Three Contract Updates

There are three contract-related issues I would like to update the dept. on.

1. The district and the union signed an MOU (memorandum of understanding) last month to raise the maximum part-time load from 60% of a full-time load to 67% as a result of legislation. Just FYI, our dept. has three full-time loads: 20 hours per week for teaching a noncredit course; 18 hours for teaching a credit course labeled as lab or lecture/lab; and 15 hours for teaching a credit course labeled as lecture.
2. Another MOU, which goes into effect immediately, has to do with summer teaching hours. Next summer, no teacher can teach more than a total of 28 hours a week. Exceptions to the new limit can be pre-approved by the Dean and the VP of Instruction. I don't believe anyone in our dept. has ever been, or will be, able to teach that many hours.
3. This is not a new temporary agreement, but Article 4.1.11 reads “A full-time faculty member may work up to six (6) Lecture Hours (or equivalent) of overload per semester." That’s the equivalent of 40% of a full-time load, and past practice has been to allow disciplines with courses that do not easily combine to make six units to “average” 40% over the year (for example, 4 units overload in fall and 8 units overload in spring for a total of 12 for the year). This exception is allowed for in Article 4.1.11 this way: “Exceptions for special circumstances must be approved by the appropriate Assistant Superintendent/Vice President in consultation with the Federation and appropriate Dean.” At issue is the fact a few faculty members--once again, none from our dept.--are now teaching 50%, 60%, or even higher overloads every semester on a regular basis. The college administration is now reemphasizing that they will not approve such exceptions as a general rule in the future.