ANSWERS TO MINNESOTA STATE COLLEGE FACULTY [MSCF] FACULTY QUESTIONS REGARDING SALARY PLACEMENT DETERMINATIONS STEP PLACEMENT What is qualified experience? All teaching experience regardless of level qualifies for step placement. Other work experience that is relevant to your discipline/work assignment at the college will qualify for step placement. How much qualified experience will count for step placement? One full-time academic year of teaching equals one year. The full-time equivalency for other work is based on a 12-month year, 40 hours per week. In no instance will greater than one full-time year of experience in one year count toward more than one step. Faculty members with less than one year of qualified experience will be placed on step 01. Faculty members with one year but less than two years of qualified experience will be placed on step 02. Thereafter, the total number of years of qualified experience is calculated to the nearest whole number, which is rounded down. Two plus years of qualified experience up to 2.99 years = Step 02, 3 to 3.99 years of qualified experience = Step 03, and so forth. Why wasn't my graduate teaching assistant experience credited? Experience as a teaching assistant, graduate assistant or lecturer, must be supported by official documentation [from an authorized employer representative at the university or college where the experience occurred] that there was full responsibility for instruction, including evaluation. COLUMN PLACEMENT & COLUMN CHANGE What are in-credential field degrees and courses? An in-credential field degree is defined as a bachelor s, master s or doctorate degree with a major that is directly related to the faculty member s credential field and/or assignment at the college. The same applies to individual courses. To be counted in-credential field, the course must have a department name, course title, or course description that directly relates to the faculty member's credential field and/or assignment. At times, additional information about the course is needed to complete the evaluation, the faculty member may submit the course syllabus and documentation as to how the course requirements were met (e.g. reading assignments, papers, projects). What is a credential field? It is the assigned field or licensed area for which the faculty member was hired. The granting of which indicates that the faculty member meets the minimum qualifications required by the Board of Trustee Policy. How are Education master s degrees and graduate credits evaluated for column placement? Only faculty members who teach in an occupational or technical area in which there is no advanced degree available will automatically receive in-field credit for an Education master s degree and in-field credit for graduate level education courses. Page 1 of 6
Faculty members teaching education courses at a 2-year college will also receive in-field credit in accordance with the in-field criteria stated above. What is my column if I don t have a bachelor s degree nor post baccalaureate coursework or graduate degree? Faculty members who do not have a bachelor s degree or at least 120 undergraduate semester credits will automatically be placed on column 1. Faculty members with a bachelor s degree in any field or at least 120 undergraduate semester credits in any field but no in-field master s degree or bachelor s degree with 24 graduate semester credits in field will automatically be placed on column II. Why weren't all of my courses required for my graduate degree counted "in field"? All courses required for the graduate degree are not necessarily "in-field"; e.g. a master's degree in psychology might require statistics, but statistics in not "in-field" for Psychology; as master's degree in counseling may require a psychology course, but psychology is not "in-field" for Counseling. Also, graduate courses that are helpful or supportive in teaching the discipline are not necessarily "in-field"; e.g. public health courses might be helpful for Nursing, but many of them do not count "in-field" if they emphasize general public health issues rather than content specific to the discipline of Nursing. What about graduate courses that I took for an audit grade, or which were not graded at all [such as some thesis credits]? What about courses with "S" or "P" grades? Only graduate courses for which a grade has been received may be counted for salary placement. Grades of "S" or "P" are considered as "C" grades and are acceptable as long as the average grade for all graduate courses counted for salary placement is "B" or higher. Will all of my master s and/or doctoral thesis credits be counted for salary placement? The number of masters and/or doctoral thesis credits required for that particular degree will be counted. Thesis credits exceeding the number required for the degree [usually taken for "continuous enrollment" in a graduate program prior to completing the degree] are not counted. How can I assure that future graduate courses I take are "in-field"? Pre-approval! Pre-approval is critically important if you intend to take a course that by course prefix, number and title directly correspond to your discipline/work assignment. Pre-approval can be obtained in two ways. First, your college president or designee can pre-approve a graduate course as in-field. Or, you may call the Office of the Chancellor, Personnel Division and/or send materials about the proposed course(s) for prior determinations. Colleges are on semester credits, why are we evaluating column placement using quarter credits? The MSCF process is modeled after the former MCCFA process and community colleges have calculated salary placements using quarter credits since salary placements began several decades ago. As the majority of faculty still have their placement information in quarter credits, it was deemed easier to continue using quarter credits rather than convert everything to semester credits. Therefore, the current MSCF contract retained the quarter credit language for Article 13, Wages. What about foreign transcripts? How are they evaluated? Faculty must arrange to have foreign transcripts translated into English [as necessary] and have them interpreted as to equivalency to U.S. graduate credits. A list of agencies that will perform this service is available from your college human resources office or the Office of the Chancellor, Personnel Division. Any costs for this service are the responsibility of the faculty member. Page 2 of 6
