REAFFIRM OPPOSITION TO EXCESSIVE USE OF PART-TIME INSTRUCTORS

WHEREAS, an unjustifiably large percentage of instructors and non-teaching professionals in higher education are part-time, hired primarily for fiscal reasons and to undermine faculty governance and tenure; and

WHEREAS, surveys have shown that most part-timers are really underemployed faculty and non-teaching professionals who desire full-time positions; and

WHEREAS, the substandard pay rates, general lack of fringe benefits and job security provide a constant incentive to employers to increase the size of the "lower tier" of this "two-tier" employment system; and

WHEREAS, students and the educational mission of the institution suffer when a large part of the faculty and non-teaching professionals have no facilities or time to consult with students or to do professional development or to share in the work of the department; and

WHEREAS, many part-timers have two, three or more part-time jobs with the consequent degradation of their lives, their work and their identification with any single institution; and

WHEREAS, this state of affairs deprives full-time faculty of full-time colleagues to share the work of the school and the profession, as well as degrading the profession generally:

RESOLVED, that the AFT reaffirm its position in opposition to the excessive use of part-time instructors and non-teaching professionals in higher education; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT support the principle of consolidation of part-time positions to create full-time positions and that this be a major point in any negotiations regarding reform of higher education; and

RESOLVED, that this resolution be communicated to all relevant government office holders in positions to effect policy in this area.