On behalf of the FA, Adjunct Coordinator Kim Ng Southard encourages adjuncts to join us for an evening of dinner, dessert and dancing for just $20/person. Registration link is below.

Happy spring! I hope your semester is going well. This April 2023 adjunct update covers promotion workshops, NORA, longevity recognition, the MFA as a terminal degree, social gatherings and upcoming important dates.

Promotion workshops

Courtney Brewer (FA executive vice president), Donna Krompinger (professional assistant in the Office of Faculty and Professional Development) and I held two adjunct promotion workshops on February 21 and 24 that were well attended by our colleagues. We covered the promotion cycle, the requirements for promotion and tips for observations via a PowerPoint presentation.

At the end of the workshop, there was an informative Q&A session. In addition, Donna reviewed the files of all attendees and sent them emails regarding their eligibility for promotion after the workshop. I can't thank Courtney and Donna enough for the hard work they put into these workshops, and we are excited to announce that we will offer these workshops every semester at the beginning of the promotion cycle.

NORA

The NORA is due this Friday, April 8. You must submit it by this deadline to avoid dropping to the bottom of the B seniority list and most likely not receiving an assignment for the summer and fall semesters. Print a copy of the confirmation for your records. Here are some strategies to increase your chances of getting assignments:

• Try to maximize the hours you are willing to work when you fill out your NORA. The more flexible your schedule, the more likely you will receive an assignment.
• Consider adding additional campuses when filling out your NORA. Again, the more flexible you are, the better the odds of getting an assignment. Do not choose online if you are not certified to teach online.
• Classroom faculty should ask their academic chairs to be certified to teach additional courses. While there may be competition for most of the courses in your department, at times chairs have difficulty finding faculty to teach specific courses. Remember, chairs are not obligated to certify for additional courses. They will only certify you if there is a need to do so.

Longevity milestone recognition

I am happy to announce that we will recognize our adjunct faculty’s longevity milestones in the September WORD since it has both a print and an online edition. The FA looks forward to honoring and celebrating our members’ service this fall.

MFA as terminal degree

The FA met with the Vice President of Academic Affairs and with Adjunct Services staff to argue that the MFA should be treated as a terminal degree during the adjunct promotion process, just as it is during the full-time faculty promotion process. We agreed that qualifying MFA degrees that have been reviewed should be treated the same for all faculty.

Social gatherings

Please consider registering and joining us for the annual FA/Guild Spring Fling on April 20. This is a great gathering at the Watermill in Smithtown, where you will meet other FA members, enjoy good food and dancing and honor our members’ achievements. One of our annual member excellence awards is given for outstanding adjunct service, so help us celebrate this year’s honoree as well as the three others.

Also, consider joining us for our Family & Friends Night at a Long Island Ducks game on June 29, and you can bring your family to this event. Tickets for both outings are $20 per person. Children under ten can go free to the Ducks game.

Upcoming important dates

• April 8 — adjunct NORA forms due, summer and fall
  
• April 20 — Spring Fling
  
• April 28 — adjunct faculty assignments posted, summer and fall
  
• May 12 — adjunct accept/decline due, summer and fall
  
• June 29 — Long Island Ducks Game

Faculty can access the FA calendar on the FA website to see other upcoming essential dates at any time.

Please contact me at 631-451-4151 or kimn@fascc.org if you have questions regarding the information above. As always, reach out if you have any union-related inquiries as well.

Let us look forward to warmer weather.