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NFA State Board endorses Question 1
Following a vigorous discussion, the State Board of the Nevada Faculty Alliance has voted to endorse Question 1, the ballot initiative that will remove the Board of Regents' status in the Nevada Constitution if passed by voters in November.
The State Board did not make the decision lightly. We understand that by taking this position we now have an obligation to ensure that our constituents receive the most accurate information possible, free from exaggerated promises or dire predictions.
Based on our conversations with legislative leaders, we feel confident that the Board of Regents would continue to govern but with greater oversight by the legislature, especially into fiscal management. We have received assurances that any other modifications to the structure of higher education in Nevada will occur only after deliberate and comprehensive studies are conducted into best practices, and that faculty will play a significant role in the entire process. |
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Regardless of the outcome, the NFA will always work to safeguard our rights of academic freedom and shared governance. But, should Question 1 pass, we will continue to support a centralized governing body and administration. We would also support institutional boards of trustees that report to the governing board, and we will continue to be vocal advocates of policies and laws that prevent ideological interference, weaken tenure protections, or undermine diversity.
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NFA State Board Statement to members on Question 1 |
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Additional candidate endorsements announced
As the election season enters the home stretch, the NFA Political Action Committee has announced its final round of endorsements. John Steinbeck, a Republican candidate in Senate District 18 is the last endorsement in legislative races. For the Board of Education, the PAC endorses Tricia Braxton in District 1 and Paul Davis, a TMCC-NFA member, in District 2.
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NFA 2024 Candidate Endorsements |
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NFA vows to fight all attempts to weaken tenure protections of faculty
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In the closing moments* of the September 6th Board of Regents meeting, Regent Byron Brooks asked for future Board agendas to include revisions of post-tenure review tied to effective teaching, and policies governing termination of tenured faculty. As a confirmed advocate for the ideological Martin Center for Higher Education Renewal, Brooks is likely to propose restrictive policies like those in Florida, Texas, and North Carolina. |
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NSHE policies already provide for the annual evaluation of all faculty through the shared governance process with provisions for termination for unsatisfactory reviews. We fear, however, that Brooks seeks to dramatically weaken many protections of academic freedom in the review standards.
For example, with the help of the Martin Center, politicians in Florida sought to link the newly-adopted post-tenure review and termination policies to aggressive ideologically driven laws, such as the Stop Woke Act, which would have prohibited instruction on anything that the politicians deem to be "ideological indoctrination." Fortunately, a federal judge blocked implementation of the Stop Woke Act, but even without it, dozens of professors have already either been terminated or placed on notice. If an appeal succeeds in overturning the ruling, thousands of faculty will be subjected to an ideological litmus test in their post-tenure reviews. They will either have to comply by aligning their curriculum to the desires of the ruling political party, or face termination.
The Nevada Faculty Alliance will vigorously defend these protections from any attempts to weaken them or inject ideological perspectives, but it won't be enough if members of the Board of Regents don't hear and see a broad cross section of the faculty population rising up in opposition.
Complacency is not an option.
Please contact your Regent and strenuously object to any attempts to undo these hard-fought rights. Plan to attend upcoming Board of Regents meetings and speak up during public comment periods. The next meeting will be Tuesday, October 1st. You can make a public comment at the System Offices in Las Vegas and Reno, or at GBC in Elko. Some arguments for preserving and strengthening tenure in NSHE institutions are in the article linked below.
READ MORE >> Defending Tenure in Higher Education |
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NFA joins IDEA Council and community leaders to defend principles of DEI
Shortly after Regent Byron Brooks asked during the New Business discussion at the September 6 Board of Regents meeting for a future agenda item to "sunset the IDEA Committee," faculty-led councils, community groups, and the Nevada Faculty Alliance collaborated on a joint statement to oppose any efforts to weaken diversity, equity, and inclusion services or instruction in NSHE institutions. The NFA urges members of the Board to resolutely reject this effort.
Over the past several months, multiple members of the Board have generated controversy for public comments, tweets, and policy proposals that demonstrate an alarming lack of sensitivity for DEI issues. Whether it is transphobic policy suggestions disguised as concern for female athletes, misinformed and insensitive tweets questioning the authenticity of a person's racial identity, or wasting the Board's time on non-existent issues, these Board members alienate and demean entire populations of students and employees while critical issues go unaddressed, as NFA Past President Kent Ervin so effectively pointed out to the Board.
The NFA applauds Chair Amy Carvalho for her renewed promise to arrange diversity, equity, and inclusion training for the Board. We are hopeful that it helps the Regents understand the importance of DEI and embrace its principles, but our optimism is guarded.
READ MORE >>
Regents' discussion of Title IX revisions rife with transphobia
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CSN-NFA files breach of contract lawsuit over faculty summer compensation
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On August 22nd, the CSN chapter of the Nevada Faculty Alliance filed a lawsuit against the College of Southern Nevada and the Nevada System of Higher Education for breach of contract and bad faith based on the underpayment of faculty teaching summer classes. |
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According to CSN-NFA officers, the institution chose to disregard provisions in Article 8 of their 2022-2025 collective bargaining agreement which establishes the pay rate for summer classes taught by full-time faculty. The rate is based on an instructor's base pay and number of instructional units, with per-student adjustments to accommodate smaller classes.
The suit alleges that during the summer sessions in 2023 and 2024, the CSN administration arbitrarily canceled classes outside of institutional policy, chose to pay faculty at a lower rate than the one stipulated by the contract, and hindered students' ability to complete coursework in the summer.
According to CSN-NFA, the per-student rate was proposed by the CSN administration during negotiations in March 2022 and was part of every draft of the agreement prior to its final approval. In May 2023, however, the CSN administration made it clear that they refused to implement the provisions of Article 8.
Despite CSN-NFA's multiple attempts to resolve the issue over the last year, through requests for renegotiation, grievances, and unsuccessful mediation, the CSN administration has refused to engage with the chapter on the issue. With other options exhausted, the NFA filed the lawsuit seeking enforcement of the contractual pay rates and damages for affected faculty. |
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AFT President Randi Weingarten, is joined by Doug Unger, UNLV-NFA; Staci Walters, CSN-NFA; and Shantal Marshall, NSU-NFA; in Henderson on September 15 as part of the AFT's national bus tour to get out the vote. Dozens of NFA members participated in neighborhood canvasing in the Las Vegas metro area. |
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MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT
Don't be taken by surprise at the ballot box. Verify that your voter registration is valid and please encourage your students to do it, too. The future of higher education in Nevada is on the ballot. |
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* NOTE: The link to the September 6th Board of Regents meeting is from the live stream. This video will eventually be taken down and replaced by an official video with corrected close captioning. It is possible the link will not work. |
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