Model For Collegiality

Wed., Feb. 12, 1997

Richard A. Cox And Terrance R. Brown Special To Opinion

The Community Colleges of Spokane took a giant step toward a more collegial atmosphere at the beginning of the school year. That’s when the Association for Higher Education and the Board of Trustees agreed to extend the current labor agreement - which was not due to expire until June 30, 1997 - through June 30, 2000.

What a difference that was from the past when contract negotiations often became very bitter and disruptive to the educational process. We had spent most of a year discussing the possibility of moving to a more collegial model of contract maintenance, one that would allow the faculty and administration to focus their efforts on students and their education, rather than confrontational bargaining.

This new era of collegiality was possible, in part, due to the increased level of trust that has developed between the AHE and the administration at Spokane Community College, Spokane Falls Community College, the Institute of Extended Learning, and the District Administration Office.

While the master contract is not a perfect document, it is workable, and provisions have been made for resolving issues that arise. By mutual agreement any item in the contract can be opened for discussion and referred to a task force which will work to develop a solution acceptable to both parties. Solutions, once ratified by the Board of Trustees and the AHE, will become part of the master contract. If the task force fails to reach resolution, a mediator will be used.

Working on problems as they arise, rather than waiting until the end of a contract, makes the agreement a living document. Both sides will have an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach during the extension period of the contract.

When June 30, 2000, comes, we hope this collegial model works so well we won’t have to return to the traditional confrontational bargaining mode.

While the old confrontational way was marginally effective, it also caused hard feelings, an atmosphere of distrust, and, more importantly, it disrupted the educational process. The new collegial model, or problem-solving approach, is clearly better.

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a Your Turn column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write Your Turn, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615.

Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a Your Turn column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write Your Turn, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615.

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