Thursday, May 7, 2009

NO FACULTY RETRENCHMENT

Yesterday I was contacted by a reporter from the Pensacola News Journal who had spoken with Dr. Meadows. Dr. Meadows had told the reporter that there would be no faculty retrenchment. I then contacted Dr. Gonzalez who later confirmed that yes, indeed, Dr. Meadows had said there would be no faculty retrenchment this year.

Many of us can breathe a sigh of relief and head into the summer without worrying every day about a pink slip showing up in our mailbox.

For others, though, the story is not so rosy. Program viability studies will continue and programs that are not productive or are no longer needed by local industry will be eliminated. Faculty affected by the closing of programs will continue in the retrenchment process.

Positions that are vacated through retirement or people leaving the college will, in most situations, not be filled. This will be done in anticipation of another budget shortfall in two years when federal stimulus dollars will no longer be available.

Some of you have asked about the "intent to return" form that faculty completed for so many years. That form has been eliminated. The college's position is that unless the faculty member notifies Human Resources that he/she will not be returning to the college, the assumption is that he/she plans to return in August.

Of course, we have not yet held a ratification vote for this past year's contract since we have only recently received the results from the Special Magistrate. Expect to hear from the Faculty Association as the process moves forward.


Charlotte