Respecting Adjunct Faculty

We have lived lives of being unappreciated part-time faculty members and we support the American Association of University Professors and their want to bring adjunct faculty up to a higher level of respect and standing in universities:

Today, 48 percent of American faculty serve in part-time appointments, and non-tenure-track positions of all types account for 68 percent of faculty appointments. Year after year, the problem gets worse as more and more faculty jobs are part time or non-tenure track. Faculty holding these appointments are often poorly compensated—receiving low wages and few, if any, fringe benefits. Without job security and academic freedom protections, they are subject to administrative whim. Students suffer when the majority of faculty are inadequately supported by their institutions.

At some major universities -- like New York University -- adjunct faculty members teach 70% of the undergraduate courses. That sort of hard working part-timer needs the equal financial support of their university as well as the respect of their full-time and tenured teaching colleagues.

We believe if you know your work you will win your wants -- and that is why we have great confidence that adjunct faculty members will one day reap the full benefits of their dedication and hard work.