AHOSKIE – Roanoke Chowan Community College faculty will soon have a new salary structure option, according to a proposal introduced by college President Dr. Ralph J. Soney.

At Tuesday’s Board of Trustees meeting, Dr. Soney explained to those in attendance his plan to expedite the college’s initiative to bring the salary of the RCCC faculty closer to their peers in other states.

&uot;Our faculty salaries are pitifully short of the national average,&uot; Soney said. &uot;Money has been given for upgrades, but it has not been channeled properly.&uot;

According to the RCCC President, the national average for community college faculty is about $55,000.

RCCC’s faculty average would increase to approximately $44,000 once the new initiative has been incorporated.

Soney explained that employees would be contracted for nine month employment tenures, which they could choose to receive over either a nine month or twelve month period.

The current system allows for a faculty member to choose either option as well, but the faculty member would then be obligated to work a summer session if their curriculum specialty offered a course during that session.

Under the new guidelines, a faculty member could choose to receive their salary over a nine-month period and not be obligated to work during the summer session.

If a faculty member were needed to work over the summer, a new contract would be offered to cover that time frame.

Currently about half of the college’s faculty has chosen to have their salary spread out over 12 months instead of nine.

Soney said that in order to free up faculty members from obligatory summer sessions, the college would try to shift the bulk of the curriculum to fall and spring sessions.

&uot;In the next 2-3 years the state is going to force all of it’s community colleges to accept this pay structure,&uot; Soney explained. &uot;I’d like to see us get the ball rolling as soon as possible.&uot;

After fielding several questions from board members concerning sick leave and insurance lapses, the board unanimously approved Dr. Soney’s proposal.

&uot;This structure is not unlike the salary structure currently in place in many high school faculty environments, &uot;Soney added. &uot;For us the change will be pretty dramatic and will change the dynamic of our curriculum offerings.&uot;