Danbury;
Bethel; Bridgewater; Brookfield; Middlebury; New Milford; New Fairfield;
Newtown; Redding; Ridgefield; Sherman; Southbury; Wilton;
11-02-2003
Part-time professors on the rise
By Eileen FitzGerald
THE
NEWS-TIMES
Not everyone who teaches a college class works full time for a university.
In Connecticut and around the country, classrooms are increasingly
filled with part-timers referred to as lecturers, visiting professors
or adjuncts.
They might have expertise in subjects that full professors do not.
They might be able to increase the variety of subjects offered to
students or simply help hold down class sizes.
But some full-time faculty members, students and accreditation groups
are growing worried about the trend. Nationally, about 43 percent
of all college faculty are considered part time, more than double
the percentage of 20 years ago, according to the American Association
of University Professors.
The percentage of adjuncts is even higher in the Connecticut State
University system, which includes Western, Eastern, Southern and
Central Connecticut state universities. The system has 1,260 full-time
teaching faculty and 1,443 adjunct faculty. At WestConn, about 300
part-time professors work alongside 200 full-time professors.
The University of Connecticut, meanwhile, had about 300 part-time
professors before this year. This fall, those numbers skyrocketed
after 400 professors took an early retirement package.
This week, full-time faculty members at colleges across the country
called attention to the use of part-time faculty as part of what
was billed as Campus Equity Week.
"Our motto is that a teacher?s working condition is students'
learning condition," said Katy Wiss, a professor of communications
and theater arts at WestConn and president of the faculty union.
"We want to draw attention to what impact it has on students
when a university relies extensively on part-time teachers."
Critics say that part-time instructors often have little knowledge
of the school, have little feel for how their course fits into the
curriculum and limited ability to direct students to campus resources
that might help them. Others say that adjuncts often don't work
at the college long enough to get to know individual students and
serve as references for jobs or graduate school.
WestConn student government leader Michael Bachman said he's concerned
that part-timers have no offices at the school and are hard to reach
outside of the classroom.
Other students believe that the adjuncts are hired not because they
are experts, but because they are cheaper help at a time when the
state has cut higher education budgets. A part-time faculty member
at WestConn makes between $3,000 and $3,500 per course. A full-time
professor makes between $43,000 and $80,000 a year.
WestConn junior John Tamas avoids part-timers when he signs up for
courses. He believes some adjuncts have turned to teaching because
they didn?t succeed in their field.
"They are not as committed," Tamas said of adjuncts. "I
don't know what the solution is. Those budget cuts by (Gov. John
G.) Rowland slashed seasoned professors."
Eugene Buccini, WestConn's vice president of academic affairs, agrees
that there are drawbacks to part-time instructors.
"The down side is that an adjunct can teach three hours, then
leave the campus and not be as available for student interaction.
And they really don?t understand the full curriculum of the university,"
he said. "Accrediting
bodies have become more rigorous to make sure schools don't go off
the deep end."
Buccini, who noted that WestConn will soon provide adjuncts with
office space to make them more accessible, said the college strives
to hire the best part-timers and keep them on board.
"You want people vested in the university and who feel a part
of the university," Buccini said. "It's all about balance,
to try to bring in people who add something to your program and
not go overboard. Adjuncts are a particular group of people who
really enrich a curriculum if used properly."
Adjuncts include veteran educators who try to cobble together a
teaching career with assignments at several universities. Their
numbers also include professionals who teach one class a semester
in a business, scientific or other field they work in every day.
And then there are people like WestConn adjunct professor Robert
Giacolone of Newtown, who is teaching two courses in the university's
Ancell School of Business this fall. He retired from Duracell in
1999 and considers teaching global management and retail management
a chance to give back to the community.
"Staffing is tight everywhere and schools are filling up their
curriculum with adjuncts," Giacolone said. "I think they
look at my skill set and see what I am able to teach." Giacolone
said while he doesn't have an office, he comes early and stays after
class to help students. "I'm not in it for the money,"
he said. "I'm delighted to give something back and I think
the students respond to people with experience in the real world."
With others, money is an issue. Fewer than 20 percent of the country's
part-time professors are paid a proportion of the full-time wage
scale and are able to buy into a benefit package.
The American Association of University Professors recommends that
part-time, non-tenure track instructors should teach no more than
15 percent of a university?s courses.
"The AAUP is not against part-time work if there is comparable
pay and benefits," AAUP?s Gwendolyn Bradley said. "It?s
about priorities. Different
institutions commit funds for facilities and technology and less
and less money on the faculty."
UConn officials acknowledge they are spending less money on faculty
this year. In an effort to get higher-salaried senior faculty members
to retire, the state offered a buyout plan this year. Hundreds took
it, and the university had to hire adjuncts to fill the classrooms.
But even before this academic year ends, said UConn spokeswoman
Karen Grava, the university will work to replenish its full-time
staff.
Still, she defended part-timers. "Just because you're an adjunct,"
Grava said, "it doesn't mean you're a lesser person."
Contact
Eileen FitzGerald
at eileenf@newstimes.com
or (203) 731-3333. .
Contact:
Flo Hatcher hatcherk1@southernct.edu
John
Mueller