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MCCFA LogoMaricopa Community College Faculty Association

Faculty Lunch and Learn Events Hosted by the Faculty Association

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Faculty Colleagues, Greetings!

Once again, the Faculty Association will be hosting Lunch and Learn events for all faculty related to pressing topics. Our survey revealed that faculty find these events useful and engaging, so we have decided to expand the schedule for this year. Here’s what we have planned:

  • October 22, 2026, 12:00-1:00: Reduction in Force
  • November 5, 2026, 12:00-1:00: Voluntary and Involuntary Transfer
  • February 18. 2027, 12:00-1:00: Public Records Requests
  • April 15, 2027, 12:00-1:00: Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property

Sessions will be led by the Faculty Association’s Legal Team, Barton Mendez Soto. Jim Barton and Jacqueline Mendez Soto are intimately familiar with both the Residential Faculty Agreement and State and Federal Laws as they relate to these topics. I’ll be sending calendar invites with virtual links very soon. You don’t have to be a member of the Faculty Association to attend these events, but if you support this kind of work, I hope you’ll consider joining. I look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,
Matt

MCCFA LogoMaricopa Community College Faculty Association

The Purpose and Values of the Faculty Association

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Dear Faculty Colleagues,

One of the takeaways from our all-faculty survey was that not all faculty clearly understand the values and goals of the Faculty Association (FA). One respondent wrote, “It needs to be clearer what the FA stance is on things and what the goals are. . . But what is it that we are advocating for? What are the views of the FA?” I like these questions because they challenge me to get a little reflective. What unites us as a collective faculty body? What drives our work?

We could turn to our Constitution for some answers. The Preamble to the Faculty Code of Values states that the Faculty Association is “committed to unity and inclusivity . . . we are stronger together than we are apart.” These are the stated values included in that section: inclusion, equity, shared governance (your right to participate appropriately in decision-making), academic freedom (your right to determine curriculum and pedagogy related to your subject-matter expertise), rational discourse, and due process (your right to be treated fairly if complaints are lodged against you). It has always been the belief of FA leadership that faculty working conditions are student learning conditions. And indeed, these are the values that animate the FA. They are both the how and the what of the work we do.

Faculty compensation is a good example of where faculty working conditions are tied to student learning conditions. Certainly, we all want fair compensation and predictable and meaningful raises, but the FA is motivated by more than self-interest. Our students deserve the best educators. Competitive wages and benefits attract the most qualified faculty. If we offer a good wage, then a faculty search will yield a robust pool. It will help persuade those exceptionally qualified faculty to accept their initial offer. These educators will be energized by being valued. They will stick around.

Academic freedom is another value that directly benefits students. When legislators, governing board members, or internet mobs start to dictate curriculum (or faculty tenure and promotion, or peer review processes), they interfere with ensuring that students get the most current and accurate classroom instruction. So when legislators proposed a bill that would have banned the teaching of certain concepts (there was a list), we took a stand to protect academic freedom principles. The bill would have impacted a wide array of disciplines, from literature to nursing. Our position was not partisan; it was because course content is rightly the purview of disciplinary experts, not political representatives. Curriculum should reflect the most current research, not the values of whichever political party happens to be in power.

The FA is decidedly not a partisan organization. We regularly endorse both Republican and Democratic candidates for the Governing Board. The candidates we endorse are those who support the project of higher education. They won’t always vote to support a tax increase, but they will respect and value the work that dedicated educators do each day for Maricopa students. When we do take a stance on an issue that might be labeled partisan, it is only after careful deliberation. The Faculty Association does have a position on guns on campus, for example, but only because 74% of our membership told us that that was the position we should take.

There’s a lot more to say, but this message is already getting a bit lengthy. In short, the Faculty Association has a singleness of purpose: to be the united voice of the faculty body. When that voice is divided (as it so often is among a diverse body of educated people), we work to find consensus through rational discourse and democratic processes. When the Faculty Association engages in advocacy, it is for the time-honored values of higher education that are most widely shared across the faculty body. If this is something you can get behind, please join us.

Best Regards,
Matt

MCCFA LogoMaricopa Community College Faculty Association

Salary, Benefits, and the FA Survey

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Dear Maricopa Faculty Colleagues,

I stayed up late last night reading through the 44 pages of comments generated by the Faculty Association’s most recent survey. We ended up receiving 236 responses. Of the issues faculty were asked to rank, “Salary and Benefits” topped the list. The comments reflected that ranking. One respondent wrote: “The compensation plan rolled out over the past five years has been great progress, but there is still work to be done.” Another wrote: “Salary has not kept up with inflation and the cost of living. This, along with the increase in healthcare costs, is reducing our disposable income.” These are representative of the perspectives of many respondents. When I was hired full-time in 2006, I was presented with the salary schedule and was under the impression that steps were an annual guarantee. A few years later, the Board voted not to approve a step. A few years after that, we were in salary inversion; new faculty placed on the salary schedule were making more than faculty who had been working in Maricopa for years. The solution was to go to an every-other-year step and to change pay placement practices to limit the amount new hires would earn. That’s where we are today.

