College of Liberal Arts NTTF Advisory Committee

Meeting Minutes
November 14, 2023

Agenda:

Item Type of Action Decision Required
A. Approval from Minutes of Meeting from 10/17/2023 Vote Yes
B. Ryan Claycomb: Salary & Compression Info-Sharing No
C. Ellie Light: Department Equity Checklist Info-Sharing No
D. Tom Conway: CoNTTF Updates Info-Sharing No
E. Wrap up meeting and adjourn N/A N/A

Members present: Eli Alberts, Niroj Bhattarai, Keri Canada, Thomas Conway, Sadie Kinney-McGrath, Megan Lanz, Ellie Light, Gregory Luft, Gina Robinson, Frankie Wilcox, Emily Wilson, Amanda Wright

Members absent: Ashlee Allen, Dan Goble


Meeting notes:

Meeting Began – 3:33 PM

A. Approval of Minutes from 10/17/2023 Meeting

Motion: Megan Lanz
Second: Frankie Wilcox
Minutes approved unanimously.

B. Salary & Compression – Ryan Claycomb

  1. The rhetorical question: “If service fits into the existing part of our teaching load, how does that make any sense?” It is not currently policy anywhere how that is defined within CLA. Every college has a different set of practices.
  2. Values & Needs: We need to prioritize a stable, secure, and appropriately compensated teaching faculty, and we must be able to meet the temporary needs for staffing, which are driven by changes in enrollment.
  3. Because 50% TTF teaching typically on a base 2/2 teaching load, it has been calculated that 12.5% per 3-credit course is what we accept. This calculation has been extrapolated to account for FT CCAF. Many CCAF regard a raise as a “simple remediation of underpayment.”
    • Per-Course Workload Distribution: Each course on its own is equivalent to a 10% workload, but CCAF are appointed at 12.5% for every 3-credit course. The remaining 2.5% is divided then between ongoing PD and appropriate service to the department, university, or profession. Distributed over a 1.0 FTE, a 4/4 teaching load would amount to 80% classroom, with the remainder divided between service and professional development.
  4. There is currently no mechanism for converting from an instructor track to a teaching professor track. CCA are doing ongoing research and creativity, and we are aiming to value that within the contracts. This is somewhat dependent upon the new Provost, which remains to be seen.
  5. Current salaries are still only a fraction of NTTF worth, and while the greater salary might be acknowledged, it’s only remedial from an NTTF vantage point.
  6. The question remains: Do we want to finalize and codify any of this for the CLA College Code and/or the Annual Practices Manual (APM)?
    • It would function more as guidelines instead of policy if included in the APM.
    • Any level of formality can be pursued within the college. (Not on the university level.)
  7. Clark “swing space” update: No destinations for everyone moving out of Clark B yet, but faculty advocacy has moved the process forward. Nobody will be moved until there is a space assigned for that person. Folks who teach more classes are more likely to have the space they need, since they’ll need a space to meet with students. Faculty on a 4/4 (NTTF) often need these more than those on a 2/2 (TF). Any questions about what this means should be directed to Ryan Claycomb.
  8. There is not a particular salary compression update. Provost office has created a refined budget request process, which is part of CLA’s requests for compensation. The four top salary priorities for CLA are likely to be getting 3/2 TTF to 2/2, Master Instructor NTTF whose salaries haven’t been adjusted, ASC salaries, and full professors in the humanities who are below standard.

Group discussion re: Ryan Claycomb’s salary & compression presentation

    • Defining and codifying for CLA NTTF is favorable.
    • Hesitancy stems from the idea that codifying CCAF workload means no more discussion about distribution, equity, and compensation. We still are not paid enough to reflect the amount of work we have.
    • Committee members are asked to think on this and submit feedback.

C. Department Equity Checklist – Ellie Light

Save for next meeting

D. CoNTTF Updates – Tom Conway

Update next time – nothing pressing right now

E. Wrap-Up Meeting & Adjourn – 4:31 PM

Next meeting is December 12, 3:30 PM.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Megan Lanz