No pink slips boosts optimism among faculty and staff

By Charles Innis/The Guardsman

Chancellor Arthur Tyler announced on Feb. 21 that no March 15 notices, also known as a “pink slip” among faculty and staff, will be sent out this year, providing strong evidence that City College will remain open next semester.

A March 15 notice is required by a California Education Code to be sent to any non-contingent full-time employee if they are not to be reappointed the following year.

The chancellor’s action, combined with the court-ordered injunction issued in January against the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, offers assurance that City College will remain open.

“It is a major step to show that City College’s accreditation will not end this July,” faculty member Karen Saginor said.

Peter Anning, director of communications and marketing at City College, said Tyler made the decision after reviewing the college’s finances and the progress made in addressing accreditation requirements.

The decision was announced to administration and American Federation of Teachers Local 2121 in order to remove uncertainty felt by faculty and staff about the stability of their jobs.

“[Tyler’s] effort is to rebuild trust and morale, as well as to boost confidence in CCSF’s future,” Anning said.

Many faculty and staff members are happy about the news.

“It’s great. It is one less insult and one less anxiety City College workers will have to endure.” AFT Local 2121 President Alissa Messer said.

However favorable the announcement is to many City College employees, not everyone is guaranteed safety from termination.

Part-time employees and non-tenure faculty are among those whose positions may still be up in the air.

“A little more than half of our faculty is part time, temporary adjunct faculty,” Messer said. “The district doesn’t need to do anything fancy in order to lay those faculty off.”

The administration has not made any concrete announcements declaring that City College’s doors will remain open.

“Baring something unforeseen, the expectation we are all working with is that CCSF … is not closing,” Anning said. “We are developing summer and fall schedules and outreach/advertising campaigns. We are also working on plans for spring 2015 and beyond.”