L.D. NO. 91-9
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
CLASSIFICATION DISPUTES PANEL
In the Matter of
NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
(MONTCLAIR STATE COLLEGE)
-and- Academic Computing Assistants
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA
-and-
COUNCIL OF NEW JERSEY STATE COLLEGE LOCALS, AFT
DECISION
The above-named parties are engaged in a dispute about whether the Academic Computing Assistants are more appropriately placed in the CWA professional employees unit or the AFT faculty unit. The parties have agreed to place the dispute concerning the unit placement of these positions before this panel for resolution. At an informal hearing before the panel, witnesses testified and a job description was 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 primarily interact with faculty and students. The CWA unit consists of non-academic professional employees, i.e. those professionals engaged in the College's administrative, financial, business and support services functions.
In this matter, CWA argues that Montclair's two Academic Computing Assistants should be included in its professional unit. The State and AFT contend that the positions are properly classified in the generic title Professional Services Specialist III, a title included in the AFT faculty unit.
The Academic Computing Assistants at Montclair currently report to the Associate Director of Office Automation, who reports to the Assistant Vice-President/Director for Information Services. No separate division or budget for academic computing services currently exists. The College intends to create such a separate division and fill the vacant position, Associate Director for Academic Computing. Thereafter, the Academic Computing Assistants will report to that person rather than the Associate Director for Office Automation.
The Academic Computing Assistants each share office space in an academic department--one in the English department and one in the Psychology department. They are both involved almost exclusively with selecting, recommending, and modifying software, statistical programs and data base systems for faculty needs in the academic departments. They train faculty on how to use the computer systems and relevant academic-based software. They occassionally work with graduate assistants and troubleshoot problems with students in the student computer laboratories. They have no interaction with administrative computer center employees, who work on the College's business records. Administrative employees are routinely referred to the administrative computer center. In the absence of an Associate Director for Academic Computing, they are evaluated by the Associate Director of Office Automation. The faculty has substantial input into the hiring and evaluation of the Academic Computing Assistant.
CWA's witness testified that the Coordinator of Academic Computing and the Coordinator of Office Automation at Stockton College are both in the generic title Professional Services Specialist III, in the AFT unit.
We find that the Academic Computing Assistants at Montclair College share a greater community of interest with the AFT faculty unit. They interact exclusively with faculty and students rather than with business and administrative employees. Accordingly, we find that the Academic Computing Assistants at Montclair are properly placed in the generic title included in the AFT faculty unit.
THE CLASSIFICATION DISPUTES PANEL
William Druz, Classification Specialist
Susan Osborn, Public Employment
Relations Specialist
DATED: February 5, 1991
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