Riverside, California – Last month, the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees unanimously decided to pay the full health insurance premiums for eligible associate faculty members at all three colleges within the district. This decision affects over half of the associate faculty, benefiting not only the professors at RCC but also those across the entire district.
Read also: Riverside residents face financial challenges amid rising costs, survey finds
“With most classes in the district being taught by part-time instructors, this program will give associate faculty comfort and stability in the workplace but also allows them to not worry about if they should spend money on health insurance or feeding themselves and their families,” Co-lead negotiator and full-time faculty at Norco College Virgil Lee said.
The program will begin with a special open enrollment period starting April 1, and to qualify, associate faculty must have a teaching assignment of 0.4 or more. Furthermore, the Board of Trustees also approved a full reimbursement for those who have already paid for their health insurance premiums during the 2023-2024 academic year at any of the three colleges.
Read also: Temecula Planning Commission greenlights redevelopment plan for Claim Jumper site
“This program is not only a huge win for our associate faculty counterparts but is a win for students, teachers, and the district,” said Lee. “With benefit and healthcare equality being the driving points of me and my fellow negotiators of the Faculty Association, we are all proud to have fought so hard for this.”
RCCD stands out as one of the first among California’s 73 community college districts to offer such a program to its associate faculty, potentially setting a precedent for other districts to follow.
Read also: Clearway Energy’s solar and storage projects go live in Riverside County
“We are ecstatic and incredibly grateful that RCCD is able to give us this opportunity and stability that in this generation for educators is very much needed. In the end, I and so many others feel lucky that RCCD is a forward-thinking district and has their faculty in mind,” Lee said.
