After having made clear in the past weeks that there will be no faculty hiring for next semester, Pierce president announced Monday that the district is looking into hiring 50 to 60 faculty members.
“We’re in a tricky position,” President Kathleen Burke-Kelly said during an Academic Senate meeting Monday regarding to the reports that must be made to Full Obligation Number (FON)
The FON is a ratio of full-time professors to part-time professors required by the state.
“If we don’t meet the FON initiative we risk to be fined $68,000 per position,” Burke-Kelly said.
There are currently 81 late retirements and early retirements for the year in the district.
Also, the district has a total of 1461 positions this year, but only 1450 faculty members this semester
With these numbers in mind, the district is to be behind by 92 positions in order to be up to the FON.
There are two ways the district may meet the FON. Either by meeting the 1461 faculty members, or meet a percentage of 63.07% full-time professors.
If the school cuts down in sections as opposed to hiring faculty, there is a better and higher chance of meeting the percentage.
“We are looking to hire 50-60 district wide”, Burke-Kelly said.
“This makes no sense to a normal thinking person,” instructor of automotive service technology Tom Rosdhal said.
Fourteen faculty members are retiring this spring semester, leaving room for new full-time hirees.
“We are thinking that there will be 5 to 8 new hires per campus,” said Rosdahl.
The new hiring will be done through a priority lost that was set up by the Academic Senate in a meeting during the 2011 fall semester, Chair of Chemistry Department Isidore Goodman said.
“The list will be looked at by Tom Rosdahl and Kathleen Burke-Kelly, checking what is possible with the funding that is present, if any position is bypassed President Burke-Kelly will have to address why at a later meeting with the Academic Senate,” said Goodman.“I just hope they hire a reading specialist and math specialist, to have the support for students who need help with their reading and mathematical skills.”
