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COLLECTIVE BARGAINING - |
Join us at kick-off luncheon for collective bargaining update |
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All TMCC rank-and-file academic and administrative faculty are invited to a luncheon to learn more about and provide input for the on-going faculty contract negotiations. Hosted by TMCC-NFA, the luncheon begins at 12:30 PM, following the Administration's spring semester convocation, on January 13th in RDMT 256. We'll be serving pizza, salad, and soft drinks.
Negotiations resume the week of January 12th with a goal of concluding in early April to provide time for member ratification and Board of Regents approval before the current contract expires on June 30, 2026.
During the luncheon, the TMCC-NFA negotiating team will make a presentation on the topics that have been finalized for the new contract, those that are still under discussion, and those that have been rejected by the administration. They will answer your questions and field your suggestions. You will also learn how you can take a more active role in promoting faculty positions in the on-going process.
Since the contract covers all TMCC rank-and-file faculty, the luncheon is open to NFA members and non-members alike. We ask you to please RSVP to help us with the food order. |
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FELLOWSHIP - |
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DUE PROCESS - |
NSHE forms working group to study post-tenure faculty evaluations |
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Following student complaints at TMCC last year, the Nevada Board of Regents requested in their June 2025 quarterly meeting that an agenda item on "post-tenure" review be brought forward. At their September meeting, however, several Regents who had previously been advocates for post-tenure review appeared to retreat, questioning whether the concerns were isolated rather than systemic. |
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Despite this, the Board approved NSHE administrators to create a working group to examine faculty evaluation processes. Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Daniel Archer noted inconsistencies across institutions regarding who makes final decisions on annual evaluations. He suggested establishing "core criteria" to be applied system-wide.
It remains unclear whether the proposals will address only tenured academic faculty or extend to all faculty evaluations, including administrative positions. The Council of Faculty Senate Chairs requested greater representation on the committee, as only two Faculty Senate leaders, TMCC Chair Jinger Doe and NSU Chair El Hachemi Bouali, are currently included. Archer expressed openness to expanding faculty participation, but no decision was finalized.
Board Chair Byron Brooks asked that proposals be presented at the March 2026 meeting, though Archer indicated they would more likely be ready by June 2026. |
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COMPENSATION - |
Updated salary schedules under BOR review |
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At their January 16th special meeting, the Board of Regents may approve a new set of salary schedules for NSHE employees after delaying action at their December meeting. Although the new schedules will increase the minimum starting salaries for future employees for each pay grade, the changes will not impact existing faculty unless their current salaries fall below the new minimums.
The new salary structure is the result of a study conducted by the Huron Group. Unlike the 2023 adjustments that passed over the community college faculty salary schedule, the Huron Group is recommending increases of as much as 20% to the minimum starting salaries, while setting a small decrease for the maximum salaries in Grades 4 and 5. |
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Increasing retirement deductions may be in our past |
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For nearly two decades, the amount deducted from faculty paychecks for their retirement benefits has increased steadily, from around 7.5% in the early 2000s to 19.25% today. With the employer matching the deduction, nearly 40% of a faculty member's base salary is being invested in their retirement every month. While this is great news for senior faculty approaching retirement, it is a burden for newer faculty at the lower end of the salary scale who could use that money for daily expenses. These increases in deduction rates may finally have come to an end.
The deduction rates are set by the Nevada Public Employees Retirement System's board of directors. By law, deduction rates must be set to ensure the system remains solvent. Although most faculty are not participants in the PERS retirement plan, state law mandates that our deductions for defined contribution plans must match it. PERS has reported better-than-expected returns on their investments in recent years, resulting in the strongest actuarial reports in years. The combined increases in market asset values and decreases in actuarial liability make it unnecessary to raise the deduction rates, and if these favorable conditions continue, the Board may even be able to consider a rate reduction of 1% or more. |
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TMCC-NFA Officers Jim New, President Amy Cavanaugh, Secretary Dan Hooper, Treasurer Cheryl Cardoza, Past President |
