By Jonathan Lightman
FACCC Executive Director

    In 1953, a group of faculty members at the then “junior colleges” convened in Long Beach to discuss their profession. At the time, there was one dominate education organization whose main interest was K-12 management. The college faculty leaders determined there needed to be an organization focusing solely on their concerns - not tied to K-12 or management. From those humble beginnings, the forerunner of FACCC – the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges – was born.

    For 56 years, FACCC has provided tireless and focused attention to the priority issues of the community college faculty. Its work at the State Capitol, State Chancellor’s Office, State Teachers Retirement System, and Congress has ensured a vigorous and powerful faculty voice before those elected and appointed decision makers who determine our future.

    FACCC is not a union or a senate. It is a professional membership association which advances professional issues, akin to the medical or dental societies. With nearly 10,000 members across all campuses, FACCC’s reputation is prominent in and out of the halls of power.

    Confusion sometimes arises at the local level between the role of the local faculty associations (FA’s), like the Santa Monica College Faculty Association, and the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges. The local FA’s are unions, empowered to conduct collective bargaining and grievance hearings. FACCC’s job is advocacy at the state and federal levels to ensure there is money to run our institutions and policies to support the faculty.

    Over a decade ago, the Santa Monica College Faculty Association entered into an historic and visionary agreement to place all Santa Monica faculty members into FACCC. This agreement memorialized a fundamental tenant of the faculty condition: that a strong faculty profession is dependent upon a strong FACCC. The faculty associations at both
the Foothill-DeAnza and Santa Barbara districts have since entered into similar compacts, with others surely to follow.

    The faculty at Santa Monica, and across all districts, have benefitted from FACCC’s work. From the legislative creation of the State Academic Senate to the authorization of collective bargaining;
from AB 1725 (the major community college reform measure of 1988) to significant CalSTRS increases; from whistleblower protections to enhanced pay for part-time faculty – FACCC has played a, if not the, central role.

    In 2000, FACCC secured a legislative audit of districts’ compliance with the Fifty Percent Law, that section of the Education Code ensuring at least one-half of a district’s educational expenses is spent on instructional salaries. The audit found non-compliance at six of 10 districts. More significantly, it helped trigger a successful settlement between the SMCFA and the Santa Monica College administration resulting in substantial increases to Santa Monica faculty wages.

    The ongoing state budget shortfall has overshadowed all other news from Sacramento. These are not easy times and the community colleges are suffering. That is why we need to redouble our advocacy to ensure that our state representatives hear from us, recognize us, and ultimately assist us. Thankfully, the deeply cooperative relationship between the SMCFA and FACCC has helped us weather prior storms. It will undoubtedly see us through the current crisis as well.

    FACCC encourages your input and energy. Consider attending the Advocacy & Policy Conference, scheduled February 28-March 1 in Sacramento. This is your opportunity to hear from top policymakers and lobby your own representatives. There is no greater demonstration of professional responsibility than communicating with the very people responsible for voting on your future.

    FACCC also encourages you to participate on its board or one of its many committees. Indeed, several prominent Santa Monica College faculty members already participate and make an important difference. Even more faculty participation is needed, however; we’d like to hear from you.

    Finally, let’s recognize that knowledge is power. Please see FACCC’s newly redesigned website, www.faccc.org, designed to be your “one-stop-shop” for all things advocacy. The online information is constantly changing, enabling you to visit several times a week. Please contact us with your suggestions on other content we can post, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

    From modest beginnings, the community college faculty have created a profession that’s second to none. Let’s ensure that we maintain the commitment of our lawmakers to accessible and affordable higher education. There is no substitute for human capital and no way to achieve education over ignorance without focused advocacy.

    Contact Jonathan Lightman at (916) 447-8555, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Your feedback, ideas and suggestions can also be sent to Dennis Frisch or Mitra Moassessi, respectively serving as FACCC’s Vice President and Governor-at-Large.