How do I advance to a higher column? First you must provide a written statement of intent to change columns to your college human resources office verifying that the requirements for a column change will be completed prior to the start of the semester. Failure to meet this notice requirement will delay the effective date of the column change to the start of the next semester. Once proper notice is given final documents, such as a transcript can be submitted after a new course(s) taken are posted on the transcript. Upon receipt of the transcript the column evaluation will be completed and approved if the requirements have been met retroactive to the start of the semester in accordance the your written statement. Former UTCE faculty members who meet the criteria in Article 13, Section 3. Subd. 4. Licensed Faculty Members Without Degrees, must also adhere to the written statement requirement if a column change is being made using the issuance of a new 5-year license. When will salary placement determinations be reflected on my paycheck? Payroll changes that will occur as a result of salary placement decisions will occur after payroll is processed by your college human resources office. Please contact them with any payroll questions you may have. I don t agree with the salary placement [column and/or step] done for me, what can I do now? Faculty members have the right to appeal their salary placement decision. The appeal period is thirty (30) working days from receipt of your salary placement evaluation. Often time some courses need to have further documentation submitted in order for the course to be reconsidered. Any additional information should be submitted as soon as possible once notice is given within the 30-day period. A challenge to a salary placement evaluation can be made by the faculty member or MSCF on the faculty member s behalf. As a former MCCFA faculty member I elected the 1998-99 column placement language, what does that mean for me now? If you have not made a column change since making your election, then the election you made to access the 1998-99 column placement language is still in place for you to make your next column change. However, if you have made a column change since making your election for the 1998-99 language, you are now under the new language for any subsequent column changes. If your 1998-99 election is active, the following Q & A may be pertinent to you. Why aren't my education courses counted "in field," as they help my teach my discipline? Most education courses are not "in field," although many of them are supportive to teaching the discipline. However, if there is documentation that the major focus of the course was in the assigned field/assignment, the course may be counted "in field" or "related." [See examples of the types of documentation that would assist with this decision, as described above.] What about courses in ITV (interactive television, or distance learning)? Courses on how to teach using ITV do not count "in field"; they would be considered skill-based courses as described above. However, graduate courses offered via nontraditional deliv ery method (e.g. correspondence courses) will be counted "in field" if they meet criteria for granting credits in assigned fields (see MCCFA Employment Contract), provided that these credits are granted by a regionally accredited agency. What kind of courses meet the criteria of the contract language in Article 11, Section 2, Subd. 3, F. "three (3) in-field credits are granted for graduate course work which is skill based and directed toward improvement of teaching." These might be courses that teach a skill such as teaching using interactive television, using multi-media, using group process, using other specific teaching techniques. It would not include courses on education theory, curriculum development, and so forth. Page 3 of 6
MSCF 2001-03 Employment Contract Article 13. WAGES EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT EXCERPT The evaluation of each faculty member s credentials for initial salary schedule placement in accordance with this contract will be conducted in the Office of the Chancellor. Each applicant who is offered employment shall, at the time of the offer, be so notified in writing and shall be required to complete the salary schedule placement application forms. The faculty member and the MSCF s designee shall be notified concurrently in writing of the final column and step determination. Challenges to the salary schedule placement shall be raised by either the individual faculty member or the MSCF within thirty (30) working days of receipt of the written placement to be considered. For faculty members hired on or after July 1, 2002, requests for re-evaluation will be granted one time during the employment of the faculty member. Such requests shall be made no later than the end of the first year following completion of probation. Such requests for temporary full-time and temporary part-time faculty