AN ACT CONCERNING COMPENSATION EQUITY AMONG HIGHER EDUCATION FACULTY.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2007) (a) As used in this section:

(1) "Regular faculty member" means any full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member of a constituent unit of the state system of higher education who is compensated on a salary basis;

(2) "Adjunct faculty member" means any faculty member of a constituent unit of the state system of higher education (A) who is nontenure-track, (B) whose contract with the constituent unit is renewed from year to year, and (C) who is compensated by the constituent unit on a "per course" basis.

(b) (1) By July 1, 2008, each constituent unit of the state system of higher education shall determine a salary standard for adjunct faculty members that constitutes a pro rata salary comparable to the salaries of regular faculty members of comparable qualification doing comparable work. The standard may provide for variations in salaries based upon a difference in seniority. The salary standard shall be subject to collective bargaining with the exclusive representatives of adjunct faculty members. This subsection shall not be construed to require a constituent unit to offer total compensation to an adjunct faculty member greater than a pro rata share of that offered to a similarly situated regular faculty member.

(2) If the salary paid to adjunct faculty members or other nontenure members of a constituent unit is less than the salary standard determined pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, the constituent unit shall increase the salaries of its adjunct faculty members annually until the salary standard is met, provided (A) the standard is met not later than July 1, 2013, and (B) in no year the pro rata salary gap, if any, between regular faculty members and adjunct faculty members is diminished by less than fifteen per cent from the previous year.

Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2007) (a) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, each adjunct faculty member or other nontenure-track faculty member of one or more constituent units of the state system of higher education who is not otherwise entitled under law or a collective bargaining agreement to receive retirement benefits equivalent to those available to regular faculty members employed by such constituent unit or units shall receive at least a pro rata share of such benefits. If such adjunct faculty member or other nontenure-track faculty member is employed at more than one of such constituent units, the employing units shall share proportionately in the cost of providing such retirement benefits to such adjunct faculty member or other nontenure-track faculty member.

(b) Each constituent unit of the state system of higher education shall provide each of its adjunct faculty members with written notice of the provisions of subsection (a) of this section at the same time the constituent unit provides such adjunct faculty member with written confirmation of employment.

Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2007) (a) Each adjunct faculty member of one or more constituent units of the state system of higher education who carries at least fifty per cent of the average teaching schedule of regular faculty members of the constituent unit and who is not otherwise entitled under law or a collective bargaining agreement to receive group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance benefits equivalent to those available to regular faculty members employed by such constituent unit or units shall receive the benefits provided to regular faculty members. If such adjunct faculty member is employed at more than one constituent unit, the employing units shall share proportionately in the cost of providing such benefits to such adjunct faculty member.

(b) Each constituent unit of the state system of higher education shall provide each of its adjunct faculty members with written notice of the provisions of subsection (a) of this section at the same time the constituent unit provides such adjunct faculty member with written confirmation of employment.

Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2007) (a) On and after July 1, 2008, each constituent unit of the state system of higher education shall employ additional regular faculty members to teach courses in any department of any of its institutions (1) that has eight or more regular faculty members, and (2) in which more than twenty-five per cent of the department's courses are taught by adjunct faculty members. Each constituent unit shall increase the number of regular faculty members employed for any such department annually so that not later than July 1, 2013, at least seventy-five per cent of the courses in the department are taught by regular faculty members.

(b) Each constituent unit of the state system of higher education required to increase the number of regular faculty it employs pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall create a plan to meet such requirement. The plan shall be subject to collective bargaining with the exclusive representatives of the regular faculty members and adjunct faculty members of the constituent unit. The constituent unit shall provide steps to meet the requirement that do not include the elimination of adjunct faculty positions.

(c) Each constituent unit of the state system of higher education shall establish a process under which adjunct faculty members, after successful completion of a probationary period, receive timely notice of and priority consideration for regular faculty position openings, consistent with other institutional and state policies, for adjunct teaching assignments. Each constituent unit shall create a process for ensuring that qualified adjunct members receive preferential consideration in attaining a regular faculty position when one becomes available, consistent with institutional and state affirmative action and other personnel policies. The process shall ensure that adjunct faculty members accumulate seniority. The provisions of the process shall be subject to collective bargaining between the constituent unit of the state system of higher education and the exclusive representatives of adjunct members.

Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2007) Nothing in the provisions of sections 2 to 4, inclusive, of this act, shall be construed to limit or reduce salaries or benefits of faculty members or hiring rights of the constituent units of the state system of higher education.

Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2007) There is established a faculty restoration and equity account, which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund, to be used by the Commissioner of Higher Education to carry out the provisions of sections 2 to 5, inclusive, of this act.

Statement of Purpose:

To address issues of salary and benefits equity between regular faculty and adjunct faculty and to increase the numbers of regular faculty members at the constituent units of the state system of higher education.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]