Panel Details Steps to Boost Part-Time and Contingent Faculty and Staff

The University seeks to raise the minimum course rate for part-time lecturers from $2,800 to $5,000.

ALBANY, N.Y. (December 10, 2015) — A Blue Ribbon Panel on Part-time and Contingent Faculty and Staff has concluded a more than half-year-long review of issues associated with UAlbany’s adjunct/contingent faculty and part-time staff, resulting in a report containing 14 recommendations that will “make a positive impact on the working conditions for this part of the institution’s workforce.”

The panel, which consisted of full-time and part-time faculty, staff, and students from across the campus, expressed the belief that the recommended changes and upgrades will position UAlbany “as a national leader in addressing the needs of this growing group of employees within higher education.”

The full report, which includes survey results from five subgroups comprising more than 200 UAlbany community members, is available on the Provost’s website.

A step toward implementation of one of the panel’s key recommendations was realized in the 2016-17 Compact Budget Process, released by President Jones in October. It included $400,000 to begin to address increased compensation of our part-time faculty.

“This investment takes an important step toward the committee’s recommendation of raising the minimum per course rate for part-time lecturers,” said James Stellar, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

“Guided by this exciting report,” wrote Stellar in a letter to the campus, “I look forward to commissioning a smaller task force soon to look at how we can implement this and other recommendations from the report and to improve the quality of life for these critical members of our University community.”

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