shall be made no later than the end of six (6) semesters of employment. Section 1. Step Placement. Credit for full-time teaching experience and/or relevant work experience, (as determined by the college president or designee), shall be granted on a one (1) for one (1) basis according to the aggregate of experience. Credit for teaching experience shall be granted regardless of the level of teaching or the discipline area of teaching. Full-time appropriate employment for one (1) academic year shall count as one (1) year of experience and all time worked may be counted, but in no instance can more than one (1) year of experience credit be earned in a fiscal year. A faculty member with one year of experience shall be placed on the salary schedule at a minimum of step two. Credit for military experience shall be granted only in cases where the faculty member leaves the college for military service and returns to the college after completion of the service and then shall be on a one (1) for one (1) basis. The initial step placement shall reflect the number of years of experience for which credit is given on the salary schedule and will be determined at the college. Initial placement shall not exceed the number of years of experience for which credit is given except as noted below. "Initial" step placement may exceed the actual number of years of experience when a college takes over a program from another institution and also takes over the faculty members in the program, in which case the Employer may allow placement above the steps defined above providing the placement is not more than the next step above the faculty member's former salary. Step placement may also exceed the actual number of years of experience when new faculty members who have previously been employed as unlimited full-time, unlimited part-time, or temporary full-time faculty by the state colleges are re-employed. Such faculty members shall be placed on the salary schedule as if their step movement had not been interrupted if the faculty member has relevant interim work experience on a one (1) year for one (1) step basis. The initial step placement of an individual faculty member may also exceed the actual number of years of work experience based on a request for waiver by the college administration upon agreement of the Office of the Chancellor after consultation with the MSCF. Step placement for any faculty member shall be determined and implemented at the beginning of any semester or of the extra days that precede the semester. If a probationary faculty member has a total experience that is in fractional years and if that faculty member is hired after the commencement of the fall semester the fractional year of experience may be combined with their experience in the system for purposes of step movement for the following academic year. If an adjunct faculty member whose previous employment was limited to the per-credit rate of pay is employed as a probationary faculty member, such faculty member shall be given credit for all appropriate experience including the work in the state colleges and the state universities. Section 2. Column Placement. Column placement shall reflect the amount of preparation for which credit is given. Column placement for new faculty members shall be established at the Office of the Chancellor and shall go into effect at the beginning of employment. An average grade of "B" must be maintained. Column I. All faculty members who do not possess the academic credentials described below shall be placed on Column I. Column II. A Bachelor s degree or one hundred twenty (120) undergraduate semester credits. Page 4 of 6
Column III. Master's degree in the credential field, or a master's degree with fifteen (15) graduate semester credits (twentythree (23) graduate quarter credits) in the credential field, or bachelor's degree with twenty-four (24) graduate semester credits (thirty-six (36) graduate quarter credits) in the credential field. Column IV. A master's or doctoral degree with thirty (30) graduate semester credits (forty-five (45) graduate quarter credits) in the credential field. Column V. A master's or doctoral degree with forty-five (45) graduate semester credits (sixty-eight (68) graduate quarter credits) in the credential field. Subd. 1. Advanced Degrees and Credits. A Master s degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Vocational Education or equivalent shall be considered in credential field for all instructors who teach in an occupational or technical area in which there is no advanced degree available. Advanced professional degrees may substitute for the master's degree for column movement beyond Column III if all other requirements are met. A faculty member with an assignment or a credential field of Accounting with a C.P.A. or a C.M.A. shall be placed on Column III when the faculty member holds a B.A. degree in accounting, but will have to meet the other requirements for Column IV and Column V. Credits will be considered to be graduate-level credits if such credits are granted by a recognized institution of higher education that grants graduate level degrees and the faculty member was granted graduate credit for the courses. Professional school credits may count as graduate credits if they are in the credential field of the faculty member. Subd. 2. Column Placement for Former UTCE Bargaining Unit Members. Each former UTCE bargaining unit faculty member who applies will have the application reviewed on the basis of education, training and/or experiences for the purpose of being placed on a different column, and when verified, a column change will be granted. The Office of the Chancellor shall be review the application. Section 3. Column Change and Documentation. When