Email from Interim President Casey Mills to Faculty 4/21 re: Fall Schedule
"In response to the concerns about teaching assignments set forth in the existing fall schedule (the "Schedule"), I am requesting that the following steps be taken at the following times:
By the end of the day tomorrow, April 22, Associate Professor Linda Wysong will provide forms (or otherwise make forms available) to part time faculty allowing the part time faculty to describe their service at PNCA (the"Form"). To the extent that part time faculty wish to do so, they may fill out the Form and e-mail it to P&T via Professor Barry Pelzner by Tuesday, April 26.
By April 26, any individual faculty member who has an issue with teaching assignments set forth in the Schedule (which may include seniority, priority in class selection and distribution, and right of first refusal) will e-mail P&T via Professor Pelzner a description of his or her issue (collectively, the "Issues"). Chairs, after checking with their Leads and other assistants, may also suggest different assignments than those set forth in the Schedule by e-mailing Professor Pelzner by April 26 (such suggestions shall also be considered "Issues"). Upon receipt, Professor Pelzner will e-mail the Forms and Issues to the Academic Dean and the President.
Commencing Wednesday April 27, members of P&T, the Academic Dean, and the President will review and compare the Issues with the Schedule to determine what conflicts exist. Conflicts will be vetted and decided in accordance with the priority recently reaffirmed by the faculty senate to honor the spirit and the intentions of the Faculty Handbook’s Order of Priority for Hiring with respect to allocating classes to senior, vetted and invested part-time faculty members. To the extent there is a disagreement between the Dean and P&T in how to resolve a conflict, the President will resolve the disagreement. To the extent that an Issue is not resolved in favor of the person filing the Issue, or to the extent that a person listed on the Schedule is changed, a member of P&T, or the Academic Dean, or the President will contact such person and inform them of the reason why the final decision was made.
By the end of the day on April 29, a revised schedule will be posted.
Timing of classes will not change, and the Schedule will remain up during this process. An e-mail from this office will be sent to students informing them that updates are being made to the Schedule that may alter or complete teaching assignments and that such updates will be completed by April 29.
It is understood that the protests will stop as this process goes forward.
Other significant issues pertaining to part time faculty will be addressed by the Part Time Faculty Task Force whose initial meeting should occur soon.
I greatly appreciate the time and effort from faculty members who helped with this response, as well as the Academic Dean, members of P&T, and the Chairs for assisting in this effort. I believe that this is a very good forward step.
Pacific Northwest College of Art"
