RESOLUTION: ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR'S COMPENSATION, SUPPORT, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Preamble:  There is a significant use and involvement of adjunct instructors in the UNF community. The Adjunct Affairs Committee has the responsibility of evaluating the roles, responsibilities, and functions of adjunct instructors. The Committee 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 and the report from the 1998-1999 Adjunct Affairs Committee, 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 that the University employ a long-term strategic approach that will incrementally address these significant issues. Inherent in this approach is the need for 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.

Resolution

Whereas a substantial part of the teaching effort at UNF is and is likely to continue to be borne by adjunct faculty, and

Whereas the Adjunct Affairs Committee has determined that improvements should be made in the areas of:

• Compensation
• Support
• Professional Development, and
• Accountability and Outcomes Assessment of adjunct faculty,

We, the Faculty Association, hereby resolve to recommend the following to the Provost:

1. COMPENSATION
   
   
   1. SALARY

   RECOMMENDATION: Based upon the survey conducted by the Adjunct Affairs Committee 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 make every effort to 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).

   -or-

   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.

   ACCOUNTABILITY: Office of Academic Affairs.

   2. OTHER BENEFITS

      RECOMMENDATION: To reward adjuncts for long-term service to the UNF community, the Committee recommends that, after eight semesters of adjunct teaching, the University should strive to add an additional $100/credit hour 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.

1. OFFICE SPACE

RECOMMENDATION: Private space is important for adjunct instructors to meet with students and/or other faculty. Each college should 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

RECOMMENDATION: Each college should 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)

RECOMMENDATION: Each college should 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)

RECOMMENDATION: Each college should 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

RECOMMENDATION: Each college should develop a plan to provide all adjunct faculty with computer access that must include email accounts and facilities and, if desired, web page opportunity. Access to computers must be available during both normal and after departmental office hours.

6. LIBRARY PRIVILEGES

RECOMMENDATION: Each college should ensure that each adjunct instructor is provided information on how to obtain library access privileges.

7. PARKING

RECOMMENDATION: 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

RECOMMENDATION: Each College should design a professional development plan for adjuncts, which will include an orientation plan for new adjunct instructors, teaching plans and teaching strategies.

2. MENTORSHIP

RECOMMENDATION: Each College should develop a mentorship program for new and continuing adjunct instructors.

3. EVALUATION

   RECOMMENDATION: Each College should develop a plan to evaluate each adjunct instructor each semester.

   ACCOUNTABILITY: Deans of the colleges.

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

   RECOMMENDATION: The Vice President should receive, monitor and evaluate each college's annual report on adjunct instruction

   RECOMMENDATION: The Vice President should report to Adjunct Affairs Committee on the accountability and outcomes assessment results.

   2. DEANS OF RESPECTIVE COLLEGES

   RECOMMENDATION: Each dean should include in their annual reports a section on adjunct affairs that specifically addresses

   1. Compensation
   2. Support, and
   3. Professional development
      
      
   3. ADJUNCT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

      RECOMMENDATION: The Adjunct Affairs Committee should review the annual plans developed by each college that address the issues cited above.

      RECOMMENDATION: The Adjunct Affairs Committee should provide an annual report to the Faculty Association on the status of adjunct compensation, support, and professional development issues within each college.

       

   Dated: February 11, 2000