New ECC Faculty FAQ
Contract & Union Basics
When and how do I join the ECCFA?
When will I receive a copy of the contract?
Who can help explain contract language questions I might have?
Do contract protections apply before I join the ECCFA?
How do I know who my ECCFA representative is?
What is the grievance process?
What do common terms like “table notes,” “tenure,” and “load plus one” mean?
Pay, Benefits & Professional Funds
How am I initially placed on the salary schedule?
How do I move on the salary schedule?
What are Professional Expenses?
What are Professional Development funds?
How do I access reimbursement funds?
What work is required, voluntary, or paid separately?
Scheduling & Teaching Assignments
How are schedules chosen or assigned?
How does seniority affect scheduling?
Can classes be taken away after assignment?
What should I do if a class is taken away?
How much can full-time faculty teach face-to-face versus online?
Status, Categories & Advancement
How do I qualify for the union as an adjunct?
What are the different Unit Adjunct categories?
How do I become a full-time faculty member?
How do levels work if I teach in multiple departments?
Resources & Support
What resources does the library offer faculty?
Where can I track credits for lane changes or salary advancement?
Contract & Union Basics
What is the ECCFA?
The ECC Faculty Association (ECCFA) represents faculty in matters such as wages, working conditions, benefits, grievances, and contract negotiations. We negotiate contracts and help defend the contract informally and through the formal grievance process.
The ECCFA is the only body that can negotiate wages and benefits for unit members. If you are ever involved in discussing compensation for any work, contact the ECCFA.
When and how do I join the ECCFA?
Once you qualify to join the ECCFA, you should be contacted by an ECCFA officer. For full-time faculty, this is immediately upon your hire date at the college. For adjunct faculty, this happens when you qualify for Unit Adjunct Faculty I status. See the response below for How do I qualify for the union as an adjunct?
When will I receive a copy of the contract?
A digital copy of the ECCFA contract is available on our website, eccfa.org. Hard copies are also available upon request. Reach out to your senator or an ECCFA representative if you would like a paper copy.
Who can help explain contract language questions I might have?
If you have questions about contract language, the place to start is your ECCFA Senator. You should receive periodic emails from them. If not, the ECCFA President should send emails periodically about Senate meetings and other ECCFA business. You can reach out to them as well.
Do contract protections apply before I join the ECCFA?
The contract negotiated by the ECCFA covers all bargaining unit members, regardless of union membership status.
How do I know who my ECCFA representative is?
At ECC, our union representatives are titled Senators. An updated list is typically provided at the beginning of the Fall semester by the ECCFA President. A list of Senators is available at eccfa.org. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to them directly.
What is the grievance process?
A grievance occurs when an article in the collective bargaining agreement (i.e. the contract) has been violated. Even if you’re unsure that an action may be in violation of the contract, you should contact the grievance committee. There are time limits, so contact them as soon as possible. If you’re sure that you are being instructed to do something in direct violation of the contract, you are still obligated to perform that action. The only actions you are not required to perform, if instructed, are those that may cause bodily injury. It is in your best interest to file a grievance with the help of the Grievance Committee.
What do common terms like “table notes,” “tenure,” and “load plus one” mean?
Table notes are notes taken during contract negotiations by a member of the ECCFA Negotiations team. These can be crucial during and after contract negotiations to clarify the intent of the language.
Tenure at a community college in Illinois is a protected job status that full-time instructors automatically earn after working three consecutive school years at the same institution, as defined by the Public Community College Act.
“Load plus one” is how the initial load selection for full-time faculty is defined in 4.29 Load Assignment Protocol. It means that full-time faculty may select a “base load” that is at least 15 credit hours, plus one additional course. This is done by seniority before adjunct faculty select their loads.
Pay, Benefits & Professional Funds
How does salary work at ECC?
The ECCFA contract contains a salary schedule that depends on your union status. Every group - full-time, UAF2, and UAF1 - has multiple “lanes” based on level of education. In addition, both full-time and UAF2 have “steps” that are based on years of experience at the college. You can see the full salary schedules in the ECCFA contract.
How am I initially placed on the salary schedule?