Policy: Governing Board Policy 2.7 addresses compensation and benefits:

The Chancellor shall implement an employee classification and compensation strategy and benefit plan that align with the District’s compensation philosophy and comply with Local, State, and Federal laws. The Chancellor will attract, retain, and promote a high-quality workforce through competitive and progressive pay structures and benefit practices that are externally benchmarked to market medians, internally consistent, and fiscally responsible.

I’m personally aware of people who declined offers of employment at MCCCD because of the compensation and benefits. I’m also aware of people who have left the district for better-paying positions. There’s no doubt we have a “high-quality workforce” in our faculty body. We will struggle to continue to attract and retain those faculty if we don’t change our compensation practices.

The Current State: Salary and benefits are included in the budget approved by the Governing Board. The budget is recommended by the Chancellor. Recommendations for compensation come through the Advisory Budget Council (ABC) by way of the Total Compensation Committee (TCC), which is chaired by the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). TCC receives recommendations from the Compensation Advisory Council (CAC) and the Employee Benefits Advisory Council (EBAC). Faculty have two representatives on TCC, CAC, and EBAC, respectively, and three on ABC. Our reps are knowledgeable and hard-working. Through those groups, we secured the recently concluded five-year compensation plan that resulted in a step and a COLA every other year. This was an improvement over years when wages remained flat, but it has not kept pace with inflation. Compared to 2010, the current salary for a faculty member placed at the lowest tier on the salary schedule is lagging behind inflation by roughly $2,000. The recent increase in healthcare premiums makes this situation worse. For context, it’s important to know that the district had to use a significant portion of its reserve funds to cover a $36 million shortfall in the FY26 healthcare budget. While the district made some strides in the FY27 budget to reduce this shortfall, we still have a long way to go before our health care costs are fully funded.

What We’re Doing: When faculty leaders had their first meeting with our new Chancellor, he asked us what our priorities were. It might have been a mistake, but I led with compensation. At a recent meeting with Charlene Polege, our CHRO, we asked that HR conduct a compensation study. It’s been at least seven years since our last study, and we learned that 3-5 years between studies is industry standard. We asked that the study be inclusive of benefits. We followed up with HR today. There is not currently budget for a compensation study, so barring new money, this will have to take place, at the earliest, in the 2028 fiscal year that begins July 1, 2027. A compensation study does not guarantee an outcome, but it does tell the institution what is real about salaries and benefits. We also know that CAC recommended to TTC that we implement a step in 2027/28 while the institution works on the next long-term compensation plan. I want to note that Charlene is a reasonable and engaged CHRO. She wants the best for the district, and she’s open to new ideas. Requests are not dismissed or met with resistance. These are not contentious meetings, but are discussions as partners in seeking what is best for our students and those who serve their educational journeys.

We’ll be discussing this and other results from the survey at the FA’s Third Thursday All-Member meeting tomorrow, September 17th, from 4:30-6:00. Invitations were sent to FA members through personal email. The survey results are also published on the FA website for FA members (login required). I hope to see you tomorrow.

Best Regards,
Matt

MCCFA LogoMaricopa Community College Faculty Association

FA Membership Renewal and Autopay

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Greetings, Faculty Colleagues,

The Faculty Association recently switched to a new payment system. Many who joined the Faculty Association intended to set up autopay for their membership dues. We’ve recently learned that few faculty were successful. If you are a Faculty Association member, we ask that you follow these Quick Reference Guides to set up autopay today (one for current members and one for those whose membership lapsed). Maintaining active membership is important to our effectiveness. Membership dues are our only source of revenue. Building membership is easier when we start the year at 60% rather than 15%.

In light of the hiccups with autopay and notification emails, the Faculty Association has decided to extend a grace period of thirty days for all expired memberships. Anyone renewing their membership within thirty days of its expiration will remain in active member status. To check the status of your membership, you can log in here. You can also always use your personal email to contact our Membership Officer, Kory Ambrosich, at kory.merkel@gmail.com.

The Faculty Association continues to do important work for the faculty body. Today, because of the effectiveness of the Faculty Association, we enjoy predictable salary increases; a supportive governing board; an institution that values tenure, shared governance, and academic freedom at the district level; and a Residential Faculty Agreement that ensures all of this along with job security, peer review processes, and fair and effective working conditions for the faculty body. Everything we value was threatened just seven short years ago, and we survived those challenges because of our collective strength. There’s certainly more work to be done, and we continue to make improvements together with a strong Faculty Association. If you are not already a member, please join today.

Thanks Sincerely,

Matt

MCCFA LogoMaricopa Community College Faculty Association

Welcome to a New Year!

