West College Scotland - Who's U turn?

West College Scotland - Who's U turn?

Joint Communication Teaching Staff ?

Director Organisational Development and HR

Progress of Management and EIS/FELA negotiations on ACQL posts
Senior Management had very constructive discussions with EIS/FELA representatives on Wednesday concerning the proposed ACQL post.  Both union representatives and management were keen to clarify the role of the recent proposed new posts as being substantially different to promoted lecturer posts within the previous legacy college structures.  We saw it important to reiterate the fact that the workload required for these posts would only have been commensurate with the hours allocated and the pay scale proposed.

We were all in agreement that a new promoted post would be very advantageous to support the Curriculum & Quality Leaders and Heads of Sector in managing the curriculum and the duties for these posts should be commensurate with whatever time may be given.   Unfortunately however, we accepted that there is now not enough time before the end of session to agree a new post and undertake ‘matching in’ or recruitment.

Change to the beginning of the teaching block in August
We all share the intention that the start of the new session is as well organised for students as possible.  The recent CQL recruitment and uncertainties around other promoted positions have delayed timetabling in some areas and there will also be some disruption as staff move into new CQL roles and new teams are formed.  For this reason we intend to delay the start of full time classes until week beginning 25th August.  This will give teaching staff two weeks at the start of term before classes start.  The block calendar will be adjusted for 2014/15 and circulated shortly.

Arrangements for Curriculum Management
The arrangements set out in the communication to staff on Thursday 29th May concerning the allocation of budgeted ACQL remission time to CQLs will be implemented as a temporary arrangement.  CQL’s will have the opportunity to discuss these arrangements with their Head of Sector to ease this process and will also be entitled to consider their positions.   Negotiations will start in the new academic session around an alternative new promoted post to support the CQLs and we are reasonably confident we can agree a suitable position for introduction sometime in 2014/15.  Now that CQLs are recruited, they will be involved in defining the needs of their curriculum areas and this will be taken into account when proposing a new post.

Arrangements for offering promoted staff alternative employment as Lecturers
Part of the process of offering current promoted teaching staff alternative employment as new Lecturers involves an individual consultation interview which is a legal requirement that the College must comply with. Staff will soon receive a letter asking them to attend a consultation interview.
The individual consultation interviews for those currently in promoted posts that have been removed from the structure will take place before the end of term.

The avoidance of compulsory redundancy remains a priority for management as does the future financial sustainability of the College and we are confident we have sufficient lecturer positions, with a full teaching complement, for those staff affected.

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