"The declaration of financial emergency gives the CSF administration the ability to amend faculty contracts and salaries. The administration has invited faculty representatives to meet and discuss possible reductions in salary and other alternatives to address cash needs for the spring.
"The administration has made the determination to reduce work hours for all staff members by 25%, saving a commensurate amount in staff salaries."
According to CSF professor Richard Bank, former Faculty Representative to the board, this means that as of Friday all contract employees of the College of Santa Fe will be terminated so that their contracts can be renegotiated. This comes on the heels of a day full of rumors that the faculty planned to file an injunction against the Board to keep the proposed 20-40% pay cut from going through.
Contract employees include all faculty, effectively leaving the school with no teaching staff. [Disclaimer: I am a contracted employee with the College of Santa Fe and am included in this mass layoff.]
According to Bank [whose son was a student in one of my courses in 2008] the faculty had planned to meet with a lawyer this week in regards to the injunction but will now discuss options regarding what is considered a breach of contract.
"There are steps that have to be taken before that contract is broken," Bank told SFR on Wednesday evening, "those steps have not been taken."
CSF's faculty will meet with its lawyer first thing Thursday morning.
House Bill 577, which would allow the College of Santa Fe to be taken over by the state, is scheduled to be heard by the House Education Committee at 8 am Friday, Feb. 20 at the Roundhouse.
