2008 Woodie Awards
Faculty Employment Reaches Record High
Sindy Diaz
Issue date: 8/25/04 Section: LIFE
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A record number of full-time faculty members have been hired at Citrus College for the fall 2004 term.
The hiring of 18 new faculty, as well as two new administrators, is a record for the most faculty hired at any one time.
Prior to fall 2004, the highest number of full-time faculty hired as a cohort was 17 in August 1999. An additional 16 joined the staff in August 2000 and 12 in August 1997.
Over the last couple of years, Citrus had a number of retirements and resignations. Because these instructors were not replaced, the number of full-time faculty slipped significantly.
In the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the college was 6.8 percent below the full-time faculty obligations established by the state of California.
The state demands that the institution have 165 full-time faculty on its staff.
By hiring 18 faculty members, Citrus now complies with the mandate with 167 full-time faculty. The college avoids being penalized by the state at the rate of $54,000 per absent full-time faculty.
"We had not filled positions for several years," said Tom Gerfen, past faculty Academic Senate president. "Because the previous administration had decided not to fill the positions, the college was faced with a penalty."
Under California's previous governor, Gray Davis' proposed slashing of community college budgets, economic times were uncertain, Viera said.
"Quite understandably, our board of trustees and then president Dr. Louis E. Zellers made a conscious decision that they didn't want to take on new faculty until they had more certainty about where the state budget would place the college," Viera said. "They were fiscally prudent in what they did."
With the increase stated for community colleges in the 2004-2005 state budget Citrus moved rapidly to end its hiring "slush."
"In the end, hiring new faculty was definitely a challenge but something well needed," Gerfen said.
Hiring 18 new faculty has also brought Citrus closer to the 75-to-25 percent ratio mandated by the state.
The hiring of 18 new faculty, as well as two new administrators, is a record for the most faculty hired at any one time.
Prior to fall 2004, the highest number of full-time faculty hired as a cohort was 17 in August 1999. An additional 16 joined the staff in August 2000 and 12 in August 1997.
Over the last couple of years, Citrus had a number of retirements and resignations. Because these instructors were not replaced, the number of full-time faculty slipped significantly.
In the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the college was 6.8 percent below the full-time faculty obligations established by the state of California.
The state demands that the institution have 165 full-time faculty on its staff.
By hiring 18 faculty members, Citrus now complies with the mandate with 167 full-time faculty. The college avoids being penalized by the state at the rate of $54,000 per absent full-time faculty.
"We had not filled positions for several years," said Tom Gerfen, past faculty Academic Senate president. "Because the previous administration had decided not to fill the positions, the college was faced with a penalty."
Under California's previous governor, Gray Davis' proposed slashing of community college budgets, economic times were uncertain, Viera said.
"Quite understandably, our board of trustees and then president Dr. Louis E. Zellers made a conscious decision that they didn't want to take on new faculty until they had more certainty about where the state budget would place the college," Viera said. "They were fiscally prudent in what they did."
With the increase stated for community colleges in the 2004-2005 state budget Citrus moved rapidly to end its hiring "slush."
"In the end, hiring new faculty was definitely a challenge but something well needed," Gerfen said.
Hiring 18 new faculty has also brought Citrus closer to the 75-to-25 percent ratio mandated by the state.