Faculty say administrators have not acted quickly enough on key issues, while college leaders say they are balancing those concerns with ongoing budget challenges.
Faculty Association President Kirk Thomsen said one major concern is the pace of efforts to fill vacancies in two departments: early childhood education and alcohol and drug/human services.
"I know they sometimes would cite budgetary issues," Thomsen said. "Those were already in the budget, and those are successful programs."
Thomsen said the early childhood education program trains many teachers in the region and is important to both the college and the community.
"The college just hasn't really moved on it," he said. "So we're kind of stuck, and the communication hasn't really been that great about what they're doing."
College Superintendent/President Char Perlas said the college plans to rely on adjunct instructors for now because of budget problems.
"Of course, the last thing we want to do is hire somebody brand new and be like, 'Sorry, we have to let you go,'" she said. "We are really mindful about that, but we definitely have that area covered."
Perlas said the college plans to launch a search next spring for an early childhood education faculty coordinator, with the goal of having that person begin full-time in fall 2027.
Mark Fields, vice president of academic affairs, said the college will review programs to determine whether or not it can afford to hire a full-time employee to replace the faculty member from ADHS.
"I can say that the early childhood education and the ADHS were ranked very high on program review on looking to refill, if we have the resources to do so," he said.
Perlas said the college is also weighing several cost-cutting measures to address an estimated $2 million deficit in the 2027-28 school year.
"The last thing that we want is to have to lay off, so we're trying to find appropriate responses to how we can avoid that from happening," she said. "That's causing some tension on campus."
So far, budget managers have been instructed to reduce their general fund budgets by 10%, and some vacant positions have been removed.
According to Perlas, the administration is doing its best to communicate with faculty through meetings, emails and social media.
"Honestly, we're a little confused about where [this feedback is] all coming from," she said.
"There's a wealth of information," said Dawnie Slabaugh, director of public relations and the college foundation. "But it really comes back to the individual really taking that initiative to really make sure they stay informed."
Still, Thomsen said there is room for improvement.
"I don't think the executive leadership is communicating with each other sometimes," he said. "I think that's where the crux of the problem is."
Meanwhile, contract negotiations between the faculty union and the college have stalled over wages and health insurance premiums.
Thomsen remains hopeful for a collaborative resolution between the two parties.
"We want to move forward. We want to eliminate confusion and delay," he said. "I'm hopeful that we're going to continue to have conversations and maybe put a little more emphasis in planning and a little bit more cooperation."
