Leg Item

Faculty Association	March 4, 2004

ITEM # 3

FA 04-08:

Submitted by the Adjunct Affairs Committee

Recommendation From Adjunct Affairs Committee
Assistant Director of Adjunct Affairs
Office of Faculty Enhancement

Rationale:

The 2002-3 and 2003-4 Adjunct Affairs Committees conducted and analyzed an in-depth survey of the University of North Florida part time faculty. The four main concerns expressed by respondents to the survey were:

1.	salaries and benefits;
2.	access to physical resources such as computers, telephones and office space;
3.	recognition for teaching;
4.	feedback on teaching.

Two prior Adjunct Affairs Committees requested resolutions to these same issues and were unsuccessful.

The Adjunct Affairs Committee reiterates that salaries and benefits are important to part-time faculty. Our recommendation at this time focuses on the remaining concerns delineated by the survey: access, recognition and feedback. The Committee believes these issues can be addressed at a relatively low cost when compared to the substantial benefit to the University and students since a large number of courses are currently taught by adjunct professors.

Recommendation:

The Adjunct Affairs Committee recommends that the Provost create and fill a position for an Assistant Director for Adjunct Affairs within the Office of Faculty Enhancement. Ideally, this full time, non-tenure track faculty member would be available during evening hours when many of our adjunct professors are on campus. The Assistant Director would be a permanent member of the Adjunct Affairs Committee and would be responsible for communicating with adjunct faculty and addressing their concerns. Duties would include:

1.	providing adjunct faculty with a comprehensive orientation to the University of North Florida;
2.	ensuring that adjunct faculty have adequate access to physical resources, such as computers, telephones, office space, and current infrastructure and services such as the OFE, CIRT, library, etc.;
3.	arranging a mechanism to provide adjunct faculty with recognition for excellence in teaching and providing exemplary adjuncts with appropriate rewards;
4.	providing feedback on teaching and learning via confidential classroom visits, where the Assistant Director would collect data, meet with the adjunct afterwards and discuss appropriate pedagogical methods and assessment techniques;
5.	organizing and contacting adjunct professors to share information on university workshops, services and other venues of assistance.