credit facilitators” that have been requested to be added to many summer courses. Jennifer will investigate this particular request in more detail and report back to the Council.

Committee and Task Force Membership

The Council discussed the ongoing concern that many faculty feel they are being left out of conversations that are culminating in decisions that affect teaching and learning. Many faculty have expertise in particular areas, often outside of their teaching field, and are willing to help the District advance our shared interest in these areas. Recognizing that the District is moving at a quicker pace than even in recent years, and especially compared to a decade ago, the Council agreed to prepare and maintain a shared spreadsheet of areas where we anticipate work needing to be done, and within each a list of faculty who have particular experiences or expertise in those areas. Therefore, the Council encourages members who have an interest in a particular area, to reach out to their respective faculty association president, to say, “I’d like to serve on a task force or committee that might be formed on (this issue).”

Communications

The Council also discussed the desire for all faculty at all campuses to have equal access to information. Consequently, the Council agreed that, while Jennifer Hudson-Allen would take Council meeting minutes in her capacity as Secretary, and while Wade Hyde would take the lead on overall Communications strategies as the chair of the DCCFA Communications committee, Matt Hinckley would take the lead in writing posts to publish to the Advance Blog, that the respective Council members could also separately send to their members via email. Until a new DCCFA.org web site is published, and as faculty still become accustomed to the Faculty One Stop site on SharePoint, the Advance Blog will be the primary means by which the Council broadly communicates its work with the membership at large.

What's Ahead

The Council next plans to meet at 12 noon Friday, June 12, before its monthly meeting with Chancellor May at 2 p.m. The Council also remains in constant contact with one another via email and group text messaging, ensuring that we are able to respond as quickly and thoroughly as possible to emerging concerns, while leveraging and sharing the diverse array of expertise, experiences, and interests that each of us individually brings to the Council.

2020-2021 Faculty Council Takes Office; New Officers Elected

The 2020-2021 Dallas Community College Faculty Association (DCCFA) Faculty Council assumed office on Monday, June 1, 2020.

Composition:
The Faculty Council consists of the Faculty Association Presidents elected from the seven campuses of the Dallas County Community College District. Five members are continuing, and two members are rotating on to succeed two others who are rotating off, as follows:

Brookhaven College: Jennifer Hudson-Allen, elected to a two-year term in 2020, succeeding Scott Sires

Cedar Valley College: Tommy Thompson, continuing, elected to a two-year term in 2019

El Centro College: Wade Hyde, continuing, elected to a two-year term in 2019

Eastfield College: Matt Hinckley, elected to a two-year term in 2020, succeeding Liz Nichols

Mountain View College: Ryan Pettengill, continuing, elected to a second two-year term in 2020

North Lake College: Keith Baker, continuing, elected to a two year term in 2019

Richland College: Carlos Martinez, continuing, elected to a second two-year term in 2020

New Officers:
The newly-seated Council met Monday morning, June 1, to elect new officers. The following officers were elected:

Ryan Pettengill, President

Tommy Thompson, Vice President

Jennifer Hudson-Allen, Secretary

Keith Baker, Treasurer

The entire Council looks forward to representing faculty interests at the District level during our consolidation into One College, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Newly-seated Faculty Council elects officers

As reported in this post from May 8, the 2018-2019 Faculty Council consists of:

Scott Sires, Brookhaven College
Shaun Gilligan, Cedar Valley College
Stacey Jurhree, Eastfield College
Pam Crawford, El Centro College
Ryan Pettengill, Mountain View College
Brett Dyer, North Lake College
Carlos Martinez, Richland College

The seven members of the DCCFA Faculty Council met Tuesday, June 5, to elect officers.

Shaun Gilligan was elected DCCFA President.

Pam Crawford was elected DCCFA Vice President.

Ryan Pettengill was elected DCCFA Secretary.

Brett Dyer was elected DCCFA Treasurer.

The new Council will designate a member to be responsible for writing and editing future posts to the Advance Blog.

Four DCCFA College Chapters Elect New Presidents; New Faculty Council to Take Office June 1

Every two years, each DCCFA College Chapter elects its officers, including presidents. Cedar Valley, El Centro, and North Lake elect their officers in odd numbered years. Brookhaven, Eastfield, Mountain View, and Richland elect their officers in even-numbered years.

