The Journal

Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: News

Adjunct faculty concerns with salaries, job security and other issues are still not resolved, according to some adjuncts.


The task force designated in February 2006 to reconcile adjunct faculty concerns is still searching for answers more than a year later, according to James Staley, associate vice president for Academic Affairs.


James Brasfield, president of the faculty senate, said he hoped the task force would come to a conclusion and be prepared to issue a report March 6. Brasfield was not available for comment at the time the paper went to press.


"(Department) chairs were told in January 2006 that the committee on adjuncts would report within a month," said Dan Hellinger, chairman of the history and political science department. "Thirteen months later, we see just how low a priority adjunct professors are to the administration. I would add that we faculty haven't shown much more concern, given the silence of our governance system."


Staley said in an e-mail the task force's issues are internal and cannot be commented on for the public.


"We anticipate that the task force, when its work is completed, will issue a report that will also have recommendations," Staley said. "These recommendations may include such diverse topics as: compensation guidelines, policy changes, quality improvement suggestions, professional development for adjunct faculty, etc. It's too soon to forecast the report and it's premature to discuss the committee's findings."


Joel Johnson, an adjunct professor for interactive digital media and animation, said in an e-mail that Webster adjuncts are not treated fairly.


"Webster does use adjunct faculty members extensively and they definitely deserve more money, benefits and resources," Johnson said. "Adjuncts should be better integrated into the community. Giving adjuncts more and better office spaces, better computers, more phone lines and more support would have immediate and positive effects for both our adjuncts and our students."


According to the 2006 PocketFACTS released by Webster, the university has 1,076 part-time and 178 full-time faculty at St. Louis campuses. Adjuncts make up 86 percent of the faculty at Webster's St. Louis campuses.


Tammy Merrett-Murry, a professor at St. Louis Community College-Meramec, taught at Webster for a summer term. She said students sometimes got frustrated with her because they assumed she was a full-time professor and had trouble reaching her.

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