meta pixel

UCC will open at 10am today.

Learn More
Search
Students
Jobs
Visit
Apply
UCC River hawk dark logo

Umpqua Community College

Umpqua Community College is the regional center for higher education in Douglas County, Oregon, proudly offering an ever-expanding array of in-demand college degree, workforce development, and community learning programs.

River hawk

Faculty contract at Umpqua Community College secured using collaborative method

Rachel Pokrandt & UCC Board of Directors
Rachel Pokrandt leading a discussion with the UCC Board of Directors.

JUNE 13, 2022

“Everyone at UCC wants the best for students and the institution, and that was the lens through which we considered all of the issues,” Pokrandt said. Our faculty are a precious resource, and it is important to me that they feel valued and fairly compensated. We have important work to do for our students and the community, and the contract reflects that intention to innovate and be excellent coming out of the pandemic. We wouldn’t have come to this outcome without the work of our faculty and their willingness to collaborate.

The UCC Board of Directors voted to ratify the contract in a special meeting on June 13, 2022, stemming from months of unity-building negotiations.

Faculty union members also expressed their satisfaction with the new process and the contract.

Overall, the students benefit from the trust and improved working conditions transforming our campus between faculty and our new administration, said Crystal Sullivan, chair of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Rachel also saved the College an enormous amount of money by doing the bargaining herself and without an attorney. Knowing that each side involved really wanted the best for our students and faculty helped us get past many issues that had plagued bargaining in the past.

The team used an approach known as “interest-based bargaining,” which started in January and incorporated regular face-to-face discussions between the UCC President and the union leaders. The result was a mutually satisfying contract.

Many institutions struggle with faculty-administration relationships, and I never wanted that for UCC or our community. Douglas County deserves better than that, and this is a great step toward our ultimate goal, which is to be the very best Community College in the country, Pokrandt said.

The contract will provide a 5% salary increase, and the administration and faculty worked together to reach an agreement on how much faculty will be compensated for additional responsibilities when developing new programs.

The contract begins in July 2022 and runs through June 2025.

 

Success Stories from Umpqua Community College

Sydney Miele standing and smiling in front of a Foley & Lardner LLP office sign, where she works as a legal assistant after graduating from UCC's Paralegal program.
Success Stories

From Uncertain to Unstoppable — How Sydney Miele Built Her Paralegal Career with UCC

From uncertain to unstoppable – this is how Sydney Miele built her legal career with UCC . . .
When Sydney Miele entered the Paralegal program at UCC, she didn’t know which direction she wanted to take. “Going into the program, I wasn’t completely set on what I wanted to do exactly in the legal field. I was leaning toward being a paralegal or maybe even like a law clerk… maybe doing a couple years of law school.”

Three family members in green graduation caps and gowns hold hands outside the Ford Nursing Science Center, celebrating their UCC nursing graduation together.
Success Stories

From Patients to Providers, One Family Finds Their Path to Nursing at UCC

When you’re a patient in the hospital, there are days when your strength fades and it feels easier to give up. Often, it’s a nurse who helps you find hope again. The Newell and Robbins family knows this experience well. All four siblings spent extended time in hospitals and saw firsthand the difference a compassionate nurse can make. “We had a front-row seat to the impact of good nursing.
Success Stories

Welding for My Son: Resilience Through Education

When Gabriella Spencer moved to Roseburg, she never dreamed she would have her GED, let alone be in a two-year welding program. “I left a bad situation in Ohio, and I came here with nothing. I was in a homeless shelter with my son, who was just entering first grade. He was still in that place where he didn’t want to go to school. He wanted to stay at home with mommy all day and play, and I’m trying to explain the importance of education. While I’m doing this, I’m thinking, I’ve never even gotten my GED.”

See Success Stories