Citizen Responsibility by and for Part-Time Faculty.

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13

Adjunct Faculty; English Departments; Higher Education; Nontenured Faculty; Part Time Faculty; Teacher Attitudes; Temporary Employment; Work Environment; Writing Teachers

In a personal narrative reflecting on 27 years of teaching, an adjunct faculty member realizes that she knows quite a bit firsthand about the adjunct. Judith Gappa and David Leslie, in their 1993 book, "The Invisible Faculty," state that budgets are balanced and classes assigned on the assumption that 20 to 50% of all undergraduate sections will be taught by temporary faculty members, and that 35 to 38% of all faculty members teach part-time in colleges and universities. Gappa and Leslie note that this faculty is growing, not just numerically, but also increasingly angry. In one university's English department, during 1996's fall semester 45% of all courses were taught by adjuncts, as were 80% of the composition and professional writing courses. Generally, the adjuncts who remain at one institution for a long time are those who become involved within the department in ways other than simply teaching their classes. Some department directors, recognizing the commitment and competence of adjuncts with years of experience, consciously involve those adjuncts in the review and change of course guidelines. Some are compensated financially for assuming duties such as supervising the composition faculty and chairing committees. Responsibility for continuing education for part-time faculty is often shared by the adjunct and the university. Posting published articles and publicizing poetry readings by adjunct faculty increase part-timers' morale, heighten awareness of adjunct talent, and tighten the bond between part-time and full-time faculty members. In many cases, however, the academic community must do more for its adjunct citizens. (NKA)

1998

ED415521