As number of adjuncts increase nationwide, URI examines issue

04/11/07 - A report released this month by the National Center for Education Statistics found that in 2005 nearly half of the roughly 1.3 million college professors nationwide were part-time instructors. The report showed an upward trend in universities hiring part-time professors.At the University of Rhode Island, administrators are relying on these professors, which often come with a lower price tag, to supplement course offerings throughout campus.

The university employs about 500 per course instructors, or adjuncts, to complement its roughly 700 tenured or tenured-track professors, said Frank Annunziato, URI executive director of the American Association of University Professors.

Adjuncts teach one or two courses and often hold full-time jobs outside of the university. URI Assistant Provost Cliff Katz said of the 3,950 courses taught this academic year, 650, or 16 percent, are taught by per course instructors.

Adjuncts make from $3,000 for teaching humanities courses to $6,000 in nursing programs. A first-year professor in the humanities makes $47,000 to $50,000 annually and teaches six courses a year. These six courses can be taught by adjuncts for about $18,000, saving the university at least $25,000.

"Given the [financial] resources that we have, it's a reasonable number," Katz said in reference to the amount of courses taught by adjuncts.

Although Katz said the number of adjuncts versus full-time professors was well balanced, Journalism Department Chairwoman Linda Levin warned that increasing dependence on adjuncts could lead to troubles down the road.

"This is really a major problem at colleges," Levin said.

Levin said next fall the department's six print journalism skills courses will all be taught by adjuncts.

"The up side for our department is it allows us to bring in top reporters and broadcasters," Levin said. But she listed the disadvantages of hiring too many.

Adjuncts are not given office space, which results in no office hours to assist students. They usually have full-time jobs that result in difficulties when scheduling courses and their work away from the university means they sometimes spend little time on campus connecting with students outside of the classroom.

URI Political science Department Chairwoman Maureen Moakley said adjuncts bring many benefits to a department's ability to offer new perspectives from the field, but "you can't build a system on them; it's a disservice to everyone, including the adjuncts."

Her department has 10 full-time positions, and is using three adjuncts this semester.

"There is no substitute for a full-time faculty person. [But] on a selective basis [adjuncts] can be great," Moakley said.

The political science department is currently using William Dolan, whom Moakley called an "outstanding, accomplished attorney." He is teaching constitutional law, and the experience he brings from working in the field provides a benefit to students.

"[Adjuncts] are a wonderful resource if used to supplement work of the faculty," Moakley said.

According to documents obtained by the Cigar, they may be disproportionately represented in certain departments, particularly the humanities.

In the College of Arts and Sciences' 'Full Time Equivalency Fiscal Year 09 Search Plan,' there are 16 requests for new faculty members.

"I have requested [from the College of Arts and Sciences] for four years in a row at least one more permanent faculty member," Levin said.

To run the department efficiently, Levin said, "I think we need two more, I'll settle for one."

However, Levin said the usual response to her request is, "you're on the list."

College of Arts and Sciences Dean Winifred Brownell declined comment through her administrative assistant.

According to the FTE FY '09 Search Plan, the ratio of undergraduate students to full-time faculty members is skewed in certain departments. While the history department has one full-time equivalent position for every 19 history students, the math department holds one full-time equivalent position for about every six math students.

Some adjuncts agree the university needs to increase its tenured faculty.

"I believe that where ever possible universities should have full tenured professors," said Brian Jones, an adjunct teaching JOR 220 and a former reporter at The Providence Journal.

Unlike adjuncts, professors have other responsibilities besides teaching. In addition to teaching, a faculty member is expected to research, including publication of research, and provide service to the community. But those positions are costly and with the state providing about 16 percent of the university's budget, finding funds to hire professors can be difficult.

"We support the university's effort to get as much money out of the legislature as possible," Annunziato said in reference to what the AAUP is doing to protect the tenured faculty's positions.

Annunziato said a major problem is the shifting responsibility of who provides the university's operating budget.

"Over the past 20 years the burden for running URI has shifted from the legislature to the students," he said.

Annunziato said he supported raising salaries for adjuncts. He said such a move would increase the incentive to hire a full-time professor instead of an adjunct because the cost difference would not be as drastic.

"The way you handle the situation is to improve salaries, then the university would not have to rely on [adjuncts]," Annunziato said.

Although Annunziato wants to protect the interests of full-time faculty, he added, "I do not know how we would run URI without adjuncts.