SFCC is losing faculty because of pay

Recently, another full-time faculty member informed me they were leaving Santa Fe Community College for a better-paying position.

I am the union president for full-time faculty at SFCC, and have heard from at least seven faculty members who have left over the last four years because of the college’s low pay. All of these faculty members were dedicated to changing the lives of our students, but they could no longer afford to work at SFCC for the low salary that we pay with Santa Fe’s high cost of living.

These seven faculty leaving represent 10% of the faculty body, and they take with them decades of teaching experience. Overall, the college has seen a 30% decrease in the number of faculty over the last four years, which leaves those remaining with the burden of taking on extra work to carry out the college’s mission.

Comparing Santa Fe Community College faculty salaries to other educational institutions in New Mexico, SFCC is far behind and falling further behind. For example, Level 2 teachers at Santa Fe Public Schools with a bachelor’s degree are making more than full-time faculty at SFCC, 87% of whom have a master’s or doctorate degree. Is it any wonder that faculty are leaving to work elsewhere where salaries are higher?

Faculty and the administration have a shared interest in keeping experienced faculty at Santa Fe Community College because these faculty members are undertaking the college’s core mission — teaching students and enriching our community. SFCC employees had to forego cost-of-living increases over many years to help the college through several low-cash episodes during which academic programs were closed (e.g. solar energy).

The college now has a multimillion-dollar surplus, and it is time to increase compensation for all SFCC employees so we can afford to live in the community we serve.