The official transition happens on June 1 of each year. Elections of DCCFA Officers and Standing Committee Chairs typically takes place immediately prior to the June DCCCD Board of Trustees meeting. That transition meeting and officer election will take place this year on Tuesday, June 5.

The Brookhaven College Faculty Association has elected Scott Sires to succeed Bill Hammershlag as BHCFA president.

The Eastfield College Faculty Association has elected Stacey Jurhree to succeed Matt Hinckley as EFCFA president.

The Mountain View College Faculty Association has elected Ryan Pettengill to succeed Margo Silva as MVCFA president.

The Richland College Faculty Association has elected Carlos Martinez to succeed Matt Henry as RLCFA president.

Continuing their service on the DCCFA Faculty Council are Shaun Gilligan from Cedar Valley, Pam Crawford from El Centro, and Brett Dyer from North Lake.

Faculty Council working with District Talent Development to offer new “Academic Dean Academy”

For several years, the Faculty Council has encouraged Chancellor May and other District officials to re-inaugurate a “dean training academy,” given the ongoing turnover in the instructional dean positions at some colleges, as well as the increasing number of retirements or promotions of experienced deans at other colleges.

The Council is pleased to report that District Talent Development has heard our concerns, and following a May 2017 Compression Planning session on the topic, in recent weeks has invited DCCFA President Bill Hammerschlag, in consultation with the Faculty Council, to be involved in the writing of a training curriculum for new and prospective instructional deans.

It is envisioned that the training program, titled "Academic Dean Academy," will include elements from the “Instructional Administration Career Institute” program that the District offered some years ago, including and especially training in how properly to conduct the faculty evaluation process.

DCCFA members who wish to provide input are encouraged to contact their respective college faculty association president.

DCCFA Legal Assistance Philosophy and Statement of Purpose

Note: This statement of DCCFA Legal Assistance Philosophy and Statement of Purposes was updated April 4, 2017. More information on DCCFA Legal Assistance can be found on the Legal Assistance page on the DCCFA web site.

The DCCFA is committed to the principles of academic freedom and the right of due process in the settlement of any dispute. If any member of the DCCFA feels that he or she has been dealt with in an unlawful or unfair manner, the member will be provided access to the best information available concerning available avenues for assistance. It continues to be the expressed intent of the DCCFA to provide counsel and assistance to the membership to help work toward a reconciliation of any dispute and to do so (if possible) in a non-adversarial manner. 

Although most disputes can and should be settled with simple collaboration and thoughtful conversation, it is sometimes necessary to seek other remedies. In matters that involve contractual disputes or academic freedom, full time faculty may request—through the Faculty Council—legal counsel and possible representation for unresolved issues. Payment for these services will come from the DCCFA legal defense fund as specified by our Constitution.

When legal assistance is requested it begins with the Faculty Council’s review of the dispute to determine appropriate actions. If it is approved for further consideration, outside legal counsel will be asked to review the details and will probably want to schedule a visit with the faculty member. The attorney will recommend to the Council a course of action.

During the forty-year history of the DCCFA there have been numerous disputes and grievances-- which is not surprising for system as large as the DCCCD. Given the finite resources of the organization it is important that all pertinent information be considered in a given case. It is also important that each member requesting assistance understands both the Association’s philosophy on legal assistance and the manner in which individual cases are evaluated and processed. Most grievance cases can—and should—be resolved without resorting to formal legal action. The Faculty Council has long assisted in these efforts by serving as a detached, “third party” to resolve disputes and to assist all concerned in establishing the facts, clarifying legal principles, generally accepted practices, and offering informal advice regarding possible resolution of issues in conflict. The faculty member should realize, however, that many grievance cases involve issues, which may be seen as unfair or unreasonable, but are not unlawful. The Faculty Council will rely on legal counsel for recommendations for further action on these issues. 

The DCCFA has earned a reputation for fairness, discretion, and effectiveness in assisting its members in grievance matters. Consistent with the philosophy and procedures outlined above, the Association stands ready to provide its members with informed counsel and advice about their specific circumstances while maintaining needed discretion and helping to safeguard the integrity of the academic process.

