CCFF Holds Equity Week for Faculty Fairness

"Equal pay for equal work" was the most repeated phrase at last Wednesday's Cerritos College Faculty Federation (CCFF) Campus Equity Week event.

Campus Equity Week is an event hosted in many colleges to bring awareness to faculty and students regarding the state of part-time faculty treatment, and how this differs from full-time faculty.

A documentary video titled "Teachers in Wheelchairs" explained some of the basic facts of part-time faculty treatment and disadvantages. David Fabish, English professor, and president of CCFF was present at the screening.

"This is a matter that must be addressed," Fabish explained, "Until I became a full-time instructor did I realize how insulting I had been treated, when some faculty had not even noticed my 'existence' here on campus, after being a part-time instructor for five years,"

After the documentary video, which lasted a little more than 30 minutes, an instructional "question and answer" seminar was held, in which members of the CCFF explained to those present what they are trying to accomplish and why.

Some of the facts mentioned included how part-time faculty at Cerritos College is not compensated for office hours, lack academic freedom when addressing controversial issues in classes due to fear of punishment, do not receive health benefits, and get paid $20 to $30 less per hour than other part-time faculty at neighboring campuses.

Part-time faculty only gets paid for "working hours," not "assessment and preparation hours."

Furthermore, many professors call it quits after two years of teaching as part-time faculty simply because they can't make ends meet.

Either this, or some part-time faculty needs to work at an average of five different institutions.

Fabish added, "These are professionals dedicating their lives to a career of service. Give them the same benefits, because they're doing the same job.

"I honestly had no idea about what's happening here on campus," Stephanie Garcia, psychology major, said, "I didn't know they (part-time faculty) don't have offices where they can meet students, or what's worse, they lack health benefits."

Garcia added, "I didn't know our part-time faculty here at Cerritos College is being exploited."

Fabish encouraged part-time faculty to stand up for itself and support union actions and activities.

"If you don't fight with your colleagues, this injustice will continue," he said.

Also, students were encouraged to make a statement "as students," since students cannot get fired for "speaking up."

"Don't let them speak for you," Fabish said, "faculty and students have to understand that 'part-time faculty' does not refer to a professor being a full-time instructor at one institution and part-time at another."

Fabish added "No, part-time faculty is precisely that: part-time faculty."

CCFF is trying to negotiate its first contract with the Board of Trustees at Cerritos College, which would include maintaining the "Peer Evaluation" process as it is.

Currently, when an instructor is evaluated he chooses two administrators to evaluate him.

The Board of Trustees wants to change this by having the administration choose who will evaluate the instructor, to avoid biases, since faculty can have "buddies" evaluating him.

Moreover, CCFF is asking that dedicated part-time faculty be entitled to "Careful Consideration" when re-applying to work in successive semesters; this would not serve as a guarantee of future employment, rather a promise to evaluate the instructor's application fairly.

The next CCFF event will be a Teach-In on Nov. 15 in Falcon Square.

The original article may be found at: Talon Marks.

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