Feedback welcome.

UMBC Adjunct Faculty Advisory Committee Meeting with Senior Administrators

August 27, 2018

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Room 1005 Administration Bldg                

  

1.  Welcome and introductions (Freeman Hrabowski)

 

2.  Updates and discussion (Philip Rous)

• Adjunct Longevity Study
• Adjunct III Update
• Adoption of Academic Year Contracts
• College Adjunct Awards
• 2018-19 Approved Faculty Searches

 

3. Updates and discussion  (Margie Burns)

 

• UMBC Adoption of “Best Practices” in workplace conditions for adjunct faculty

 

• UMBC Adjunct Visibility Campaign:
• Connecting with AFAC constituents
• Connecting beyond our own constituents
• Representing all adjunct faculty

 

• UMBC Adjunct Pay Issues:

 

• Minimum stipend for adjunct faculty
• Pay inconsistences for adjunct faculty (within, and across, departments)

 

• Support for AFAC across departments

 

 

 

AFAC CHAIR’S REPORT: SUPPORTING MATERIALS

 

Different pay for adjuncts in different departments: AFAC is proud to have surveyed and to have shared valid and constructive information on adjunct stipend, by department, in 2017-2018. We now know that adjunct pay is uneven 

 

·  not only between Colleges but within a College

·  not only within CAHSS but within the Humanities

·  with Dance, Music, Modern Languages, English near the bottom; and HIST and PHIL at or near the top, in the Humanities

 

Here are some questions on which we are requesting information from each department:

 

1.      What do you pay an Adjunct I?

2.      What do you pay an Adjunct II?

3.      Do you pay more for teaching upper-level courses?

 

Related questions:

 

1. Do you pay more for PhD than for MA?
2. Do you pay more for teaching larger classes?
3. Do any adjuncts in your dept get paid for handling other duties besides teaching?

 

 

SUMMARY OF AFAC ACTIVITIES

The items below present some of the work accomplished, initiated, and/or ongoing by the AFAC, condensed as in previous years to save time during the semester meeting with administrators. All have been discussed. Questions and input welcome.

 

AFAC work ongoing or accomplished:

1. creation and approval of AFAC mission statement 2011-2012
2. ratification and approval of AFAC by-laws 2016-2017
3. secure process for electing AFAC chair annually
4. AFAC adjunct awards 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018
5. project for year-long contracts (academic year) for adjunct faculty
6. new USM title and criteria for promotion to Adjunct III
7. AFAC representatives in faculty orientation
8. CAHSS committee on teaching and learning, adjunct member and adjunct faculty awards 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019
9. AFAC (chair) presentation to Faculty Senate, spring 2017; chair presentation to Faculty Senate Executive Committee, fall 2018
10. AFAC end-of term receptions for adjunct faculty
11. minimum stipends for adjunct faculty (continuing need: anomalous 4-credit courses)
12. protocol, criteria, conditions for new AFAC awards for adjunct faculty members
13. semester meetings with deans/program heads
14. regular and special elections for AFAC membership

 

AFAC work initiated or proposed:  

1. recommending campus-wide policy/practice of secure and confidential elections for unit heads and other positions
2. gathering and sharing information on stipends for adjunct faculty by department
3. minimum stipends for adjunct faculty
4. eligibility for disability coverage for adjunct faculty
5. eligibility for emeritus status for adjunct faculty
6. eligibility for unemployment compensation (clarification)
7. classifying adjunct faculty as part-time employees rather than as "contract workers"
8. showcase for adjunct faculty research and achievement
9. addressing individual chairs' possible interference with AFAC mission or activities
10. AFAC survey of departmental best practices in working conditions for adjunct faculty
11. AFAC work with faculty senate
12. adjunct participation in university and senate committees
13. AFAC input in provost's annual teaching award for an outstanding adjunct faculty member
14. longevity study of UMBC adjunct faculty
15. clarify adjunct eligibility for benefits
16. adjunct faculty visibility campaign (UMBC shared governance web site)
17. involvement of adjunct faculty in interdisciplinary activities
18. publicizing AFAC awards for adjunct faculty

