Kathleen Lopez comes from a family of teachers. Her mother was an adjunct professor until she retired two years ago at the age of 82. Her daughter has a doctorate and is headed down an education path. Lopez, a speech communications instructor and video producer, has spent more than 15 years shuttling between teaching jobs at Portland State University, Portland Community College, Marylhurst University and the Northwest Film Center. Recently, she recognized the toll the freeway flying treadmill was taking on her: The teaching, she says, “was the easy part.” The hard part was “running around between schools, dragging my material, trying to get to my classes, setting up, being emotionally prepared for students.” Now she’s putting her energy into her craft of video production, while teaching just one class at a time.

In her view, "the big myth in higher education is, if you work hard, get a degree, take on extra, you will get hired as full-time faculty." She wishes someone had clued her in earlier that that wasn't going to happen. She supports the FACE bill because, "here is a level of excellence that happens with continuity and supportive collegiality. I don't see how that can happen when a fairly high percentage of faculty are teaching part time."  (Photo by Frank DiMarco)

Community college instructor Victor Calderon (on right) teaches both on and off campus to get 13 teaching hours each quarter. In addition, he works as a Career Specialist at an hourly wage. Every other quarter, Victor doesn’t know where he will be teaching or how many hours he will be assigned. SB 5514/HB 1875, the Faculty and College Excellence Act, would mandate greater job security for faculty like Victor after they pass a peer-review period and if their classes are regularly available. Students, such as Darnell Franklin who is getting his BA in network administration, will be better served by teachers with greater job security.

Annette Stofer (left) has taught 16 years in the community college system as a part-time instructor, although she teaches a full-time load. Because she is categorized as part-time, she is paid only 72% of what full-time faculty are paid for teaching the same course at her college. Her pay does not cover her participation in college committees and activities, although she does that work anyway. HB 1875/SB 5514, the Faculty and College Excellence Act, would mandate pro-rata pay for Annette and other part-time faculty in the state. Annette’s students, such as Tianhao, will be better served when this disparity is addressed.

Read Ellen Mantell's story as she told it to legislators in New Mexico at a hearing on FACE.

My name is Ellen Mantell and I'm a part-time instructor at Central New Mexico Community College. I absolutely love my job and my school. I can't imagine doing anything else, but sometimes I've been scared that if I don't get enough classes I might have to go out and get another part-time or full-time job in order to pay my bills, keep my 17 year old car going, and own a home like other people.

I have worked at CNM for 12 years.  I have a Master's Degree, work three semesters a year and the most I've earned is about $23,000 a year. That's working 12-14 hour days and maybe driving to 3 different campuses in one day and having to use my car as a mobile office.  Salaries have improved with the help of CNM and our collective bargaining agreement. I have almost no hope of a full-time position.

If I teach 3 semesters a year and a full-time colleague works 2 semesters a year and I do exactly the same work in the classroom I still earn 50% less than my colleagues.