Offices designated for adjunct colleagues across the college have been stocked with FA supplies as well as a few labor-themed posters and other union information. (photo by Kim Ng Southard)

I hope your semester is going well.

This update covers adjunct promotion workshops, raises and retro pay, adjunct office visits, NORA reminders and upcoming important dates. But first, I encourage all adjuncts to read about our March 8 Distance Education Workshop and attend if you are able to. The FA will be providing FREE Brightspace modules and materials that you can import directly into your Brightspace class websites to help make your lives a bit easier. We know our adjuncts are busy people! Attend if you can and direct any questions to Cynthia Eaton.

Promotion workshops

FA Executive Vice President Courtney Brewer, Donna Krompinger in the Office of Faculty and Professional Development and I held three adjunct promotion workshops on February 13, 14 and 24. We covered the promotion cycle, requirements for promotion, the promotion application and tips for observations. You can find much of this information in the adjunct promotion section on the FA website.

At the end of each workshop, there was an informative Q&A session. In addition, Donna reviewed the files of all attendees upon request and sent them emails regarding their eligibility for promotion after the workshop. I have also reviewed several promotion applications for colleagues and offered my advice for revisions. If you received an invitation to apply for promotion from Dean Gherardi, the deadline for the application is March 6.

I cannot thank Courtney and Donna enough for their hard work in these workshops and their availability to our members.

Raises and retro pay

Adjunct/overload raises negotiated in the last contract took effect over the wintersession. Retro pay for adjunct faculty will be paid on February 29. You can find the new adjunct/overload rates on the FA website by going to the forms & docs tab on the dropdown menu. Then click the contract link and find the 2022-2026 MOA. Scroll down to page 6 to find the rates.

Adjunct office visits

One contractual benefit the FA fought hard for is shared adjunct office space. I recently traveled to all three campuses to check adjunct offices and stock them with pencils, pens, lanyards, FA and NYSUT calendars and peer support info from NYSUT. Here is the list of adjunct office locations at the college:

NORA

The fall and summer NORA opens on March 18, and the submission deadline is April 5. You must submit it by this deadline to avoid dropping to the bottom of the B seniority list and most likely not receive an assignment for the summer and fall semesters. Print a copy of the confirmation for your records as proof that you have submitted it.

As the administration focuses on tightening the schedule as a cost savings measure, 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. You are not eligible for courses for times and campuses you do not indicate on the NORA.
• 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. If you are not sure if you are certified, contact me.
• 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.

Upcoming Important Dates

2/27  — Officers meet and greet
3/6    — Promotion forms due
3/18  — NORA opens
4/5    — NORA due
4/18  — Spring Fling
4/26  — Assignments posted and adjunct observations for promotion due

Please contact me at kimn@fascc.org if you have questions regarding the above or any other union-related issues. I am also happy to meet you in person at the FA office or on your campus to discuss your concerns.

Best,

Kim