Resource Room

Community Employment Standards

If the rise of corporate management styles and values is the primary context in which to understand the many ills besetting higher education, including the overuse and abuse of contingent faculty, then we need to articulate an alternative vision for the campus community.

The Campus Charter, Fair Labor Standards University Code of Conduct, and COCAL's 10 Point Program, are three examples of on-going attempts to establish community standards for campus employment and to hold administrations accountable. Like the "Living Wage" movement taking shape on many campuses these organizing strategies have the potential to amplify our power by facilitating the creation of coalitions and recasting the campus community to include students, staff and faculty. We need allies to succeed and coalition building between the different sectors of the campus community is a good place to start.

These documents can be adapted to better suit your local situation or priorities, and can be used in a variety of ways. Asking campus groups to sign on to a charter or program can be an excellent way of building support and community among employee and student groups on your campus. Or you can use them as the basis for a petition that can be circulated and presented to your institution's administration or governing body. You could also bring them forward as a resolution for adoption at your academic senate or other campus decision-making bodies.

It is up to you to craft Campus Equity Week activities to suit your campus. Keep in mind that coalition building takes time and is usually possible only after some significant organizing work has already been done.