Our Mission: LCCEA engages in collective action to ensure an equitable learning and working environment and advocates for social justice and systemic change for the public good.
Contract Facts, brought to you by your Association
Personal Safety in the Classroom
What are faculty rights when a student is disruptive, threatening, or otherwise inappropriate?
Faculty members have the right to remove a student from their class for that class session.
What additional rights do faculty members have in serious, repeated cases of disruption?
Faculty members may request permanent removal of a disruptive or threatening student. In this situation, faculty members must submit a report on Maxient within 24 hours of removing the student.
How are students’ rights protected?
Academic Affairs and Student Services must conduct an investigation or hearing. The Administration will decide whether the student is permitted to return to class.
What other options do faculty have?
Faculty members may appeal to a committee that is composed of equal numbers of administrators, faculty, and students. If the student is returned to class as a result of the appeal, the faculty member will be offered a reasonable alternative instructional assignment.
Academic Freedom
Faculty members have a contractual right and a responsibility to protect freedom in the classroom in discussion and presentation of the subject matter. In addition, the US Constitution protects academic freedom as “a special concern of the First Amendment.”
Contract Facts is a periodic announcement about faculty rights and benefits. If you have contract questions or suggestions for topics, please email lccea@lanecc.edu
Please below a memo from LCCEF, LCCEA, and Student Government leaders regarding concerns about the proposed 2023-2024 budget.
To: Board of Education Members and Budget Committee Members
From: LCCEA, LCCEF and ASLCC
Re: Open Letter to the Lane Community: FY24 Proposed Budget Drains Ending Fund Balance
CC: Stephanie Bulger
Esteemed Members of the Board of Education and Budget Committee,
We are writing and speaking on a matter of public concern. We urge you to not approve the proposed 2023-2024 budget and to ask the Administration to present a new, fiscally responsible plan instead.
Unless there is an unanticipated, dramatic increase in student enrollment, the proposed budget will propel LCC into a serious fiscal crisis next year and necessitate major program and service eliminations.
The proposed budget document balances the budget by using $4,398,890 of the General Fund Ending Fund balance – well over half of the General Fund Ending Fund Balance. (See p. 38 of printed budget document/ p. 44 of electronic proposed budget document. ) According to the proposed budget, the General Fund Ending Fund balance will only have $3,435,560 at the end of FY24.
This plan is not consistent with Board Policy 245*, which requires a 10% reserve in the General Fund (i.e., Fund I). While on rare occasions, some of the ending fund balance has been used to balance the budget, the amounts have been considerably more conservative and only used when there are also sufficient reserves across all funds.
LCC just restored the General Fund Ending fund balance through careful, responsible budget planning over a three year period in accordance with BP 245. The proposed budget would not only wipe away the majority of the ending fund balance in Fund I, it would also take total reserves across all funds (not including Bond funds restricted for construction projects) down to a total of $9.6M – an amount lower than any year since 2007.
Other options are possible. For example, the Budget Development Subcommittee (BDS) passed budget balancing scenarios that would reduce the budgeted amounts for M & S (Materials & Services) by up to $1.7 Million from the projected FY24 amounts based on a thorough review of actual spending this year. Instead, the proposed budget increases M & S allocations for Funds I & IX by $1.4 Million to a total of more than $19 Million for M & S in these two funds. The BDS also passed budget balancing scenarios that would hold some of the 44 vacant positions from all employee categories open for next year, a typical strategy used to balance the budget.
In addition, LCCEA proposed the postponement of extra faculty positions that are not required by the contract to 2024-2025 to ensure more stability across years. The Administration declined this proposal, stating a preference to maintain management rights to add positions one year in order to make layoffs the next year noting that, “retrenchments allow the College to make structural adjustments in response to student needs.”
Instead of implementing reasonable cost containment measures, it appears that the Administration has created a proposed budget that entirely balances the budget by draining reserves at the alarming rate of more than half of the General Fund Ending Fund balance. While state funding will not reach what we collectively would like for the legislature to allocate, state funding is increasing by approximately 6% for the next biennium; tuition has been increased by 5% by the Board of Education, and property tax revenue will increase as well.
For all of these reasons, we have no confidence in the budget planned for FY24.
We urge you to not approve the proposed 2023-2024 budget and to ask the Administration to present a new, fiscally responsible plan instead. There is time for a new plan to be developed and approved before the end of June in accordance with Oregon Public Budget Law.
Voting to approve the proposed budget would thrust LCC into a serious fiscal crisis next year unless there is unanticipated, dramatic enrollment growth.
