Lest I leave a bad impression and before I get deserved feedback, let me
note that I know the word is "redress," [not readdress].  Please pardon my
typographical error.  MEE

---------Prior Message------------------
>Fellow UTC compatriots:
>
>A tenure-track colleague called my attention to Fritz Efaw's report below.
>My colleague was present last week at the contigent faculty meeting and
>highly recommended Fritz' report.
>
>I was unnable to attend the meeting because of laboratory instruction, but
>the basic issue applies to academic staff, tenured faculty, and others.
>Fritz describes a situation that cries out for redresss [corrected from
>readdress] on multiple fronts.
>
>Maurice E. Edwards, Professor
>Dept. of Biological & Environmental Sciences
>
>--------Earlier Email by Dr. Fritz Efaw----------------
>>X-Sender: [log in to unmask]
>>Mime-Version: 1.0
>>Approved-By:  Fritz Efaw <[log in to unmask]>
>>Date:         Mon, 3 Nov 2003 13:19:12 -0500
>>Reply-To:     Fritz Efaw <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sender:       UTC Staff E-Mail List <[log in to unmask]>
>>From:         Fritz Efaw <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject:      [UTCSTAFF] contingent faculty
>>To:           [log in to unmask]
>>
>>Last Monday I attended the film and meeting arranged by contingent faculty
>>to discuss their situation.  Since only a handful of full time faculty were
>>present, it seems to me useful to let the wider UTC community know a little
>>about these issues through RAVEN, to which contingent faculty don't
>>normally have access.
>>
>>The film, "Degrees of Shame,"made an apt and timely comparison between
>>contingent faculty (adjunct, non-tenure track, one-term appointees) and
>>agricultural workers of the 1960s: long hours, grossly underpaid, poor
>>working conditions, no job security, no health insurance, no prospect for
>>advancement.
>>
>>All of these are true of UTC today.  An extremely high percentage of
>>courses are taught by contingent faculty.  The pay is not only far below
>>national averages, but also below pay at a group of peer institutions and
>>regional institutions.  The problem is especially acute in large core
>>course departments of English and mathematics, where freshman composition
>>courses are typically taught by adjuncts in classes where size has steadily
>>increased from 20 to 30 and larger.
>>
>>At a place where so much concern is expresses over student retention, one
>>can only imagine the signal students are given about the permanence of
>>commitment theyre expected to make to UTC when UTC makes no such commitment
>>to their instructors.  If they do connect with an instructor that
>>instructor may not have an office, may be rarely available, and may not be
>>around next year.
>>
>>Something seems wrong with priorities when so much attention is given to
>>sexy new projects for computer simulation, new stadiums, exotic PhD
>>programs, engaged metropolitanism, etc., and so little to the welfare and
>>morale of foot soldiers slogging in the trenches teaching the basics.
>>
>>In "Degrees of Shame," faculty at Rutgers, U.Connn., and USC found ways to
>>fight back by organizing.  In an atmosphere where the traditional
>>collegiality of university governance is replaced by a model of the
>>university as a business, where profit is more important than scholarship,
>>and where a small number of highly paid administrators become relatively
>>wealthy from the work of underpaid workers, an industrial response to an
>>industrial labor process is only natural.  Around the country University
>>presidents are regularly criticized for enjoying inflated salaries relative
>>to those under them, much in the Enron style of management.
>>
>>Here at UTC it's interesting to note that over the last 14 years the
>>salaries of the chancellor and provost have doubled, while inflation has
>>gone up by about 48 percent, faculty salaries by less than 48 percent, and
>>salaries of contingent faculty even less.  The administration, meanwhile,
>>promotes "management by attrition":  "We hate to see you go, but if you
>>don't like the pay, then leave."
>>
>>Contingent faculty at UTC, as well as the recently formed Faculty
>>Federation are doing everything possible to communicate with the
>>administration, to work with them in a collegial manner, and to offer
>>constructive advice about setting priorities for the future.
>>
>>Very few regular faculty were present last Monday; the only administrator
>>was Dean Burhenn.  Let's hope tenured faculty, non-tenured faculty,
>>contingent faculty, staff, and everyone else in the UTC community can join
>>together in mutual support and in conveying our message to the
>>administration, and let's hope the administration will listen at last.
>>
>>Faceamus!
>>
>>Fritz Efaw,
>>per/pro
>>The Sacco-Vanzetti Chair
>>of Excellent Edu-Babble
--------------------------------------------

>

Maurice E. Edwards, Ph.D., Professor, Dept. #2653
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Avenue,
Chattanooga, TN  37403-2598

Telephone: (423) 425-4341;  (423) 425-4299--Desk
FAX:  423-425-2285