ECC board approves three-year contract

The Elgin Community College board recently approved a new, three-year contract with the ECC Faculty Association after negotiations that began in September 2013.

The union's members reviewed and ratified the agreement Jan. 9. The previous contract expired Dec. 31, 2013.

"We are happy to have a new agreement with our faculty so we can continue working together on student success," said Donna Redmer, ECC board chairwoman. "Both teams worked hard, negotiated fairly, and kept the lines of communication open so we could reach a new agreement."

Under the terms of the agreement, the 141 full-time faculty members will receive a 1.5 percent increase to their base salary in 2014, a 2.25 percent increase in 2015, and a 2.5 percent increase in 2016. They also will receive modest, variable increases for step movement (awarded for additional teaching experience) and lane movement (for additional education).

Part-time adjunct faculty members will receive a 2.25 percent increase in 2014, a 2.25 percent increase in 2015, and a 2.5 percent increase in 2016. Some adjunct members also will receive modest, variable increases for step movement and lane movement. There are 385 adjunct faculty members at the college.

The contract allows for adjunct faculty members to request sabbatical and provides for an increased focus on campus safety training for all faculty members.

"We want to provide our students with the best experiences in our classrooms and that starts with an excellent faculty," President David Sam said. "This agreement is a clear commitment to our mission of improving people's lives through learning."

The new contract requires union members to take on a greater share of the expense for health insurance coverage. In the first year of the contract, members will pay 11 percent of the cost; 12 percent in the second year; and 13 percent in the third year. In the previous contract, members were paying 5 percent the first year, 7.5 percent the second, and 10 percent the subsequent year.

The contribution rate for family coverage also will increase to 21 percent in the second year and 22 percent in the third year - an increase from the current contribution rate of 20 percent.

The increase in compensation to union members averages 3.9 percent annually and, over the three-year contract period, will cost the college $5.6 million. The college's total budget for fiscal year 2014 is $137 million.

The new contract ends Dec. 31, 2016. The complete agreement will be made available on elgin.edu.

Meet Condoleezza Rice:

Judson University in Elgin has launched a student social media contest.

The winner will receive a free ticket to the World Leaders Forum VIP event on March 19 in Chicago and have an opportunity to meet keynote speaker Condoleezza Rice.

Tickets to the VIP event start at $2,000.

It's the first such contest for Judson.

Students can use any combination of Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to post a picture of themselves with a sign reading, "I am _____ and I will be a world leader."

Students must caption the photo with a series of hashtags that explain their vision for leadership.

Judson administrators will review all submissions at the end of the month and choose a winner based on the best post.