Our campus community and the people of Lane County whom you represent are counting on you to make fiscally responsible decisions.
Sincerely,
LCCEF Representatives:
Frankie Cocanour, LCCEF President and Classified Professional Buck Potter,LCCEF Vice President of Labor Relations, Classified Professional & BDS Member Dawn Rupp, LCCEF Grievance Officer, Classified Professional Colin Vurek, LCCEF Vice President of Organizing Fiora Starchild-Wolf, LCCEF COPE Officer and Classified Professional Marleena Pearson, LCCEF Communications Officer, Classified Professional Skye Nguyen, Membership Officer Classified Professional Mark Jordan, Chief Labor Delegate
LCCEA Representatives:
Adrienne Mitchell, LCCEA President and BDS member Aryn Bartley, LCCEA Secretary Marge Helzer, LCCEA Treasurer Christina Howard, LCCEA Vice President for Career Technical Faculty Peggy Oberstaller, LCCEA Vice President for Part-time Faculty Rosa Lopez, LCCEA Vice President At-Large Wendy Simmons, LCCEA Vice President for Learning Advancement Kate Sullivan, LCCEA Vice President for Transfer Faculty Gary Mort, faculty member & BDS Member
ASLCC Representatives:
Nikhar Ramlakhan, Lane SGA President Amaya Carricaburu, Lane SGA Vice-President Shoichiro Kamata, Lane SGA Senator Hina Tamura, Lane SGA Senator Ilhan Haniff, Lane SGA Senator Mussango Moneyang, Lane SGA Senator Ryuto Susumu, Lane SGA Senator Sawyer Smith, Lane SGA Senator Owen Robles, Lane SGA Senator
*Policy Number BP 245
Policy Category Budget and Finance
Policy Name Ending Fund Balance
Lane Community College shall maintain an unrestricted General Fund Ending Fund Balance equal to or greater than 10% of total expenditures and transfers.
The Ending Fund Balance target shall include the Unappropriated Ending Fund Balance (UEFB) as set by board policy BP 295. When the Ending Fund Balance falls to 9% or less, the college shall adopt a plan to replenish the Ending Fund Balance to 10% within three years. When the Ending Fund Balance exceeds 11%, balances in excess may be set aside for reserves or investment in one time expenditures.
If the total Ending Fund Balance (including restricted) falls to levels that require short-term borrowing, the levels set by this policy shall be automatically reviewed and adjusted as necessary.
I am writing with a few important, time sensitive updates for all faculty.
Contracted Faculty FTE and Implications for the Next Two Years
As reported in several LCCEA and faculty meetings, the College and LCCEA engaged in discussions regarding eight extra faculty positions that are required by a grievance settlement. These positions are in addition to the regular contractually required full-time faculty FTE. (Please note that there is no one-to-one correspondence between current faculty postings and these extra 8 positions nor the required contracted faculty FTE. )
Because the minimum faculty FTE is slated to decrease considerably in 2024-2025, postponing some of the extra positions from 23-24 to 24-25 would provide more continuity, stability in faculty FTE across the next two years and greater job security for both contracted and part-time faculty.
The Administration declined, reserving their rights to make retrenchments, noting, “retrenchments allow the College to make structural adjustments in response to student needs” even though postponing extra positions positions would result in savings, mitigate pressure on the budget, provide stability to programs across campus, and reduce the need for retrenchments and program cuts due to budgetary needs in the next two+ years.
In addition, the Administration declined all proposals to offer a retirement incentive this year – another fiscally responsible strategy which would have alleviated pressure from next year’s budget.
FY24 Budget
You likely recall a recent joint message from LCCEF, LCCEA, and Student Government citing concerns about the FY24 budget process. To date, (aside from the newly announced elimination of the health clinic), no information has been made available by the Administration about any plans for balancing the budget for next year even though the Board and its appointed Budget Committee are scheduled to have their first budget meeting next Wednesday, May 3 in accordance with Oregon public budget law. We remain deeply concerned about the lack of transparency as well as what could amount to effectively removing both campus stakeholders and the publicly elected Board of Education, who represent the people of Lane County, from any opportunities for meaningful input into the budget before the official (120+ page) budget document is drafted and presented for approval. This is unprecedented.
Planned Elimination of the Health Clinic
On Tuesday, Administrators informed the classified professionals and faculty working in the campus health clinic of their decision to close the clinic by or before the end of Fall term. While the meeting was taking place, the email to all campus went out with notification about the clinic and a note about “expanding” health services for students.
