Good Morning.

Thank you for allowing me to give testimony here in front of your Policy Education Committee today.

My name is John Martin and I teach at two different rural community college districts: Butte College (since 1994) and Shasta College (since 1999).  I’m also the Chair of the California Part-time Faculty Association, or CPFA. We strive to be a leader on part-time faculty issues on behalf of the tens of thousands of part-time faculty which constitute the majority of faculty who teach across the state’s largest community college system in the world. Our motto is to educate, advocate and legislate, and I’m here today to briefly discuss our bill, AB 2277.

Before I begin, a bit of history here: CPFA was successful in 2008 when legislators approved the AB 591 bill that raised the workload cap from 60% to 67%. We wanted 80%, but we had to settle for a compromise, which resulted in the current 67% level. It’s important to note, that during this legislative cycle, we heard from naysayers that raising the cap to 67% would jeopardize the 72 districts’ ability to manage its dedicated and passionate part-time employees, and that it would cost the state millions of dollars. Since then, districts have continued to retain instructors and now offer more sections because of 67% law with no ill effect and clearly without millions of dollars. The naysayers were wrong then and they are wrong now.   

AB 2277, is an incremental step to improve the livelihood for part-time faculty. If passed, part-time instructors MAY have a chance to teach up to 80-85%. I say MAY because part-timer faculty will still retain their right of first refusal. MORE IMPORTANTLY, each and every district WILL maintain their right of assignments. Period.

This bill will require districts and their exclusive bargaining units to negotiate to determine how this will work and thus this bill will still maintain its “local control.” I say this because, I’ve been told too many times, that “local control” is the foundation for every district, and without question, this bill WILL maintain that.

If passed, part-time faculty, in particular, S.T.E.M. instructors, and especially rural districts which are vulnerable, will be able teach another section of chemistry, physics or math and more importantly, these instructors will be able to stay on campus longer to work with their students instead of driving off to another district. If districts are wise, they will see the benefits in this new cap as it will enhance their students’ success and at the same time, ensure instructors will be able to continue to interact with their students, just like they have with their full-time colleagues.

Since COVID, districts with shaky enrollments have been noted throughout the state. This bill will allow for more section offerings to be taught by existing part-time faculty and it is important that districts will NOT have to go out to recruit and hire new part-time faculty. Thus more students will be able to take these new course offerings without depending on a hiring process that will cost money and time. This is the key for this bill: flexibility and local control.

Both full-time and part-time faculty are critical in creating an environment that fosters student success. Increasing the workload for part-time professors will help ensure students have better access to their professors and will improve quality of life for part-time faculty.

It’s a win-win proposition for everyone.

Thank you.