Becoming a CCE: Q and A

UFCT 1460 Grievance Committee

Q: What is a CCE?

A: Pratt is one of the few schools in the country that continues to offer CCE or Certificate of Continuous Employment status to part-time faculty. CCE status is essentially tenure for part-time faculty. Our contract guarantees Pratt will make every “reasonable” effort to provide a faculty member with a CCE with 3/4 of a full-time teaching load when requested. Initially, CCE status was a waystation for part-time faculty on the road to a full-time tenure track position, though this has become less and less the case.

Q: How many adjunct faculty at Pratt have CCE status?

A: In the academic year 2024-2025, there were 393 faculty with adjunct status. Out of these, 143, or 36%, had a CCE. CCEs at Pratt have an average of 22 years of service and are evenly distributed across the major Schools at Pratt. 

Q: When can I apply for CCE?

A: To be eligible for a CCE, one must have had adjunct status for at least ten semesters. The clock starts after a visitor receives adjunct status, usually 3-5 years after being hired at Pratt. Because the application process takes about a year, the earliest one can apply for CCE status is in the Fall of one’s ninth semester as an adjunct. If approved, the CCE status becomes effective as of the Fall of one’s 11th semester.

Q: What are the requirements for CCE?

A: Aside from serving ten semesters as an adjunct, a CCE candidate must demonstrate achievement in the three areas covered by Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure (ARPT) guidelines:

• Teaching Effectiveness

• Professional Competence

• Service

While each department’s ARPT guidelines are distinct, successful CCE candidates are expected to demonstrate a record of service in the department, far more than expected for the change of status from visitor to adjunct. 

Q: Are there any unique requirements for a CCE application?

A: The most recent CBA requires that external letters of recommendation be solicited in all tenure cases, including CCE ones. The contract outlines a process wherein the applicant generates a list of potential reviewers, as does the Dean of the School in collaboration with chairs and the PRC. From this list, the Dean solicits three external reviews of a faculty member in their areas of expertise (see Article 16.3). As in tenure cases, these letters are not made available to faculty by the administration. 

Q: What are the benefits of CCE status?

A: The key benefit of CCE status is tenure: a faculty member cannot be terminated except in rare instances described in the contract (see Article 28). In addition, there is the assurance of a 75% load (nine contact hours). Beyond this, CCE faculty are offered access to the same high-deductible health plan provided to full-time faculty, annual retirement account contributions, and a $25,000 life insurance policy. As of 2022, a change to CCE status typically comes with a $150.00 increase in one’s contact hour rate.

Q: What does it mean that the administration will make “every reasonable effort” to provide the maximum adjunct load to those requesting it?

A: In a generic case where classes are three contact hours and a full-time annual load is twenty-four, adjuncts with CCE status can expect to teach nine contact hours or three courses a semester if they request it. You should always make requests of this type in writing. This means adjuncts with CCE status have priority over adjunct and visiting faculty regarding courses they are qualified to teach. These calculations become slightly more complex in schools where the number of contact hours per course varies. This could mean anything from four to six courses yearly, provided the annual load does not exceed 20 contact hours (see Article 22.4.c). In some cases, where reaching a 75% load is difficult because of the contact hours of specific class assignments, departments can make up the difference with stipends for other types of work; however, the contract does not directly address this. 

Q: Why do applications fail?

A: CCE applications can fail if they are not tailored to a department's ARPT guidelines or if a PRC committee has determined that ARPT guidelines have not been met. Teaching a wide variety of courses and demonstrating extensive service to the department and school is key to a successful application.

However, the administration can reject applications based on enrollment trends and distribution. This translates into the claim that a CCE cannot be offered because it would be impossible to meet the maximum load if requested.

The simplest way to prevent this is to teach as close to a 75% load as possible during the years preceding the application.

Some PRCs or chairs will fail to recommend CCE status on the first application but will recommend it on the second try. Thus, a failed application is often an opportunity to get a clearer picture of what a PRC or chair needs to offer a recommendation. As with all ARPT actions, CCE denials are subject to the grievance process. 

One should begin to chart a path to CCE soon after receiving adjunct status. This involves:

• Teach a broad range of courses.

• Aim for an 18-contact-hour annual load.

• Take up service positions--committees, events, assessment--in the department, school, and Institute. Part-time faculty are expected to be paid for this work.

• Carefully study your department's ARPT guidelines for CCE status.

• Meet regularly with your department chair, dean, and PRC chair to assess progress toward meeting those guidelines.

• If an application for CCE status is denied, contact the union at grievance@ufct1460.org to determine whether the contract has been violated.