Initial salary placement is not governed by the ECCFA contract. The college has a process that as of 2026 reflected previous full-time and adjunct employment. You can see that process here. If you feel that the college computed your placement differently, please reach out to an ECCFA representative.
How do I move on the salary schedule?
The ability to move on the salary schedule depends on your union status. You automatically move down a step on January 1 of each year (the UAF1 salary schedule only has 1 step). Lane movement can be earned through taking graduate courses, attending conferences, or other forms of professional development. Lane movement is not automatic. You must submit the paperwork by the deadline to move lanes. The Faculty Development Handbook has more details about the requirements. Reach out to an ECCFA representative for more guidance.
What are Professional Expenses?
Professional expenses may include dues, books, professional publications, hardware, software, and other supplies used in the performance of your duties in your position with the college. All ECCFA bargaining unit members have Professional Expense funds available, though the amounts and timelines vary by unit. See Sections 6.6, 8.5, and 10.11 of the ECCFA contract. The professional expense benefit form must be submitted to the dean. If your request is denied, contact a member of the Grievance Committee to ensure it is justified.
What are Professional Development funds?
You can spend professional development funds on tuition, conference fees, workshops, training, or other scholarly type activities, related to your faculty role. Your professional development funds are managed by the Faculty Development Committee (FDC). The dollar amount is determined annually by the committee. Refer to the Faculty Development Handbook for details on timelines and forms to apply for individual or group proposals.
How do I access reimbursement funds?
This depends on the type of reimbursement. If you have a Professional Expense claim, that is submitted to your dean through the form available on my.elgin.edu. If you’re accessing Professional Development funds that have been approved by the Faculty Development Committee, that follows their process. This is typically submitted to the administrative assistant for that committee, whose contact information should be on the document you received when your application was approved.
What is the ECCFA Sick Bank?
All ECCFA members are invited at the beginning of every Fall semester to donate 1 or 2 days to the ECCFA Sick Bank. Details about the bank are in Section 5.8 of the ECCFA contract. The bank is open to all employees at the college who are eligible to receive sick leave and have exhausted their own bank of sick leave.
Workload & Job Expectations
What work is required, voluntary, or paid separately?
Refer to the job descriptions in Appendix-B of the contract for required work. Additional work, such as dual credit liaison or instructional coordinator are in the contract. A long list of compensation for other work such as mentoring, Skills USA, or specialized report writing may be found in the Supplemental Assignment Chart. Compensation for additional work is often paid as a stipend on your paycheck. If you are asked to perform any work not found in either the contract or the Supplemental Assignment Chart, please contact the chair of negotiations for guidance. Never engage in individual bargaining.
What is release time?
Release time means reassigned time from regular teaching or duties to complete approved responsibilities for ECCFA officers, instructional coordinators, committee chairs, other leadership positions, or positions described in the Supplemental Assignment Chart.
For example, a full-time faculty member who receives 3 release hours may choose to teach 3 less credits and use those 3 release hours to fill their load.
Adjunct faculty are not eligible to use release time to fill their load. Instead, they are paid at the voluntary overload rate for this time.
Scheduling & Teaching Assignments
How are schedules chosen or assigned?
The mechanics of how schedules are chosen vary by department, but Section 4.29 Load Assignment Protocol governs how load is offered and assigned.
How does seniority affect scheduling?
Yes, Section 4.29 Load Assignment Protocol governs how seniority is taken into account when selecting classes.
Can classes be taken away after assignment?
Sections are sometimes cancelled due to low enrollment. Depending on the timeline, unit adjunct faculty may be eligible for a stipend if their class is cancelled. The following sections govern the process:
- Full-time: 4.32 Cancellation
- UAF2: 8.2 Unit Adjunct Faculty II Workload
- UAF1: 10.3 Unit Adjunct Faculty I Workload
In general, faculty whose classes are cancelled due to low enrollment are eligible to select a course in reverse order of seniority - unstaffed first, then those staffed by non-unit adjuncts, etc. The exception is that a replacement course for a UAF1 member may not cause their total load to exceed 9 hours.
