The FA fields a lot of calls from adjunct colleagues, which is why Kim Ng Southard never misses submitting an information-packed adjunct update column in every issue of The WORD.

Greetings, adjuncts! I hope your semester is running smoothly and that you are well and healthy.

Adjunct promotion process

During September and October, several of you inquired about adjunct promotion, and I was happy to answer those questions via email and phone conversations. I have included below the requirements and FA website promotion page for all of you.

Promotion in rank is not automatic but based upon merit. The college will notify adjuncts of their time in rank eligibility for promotion. An adjunct member may then request to be considered for promotion by submitting a two-page application (the A1 Form, available on the FA website promotion page), the first page of which consists of background information and academic credentials, and the second page of which consists of the adjunct's statement in support of their promotion in rank. 

To be eligible for promotion to the following ranks, these guidelines apply: 

In addition, there are educational requirements for promotion for those hired prior to August 29, 2006, and for those hired on or after August 29, 2006. Educational requirements for promotion are found in Appendix I of the contract, but please note that the requirements were updated in the last round of negotiations (see the 2005-2011 Memo of Agreement).

Adjuncts with special credentials or professional experiences may also apply for a waiver of the educational requirements in order to be eligible for promotion to adjunct assistant professor only. For more information, check the Adjunct Educational Criteria Waiver Form.

Remember that it is your responsibility to update your file with the official transcripts of the educational requirements that you have completed. Contact me or Donna Krompinger if you have any promotion questions.  

NORA reminders

The NORA deadline passed on October 23. Here are a few reminders:

1. If you did not submit your NORA for whatever reason, you need to contact adjunct services to be put on the late list. However, do note that you will be placed at the bottom of the B list.
2. Adjunct faculty must contact their chair or supervisor immediately in writing if their availability changes from what they listed on their NORA. Please note, though, that while chairs and supervisors might be able to accommodate these changes, the college is under no formal obligation to do so.
3. Adjuncts who seek teaching and PA assignments should communicate their preference for one or the other directly to their chair or area supervisor in writing. Tell your supervisor, for example, that you want a PA assignment if you don’t get a teaching assignment.
4. IMPORTANT: With enrollment continuing to drop each semester and departments offering fewer assignments each semester, chances are that you may have to take assignments on multiple campuses. As long as you have noted the additional campuses on your NORA, you can ask your chair to contact the chairs at the other campuses to see if there are any assignments available at their campuses for you.

Effect on seniority after missing a semester

Administration finally has announced that classes primarily will be remote spring 2021, so prepare for another pandemic semester. Several of you are concerned about coming back to campus without an available vaccine for Covid-19 and have asked what happens to your seniority if you decide to take a semester off.

Seniority is based first on semesters completed. The adjunct who has completed more semesters is senior to the adjunct who has completed fewer. If two adjuncts have completed the same number of semesters, then the tie is broken by the most credit hours earned.

So, if you miss a semester you might lose your seniority to an adjunct who is tied with you in semesters and surpasses you by one semester completed, or you could lose your seniority to an adjunct who now ties you for semester completed and has completed more credit hours than you. But you won't fall off or fall too far down the seniority list.

FA adjunct task force

Kerry Spooner, chair of the new FA adjunct task force, reported at the October 8 EC meeting that while several adjuncts have volunteered for this committee, some areas are still not represented, such as math, culinary and sciences. We encourage members in these areas to get involved and volunteer. Kerry emphasized that a diverse group of adjuncts would be ideal for this task force.

One action the task force will take on is putting together a survey with the assistance of NYSUT. The first meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, November 11, at 4:30 pm. All adjuncts are welcome to volunteer for this task force; contact Kerry to do so.

Upcoming important dates

• November 13: Assignments posted for wintersession 2021
• November 30: Deadline for adjunct new hire observations
• November 30: Assignments posted for spring 2021                          
• December 4: Deadline to accept/decline wintersession 2021 assignments
• December 15: Deadline to accept/decline spring 2021 assignments

Please contact me by phone (631-451-4151) or by email if you have questions regarding any other union-related issue.