2008 Woodie Awards
Adjunct instructors approve unionization
Bridgette Blight
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: Campus
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10/18/07 - The State Labor Relations Board oversaw a secret ballot election on Oct. 9 at the University of Rhode Island's Providence campus and Oct. 10 on the Kingston campus, where 94 percent of the per course faculty voted to unionize.
"Per course faculty" refers to any instructor at the university that is paid by the number of courses he or she teaches.
Two years ago, English professor Dorothy Donnelly, vice president of the URI chapter of the American Association of University Presidents, started the campaign for URI per course faculty to unionize. In an e-mail to URI part-time faculty from URI/AAUP, Donnelly referred to per course faculty as "the lowest paid and most poorly-treated members of the instructional staff."
Frank Annunziato, executive director of URI/AAUP, said most per course faculty members are paid $3,000 for each course that they teach and do not receive health insurance or pensions. Their employment is considered "at will," which means that they can be hired or fired at the university's discretion.
The amount of per course faculty members at universities in the United States has grown significantly in the past 40 years. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, 23 percent of faculty at degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States were part-time employees in 1971.
A 2006 research report from the Cornell Higher Education Institute showed that 52 percent of faculty are now employed part-time, more than doubling the percentage of per course faculty. As an increase in per course faculty occurred, the demographics of these instructors changed.
"In the past, part-time faculty were specialized," Annunziato said. "The university would hire a working journalist to teach a course or two. Teaching was not considered the person's job."
Today, many per course faculty are not able to get a full-time faculty position. They might teach at two or three universities, he added.
"Per course faculty" refers to any instructor at the university that is paid by the number of courses he or she teaches.
Two years ago, English professor Dorothy Donnelly, vice president of the URI chapter of the American Association of University Presidents, started the campaign for URI per course faculty to unionize. In an e-mail to URI part-time faculty from URI/AAUP, Donnelly referred to per course faculty as "the lowest paid and most poorly-treated members of the instructional staff."
Frank Annunziato, executive director of URI/AAUP, said most per course faculty members are paid $3,000 for each course that they teach and do not receive health insurance or pensions. Their employment is considered "at will," which means that they can be hired or fired at the university's discretion.
The amount of per course faculty members at universities in the United States has grown significantly in the past 40 years. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, 23 percent of faculty at degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States were part-time employees in 1971.
A 2006 research report from the Cornell Higher Education Institute showed that 52 percent of faculty are now employed part-time, more than doubling the percentage of per course faculty. As an increase in per course faculty occurred, the demographics of these instructors changed.
"In the past, part-time faculty were specialized," Annunziato said. "The university would hire a working journalist to teach a course or two. Teaching was not considered the person's job."
Today, many per course faculty are not able to get a full-time faculty position. They might teach at two or three universities, he added.