The chancellor of Kapiolani Community College says he is committed to ensuring instructors in its noncredit program are paid on time and has asked anyone who is overdue paychecks to call the administration.
The Star-Advertiser reported May 21 that numerous teachers were still waiting for their paychecks three to six months after completing their classes in the Continuing Education program. Although some agreed to be quoted in the paper, many were reluctant to complain publicly because as "casual hires" they have no job security.
"Please know that I am personally committed to making the changes necessary to address the root causes of this situation," Chancellor Leon Richards wrote in a letter sent to Continuing Education instructors, referring to the article.
Richards urged anyone who had not been paid for more than six weeks to contact the dean for Continuing Education at the college. He said the school is working to speed up delivery of paychecks.
"Of great concern to me was the suggestion in these reports that continuing-education instructors ‘feared they would be blacklisted from teaching’ if they complained," Richards wrote. "I want to assure you that Kapiolani Community College does not and will not retaliate against employees who voice their concerns."
"Maintaining a positive work environment for all employees of the College is important to me," he continued, advising anyone who felt they had been subject to retaliation to contact his executive assistant.
Asked how many people are overdue paychecks, Richards told the Star-Advertiser on Friday that the college has identified about 16 instructors whose payments were delayed and is following up on individual cases to resolve them as quickly as possible. Instructors are hired on individual contracts to offer noncredit courses at night and on weekends at the Diamond Head campus, from first aid to flower arrangement.
"In terms of paying our faculty, it is a top priority," Richards said. "Payroll documents do require at least a number of sign-offs because you’re dealing with state resources."
"What we are looking at is streamlining the process and then computerizing it," he added. "Of course, what we are working on will not occur overnight, but we will put into place a check-and-balance system in terms of making sure the paperwork is current and work flow moves and that people are paid on time."
Instructors said they hope to see their paychecks soon.
"I was very encouraged by the chancellor’s statement that there would be no retaliation," said Teddy Harrison, a registered nurse whose next course in elder care starts June 12. She said she has not been paid since Feb. 15 and is owed $3,800.
"I’m very patient because I love the job," Harrison said. Nonetheless she remains perplexed about the delays at the college.
"I have worked for mom-and-pops, I have worked for big hospitals in financial trouble and I was a captain in the Army Nurse Corps, and I have never been shorted any pay," she said. "Nor have I ever been a day late in getting paid."
Meanwhile, KCC’s Continuing Education summer session is offering just a small fraction of what was available last summer. The online course list includes elder care and health sciences but no culinary or business classes. And only five classes are listed in the culture and arts, language, leisure and wellness categories, compared with 53 in the summer of 2011. Some classes, such as taiko, were displaced when the chapel was closed for renovations.
"KCC is open for the summer," Richards emphasized, "and we will also post fall classes as early as possible."
Willow Chang, who has taught dance at Kapiolani for 12 years, said she hoped to continue there but instead will teach at the Still and Moving Center this summer after her class was not posted at KCC. She said she is still awaiting close to $4,000 in pay from classes that ended in December and January.
"It’s really nice to get a letter saying don’t worry, but then where is my class and where is my paycheck?" Chang said.
