Resolution in Recognition of Contingent Faculty in Higher Education

Whereas systems of public higher education have traditionally depended upon a core of tenured faculty and faculty who seek to attain full-time tenured positions based on achievement in teaching, research, and ancillary professional services;

and Whereas, in the last decade, instruction in North American colleges and universities has become dependent on a growing number of part-time, adjunct, full-time non-tenure-track faculty, and graduate student employees who together represent nearly two-thirds of all faculty, resulting in an erosion of the tenure system and a reduction in academic and support services available to college and university students;

and Whereas, these contingent faculty members teach with distinction and make major contributions to the institutions they serve despite inadequate compensation and benefits, lack of professional support, and little or no opportunity to advance to full-time, tenured positions, which has resulted in low morale, high turnover and, ultimately, damage to the profession:

Be it now RESOLVED that (your group) will contact the ( Local Legislature, Board of Trustees, Academic Senates, etc.) in order to:

(1) recognize the contributions of part-time, adjunct faculty, full-time non-tenure-track faculty and graduate student employees who teach in our colleges and universities;

(2) support efforts to raise public awareness of deteriorating working and learning conditions in our higher education systems;

(3) promote solutions which provide fair and equitable treatment for contingent faculty in higher education including but not limited to creating fair hiring practices and ensuring the right to a stable career path for all who enter public higher education desiring permanent tenured positions;

(4) reaffirm our commitment to students by opposing further cuts and re-establishing a stable academic workforce.

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