Dear campus colleagues,
You’re probably aware of the UC-AFT efforts at UCSC to negotiate job security and improved compensation for lecturers. Their issues are our issues, bringing much needed attention to the precariat* professoriate in higher ed; we stand in solidarity with their cause! Pledge your support for Team UC-AFT here.
Yesterday, you were encouraged to read the experiences of Cabrillo adjunct faculty. It’s important to note that adjunct faculty are a very diverse group and our experiences within academia vary dramatically from one faculty member to the next: some are semi-retired, some are professionals outside of academia, and many, many others are “full-time” part-timers who aspire to be “permanent,” full-time contract employees. As you may have noticed from reading the Essential Professionals Padlet, what we all have in common is a love for our students, for our profession, and for the learning community of which we are all an essential part.
On Day 2 of Campus Equity Week, we continue the focus on the essential role of adjunct faculty here at Cabrillo. Today’s “equity pause” asks us to consider what this Fall’s Schedule of Classes would look like for our students and community without the numerous sections (approximately 582 of the 1,345 offered) taught by adjuncts. Below are a series of slides that does just this using a few select departments/programs. You can easily integrate this into your Canvas shell or share in class with your students.
Thank you for your time and support. Respectfully, Rachel (CCFT Adjunct Chair)
*precariat = in sociology and economics, the precariat is defined as a social class formed by people suffering from precarity, which means existing without predictability or security, affecting material or psychological welfare.