a faculty member applies, the application for a column change shall be reviewed on the basis of additional education, training and/or experiences gained after original placement or the previous column change, and when verified, a column change shall be granted. The Office of the Chancellor shall review the application. Subd. 1. Eligibility to Advance a Column. A column change may be made at the start of any semester or of the extra days or weeks that precede the semester. A column change may be made by the completion of academic requirements as required for the column. A column change must be documented and established as follows: A. The faculty member must provide to the college human resources designee a written statement of intent to change columns, with either copies of official transcripts to document a column change or a written statement verifying that requirements for a column change have been completed prior to the start of the semester. This material shall be delivered to the college human resources designee before the start of such semester or sent by certified mail prior to the start of such semester. B. When documentation for a column change is provided to and a column change is verified by the Office of the Chancellor, the salary of the faculty member will be adjusted accordingly and such adjustment will apply retroactively to the start of the faculty member's assignment for the semester referred to in paragraph A. above or the weeks attached to such semester. C. Column changes based on changes of assignment or credential field may occur at the beginning of any academic semester. D. A change of the assignment or credential field shall not result in a decrease in pay for a faculty member. E. When the name of the assignment or credential field area of a faculty member is not the same as that of an academic department such as history, sociology, etc., and is an assignment or credential field which cuts across disciplinary lines, then the determination as to which credits will count as in credential field for such a faculty member will be made by the Office of the Chancellor. Page 5 of 6
Subd. 2. Credits for In-Credential Field for Liberal Arts. Credits will be counted as in-credential field when: A. The college department offering the course has the same name as the assignment or credential field of the faculty member. B. The course title indicates that the course is intended for the faculty member's assignment or credential field. C. The course description states that the course is intended specifically for the assignment or credential field. D. The faculty member has received written pre-approval from the college president or designee. A copy of the approval shall be forwarded to the Office of the Chancellor and MSCF. The written pre-approval of specific courses for individuals will not set a precedent at the college or system-wide. E. In the case of librarians, up to eight (8) graduate semester (twelve (12) graduate quarter) credits in a combination of two (2) or more academic disciplines may be counted in credential field for movement to Column IV, and up to ten (10) graduate semester (fifteen (15) graduate quarter) credits in a combination of two (2) or more academic disciplines may be counted as in credential field for movement to Column V. F. Faculty who are consistently assigned in a discipline other than in their credential field(s) shall be granted in-credential field credit for graduate credits in the discipline of the other assignment(s). For this purpose, consistently shall be defined as at least one course per semester for two or more academic years and the college president verifies that the assignment will continue. G. Undergraduate credits, if approved by the Office of the Chancellor or designee prior to enrollment in the course, shall be counted as "in-credential field" graduate credit. Subd. 3. Credits for In-Credential Field for Occupational and Technical Areas. Current faculty members will be granted in-credential field without any limitation if the credits are in field or a part of a pre-approved degree or pre-approved on a course-by-course basis. A. If the faculty member holds a Master s degree, then only graduate courses in credential field will be approved, when in credential field graduate courses are available. If in credential field graduate courses are not available, then preapproved other graduate courses or relevant pre-approved undergraduate courses will be granted. B. If the faculty member holds a Bachelor s degree, then pre-approved graduate courses required for a Master s degree in Education, Vocational Education, or Curriculum and Instruction will be granted. C. If the faculty member does not hold either a Bachelor s or a Master s degree, then pre-approved relevant undergraduate courses will be granted. Subd. 4. Licensed Faculty Members Without Degrees. Faculty members who do not hold a master s degree shall be granted a column change from either Column I to Column II or from Column II to Column III upon completion of the requirements for and the issuance of a five (5) year renewed license. The column change shall be effective upon verification of the license having been issued. Subd. 5. Licensed Faculty Members Column Changes. Faculty members who hold licenses shall become eligible for the column change language in this Section effective on February 1, 2003. Subd. 6. Grand Parented Former MCCFA Column Language. Until June 30, 2004, faculty members who filed a letter of intent by June 20, 2000 with the college human resources office may utilize either the requirements as outlined above or the provisions contained in the 1998-99 MCCFA Labor Agreement to complete a column change. \form\salaryplacementfaq Page 6 of 6