Campus
Equity Week Is Coming Soon to a Campus Near You
Washington, D.C.—Faculty activists across the U.S., Canada,
and Mexico have banded together to designate October 27 to 31, 2003,
as the second Campus Equity Week. Campus Equity Week promotes campus
activities highlighting the poor pay and working conditions of part-time
and non-tenure-track faculty members. The number of faculty members
in such contingent appointments is growing at an alarming rate. Forty-three
percent of faculty appointments are part time, and over half of new
full-time appointments are off the tenure track. Many graduate student
assistants also lack adequate compensation and academic freedom protections.
Like the first Campus Equity Week, held in 2001, this year’s
week of action is designed to promote local organizing and to educate
the public and policymakers about issues of fairness and quality of
education. Major issues include teachers’ working conditions,
students’ learning conditions, and pay equity. Campus Equity
Week is part of a growing international campaign targeting contingent
work in the academy.
Local Campus Equity Week committees have formed and planned events
appropriate to local campus conditions. Some activities taking place
across the nation include:
Colorado
Arapahoe Community College:Pictures andbiographies of contingent faculty
members will be displayed on campus along withan informational poster
about contingent faculty.
Front Range Community College: Faculty will set up information tables
and give awards to contingent faculty in the following categories:
longest time at Front Range and most classes taught in a semester.
An award will also be given to the faculty member judged most supportive
of part-time faculty.
Connecticut
University of Connecticut: Faculty will set up information tables
at all University of Connecticutcampuses.
Massachusetts
Curry College: Faculty will hold an educational symposium.
Emerson College:Professors, students, and supporters from Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, and other states will gather in
Boston to protest the insistence of the Emerson College administration
that part-time faculty accept a contract that would limit their ability
to express any solidarity with other unions.
New
Jersey
Rutgers University:The Rutgers University AAUP chapter will sponsor
a tele-conference on academic freedom in a time of crisis. Distinguished
speakers will preview the AAUP’s new statement on that
topic,and focus on the academic freedom of those without tenure.
For more event listings and local contacts, visit the Campus Equity
event site athttp://www.cewaction.org/.
The American Association of University Professors is a nonprofit charitable
and educational organization that promotes academic freedom by supporting
tenure, academic due process, and standards of quality in higher education.
The AAUP has 45,000 members at colleges and universities throughout
the United States.
Robin
Burns
American Association of University Professors
Department of Public Policy and Communications
1012 Fourteenth Street, NW, #500
Washington, DC 20005
rburns@aaup.org
202-737-5900 ext. 3013
800-424-2973
FAX 202-737-5526