In addition to a member’s courses being lost due to cancellation, there are ripple effects to the cancellation if a senior faculty member needs a replacement course. In that case the process follows the cancellation procedures outlined in the above contract language.
What should I do if a class is taken away?
In general, faculty whose classes are cancelled due to low enrollment are eligible to select a course in reverse order of seniority - unstaffed first, then those staffed by non-unit adjuncts, etc. The exception is that a replacement course for a UAF1 member may not cause their total load to exceed 9 hours.
The following sections govern this process:
- Full-time: 4.32 Cancellation
- UAF2: 8.2 Unit Adjunct Faculty II Workload
- UAF1: 10.3 Unit Adjunct Faculty I Workload
How much can full-time faculty teach face-to-face versus online?
Section 4.11 of the ECCFA contract governs the amount of online/hybrid coursework that can be part of a full-time faculty member’s load. This is the longest section of the contract and can be difficult to parse. The key language is in
3. Teaching Asynchronous Sections:
5. Teaching a Synchronous (SYNC) Section
7. Teaching a Hybrid Course:
In each case, the language states that these courses cannot exceed 60% of the faculty member’s minimum load unless approved by the Dean or Dean’s designee.
Status, Categories & Advancement
How do I qualify for the union as an adjunct?
There are two tiers of union status in the ECCFA contract - Unit Adjunct Faculty I (UAF1) and Unit Adjunct Faculty II (UAF2). The criteria are outlined in Section 1.2 and Section 1.3 of the ECCFA contract.
To qualify as a UAF1, you must meet one of the following criteria:
- Teach at least three (3) credit hours for three (3) out of four (4) consecutive semesters.. This excludes independent study and summer assignments.
- Work as library faculty at least 447 hours for one 18-month period from the initial hire date as a library faculty.
To qualify as a UAF2, you must meet one of the following criteria:
- teach at least twelve (12) credit or contact hours for three (3) out of four (4) consecutive years beginning with their first semester of adjunct employment. This excludes independent study and summer assignments; or
- teach at least six (6) credit or contact hours per semester for six (6) of eight (8) consecutive semesters. This excludes independent study and summer assignments; or
- work at least 596 hours per 12-month period for three (3) out of four (4) consecutive years beginning with the librarian’s start date (effective August 1994).
See the contract for full details regarding when that status begins.
What are the different Unit Adjunct categories?
There are two tiers of union status in the ECCFA contract - Unit Adjunct Faculty I (UAF1) and Unit Adjunct Faculty II (UAF2). The criteria are outlined in Section 1.2 and Section 1.3 of the ECCFA contract.
How do I become a full-time faculty member?
There is no direct pathway to become a full-time faculty member at ECC. All full-time faculty positions are published and available for anyone to apply for.
Beginning with the 2026-2028 ECCFA contract, there is new language in Section 4.35 Full-Time Faculty Searches that all bargaining unit members will be granted an interview provided they meet certain criteria. See the full contract language for details.
Adjunct faculty members assigned to teach 15 or more credit hours will be classified as “temporary full-time” and entitled to all full-time faculty benefits.
How do levels work if I teach in multiple departments?
Section 4.28 of the ECCFA contract covers the conditions of those teaching in multiple departments. Most importantly, unit status (i.e. UAF1 vs UAF2) is at the college level, not by department or division. See the contract for details on the specifics of the process. Reach out to your ECCFA Senator if you have questions.
Resources & Support
What resources does the library offer faculty?
For general information, visit the library’s faculty services tab on their website. Sign up for subscriptions to the New York Times and The Atlantic Magazine. Libby and The Palace Project are also great resources! You can find your library barcode on the back of your ECC ID. Be sure to connect with Faculty Librarians for more information on library apps, resources and support for faculty and for students.
The full library database at https://library.elgin.edu/az/databases is also available to all faculty. Most of the databases use the same ECC single-sign on.
Where can I track credits for lane changes or salary advancement?
At this moment, the college does not have a central tracking system for lane credits. Faculty are strongly encouraged to keep detailed records as they’re submitting them to the college. The college’s Human Resources department has the official record. To see your, they recommend filling out a request through JIRA :