Voluntary Separation Incentive Plans
Per the request of the faculty union, Everett Community College’s Leadership Team has made the decision to offer a voluntary separation incentive (“VSI”) opportunity to our full-time faculty. Under a VSI, eligible faculty who participate will receive a one-time incentive compensation for retiring or otherwise separating from their employment with the College. The specific eligibility requirements, incentive amounts, participation processes, and conditions were agreed to with the faculty union, and are detailed further below.
VSI plans are a management tool and are not an employee's right or benefit. While the College has balanced its budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, and is working towards a balanced budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, offering VSI opportunities provides the College with the opportunity to realign the College’s structures to meet our shared strategic goals.
Acceptance of an incentive offer is strictly voluntary. Employees who participate in a VSI program are not required to retire as a condition of accepting an incentive payment. Employees considering retirement are encouraged to consult with the administrator responsible for their retirement plan.
At this time, the College does not foresee offering any additional voluntary separation incentive programs for other employee groups, or for tenured faculty, in the coming years.
Faculty Plan
Plan Overview
The Voluntary Faculty Separation Incentive Plan provides eligible full-time faculty with an opportunity to receive a payment based upon a percentage of their full-time base salary, as outlined in Appendix A of the CBA.
Eligible tenured faculty may participate in the program by signing the tenure buy-out agreement linked below, no later than June 30, 2025.
The College will accept up to seven faculty participants in this VSI from until June 30, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Employees electing to participate in this VSI will separate their employment with an effective date no later than June 30, 2025.
Should seven faculty accept the College’s offer and participate in the program prior to the deadline above, the College will advise AFT and the full-time faculty, via ftfaculty@everettcc.edu, that all initial offers to participate had been accepted. At that time, additional faculty may offer to participate in the VSI, separating no later than June 30, 2025. The College will have the discretion whether or not to accept these offers to participate.
Acceptance of the College’s offer by the full-time faculty, as part of this plan, requires signing a tenure buyout agreement and delivering it to the College no later than the effective date of the employee’s separation.
Plan Documents
Plan Details
Below are additional details regarding the plan. Further details can be found in the MOU between the College and AFT.
Participation Window: The College will accept notices of interest to participate in this VSI through June 30, 2025. Employees electing to participate in this VSI will separate their employment with an effective date no later than June 30, 2025.
Participation Deadline: Full-time faculty will accept this offer by submitting a signed Separation & Release Agreement, on the required form, no later than June 30, 2025.
Eligibility: Full-time faculty with at least five (5) years of tenure with the College, subject to certain limitations outlined in the plan MOU.
Incentive Amount: Faculty who separate their employment from the College under this Plan will receive a lump sum incentive payment(s) based upon their number of years of tenure and the corresponding annual salary as outlined in Appendix A attached to this MOU, regardless of their actual current full-time base salary.
• Faculty with five (5) to fourteen (15) years of tenure, inclusive, will receive a lump sum payment of half (50%) the annual salary corresponding to their years of tenure as described above.
• Faculty with fifteen (15) to twenty (20) years of tenure, inclusive, will receive a lump sum payment of two-thirds (66.7%) the annual salary corresponding to their years of tenure as described above.
• Faculty with twenty-one (21) or more years of tenure, inclusive, will receive a lump sum payment of fifteen eighteenths (83.3%) the annual salary corresponding to their years of tenure as described above.
In addition to the incentive amounts listed above, faculty who separate their employment from the College under this Plan and who received additional compensation pursuant to the AFT Everett, Local 1873 & Everett Community College Memorandum of Understanding, Continuing Workforce Education Investment Act Allocation: High Demand July 1, 2023-June 30, 2025 during the 2024-2025 regular academic year will receive additional lump sum payment of one nineth (11.1%) the annual salary corresponding to their years of tenure as described above, regardless of tier. The annual salary as outlined in Appendix A attached to this MOU will be used for calculations pursuant to this paragraph, regardless of the faculty member’s actual full-time base salary for the 2024-2025 academic year.
In addition to the incentive amounts listed above, faculty who separate their employment from the College under this Plan and who received additional compensation pursuant to the Everett Community College and AFT Everett, Local 1873 Memorandum of Understanding, Workforce Education Investment Act Nursing Allocation July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025 during the 2024-2025 regular academic year will receive additional lump sum payment of two nineths (22.2%) the annual salary corresponding to their years of tenure as described above. The annual salary as outlined in Appendix A attached to this MOU will be used for calculations pursuant to this paragraph, regardless of the faculty member’s actual fulltime base salary for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Payout Details: Payout will be in the form of a lump sum payment less required withholding. Payments will be made within thirty days of the employee’s last day of employment.
Leave Balances: Unused leave accruals (e.g. sick leave) will also be paid out in a manner consistent with the generally applicable College policies and EvCC/AFT bargaining agreement provisions, less required withholding.
Retirement Contributions: Any payments made under this MOU will not include retirement plan contributions nor will the payment amount otherwise be considered income for retirement (average final compensation) purposes.
Return to Service: Faculty who accept a separation incentive who return to teaching will be paid from the associate faculty pay scale and will otherwise be classified as associate faculty in accordance with the CBA.