Faculty Association	February 3, 2000

There is a significant use and involvement of adjunct instructors in the UNF community. The Adjunct Committee has the responsibility of evaluating the roles, responsibilities, and functions of adjunct instructors. The Committee on Adjunct Affairs has met during the 1999-2000 academic year to discuss the use of adjunct instructors in the delivery of the curriculum at The University of North Florida.

The Committee reviewed the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) concerns and the university responses regarding adjunct instruction, the minutes from the 1998-1999 Committee on Adjunct Affairs, the resolution for increased compensation for adjunct instructors proposed by the Faculty Association to Academic Affairs, and the response from Academic Affairs.

The 1999-2000 Committee concentrated on the central issues of compensation, support, and professional development.

The committee recommends a long-term strategic plan that will incrementally address these significant issues. Inherent in this plan is a partnership between full-time faculty and adjunct instructors, the respective college administrations, and the Office of Academic Affairs.

Members of the committee include: Bob Roggio, Chair, Nick Wilson, Co-Chair, Sharon Buckley-VanHoek, Geraldine Collins, Bill English, Kathy Hassall, Cynthia Nyquist-Battie, Bob Pickardt, Amy Wainwright.

Below are the recommendations of the Committee:

1. COMPENSATION
1. SALARY

RECOMMENDATION: Based upon the survey conducted by the Committee on Adjunct Affairs in 1998-1999 and a follow up survey by the current Adjunct Committee, adjunct salaries at The University of North Florida are somewhat comparable to other institutions in the Jacksonville area. Within the State University System (SUS), UNF falls in the lowest quadrant. To attract and retain the highest quality adjunct instructors for the University, UNF should pay a rate:

1. Competitive with the highest compensation in the First Coast Area (Phoenix University‘s beginning salary for three-credit course is $2400; Central Michigan University’s beginning salary for three-credit course is $2600).
2. Comparable to the average of the salary ranges of the SUS schools.

 

UNF should include a goal in their strategic plan that addresses the compensation issue as described below:

PLAN A: Increase minimum compensation from $1500 per three-hour course to $2000 for a three-hour course beginning Fall 2000; to $2500 beginning Fall 2002, and to $3000 beginning 2004.

-or-

PLAN B: Increase minimum compensation from $1500 per three-hour course by $300 per academic year: $1800 in Fall 2000, $2100 in 2002, and $2400 in 2004.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Office of Academic Affairs.

2. OTHER BENEFITS
   To reward adjuncts for long-term service to the UNF community, the Committee recommends that, after eight semesters of adjunct teaching, an additional $100/credit hour be added to the base rate.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Office of Academic Affairs.

 

2. SUPPORT

   The following issues represent matters of serious concern to the adjunct instructors. The concerns center around the lack of consistent support, and the accountability by Colleges to address these issues and report them to the Vice President for Academic Affairs:

   RECOMMENDATIONS

The recommendations consist of a two-prong approach. The first part of this recommendation is for each college to develop a plan that is agreeable to the Vice President of Academic Affairs that addresses each of the support areas below. The second part is to provide accountability and follow up to the Vice President of Academic Affairs from each college as to how each college addresses each of the support issues and problems that may occur in their implementation.

1. OFFICE SPACE
   Private space is important for adjunct instructors to meet with students and/or other faculty. Each college shall develop a plan to provide adequate office space for their adjunct instructors. This may include, but is not limited to, individual offices or group offices, where adjuncts may share a single office.
   
   
2. SECURITY
   Each college shall develop a plan to provide adequate security for an adjunct instructor’s various needs: pocketbooks, textbooks, memos, papers to grade, office supplies and related materials to support the teaching function. This may be accomplished, for example, by a locked room with separate keys for each adjunct instructor, the addition of lockable filing cabinets for individual adjunct instructors, or similar devices that offer some measure of security for the instructor’s personal and teaching-related materials.
   
   
3. TELEPHONE (AND AFTER HOURS)
   Each college shall develop a plan to provide telephone accessibility for an adjunct instructor during both normal and after departmental office hours.
   
   
4. COPYING / DUPLICATION SERVICES (AND AFTER HOURS)
   Each college shall develop a plan to provide for copying and duplicating services for an adjunct instructor during both normal and after departmental office hours.
   
   
5. ACCESS TO COMPUTER
   Each college shall develop a plan to provide computer access to all adjunct faculty that must include e-mail accounts and facilities and, if desired, web page opportunity. The access to computers must be available during both normal and after departmental office hours.
   
   
6. LIBRARY PRIVILEGES
   Each college shall ensure that each adjunct instructor is provided information and direction to obtain library access privileges.
   
   
7. PARKING
   In order to improve the development of adjunct faculty teaching and scholarship, adjunct faculty need to spend time on campus in addition to normal class time and office hours. Adjunct faculty may need additional on-campus visits to use the library facilities for research and scholarship, to interact with other faculty for mentoring purposes, to increase course coordination, and to foster improved relationships with full time faculty and students. Each college should develop a plan to underwrite the parking fees associated with obtaining these goals.
   
   

ACCOUNTABILITY: Deans of the colleges.

3. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
1. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – Each College shall develop a professional development plan for adjuncts, which will include an orientation plan for new adjunct instructors, including teaching plans and teaching strategies.
   
   
2. MENTORSHIP – Each College shall develop a mentorship program for new and continuing adjunct instructors.
   
   
3. EVALUATION – Each College shall develop an evaluation plan for each adjunct instructor each semester.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Deans of the colleges.

4. ACCOUNTABILITY AND OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT
1. VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
   
   

Develop a compensation plan that will move adjunct salaries to be competitive in the Jacksonville area and also be comparable with our sister universities within the SUS.

Receive, monitor and evaluate each college’s annual report on adjunct instruction

Report to the Committee on Adjunct Affairs with the accountability and outcomes assessment on the aforementioned issues.

2. DEANS OF RESPECTIVE COLLEGES
   
   Develop a plan to address the support and professional development issues cited above.

Include in their annual reports a section on adjunct affairs that specifically addresses

1. Compensation
2. Support, and
3. Professional development
   
   
3. COMMITTEE ON ADJUNCT AFFAIR
   
   Review the annual plans developed by each college that address the issues cited above.

   Provide an annual report to the Faculty Association on the status of adjunct compensation, support, and professional development issues within each college.

    

   Dated: January 11, 2000

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Modified: January 21, 2000