Dallas College faculty senators met for the first public meeting since Texas laws changed how faculty governance works on campuses statewide.

On Feb. 27, senators representing faculty across the college discussed the future structure and goals of the Faculty Senate. They went over the current bounds they had to stay within and voted on basic procedural processes.

One of the concerns raised by senators was the lack of privacy in submitting official complaints. Ultimately, the senate decided to forgo anonymous complaints, but some senators seemed to consider that it might discourage their constituents from reporting.

An additional concern was how the college set up salary tiers for employees. Both pay amount and requirements were brought up as being inadequate.

On pay, the concern was hiring talented faculty with competitive rates. Both traditional instructors and industry transplants felt the college needed to do more to attract and retain new hires. 

Another talking point was how the college structured its employee tiers around education levels completed. For many industries, earning a master’s or doctorate is not required and sometimes not even possible. Therefore, faculty whose profession does not have a master’s or doctorate to earn, end up not having opportunities to make as much money as faculty that do have additional education.

One example brought up was the automotive industry, where most students graduate with a certificate or associate degree. However, over the course of their career they can potentially earn certifications that could be considered comparable in experience to a master’s or doctorate level salary. The senators said changing the education requirements for salaries could help keep industry experienced professionals at Dallas College.

The Faculty Senate is mandated to meet at least twice a semester. With a quorum, they may meet more often to address the concerns brought forth by the faculty. The senate also hopes to expand its body by two-fold before the fall semester begins.