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Kim Ng Southard
Happy New Year! I hope you are off to a productive and satisfying semester. This update covers the new adjunct orientation, observations, adjunct promotion workshops, friendly reminders and important dates. New adjunct orientation Cynthia Eaton, our FA secretary, attended the new adjunct orientation on January 23 on my behalf. She welcomed about two dozen new adjunct hires to the college and the FA—a handful of whom are alumni! She delivered a brief introductory PowerPoint presentation, covered the many reasons for joining our union and presented the new hires with our famous “survival kit.” Attendees are grateful for the FA wall calendar, website, The WORD (particularly learning that this column comes out three times a semester!) and learning that our union has a longstanding positive working relationship with administration. Other FA members who presented at the adjunct orientation were Professional Assistant in Student Affairs Nadine Lauria who discussed protocols about taking class attendance, submitting rosters and managing grades as well as Associate Professor of Counseling Christina Ricioppo who discussed the counseling, disability services and mental health services available for students. In addition, President Bonahue greeted our newest colleagues, Chief Diversity Officer Christina Vargas reviewed the basics of discrimination and equity, Academic Chair Al Heraghty shared advice for new adjunct faculty from a chair’s perspective and of course Dean Chris Gherardi reviewed critical information, important deadlines (such as below), communication with supervisors, faculty responsibilities and more. Observations One of my favorite responsibilities as our union’s adjunct coordinator is to serve as an FA peer during adjunct members’ observations. I am privileged to witness the impressive work of these instructors and professional assistants. According to the contract, your chair or area supervisor can observe your class or duties, as long as the observations are limited to a reasonable number per year. New hires must be observed in their first semester, and colleagues applying for promotion also must be observed during the promotion process. While it is not mandatory, you have the right to ask an FA peer to observe your class or duties simultaneously with your chair or supervisor. Your union recommends that you have an FA peer present during an observation to corroborate what the supervisor reports in the evaluation. Ideally, you should ask someone in your department who is knowledgeable in your discipline, but if you have difficulty finding a peer, you should contact me immediately to help you find one. I, of course, will volunteer to be your peer if I am available during the observation date and time. Adjunct promotion workshops We will host two adjunct promotion workshops in February that cover the requirements and process and as well as strategies for attaining your next promotion. Even if you are not eligible for promotion this semester, we urge you to attend to prepare for the process. There will be an in-person workshop on Monday, February 10, at 5 pm in the Orient Point Room on the Ammerman Campus and a Zoom workshop at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, February 12. We will send invitations by email. FA office hours We invite you to meet with FA officers during our scheduled spring office hours. Reminders and Zoom links will be sent by email prior to each one. Bring questions, ideas and your labor-related stories to share. I would love to see you there.
Professional development fund I remind you to take advantage of the adjunct faculty development fund for this semester and apply for funding for both in-person and virtual conferences. Of the $50,000 fund, at most $25,000 will be awarded in the fall semester, and adjuncts can apply for up to $750 for conference registration and travel each academic year. Banner 9 information Below are the directions to find the adjunct information page on Banner:
Seniority list The updated adjunct seniority list is now available at the FA and each campus executive dean’s office. Adjunct members have three ways to access their discipline seniority rank:
Important dates Here are some important dates and deadlines to help you stay organized this semester.
Please contact me at 631-451-4151 or kimn@fascc.org if you have any questions about the above information. As always, reach out if you have any union-related inquiries as well. I wish you all a wonderful spring 2025 semester. Best, Kim |