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Faculty Colleagues,

Welcome to the start of the 26/27 academic year. I hope the summer brought you some much-deserved relaxation, rejuvenation, joy, wonder, peace, and levity. The Faculty Executive Council leadership team did not rest. We continued our monthly meetings with the Chancellor, Provost, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, Associate Vice Chancellor of Faculty Affairs, Office of General Counsel, Vice Chancellor of Business Services, Shared Governance Committees, and representatives from the Presidents’ Council, Compensation Advisory Committee, Employee Benefits Advisory Committee, and AI Resource Center. The full Faculty Executive Council met through June and again in early August, and the Faculty Association (FA) Officers continued their work as well. Lucky for us, we find it all engaging and invigorating (most days). This is shared governance at work at the district level.

Our New Chancellor

The FEC and FA are pleased to welcome Dr Steven Bloomberg to Maricopa. Pam, Stacy, and I have already met with Chancellor Bloomberg a few times, and we are impressed by his support for faculty, his commitment to the values of higher education, his decisiveness, his dedication, and his direction for Maricopa. Chancellor Bloomberg spoke to us, and to the larger Shared Governance Executive Council, about his three pillars for leadership: trust, interdependence, and community. These are values we can wholeheartedly support together. In the months ahead, the Chancellor plans to visit each college, and those visits will include Faculty Senate leadership. We look forward to working with Chancellor Bloomberg in support of our students, our faculty, and our district.

Faculty Survey

The Faculty Association is interested in faculty perspectives on our work and our future. Please take a moment to complete this survey. It’s ten questions long, and it should only take a few minutes. We want to be responsive to the MCCCD faculty, and it can sometimes be difficult to know which needs and interests are broadly shared across the faculty body.

November Elections

The impending election season has meant a flurry of activity for the FA Political Action Committee over the summer. Leaders and volunteers were busy with signature collection, fundraising, promotion, and even a couple of legal challenges. We’re grateful to all of the faculty who volunteered to help in those efforts. We also saw the end of the legislative session, where Governor Hobbs vetoed a bill that would have allowed guns on campus, and where the AZ Supreme Court determined that an anti-union proposition was unconstitutional. I’m optimistic about November, especially given our history of engaged faculty, which will be critical to our continuing partnership for student success. Click here to learn more about the FacPAC.

Faculty Connection

Faculty Association leaders will be presenting at many of your all-faculty meetings at the beginning of this semester. Here’s a link to the slides from those presentations. We also have other activities planned for the semester ahead; many dates and times are still TBD:

  • Faculty Office Hours: to be held at all ten colleges at least once this academic year.

  • FA Member Meetings: We’ll be hosting these the third Thursday of every month, starting in August. Agendas will be light with lots of time for Q&A. Check personal email for details forthcoming.

  • FA Meet and Greet: We’ll start with the West side sometime late September

  • Faculty Association Potluck BBQ: Please RSVP for the Faculty Association BBQ on October 10th from 10 am to 1 pm at Papago Park, Ramada #9. Bring your family and friends! Come chat with faculty around MCCD. You could add in a trip to the zoo or the botanical gardens while you’re there!

  • FA Member hikes: I’ll sprinkle these throughout the term. The first one will be September 19 at 7:00 am at the Holbert Trailhead at South Mountain (off the South Central Ave. entrance).

  • Lunch and Learn: Thursday, November 5th. Hosted by the FA attorneys, Barton Mendez Soto, covering public records requests awareness

  • FA Meet and Greet: In late November, we’ll host a meet and greet for faculty members who are centrally located.

We hope you’ll take advantage of these opportunities to connect with FA representatives and your peers. I have personally gained a great deal of insight from having conversations with folks across the district–I do my job better– and the connections we make are also probably good for everyone’s health and well-being.

Faculty Foundation

Contributions to the Faculty Foundation support one-time emergency grant awards. Emergency grants are capped at $750. Last year, the Foundation distributed $18,380.50 to 29 students. Contributions can be claimed as a dollar-for-dollar tax credit up to $421 for an individual or $841 for a couple filing jointly. One student recipient explains the impact of the grant: “I went from one moment thinking that I was not going to be able to complete my last semester and graduate this May, to feeling that “YES, it is possible to complete my program and continue on. This is possible because people like you work hard to help support students to reach their goals. My family and I will never forget your assistance at this crucial time in our lives. We will always be grateful. You can be sure that once we are in a position to give back, we will surely and gladly be contributors in whatever way possible.” Consider making a donation here.

Interest-Based Negotiation

At the FEC retreat, Tamra Gagnon presented on Interest-Based Negotiation (IBN). IBN is the process used to negotiate the Residential Faculty Agreement. It is also used regularly by faculty leadership in a variety of contexts, from problem-solving and dispute resolution to project development. FEC leaders agreed that all MCCCD faculty would benefit from being fluent in IBN. To that end, I invite you all to participate in this upcoming professional development opportunity, scheduled for August 20, from 1:30-4:30.

The Heart of Our Work

Students are at the heart of the work we do together. The principles of tenure, academic freedom, peer review, and shared governance all result in better outcomes for our students every day. In this way, faculty working conditions truly are student learning conditions. Please become a Faculty Association member today. If you have any questions, please reach out to Stacy Smith, Dr. Pam Duty, or me at any time. I wish you all a tremendously successful semester.

Sincerely,
Matt Jolly
FA President