During the Local Action Project conference in July, Adjunct Coordinator Kim Ng Southard explains to a fellow unionist some of the ways the FA is planning to expand our outreach to adjunct colleagues. (photo by Cynthia Eaton)

The FA works diligently for our adjunct faculty members throughout the year, each and every day.

We know that our adjunct colleagues need a supportive environment so they can provide the best services possible for our students and college community.

The FA strives to create that supportive environment in multiple ways, but I would say that the top five are by listening carefully to experiences and questions, upholding seniority rights, providing peer observers and representatives, supplying useful information and resources as well as negotiating better wages, benefits and working conditions.

Let’s address these in countdown fashion.

Number 5: Negotiating better wages, benefits and working conditions

Every time we conduct membership surveys, especially during negotiations, the number one response we hear from adjunct faculty is that they want better wages, benefits and working conditions. We totally get it. One of the first things people think of about unions is that we deal with the “bread and butter” issues.

And we do! In the last negotiations, we achieved an increase in adjunct member wages and are proud that adjunct faculty promoted to full professor will earn $1,910 a credit in September 2025. The FA continues to fight to keep adding to our adjunct members’ benefits. Conference funding, promotion in rank, sick leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance for self and dependents and dental discounts are some of the benefits we have won for our part-time members in past negotiations. Most recently, in our last memorandum of agreement, adjunct colleagues will be eligible for compassionate leave under certain extenuating circumstances.

Number 4: Supplying useful information and resources

In the FA, we believe that an informed membership is a happier membership. That is why we work diligently to provide as much information on the widest range of topics to our adjunct members as possible. We spread the word in person through our Executive Council (EC) representatives and officers as well as through email correspondence and phone conversations. Our EC reps also distribute EC meeting notes after every meeting.

Much of the information that we pass on to our adjunct colleagues can be found on the FA website. On the menu bar, find the Adjunct tab which contains useful information. You can research the assignment and promotion processes and find financial information and a link to current pay rates among other things.

Colleagues can download a copy of the Adjunct Rights and Benefits Overview brochure on the site. This brochure covers rights, benefits, assignment process, adjunct office locations and more, the basics of what an adjunct member needs to know. Our website also houses resources and information for using Brightspace in your classes. The JEDI section offers best practices and material on ways to create a more just, equitable, diverse and inclusive environment at the college.

Finally, the FA newsletter The WORD disseminates a great deal of information to our faculty, and I write an adjunct update in most issues of this publication through the academic year. The title of the column is “Stay in the Know,” so look for it to stay on top of adjunct issues and important upcoming dates.

Number 3: Providing peer observers and representatives for observations, meetings and disciplinary hearings

Adjunct colleagues tell us a third main reason why they appreciate being an FA member is knowing that the FA will provide them with a peer observer or an FA rep for official observations, meetings or disciplinary hearings.

Even for a routine observation, such as for promotion or for certification, an adjunct colleague may not feel connected enough with their department and thus aren’t sure who to approach to serve as their peer observer. That is where we can help! We can either identify a departmental colleague who has experience with being a peer observer or an FA officer, EC representative or activist who knows how to be an effective peer observer. We always advise a peer during any observation or meeting, and I am more than happy to serve as your peer if I am available.

In difficult situations that may possibly lead to disciplinary action, we definitely want an FA officer by your side. We know the contract and know your rights. Even adjunct members who feel confident about their professional standing and relationship with their immediate supervisor tell us that they just feel better knowing they have an experienced FA colleague sitting beside them.

There have been a few cases when students have falsely accused our members of behaving in unprofessional ways and—even though those situations may be resolved in our members’ favor—it can be emotionally trying and difficult to go through the process. Having someone with you who knows the process and knows your rights brings invaluable peace of mind.

Number 2: Upholding seniority rights for assignments

Adjunct faculty member assignments are distributed according to these basic five factors:

1. The number of available sections established by administration
2. Your official certifications
3. Your stated NORA campus preferences
4. Your stated NORA time availabilities/preferences
5. Your college-wide seniority.

One of my most important roles is to ensure that work assignments adhere to these factors and, with three campuses plus such a wide range of classroom and nonclassroom assignments, you can imagine that it is a complex process. However, each and every time an adjunct colleague reaches out with an inquiry, we get right to work to verify that the process was followed correctly. If an error was made, we contact the appropriate administrator to make a correction.

In addition, I worked hard with Dean Gherardi to get the seniority lists back out on each of the three campuses so you can review them for yourselves. Each semester, you can visit either your campus executive dean’s office or the FA office to have a sense of which colleagues are ahead of you in terms of seniority standing for that semester. Watch for my adjunct updates in The WORD to see when those have been updated and distributed. And, of course, you can contact me with your seniority questions as well.

Number 1: Listening carefully to experiences and questions

Our number one goal when providing support to our members is to listen to their experiences carefully and with compassion. Listening is critical because it is the best way to learn how to better support and serve our part-time colleagues.

The FA has long made it a point to respond to members quickly, then to answer questions and resolve issues after careful consideration and conversation. We provide a variety of ways for our adjunct colleagues to share their stories and ask questions: email, phone, in-person meetings, Zoom calls, workshops and informal get-togethers. In the past several years, we have hosted far more annual adjunct-only meetings and workshops than before the pandemic.

Also, as noted in Dante’s cover story, one of our Local Action Project initiatives for this year is for the officers and EC reps to reach out to individual FA constituencies and to host “FA office hours” to engage in conversations, hear your stories and respond to members’ questions. We so look forward to it!

I hope that these five ways the FA supports adjunct colleagues helps you see the value of union membership. The more members we have, the stronger we are, so if you are not already a member please contact Anita in the FA office to join the FA today!