- COLLECTIVE BARGAINING -

TMCC‑NFA is advocating for a straightforward safeguard in the next contract:

• Faculty can appeal administrative decisions that could affect performance evaluations.
• When a decision may impact an evaluation, the administration must provide the original student complaint as part of that decision to aid in preparation of the faculty member’s appeal.

So far, the administration has rejected our proposal without offering a counterproposal, arguing current policy is sufficient and that sharing complaints could risk confidentiality. However, the policy encourages students to address issues directly with faculty first—meaning confidentiality is often moot once the issue is raised. Worse, a loophole allows students to bypass informal resolution, enabling “surprise” complaints that can be misused to pressure instructors.

Current policy outlines how students may appeal, but provides no parallel avenue for faculty. And policies can be changed unilaterally; contracts cannot—they require mutual agreement.

Student complaints can influence performance evaluations and job security. Faculty deserve to see what they’re accused of and have a fair, consistent process to respond—protected in the contract, not left to shifting policy. We urge instructional faculty to contact TMCC administrators, especially President Alexander, and let them know that you support adding due process protections regarding student complaints in the TMCC-NFA contract.

This is not an issue to “fix later.” It is a hill to die on in negotiations.

READ MOVE >>

• Student Complaint Transparency Matters

- BENEFITS -

The Nevada Faculty Alliance is alerting members and lawmakers to a rapidly escalating financial crisis within the Public Employees’ Benefits Program (PEBP). In a February 8th letter, NFA is urging its members to take action. 

Current actuarial reports show the PEBP's reserves are tens of millions below required levels, placing PEBP at risk of potential insolvency as early as FY2028 if no corrective action is taken.

In testimony submitted to the Interim Retirement and Benefits Committee on January 27, NFA highlighted that restoring required reserves in a single year could necessitate an unprecedented 84% premium increase—an option recently placed before the PEBP Board. At its January 20 meeting, the Board acknowledged a $45 million reserve shortfall and postponed any decision on drastic premium hikes until a special meeting on February 18.

NFA is calling for a multi year strategy to rebuild reserves, increased state contributions, and protections against further cost-shifting to employees. The organization also emphasizes that benefit cuts already approved for FY2027—including higher deductibles and out of pocket maximums—will add an estimated $5 million in participant costs next year, disproportionately harming lower income employees and those with significant medical needs.

Members are urged to take action before the Board’s deliberations by submitting public comment, calling in, or participating via Zoom at the February 18 meeting.

READ MORE >>

• NFA Calls on Members to Respond to PEBP Crisis

- GOVERNANCE -

All TMCC‑NFA Chapter officer terms conclude on June 30, and the chapter will soon begin the process of electing new leadership. The four elected positions—president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer—are open to all members in good standing. Current Chapter President Jim New has reached his term limit and is not eligible to run again.

In April, members will receive an email with a link to submit nominations. After nominations are collected and verified, a secure ElectionBuddy ballot will be sent to all members to cast their votes.

Newly elected officers will begin their terms on July 1 and will serve through June 30, 2028. Outgoing officers will continue to support the new leadership team for at least one year to ensure a smooth transition.

If you’re considering running or would like more information about the election process, please reach out to any current TMCC‑NFA officer.

- SHARED GOVERNANCE -

Jennifer Salisbury, TMCC-NFA’s representative on the President’s Council, provided a summary of key discussions from the January 26 meeting.

The Nevada Board of Regents approved an increase to registration fees as outlined in the recent board meeting materials. The Council also received a technology update from TMCC’s Chief Technology Officer, who reported issues stemming from the use of non-Adobe PDF viewers. Several staff and faculty members inadvertently downloaded malware through alternative applications, prompting renewed emphasis on using approved software.

The Council spent time reviewing both the All Student Survey and the Campus Climate Survey. Additionally, the Professional Standards Committee is in the process of revising the student course evaluation form, though this topic was only briefly mentioned.
A first read was conducted on the newly passed Missed Class Policy from the Faculty Senate.

Under new business, members discussed the growing need for a comprehensive AI policy and clearer institutional guidance. This topic, raised by Ron Martson, will continue at the February 23 meeting. Council members also noted that the NSHE Faculty Evaluation Work Group recently convened for the first time in response to concerns regarding the proposed post tenure evaluation process. More details are expected at upcoming Faculty Senate meetings.

- MEMBERSHIP -

Membership in TMCC-NFA has increased steadily over the last five years. Over 55% of academic faculty at the college are now dues-paying members of the chapter. We hope more of you who have been considering membership will join us. The online application form makes it very easy.

In our discussions with prospective members, however, we have learned that faculty frequently have similar questions or misconceptions, sometimes as the result of disinformation coming from some administrators.

Answers to a few of the most frequently cited concerns are below. For those of you who have lingering questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to one of your TMCC-NFA officers.

Concern #1:
I don't have time to join another committee.

TMCC-NFA is not a committee; it's a labor organization, and joining doesn't increase your on-the-job time commitment unless you want it to. Members are not required to do any committee work or attend frequent meetings. We hold two meetings or events each semester and encourage all members to attend, but it is not mandatory, and there is no penalty for not attending. As a member, you will get a few more email messages from TMCC-NFA than you get as a non-member, but the vast majority are informational. We do hope members spend a bit of time reviewing contract language proposals and provide input on issues that affect them. For those who do want more involvement, we have committee work, and of course, we encourage all members to consider running for one of the chapter offices.

Concern #2:
Tenure-track faculty put their tenure at risk by joining NFA

Not only is this not true, but it would be illegal if it were happening. The administration does not know who belongs to the NFA and who doesn't. The only people with access to our membership list are the chapter and NFA State Board officers, and we keep that information strictly confidential. All TMCC faculty enjoy the protections negotiated by TMCC-NFA, but members have added benefits, including access to legal advisors and guidance on what's permissible or prohibited under both the contract and institutional policies. We believe that membership in TMCC-NFA actually reduces risks for tenure-track faculty. We never ask non-tenured faculty to engage with the administration on contentious issues.

There is strength in numbers. That was evident when hundreds of NFA members responded to our call in 2023 to write letters to Regents, engage student leaders, and appear in person to speak in favor of COLA during the Public Comment portion of the Board of Regents meetings. That call to action was pivotal in securing the historic cost of living adjustments we are now enjoying. Now, NFA is leading the efforts to turn back efforts to weaken tenure rights and to find reasonable solutions to protect our health care benefits. We have a track record of getting results that benefit all faculty.

If you're not a member yet, we hope you will seriously consider joining. 

TMCC-NFA Officers

Jim New, President

Amy Cavanaugh, Secretary

Dan Hooper, Treasurer

Cheryl Cardoza, Past President