To be clear, the Administration stated that their plan is to permanently close the clinic and to explore the possibility of outsourcing with third-party companies to provide telehealth. The clinic does currently provide some services via telehealth and is ready to expand those services if allowed, and could break even or generate net revenue if, for instance, all credit students were assessed the clinic fee to access telehealth and/or in-person services, which could also be extended to non-credit students.
The process of administration notification about retrenchments (i.e., layoffs) has a specific timeline required by our faculty contract, which includes meeting(s) with LCCEA to discuss alternatives over a period of at least thirty days. This did not take place. Faculty working in the clinic and LCCEA representatives, along with classified professionals, were invited to the meeting shortly before it began. For this reason, Christina Howard and the LCCEA Grievance Team will take up this issue in order to better protect affected faculty and all faculty in the future.
Student Concerns About the Health Clinic
Student leaders are rallying to support the Health Clinic, a service they find critical. Please find below a message from Nikhar Ramlakhan, President of LCC’s Student Government. Nikhar is asking that faculty share the message with students in their classes and in Moodle announcements. Thank you for your support for students and for sharing this message from the Student Government leaders!
Message from Nikhar to share with your students —
Dear LCC Students,
The LCC Health Clinic may be shutting down at the end of the Fall 2023 term. I understand that the Health Clinic is important to many of you for its convenience and affordability. The Lane SGA and I are trying to prevent this decision and need your help. Please consider supporting us at the next Board Meeting on May 3rd at 6:00pm. If you are willing to offer your support in this matter, kindly fill out this form. Together, we can save the Health Clinic and ensure that it remains as a crucial service here on our campus.
Sincerely,
Nikhar Ramlakhan | Lane SGA President
— End message
Faculty Meeting– Monday at Noon
LCCEA is holding a meeting Monday, May 1, noon – 12:50 in 30/121 and on Zoom. The meeting is intended as an opportunity for faculty to share questions, concerns, ideas, etc. about the above issues and will not have a formal agenda. Action Team Co-Chair, Wendy Simmons, will have LCCEA t-shirts on hand for faculty members who wish to stop by to pick one up.
Solidarity Actions
Please consider wearing red to attend the LCC Board of Education meeting Wednesday, May 3 at 6:00 p.m. to support the student rally for the Health Clinic and to support our faculty and classified professional colleagues impacted by the planned clinic closure.
In order to show solidarity with our classified and faculty colleagues who work in the Health Clinic, LCCEF and LCCEA are asking classified and faculty members to wear union shirts and/or red to the May 5 Spring Conference, which will be held on campus in person all day next Friday, May 5.
Save the Date
The LCCEA Spring Term meeting for all members will be May 17 at 3:00 p.m.
Your LCCEA Bargaining Team met with the College again today to continue negotiation over impacts of Common Course Numbering* (i.e., CCN) and Working Conditions to take effect after our current MOA expires at the end of Spring. Thank you to the faculty who attended today’s session – your support is greatly appreciated!
In order to facilitate negotiations, your team provided updated proposals (below) on ground rules and Common Course Numbering to the College Team last Friday.
LCCEA proposed for CCN:
Release time for statewide committee chairs for two terms instead of three, and
A formula for curriculum development funding for affected courses.
The College provided no response to either of these two proposals, continuing to maintain zero compensation for courses that must be revised or created due to state mandated CCN changes. The College stated they intend to make no changes to either of their proposals.
In addition, the College stated that they do not see the provisions in our Working Conditions proposal (such as water safety, ongoing use of high-quality air filters in the HVAC system, etc.) as a working conditions issue. We were also surprised to hear them state that they “do not have an interest in having a plan for things that may happen.”
The College also made a “Digital Accessibility and Course Accessibility Continuity Plan” proposal (below), which is largely irrelevant to the current negotiations. The proposal would create numerous new requirements that are not allowed by our current contract. Their proposal would also require each instructor to come up with their own plan in their syllabi to describe how teaching and learning would be conducted if the College declares an emergency, which is interesting given their stated lack of interest in negotiating any coordinated plan for public health emergencies.
Your LCCEA Team declined the College’s proposals.
Given the state of negotiations, LCCEA requested mediation, and the College agreed. The next step will be for a state-provided mediator to meet with the parties to attempt to reach agreement.
Your LCCEA Bargaining Team
Cynthia Campos, OEA consultant
Sarah Erickson
Adrienne Mitchell
April Myler
Peggy Oberstaller
*CCN assigns the same course number to comparable courses across all community colleges and universities to streamline transfer from two- to four-year post-secondary educational institutions. The changes once determined by statewide committees must be implemented by each institution, including LCC.
Lane Community College Education Association 