NIC mulls staff reduction policy

COEUR d'ALENE — North Idaho College moved one step closer Wednesday to creating a reduction in force policy to be used in the event of a financial emergency.

Members of the college's academic senate, staff and administration began examining and revising the reduction in force, or R.I.F., policy — a guideline for how NIC would ensure an equitable method of decreasing staff levels while maintaining the goals and purposes of the institution — in 2011. During a public workshop Wednesday night, NIC President Joe Dunlap presented the results of the collaborative effort to the college's board of trustees.

"Oftentimes a R.I.F. is misunderstood and, particularly, a misguided implementation can result in significant litigation for an organization. It can result in wasted time and effort, and ill-will throughout the community and campus," Dunlap said. "It's important that we have certain elements in the R.I.F. policy."

Dunlap described reducing labor at an organization, which he said can be a lengthy process. In the event NIC moved to implement the policy, teachers would be given substantial notification of the move and have avenues for challenging any decisions made by the college.

In addition, Dunlap said colleges are required to develop a "teach-out" plan so students enrolled in a program that may be eliminated are still given the opportunity to complete the entirety of, in the case of NIC, their two-year degree.

"It's going to be the guide for difficult decisions during difficult times — that's the only time it's going to be used," Trustee Ken Howard said after Dunlap's introduction. He added he understands how important the policy is to everyone on campus, as well as each of the trustees.

However, Howard said he had several concerns with the language of the draft policy, particularly regarding its scope. Howard said the board is tasked with creating policies, the content of which is then used to form official procedure.

"Unfortunately, unless we have a well-defined policy, the procedure can not do what we want it to do," he added.

One of Howard's biggest concerns involved including "bumping rights" into the policy. Bumping rights allow instructors who have been with the institution longer the option of taking a position in a different department, as long as they have the proper qualifications, in the event of a R.I.F.

"I would want to have a very well-defined explanation of what is included in bumping rights and what the limits are," Howard said. "I have philosophical difficulties with the general concept of bumping rights based on seniority because at the point in time where we are looking at a reduction in force, we are in a crisis where we're defining, for the betterment of this college and the betterment of the students, who the faculty are that are going to survive this. It's a terrible, ugly, process that is going to happen and I don't want to tell the community that someone has seniority therefore we are going to have to let go people who are really qualified and provide a lot of promise to this college and community."

Trustee Christie Wood countered Howard's concern with the concept of bumping rights by mentioning that she too is a public employee and understands the importance of seniority. She said not including that concept in the policy could be construed as ageism.

"Tenured people do matter; we celebrate that, so I would be fearful to remove that altogether," she said. "I wouldn't be opposed to some sort of definitions in looking at merit, though."

The policy is still in the development stages, and the board directed Dunlap to meet with staff and the academic senate before its December meeting to address some of the questions members had during the workshop.