• Centralization and improvement of the hiring process.
• Centralization, standardization, and automation of the course assignment process.
• Improved quality and frequency of employee evaluations.
• Stabilization and optimization of workloads for part-time instructors
• Reduction of turnover among part-time faculty
• Significant improvement to the course portfolio system
• Improved flexible learning alternatives for certification coupled with incentives for 5-year certification
• Improved working conditions and professional treatment for part-time faculty

These changes will improve the quality of instruction at the college, which is a benefit above and beyond the cost savings of the proposal.

The organization would be a mix of elected leadership, hired staff, and contracted services.  The compensation of the leadership would be linked to the compensation of the adjunct faculty employees, creating a direct incentive for every elected official to work towards improved compensation for all members of the organization.

An independent ombudsman would act as a watchdog, ensuring that the elected leadership was working for the benefit of the members.  The ombudsman would have access to every meeting, to every document, to everything within the organization, and would report to the membership what the elected leadership was doing and how the decisions were being made.

Finally, an oversight council would be formed to perform two key jobs: a) oversee elections, and b) hire and supervise the ombudsman.  The oversight council would not be elected; they would be selected at random from the membership (like jury duty).

In Summary

• The randomly-selected oversight council would ensure that the elections are fair and would supervise the ombudsman
• The independent ombudsman would supervise the elected leaders and ensure that their actions are appropriate
• The elected leadership would makes policy and strategic decisions and ensure that the organization is efficiently managed

 

Like any other contractor, InChorus would bid to provide part-time faculty services to the college at a predetermined dollar amount per contact hour. The dollar amount would include all of the costs of compensating the faculty, paying any benefits, maintaining faculty certification, providing training, the overhead and operating expenses of the organization, and all other costs associated with maintaining the part-time faculty.

InChorus will work with the college to develop the best mix of services and resources.  InChorus faculty will gain some support services through InChorus and will retain some through the college.

In the Madison College test-case, InChorus would likely contract back with the college to have certification and other professional development courses provided to InChorus faculty by the college's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL).  CETL is one of the best functioning areas of Madison College, and we wouldn't try to fix what isn't broken.  The contracting process would make this aspect of the proposal cost-neutral to the college.