STATE GOVERNMENT
Support Washington’s colleges; sign in as ‘PRO’ on SB 5194
OLYMPIA (March 30, 2021) — SB 5194, the “Our Colleges, Our Future” Act which is a major legislative priority for AFT Washington, working in coalition with the Communities For Our Colleges coalition, will have a public hearing on Wednesday, March 31 at 1:30 p.m. in the House Appropriations Committee. This bill, which already passed the Senate by a 30-19 vote, would provide a holistic approach to racial equity and economic justice within our state’s community and technical colleges (CTCs) by having each college adopt a diversity and inclusion strategic plan that includes a faculty diversity program.
TAKE A STAND — Please support this legislation and sign in as a supporter before the committee hearing. Make sure you choose your position as “PRO” and you will go on record as urging State Representatives to vote “yes.”
The Great Recession shows the power of the economic engine of the CTCs, as workers return to work; not investing in them now will cause setbacks in recovery. Faculty and student-facing staff have been laid off across the state; while they are dedicated to developing the workforce, they are a workforce that has seen minimal investment over the last several decades.
SB 5194 calls for the state to invest in 200 new full-time tenure track faculty positions in the next biennium, which will enable colleges to better recruit and retain a diverse faculty. This critical investment into converting part-time to full-time faculty positions will directly support historically under-served students to complete their programs. Communities For Our Colleges, an organization of students, faculty, staff, alumni and organizations like AFT Washington, identified these needs as critical for the CTC system to succeed in educating Washington’s future workforce.