STATE OF NEW JERSEY

CLASSIFICATION DISPUTES PANEL

In the Matter of

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

(RAMAPO STATE COLLEGE)

-and-	Video Engineer

Telecommunications Center

COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA

-and-

COUNCIL OF NEW JERSEY STATE COLLEGE LOCALS, AFT

DECISION

The above-named parties are engaged in a dispute concerning whether the Video Engineer in the Telecommunications Center at Ramapo State College is more appropriately placed in one of the CWA units or the AFT faculty unit. The parties have agreed to place their dispute before this panel for resolution. At an informal hearing before the panel, witnesses testified and job descriptions were presented.

The AFT faculty unit consists of teaching and research faculty and non-teaching professional employees who are integrally related to academic functions of the colleges and who primarily interact with faculty and students. The CWA units include non-academic professional employees, i.e., those professionals engaged in the colleges' administrative, financial, business and support services functions.

In this matter, CWA argues that Ramapo's video engineer should be included in one of its units. The AFT and the College contend that the position is properly included in the AFT faculty unit.

The College recently created the video engineer position. It hired Adolph Holmes into the generic title Professional Services Specialist 3 at salary range U-21. Holmes reports to the Manager of Communications Operations, Anthony Salimo, who reports to the Director of the International Telecommunications Center, who reports to the Vice-President of Academic Affairs.

The position was originally announced in 1989 as primarily a technically oriented one. The announcement provides that the employee would maintain, operate, set up and repair video, audio and satellite systems. However, the College's concept of the position's functions has evolved to the point where it now views the position as a liason with the academic faculty. The video engineer's primary responsibility is to provide the students with instruction and assistance in the use of the telecommunications and video production facilities and resources. He advises and assists students and faculty with class or research projects. Typically, academic faculty members or students approach him with a concept and he assists in its development to a video production. While Holmes' duties also include the more technical aspects of setting up and maintaining satellite, video, audio and monitoring equipment, these duties are ancillary to his primary responsibilities to the students and faculty. Holmes testified without contradiction that he spends approximately 60 to 65 percent of his time interacting with students and faculty. He also maintains the College's video tape library. He assists faculty and students with selections appropriate to their curriculum.

In addition, he supervises cooperative education students. While not dispositive, we also note that as a member of the part-time adjunct faculty, Holmes teaches courses in telecommunications technology and fundamentals of television production.

While Holmes shares some of the same technical job duties with other similar titles represented by CWA at the Public Broadcasting Authority, we nevertheless find that the Video Engineer at Ramapo is so integrally involved with the academic faculty and students of the College that his position is not akin to the administrative and technical support staff represented by CWA, but rather he is more closely allied with the non-teaching professional staff represented by the Federation. Although possibly mistitled, the video engineer position is primarily academically oriented and shares a greater community of interest with the AFT faculty unit.

Accordingly, we conclude that the Video Engineer at Ramapo State College is properly included in the AFT faculty unit.

THE CLASSIFICATIONS DISPUTES PANEL

William Druz, Classification Specialist

Susan Osborn, Public Employment

Relations Specialist