 

 

2017-2018 AFAC members: 

CAHSS -- Margie Burns, Chair (English), Robert Bennett (English), Maggie Grieves Knisley (Sociology)

CNMS -- Bonnie Kegan (Mathematics), William Slowikowski (Mathematics)

COEIT -- Paul Comitz (IS), Jon Squire (CSEE)

Non-College Affiliated -- Norman Prentiss (Honors College)

 

 

2018-2019 AFAC members: 

CAHSS – Robert Bennett, Chair (English), Margie Burns, (English), Sandra Dawson (History), Maggie Grieves Knisley (Sociology)

CNMS -- Bonnie Kegan (Mathematics), William Slowikowski (Mathematics)

COEIT – Paul Comitz (IS), Jon Squire (CSEE)

NON-COLLEGE AFFILIATED – Norman Prentiss (Honors College)

Best Practices: A preliminary checklist

Below is a list of best practices for professional development and workplace conditions for adjunct faculty at UMBC.^* The list shows how academic departments at UMBC treat their adjunct faculty. All criteria are to be understood as recommended only where applicable. Some criteria might not apply to all individual departments. With input, we will continue to update the information on departments (bold-faced font) meeting these criteria.

 

Pay, stipend, raises:

●     Regular pay increases/adjustments for adjunct faculty: CSEE, IFSM (partial), SAHAP

●     Department advocacy for adjunct stipend improvement, raises: INDS, PHIL, SAHAP

●     Funding for conference presentations: Econ, INDS, SAHAP

 

Workload:

●     Ability, feasibility of choosing classes: CSEE, INDS, PHIL, SAHAP

●     Input into class scheduling process: ECON, English, Math, PHIL, SAHAP, IFSM

●     Department sensitivity to time expended on new course prep: Math, PHIL,SAHAP

●     Advance notice/planning re course scheduling: English, Math, PHIL, SAHAP

●     Supplemental compensation for selected department service: PHIL,SAHAP

 

Job longevity, security, promotion:

●     Opportunities to teach Summer/Winter: ECON, English, INDS, Math, PHIL, SAHAP

●     Hiring into full-time positions: American Studies, PHIL, SAHAP

●     Year-long planning: English, Math, SAHAP

 

Scholarship/research:

●     Adjunct faculty can be principal investigators: CSEE, SAHAP

●     Adjunct faculty can qualify for research grants: CSEE, SAHAP, all departments in CAHSS [?]

●     Opportunities for research: CSEE, SAHAP

●     Professional development opportunities: DANC, SAHAP

●     Ability to request own TA when applicable: IFSM, SAHAP

 

Collegiality:

●     Mentoring, orientation for adjunct faculty: PHIL,SAHAP

●     Included in department meetings: DANC, English, SAHAP

●     Opportunities to serve on committees: PHIL,SAHAP

●     Included in the social life of the department: English, Math, PHIL,SAHAP

●     Support by department office staff: English, IFSM, Math, PHIL, SAHAP

●     Minimize expectations for unpaid service: English, PHIL, SAHAP

 

Facilities:

●     Have own office or sufficient privacy if sharing office: English, Math, PHIL, SAHAP

●     Access to computers, mobile devices, equipment as needed: English, Math, PHIL, SAHAP

●     Telephone access: English, Math, PHIL, SAHAP

 

 Benefits:

●       Provides enough credit hours to qualify for health insurance if requested  SAHAP

●       Sick leave/maternity leave ECON, SAHAP 

 

INPUT? If you know of items to consider or departments to mention, please comment below or get in touch with any member of AFAC.

 

We will continue updating this survey. 

 

^*Consistent with II-1.07 in Consolidated USM and UMD Policies and Procedures, "POLICY ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF ADJUNCT FACULTY IN THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND."

https://www.president.umd.edu/sites/president.umd.edu/files/documents/policies/II107.pdf

 

See Section VI, "Professional Development and Working Conditions."