The necessary forms needed to request legal assistance are found on the DCCFA site which willalso detail the procedures which will be followed.

DCCFA Climate Survey Results Confirm Correlation between Salary Compression and Difficulty Improving Faculty Diversity

The DCCFA Biennial Climate Survey is administered to gauge faculty attitudes and perceptions on a wide variety of issues, including compensation. Starting in 2015, the Communications Committee of the DCCFA began conducting the survey in two parts. The first part, administered in the fall semester, would gauge faculty attitudes on specific issues identified as important by large numbers of faculty. This data helps the Faculty Council identify strategic priorities to advance throughout the academic year. The second part, administered in the spring semester, gauges faculty perceptions of the overall climate of the DCCCD.

Part One of the DCCFA Biennial Climate Survey was completed this fall. Special thanks go to long-time DCCFA member, Doug Keenan, who recently retired from Mountain View College, but graciously agreed to conduct the survey again from his home computer, as well as compile and aggregate the data, and produce reports to share with members.

DCCFA members are invited to peruse the overall Climate Survey results from faculty across the District, as well as those from each of the individual colleges: Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, El Centro, Eastfield, Mountain View, North Lake, and Richland.

After correlating and sorting the Climate Survey data by respondents’ demographic selections, the Faculty Council found that survey results largely confirm what we have learned anecdotally and historically about the extent to which salary compression is inextricably linked to the lack of ability of the DCCCD to retain faculty from diverse backgrounds.

Our recent efforts to improve entering faculty pay, establish milestone increases, and perform targeted recruitment of potential faculty will continue to pay dividends with even more diverse faculty hires in the coming years. However,  we are struggling to retain diverse faculty from historically underrepresented backgrounds because many of them can earn higher pay in industry or at other institutions. In other words, making a diverse hire now does not improve our diversity numbers if we lose an experienced faculty member from a diverse background to another employer.

Historical data supports this hypothesis. Despite significant efforts at all colleges to hire faculty from diverse backgrounds, an analysis of DCCCD Board meeting agendas and minutes since 2007 reveals that a disproportionate share of faculty resignations (not retirements, and not non-renewals of visiting scholars at several of the DCCCD colleges), are faculty from diverse, historically underrepresented backgrounds, in large measure because their DCCCD salaries have not kept pace with what they can earn with other employers. Indeed, a significant percentage of our diverse faculty fall within the large “middle” of career faculty hired between 1981 and 2012, who never will earn a 3-year milestone increase, who never benefited from step raises, and who increasingly are seeing their salaries surpassed by younger colleagues with equivalent credentials.

Data from the Fall 2017 Biennial Faculty Climate Survey, in which 420 full-time faculty participated, confirms the hypothesis that salary compression hinders efforts to retain faculty from historically underrepresented backgrounds, and thus keeps the District from diversifying its faculty ranks.

Faculty first were asked to respond to demographic sorting questions, such as sex/gender, race/ethnicity, teaching area, and longevity. Then, they were asked to respond to a series of statements on a Likert scale. Some of the most relevant correlations are excerpted here:

On Question 21: “Lack of compensation adjustments to reflect my experience relative to the entering salary of faculty in my range makes me more likely to seek employment outside the DCCCD,”

53% of DCCCD faculty overall agreed or strongly agreed

56% of African-American faculty agreed or strongly agreed

50% of Hispanic/Latino faculty agreed or strongly agreed

64% of CTE faculty agreed or strongly agreed

51% of STEM faculty agreed or strongly agreed

On Question 27: “I rely on extra service teaching to make ends meet in my personal/household budget,”

73% of DCCCD faculty overall agreed or strongly agreed

77% of DCCCD faculty who teach extra service agreed or strongly agreed

73% of female faculty agreed or strongly agreed

71% of African-American faculty agreed or strongly agreed

76% of Hispanic/Latino faculty agreed or strongly agreed

76% of CTE faculty agreed or strongly agreed

68% of STEM faculty agreed or strongly agreed

The Faculty Council plans to share these findings with Chancellor May in the coming weeks, with a mind toward generating concrete recommendations to ameliorate salary compression in an effort to retain what diversity we have now, even as efforts are undertaken to continue to hire additional diverse faculty in forthcoming searches.