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FACULTY RIGHTS |
Board of Regents to consider weakening faculty rights |
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When the Board of Regents meet for their quarterly meeting in Elko next week, they will discuss two proposals that could significantly impact faculty members. One would restrict the ability of collective bargaining campuses, like TMCC, to negotiate on a multitude of issues, while another may lead to policies making it easier to dismiss tenured faculty. |
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COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS Chancellor, Matt McNair has submitted a proposal that, according to the briefing paper, may be the first of several designed to revise Title 4 Chapter 4 of the Board of Regents Handbook, which governs collective bargaining rights for faculty in Nevada.
Despite repeated efforts by the NFA over the past four years to encourage the Regents to revise Title 4, Chapter 4—which has remained largely untouched for three decades—NSHE has persistently blocked the effort. Now, however, the Board seems open to considering these proposed changes requested by Board leadership, even though they currently sidestep the outdated language in the policy. In addition to clarifying the authority of campus presidents in the collective bargaining process, this proposal would effectively block implementation of any newly negotiated contract provisions exceeding $2,000 in cost, unless and until the legislature allocates additional funding to NSHE’s budget. Potentially, this change inserts the Legislature into the collective bargaining process, strips campus president's of their budgetary authority over these issues, creates impossible operational burdens, and ignores the fact that our institutions have funding sources that are not appropriated by the Legislature.
POST-TENURE REVIEW The Regents are also set to explore the possibility of changing post-tenure policies in Title 2 Chapter 5 of the Handbook. Although all faculty in NSHE are already subject to post-tenure review through evaluations, observations, etc., this discussion comes at the behest of newly-elected Board Chair Byron Brooks. The agenda item includes no specific proposals to change existing policies, but it is the first step in a process that could significantly undermine the protections afforded tenured faculty across Nevada. Since the policies are part of the Handbook's Title 2, otherwise known as "the Code," any proposal will require at least two full readings and debates at Board meetings before a vote can be taken.
TAKE ACTION Although it doesn't always work, faculty activism has succeeded in the past to prevent the Regents from adopting harmful policies, and it's our best option now. Here is what you can do:
READ MORE>> |
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SHARED GOVERNANCE |
Proposed President's Council takes steps toward restoring shared governance |
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In his first kick-off address to the campus as TMCC's new president, Dr. Jeff Alexander announced the planned formation of a President's Council to replace the existing President's Cabinet and President's Planning Council. TMCC-NFA endorses President Alexander's proposal as his plan will more fully embrace the principle of shared governance, especially when compared to the existing structure that only pays lip service to it.
Besides a representative chosen by NFA, the President has given assurances that the new Council will include additional faculty representatives who will be chosen by their peers rather than hand-picked by the administration. Agendas for the meeting will be published well in advanced, made available to the campus community, and the meetings will include space for campus members to attend as spectators. It will be more action-oriented and limit the amount of repetitious committee reports that bogged down discussion and dissuaded action in the Planning Council. Unfortunately, the new Council will still meet on the third Monday of every month from 9:00 to 11:00 AM, making it difficult for many teaching faculty to participate.
Establishing the President's Council requires two readings of the Planning Council to change campus policy, but the new Council may be operational as early as October or November. |
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PAUL DAVIS TO REPRESENT NFA ON PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL Long-time TMCC Political Science professor, Paul Davis, PhD, has accepted the role as NFA's representative on the President's Council once it is established. With more than three decades of service to the college, Paul is TMCC's most senior academic faculty member. He is a long-standing and outspoken supporter of faculty rights. His seniority and experience affords him the privilege of freely speaking truth to power. |
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COLLECTIVE BARGAINING |
Negotiations for a new TMCC-NFA contract underway in an uncertain environment |
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Teams from the NFA and the college administration have met at the bargaining table twice since the new academic year began to get the ball rolling on negotiations for a new TMCC-NFA contract. The current contract expires on June 30, 2026. The first two meetings focused on organizing the process for reviewing the contract, collecting data, and identifying areas to be considered for revision. |
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Top priorities for NFA in this round of negotiations will include a much-needed update to Article 10 defining the role and compensation of department chairs, refining processes in the contract that cover academic instructional faculty but neglected to include non-instructional and administrative faculty, and the administration of additional assignments.
Topics the administrative team wish to discuss include resetting the deadlines in the annual faculty evaluation process, mandating training for online instruction, and clarifying the roles of Academic Program Coordinators versus Academic Program Directors.
Although the initial meetings have been productive, external factors may affect the negotiations. For the first time in NSHE's history, contract negotiations at every collective bargaining campus in the system - TMCC, CSN, WNC, and NSU - are either already underway or about to do so. At the same time, the Board of Regents will consider changing the policies that govern collective bargaining, undermining the principles of good-faith bargaining. TMCC-NFA has sent a letter to TMCC President Jeff Alexander urging him to convey these concerns to the Regents and advocate for a more collaborative approach that will allow our negotiations to proceed without the potential of NSHE moving the goalposts mid-process.
READ MORE>> Regents Look to Change the Rules of Collective Bargaining Amid Negotiations with Four Institutions |
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MEMBERSHIP |
Volunteers sought for Membership committee to help organize chapter activities |
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The newly-minted chair of TMCC-NFA's Membership Committee, Joe Sanpietro, is setting lofty goals, but first needs an actual committee staffed with members who will organize those efforts. We are seeking volunteers to help with important tasks like visiting new faculty members, planning social gatherings, and purchasing SWAG. |
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Please let Joe know if you want to help promote NFA membership to your colleagues. We know nothing attracts new members better than recommendations from their friends and coworkers. You can reach Joe at profsanpietro@gmail.com. |
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LEGAL DEFENSE |
Dispute assistance form online for members to seek NFA help with workplace issues |
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A new Dispute Assistance Request form is now online and available for members to reach out to NFA officers for help with workplace issues. The form not only channels requests to the proper individuals, it asks members to describe the nature of their dispute in a narrative format that helps us evaluate the best course of action. |
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TMCC-NFA Officers Jim New, President Amy Cavanaugh, Secretary Dan Hooper, Treasurer Cheryl Cardoza, Past President |
