Board of Trustees approves 3-year faculty contract
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College anticipates three years of focus on student success and advancement of its strategic initiatives, following Monday’s unanimous approval of a 36-month collective bargaining agreement with the NMC Faculty Association by the Board of Trustees.
Last week, an overwhelming majority of the college’s 80 faculty members and two librarians voted to accept the agreement. The NMC Faculty Association is affiliated with the Michigan Education Association.
“I am so proud of the collaboration and respect both parties demonstrated during this negotiating process. We are truly living our NMC values,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.
“The world we operate in has changed considerably since the last contract we negotiated,” said Rachel Johnson, Board of Trustees chair. “This contract, combined with our generous benefits package, will enable us to attract and retain top-tier talent and to deliver on our promise to our students.”
“With the additional investment of the college into the strategic plan, along with its understanding of the critical role that faculty will play in our success, faculty ratified the contract late last week," said social sciences instructor and NMC Faculty Association President Brandon Everest.
Key provisions of the contract include:
- Year 1, 2022–23: Base salary increases ranging from 5.00% to 8.71% depending on the faculty member’s tenure and position on NMC’s 15-step salary schedule. Upon hire, faculty are placed on the schedule at a step appropriate for their teaching and professional experience. Each year, provided that goals are met, faculty members progress one step until they reach step 15 of the salary schedule. Each step increases pay 3.71%. Presently 39% of NMC’s faculty are at step 15 and thus eligible only for the 5.00%.
- Years 2 and 3, 2023–24 and 2024–25: Base salary increases ranging from 2.00% to 5.71%, again depending on position on the 15-step salary schedule.
The agreement also contains a revised faculty load provision that incentivizes faculty to increase the number of courses offered in formats such as online, hybrid and livestream, aligned with and tied to the duration of the College’s Strategic Plan. This provision means faculty who prep courses in multiple formats could earn overload pay increases between 1.00–3.60%. Everest anticipates 90% of faculty will qualify for this incentive.
Including the incentive provision, the contract in its entirety means faculty are eligible for increases ranging from 5.00% to 12.31% in 2022–23. Faculty base salaries for this year will range from $58,998 to $98,320.
In years two and three, faculty are eligible for raises ranging from 2.00% to 5.71%.
Other provisions of the contract include:
- A clearer faculty evaluation process
- Provisions that cover two librarians who joined the union this year through an accretion process.
- This three-year agreement expires July 31, 2025
The NMC Faculty Association was formed and entered into its first contract with NMC in 2016.
Release date: JULY 27, 2022
For more information:
Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800