Pittsburgh "Countering Contingency" Conference Offers Hope To Adjunct Activists

by Jack Longmate Over the past twenty-five years, U.S. colleges and universities have substantially increased their reliance on part-time and adjunct faculty instruction… The working conditions of part-time faculty members vary widely, but in comparison to their full-time colleagues, the majority of part-time faculty members teach under emphatically substandard conditions. Part-time faculty members are far less likely to have offices or telephones or to receive remuneration for office hours…. Part-time (and adjunct, non- tenure-track) faculty members are far less likely to receive regular evaluation … or to have opportunities to interact with colleagues, serve on committees, participate in faculty governance, […]