Human Resources

How much will I be paid?

Prairie State College faculty belong to the Prairie State College Federation of Teachers, Local 3816, AFT, AFL-CIO, who negotiate salaries on behalf of their members. Access the salary schedule for 2009-2010, which is included in our 2009-2012 contract. New assistant professors are placed on the salary schedule lanes and steps based on their education and experience. Please note that steps are not necessarily equivalent to prior years of experience or service. Base pay for our faculty is based upon a 15 contact hour load, fall and spring semesters.

Many faculty choose to teach additional courses during the academic year or in the summer. In 2009-10, faculty will be paid $831 per contact hour for the first three hours of overload in Fall and Spring semesters and $530 per contact hour for any additional hours (3.1-8 hours). In summer 2010, faculty who teach up to 7.5 hours will be paid $938 per contact hour. Those who teach up to 12 contact hours will be paid $840 per contact hour for those additional contact hours beyond the first 7.5 hours.

What insurance benefits are provided to full-time faculty?

Prairie State College provides health benefits (including vision) through Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois. Faculty may choose an HMO or PPO and select an individual or family plan. The College pays 95% of the cost of the employee coverage or 77% of the cost of the family coverage. Group dental insurance (individual or family) is available at the employee’s expense. In addition, the College provides faculty members with a $25,000 term life insurance policy and makes available additional (individual, spouse, children) coverage at the employee’s expense.

What retirement benefits are provided by the College?

By state law, all faculty and staff in Illinois public colleges and universities are covered by the State University Retirement System (SURS), which provides excellent retirement benefits. 8% of your pay will be deducted for SURS. For more information, see www.surs.com. Upon hire, you will be provided with extensive information about SURS benefits and your options for participation. You will not pay for Social Security, but will contribute to and benefit from Medicare.

Are there any tuition benefits for PSC courses provided to full-time professors or their family members?

Full-time faculty members receive a full tuition waiver to enroll in credit courses (up to 6 credit hours) offered by the College. Spouses and unemancipated children of full-time faculty members receive a 50% tuition waiver. This waiver does not include any course-specific fees (e.g., lab fee for a science, art or computer course). In addition, adjunct faculty are granted a tuition waiver so they can enroll in a credit Physical Fitness course at the Prairie State College Fitness Center.

Are child care services available for my child during the time I am teaching?

Prairie State College has a state of the art Children’s Learning Center, which provides excellent care for children of students and staff. Children ages 15 months to 10 years may be enrolled on a regular hourly or daily basis during the daytime. In the evening, services are open to children ages 2 (potty-trained) through 12. No drop in service is available. For more information, contact the Center by calling (708) 709-3728 or visit www.prairiestate.edu/ss/ss-clc.html

Will I be given support for professional development at PSC?

Yes. Most of our full-time faculty are active in professional organizations in their disciplines or in organizations focused on teaching and learning. The College supports travel to professional conferences and workshops. Faculty in our career programs are also provided support to attend training to keep them current in their fields.

PSC is an active member of ICISP (International Consortium of International Studies and Programs) and a number of our professors have participated in exchanges with their counterparts in the Netherlands, Finland and England.

Does PSC have an honors program and will I have an opportunity to teach honors courses?

We have a long-standing commitment to providing honors courses for our high-achieving students. Courses are offered in a variety of disciplines, and faculty who are interested in teaching in the Honors Program are encouraged to do so.