Lecturer Affairs Committee Details:

Previous Charge

Lecturer Affairs addresses UW Tacoma issues pertaining to the growth, sustainability and labor equity questions surrounding contingent faculty within the University of Washington and the effects these issues have on student outcomes. Contingent faculty, as defined by the AAUP, "includes both part- and full-time faculty who are appointed off the tenure track. The term calls attention to the tenuous relationship between academic institutions and the part- and full-time non-tenure-track faculty members who teach in them." (http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/policydocs/contents/conting-stmt.htm).On our campus "contingent faculty" typically means part-time, full-time and senior lecturers who hold, respectively, term-to-term, yearly or three-year contracts. In 2011-2012 UW Tacoma lecturers taught over 65% of lower division undergraduate courses.

MISSION

To ensure that our students have the best teachers possible, and that all those teachers are provided the respect, support and stability necessary to achieve UW Tacoma's mission for excellence, innovation and vision. As teaching faculty we strive to help students achieve their learning goals, improve student retention and increase student graduation rates. Current research, however, reveals that the growing reliance on contingent faculty has negative repercussions for students — not because contingent faculty members are poor teachers but because contingent employment precludes teaching excellence.

Charge

  • Educate UW Tacoma administration, faculty and the campus community as a whole about national trends in higher education related to the growth of contingent faculty.
  • Investigate the existing processes of review and evaluation of part-time, full-time and senior lecturers and make recommendations.
  • Investigate mechanisms, policies and practices that can create a supportive environment and provide part-time, full-time and senior lecturers with resources to enhance their teaching excellence and job security.
  • Develop a set of criteria for part-time, full-time and senior lecturers regarding contract renewal, promotion schemes and issues surrounding the academic freedom of non-tenured faculty to enhance teaching excellence.
  • Make recommendations to faculty and administration that will create a more engaged and committed faculty to benefit our students and the campus community as a whole.

Resources & Information

2016-2017 Lecturer Affairs Report, Report in FA Template & 5.19.17 Addendum

2015-2016 Lecturer Affairs Report

Faculty Assembly Spring Quarterly Meeting: 4/22/16

This meeting included a Lecturer Panel Presentation and then table discussions around faculty workload and composition:

In a 2011-12 survey UW Tacoma lecturers identified their top requests:

  • Improving over-all job security to improve  teaching for  student success
  • Ability for promotion
  • Better salary
  • Multi-year contracts indicating commitment from UW Tacoma
  • Treatment and respect equal to that of tenured and tenure-track faculty
  • Support for and recognition of research
  • Mentoring and support from tenure-track faculty
  • Clear recognition of accomplishments from administration

Faculty Discussion Forums

UW Tacoma faculty consists of:

  • 41 contingent faculty full-time (including senior) lecturers
  • 56 contingent faculty part-time lecturers
  • 121 assistant, associate, and full Professors

In other words: 97 part-time, full-time and senior lecturers to 121 tenure-track or tenured faculty

Resource & Information: Cont'd

Who is teaching UW Tacoma courses?

  • Lecturers taught over 65% of lower division courses
  • Lecturers taught about 45% of upper division courses
  • Part-time lecturers alone teach about 20% of courses

In a 2012 survey 45% of lecturers reported they had been hired with only two months (or less) to prepare their courses.

 

What about on other campuses?

  • Recent statistics from UW Bothell and UW Seattle indicated their numbers of contingent faculty are growing.
  • These statistics reflect national trends in higher education as reported by the AAUP.

  • The "Report on the FCWA survey of non-ladder UW faculty" by The UW Faculty Council on Women in Academe states that "the majority of non-ladder faculty positions are held by women, and non-ladder faculty are 50% more likely to be female than are ladder faculty (56% vs. 37%).  In a period of financial exigency, this can create a gendered at-risk population."

     

Recommended Reading:

  • "Dean's Ideas About Hiring Adjuncts Differ From Reality, Survey Finds" at Chronicle.com

In the Media

Archive

2012-2013 Minutes

Reports