Dear Faculty,

Thank you for your patience as the Faculty Association fought hard these past four months to secure safer Fall 2021 working conditions for all faculty.  Negotiating the Fall 2021 “Return to Campus” has been an arduous but necessary journey.  When we first began negotiations, the District insisted upon a “100% open” return to campus for Fall 2021. The class schedule they built reflected the schedules of past, pre-COVID semesters with largely face-to-face classes filled at max normal closing numbers, and the work spaces and schedules of non-instructional faculty also reflected pre-COVID student service arrangements.  This is where the Faculty Association started, but it was not where we wanted to be — we all agreed that our faculty deserved better, safer working conditions.

Initially, we were able to secure the following terms for faculty in late July/early August (Fall Semester 2021 Return to Campus Agreement, dated 8/3/21):   

• The transitioning online of all courses formally approved for DE instruction;
• The capping of all courses that would be taught face-to-face at 50% room capacity;
• Vaccine mandate for all students and faculty, allowing for any medical and religious exemptions(vaccinations required by 9/30/21);
• Masking mandate for indoor spaces on campus;
• The right to ask students who refuse to comply with District-mandated safety requirements to leave the room or building;  
• Ability to participate in all institutional and professional activities and conduct all office hours in a remote format;
• Social distancing in the workspaces of all non-instructional faculty;
• A 4-day on-site work schedule for counselors, 50% of which student servicing could be performed remotely on-site;
• Limiting face-to-face student services provided by faculty to vaccinated students.  Vaccination status to be verified;
• The supplying of PPE for all faculty and students; 
• Proper sanitizing of all faculty workspaces;
• For part-time faculty, 8 advisement hours that are
  • Intended to provide students with additional support;
  • Completely optional;
  • If completed, completed in addition to required office hours; and 
  • Are paid hours.

As the Delta variant surged and COVID cases increased at alarming rates, more faculty began to express to us their concerns about a “business-as-usual” Fall 2021.  The Faculty Association sought input from all faculty (full-time and part-time, instructional and non-instructional), and met with our new Academic Senate leadership board to discuss our mutual concerns as well.  In particular, we were concerned with the District’s insistence that courses without a Form D could not be taught online and that emergency Form Ds could not be honored because the College was no longer in a state of emergency.  We were pleased when the Academic Senate Board, acting on the C&I Committee’s recommendation,  voted to extend the emergency Form D status of all courses previously taught under an emergency Form D to the Fall 2021 semester.  The Academic Senate’s actions gave us the ability to demand that the majority of remaining classes be moved online.  Thanks to the Academic Senate Board, we are stronger and SAFER together!  

We also returned to the bargaining table, once again vigorously advocating for a safer, more cautious, and equitable return to campus.  More recently, we were able to negotiate the following terms for faculty in addition to the previous terms above (Fall Semester 2021 Return to Campus Agreement – Non-Instructional Faculty, dated 8/30/21):

• A 4-day on-site work schedule for all non-instructional faculty (counselors, librarians, and all other non-instructional faculty), 50% of which student servicing could be performed remotely on-site;
• Until 9/30/21, students will be required to show District-trained personnel approval for face-to-face student services via the Qualtrix app;
• In the library, the District will ensure building capacity of 50 percent occupancy rates.
• Additional compensation for proof of vaccination status:  All faculty (teaching face-to-face or online, full-time, part-time, instructional, and non-instructional) will receive $500 for uploading proof of full vaccination by September 30, 2021. Sequential submissions of full vaccination after September 30, 2021 will be reduced monthly by $200.
• Additional compensation for face-to-face instruction or face-to-face service to students: 

• All instructional faculty (full-time and part-time) who teach face-to-face classes will be compensated an additional $50 per day and
• All non-instructional faculty (full-time and part-time) who serve students face-to-face in a counseling, library, or other non-instructional capacity will be compensated an additional $50 per day.

Please visit pccfacultyassociation.org to read the “Fall Semester 2021 Return to Campus” agreements.  Stay tuned for more news from the Faculty Association.  We appreciate your support and the continued opportunity to advocate on your behalf.  

Sincerely,

The Faculty Association