Adjunct Faculty Council discusses salary schedules

The Adjunct Faculty Council met for the first time this semester to discuss reasons adjunct faculty salaries are not included in the revised salary schedules of full-time faculty, staff and administrators.

Jerry Townsend, Adjunct Faculty Council chair and media communications adjunct, said because no one has studied the adjunct faculty salary schedules, the council should do its own research.

Townsend said once research is conducted, the council also should look into benefits because adjuncts do not receive any.

“Salary is only one part,” Townsend said.

He said the more the district offers to adjunct professors the better adjuncts the district will get.

Townsend proposed scheduling an adjunct summit to gather adjuncts from across the district. The summit would cover salary, benefits, hours, access to college services and insurance.

The council deliberated on having the summit at a park or a conference room, but it well be discussed at the next council meeting.

The goal of the summit is to gather adjuncts from across the district and discuss topics adjuncts want, Townsend said.

“To me, it’s like, man, we’ve been handed the opportunity to unify the faculty by being overlooked,” Townsend said.

He said the adjunct summit would be for adjunct faculty members across the district as well as the public.

He said a designated adjunct faculty member from each campus would represent the adjunct faculty members at their college.

“If we can’t get people together to form an adjunct council with the issue of compensation and benefits, we’ll never get them involved,” Townsend said.

Math Adjunct Nancy Roell said they could split up the summit into groups to talk about various topics such as research of formation of councils.

She said working in groups would split up responsibility because otherwise, adjunct faculty might feel like a “rebel.”

Townsend said he suggested the idea as a “starting point” to start thinking in bigger terms.

Kinesiology Adjunct Randi Wayland suggested a survey be sent to adjuncts across the district to get their input on what they want.

Roell said adjuncts also can put on the survey what they would like to talk about in the summit.

Townsend said the idea will be discussed at the next Adjunct Faculty Council meeting.

Townsend said he hopes to have the next meeting at 6 p.m. on Oct. 9 at Luby’s at 911 N. Main Ave.

For more information, call Townsend at 210-486-1780.