Letter: Utah should treat adjunct faculty better

In celebration of National Campus Equity Week, I thought it would be appropriate to create a want ad to attract adjunct professors from across the nation to come work in Utah:

Individuals wanted to teach part time at the college level, although a full-time schedule might be pieced together by working part time at more than one institution. In addition to class instruction, successful applicants will be required to spend significant time preparing courses, grading papers and talking to students outside class time. No health care, subsidized pension or other benefits are offered. No recall rights or any other form of job security is guaranteed. Part-time instructors will have no paid office hours and no academic-freedom protections and will not participate in department meetings. Appointment will be on a semester-by-semester basis. If hired, adjuncts must reapply at least twice a year.

It's appalling how poorly adjunct professors are treated, yet at many Utah institutions they make up the majority of faculty.

With our State Board of Regent's policy of no collective bargaining for higher education, faculty have no voice or representation. It's time for some serious policy changes in Utah.

Brad Asay

President

American Federation of Teachers

Midvale