Office of the Provost and
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Adjunct Commission
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:: Implementation Plan
Introduction
Charge to the Adjunct Commission
The creation of a professional, equitable, and supportive teaching environment for adjunct faculty at Boise State University is a vital concern. Therefore, Provost Sona Andrews charged an Adjunct Commission to serve as a working group throughout the 2006-2007 academic year to undertake a holistic examination of the adjunct faculty experience at Boise State University. Areas of impact examined were to include compensation and benefits, policies and procedures, professional development, and work environment. The goal of the Commission’s work was to make significant changes and improvements in all areas of impact.
Commission Members
Membership on the Commission included 12 individuals who brought the perspectives of adjunct and full-time faculty, department chairs, deans, and program directors:
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Cindy Anson (Chair) |
Director of Professional Development for Academic Affairs, Provost’s Office |
| Ken Brauchle | Assistant Dean, Extended Studies |
| Jane Buser | Executive Director, Human Resource Services |
| Jane Freund | Adjunct Faculty, Communication |
| Andy Giacomazzi | Associate Professor and Chair, Criminal Justice |
| Ginny Gilbert | Assistant Professor, Nursing |
| Jesse Jones | Adjunct Faculty, English |
| Cheryl Larabee | Development Director, University Advancement, Adjunct Faculty, Marketing and Finance |
| Helen Lojek | Professor and Associate Dean, Arts and Sciences |
| Beret Norman | Assistant Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures |
| Jim Wanek | Professor, Management |
| Scott Yenor | Assistant Professor, Political Science, Faculty Senate |
Process
The Adjunct Commission met eight times from September through April. In between these meetings, teams of three or four members met multiple times to gather and analyze data and to draft issues and recommendations. Meeting notes are available upon request. The activities and time schedule were as follows:
| Task | Completion Date |
|---|---|
| Define areas to be addressed | September |
| Gather data | October/November |
| Analyze data | November/December |
| Create a comprehensive list of critical issues to address and generate initial recommendations | February |
| Receive input to refine recommendations | February/March |
| Draft report | April |
| Submit report and recommendations to Provost | May |
Input
In addition to the broad and diverse perspectives of the members, the Commission sought input from others to ensure that the focus and direction of their work were consonant with the experiences, concerns, and goals of others. Toward that end, an Advisory Group consisting of 25 persons was identified and asked to review the Commission’s preliminary work. In November, the Advisory Group received a written status report with an invitation to respond with feedback. In March, the Advisory Group met with the Commission to provide input and share ideas regarding draft recommendations. Both the November status report and March meeting notes are available upon request.
Input was also received from 125 adjunct faculty members who attended the Adjunct Appreciation Dinner, hosted by Extended Studies, in February. The Commission chair provided an update on work to date and asked all participants to write down three changes that would result in significant improvements for our adjunct faculty and for Boise State University. The compiled responses were used as another checkpoint to ensure that the Commission was addressing core issues.
Supporting Data
During the fall semester, the Commission’s focus was on data gathering and analysis. Using the four areas of impact identified in the Provost’s charge (Compensation and Benefits, Policies and Procedures, Professional Development, and Work Environment), sub-committees surveyed literature, searched web sites, gathered documents, distributed surveys, and requested reports related to each area. Data was compiled and shared with all Commission members. Accompanying this report is a binder of collected data used to guide the formulation of critical issues and recommendations.
Philosophy
The Adjunct Commission drafted a philosophy statement to frame the recommendations and their implementation. Adoption of the philosophy statement for use by the university is recommendation 2.8.
Adjunct Faculty Philosophy Statement
As a metropolitan research university, Boise State is enriched with a diverse pool of highly qualified adjunct faculty who bring excellent academic and professional experience to their responsibilities. Integration of adjunct faculty into the university is grounded in the institution’s mission and values, and the university is committed to developing and maintaining policies and practices that result in a supportive work environment and enable adjunct faculty to contribute to its strategic vision.
Underlying Values
In addition to the philosophy statement, the Adjunct Commission articulated the following values upon which the recommendations are based:
- At Boise State University there is one faculty, diverse in backgrounds, roles and responsibilities, which carries out the teaching, research and service missions of a metropolitan research university. All faculty members should be treated with the same respect and fairness.
- Adjunct faculty are an integral part of the fabric of our institution and make a significant contribution to providing a high quality educational experience for both undergraduate and graduate students.
- Adjunct faculty are here to stay. On an institutional level, the question is not “How do we reduce our reliance on adjunct faculty?” Instead, the question we must ask ourselves is “How do we integrate, support, and compensate our adjunct faculty, so that they are able to successfully guide our students’ learning?”
- The investment of resources to make positive changes in the professional experience of our adjunct faculty will be returned in student learning and satisfaction.
Outcomes
Before developing its recommendations, the Adjunct Commission discussed the outcomes that making significant changes in the experience of our adjunct faculty should achieve. One of the guiding questions used to identify desired outcomes was “What do we expect will result from the successful implementation of recommendations related to adjunct faculty at Boise State University?” The following statements describe the anticipated outcomes:
- Highly qualified applicants for adjunct faculty positions will be recruited and retained.
- Boise State University will be a leader in the state of Idaho regarding the fair employment and use of adjunct faculty.
- The potential for creating a sense of community among all faculty and staff who support student learning will increase.
- Educational quality will be improved.
- Implementation of Freshman Success Task Force, Campus Climate, and other campus wide recommendations will be facilitated.
- Goals and strategies of the university’s strategic plan will be achieved.
Approach
As the Adjunct Commission deliberated, it became apparent that “adjunct faculty” and “the adjunct faculty experience” are phrases that describe a multitude of diverse roles, responsibilities, and situations at Boise State University. Individual adjunct faculty members, academic departments, administrative units, and students have varying perspectives. Any recommendations regarding “adjunct faculty” and “the adjunct faculty experience” must be multi-faceted and meet diverse needs.
Therefore, the recommendations should be approached with the following considerations in mind:
- We want to avoid the unintended consequences of providing disincentives for some adjunct faculty while making improvements for others.
- Centralization of cross-departmental functions (e.g. hiring, tracking teaching loads) is desirable, while decentralization of other functions (integration strategies) is more appropriate.
- Implementation should promote consistency across campus while preserving flexibility to meet individual, department, and university needs.
- The likelihood of making sustained improvements increases when mechanisms that ensure coordination and accountability are in place.
Implementation
There is shared expectation among all stakeholders that significant positive change will occur as a result of the Provost’s well-publicized charge to the Adjunct Commission and the multiple opportunities for input from interested persons. If the report and recommendations do not result in timely and visible improvements, as one Advisory Group member stated it, “the flop will be big.” Therefore, the Adjunct Commission recommends that, under the direction of the Provost, an implementation plan with specific timelines be developed in the short-term that is action-oriented, provides for “quick wins,” and includes mechanisms for regular assessment of progress and report.
The following recommendations address both long-term and short-term improvements. Some changes can be made quickly, with relatively little cost and effort. Others will need to be implemented incrementally as resources are made available and further deliberation and decision-making takes place. Still others will need to be implemented in concert with other major initiatives, most notably the community college launch. In all areas, there is no need to “start from scratch.” There already exist at Boise State University best practices employed by individual academic departments and administrative units that will serve as an excellent foundation on which to build.
Recommendations
Based on their holistic examination of the adjunct faculty experience at Boise State University, the Adjunct Commission makes the following recommendations to the Provost. Recommendations are grouped by area of impact and are not listed in priority order. Recommendations that can be implemented quickly and easily with low cost and high impact are in italics.
1. Compensation and Benefits
1.1 Use workload, degree, experience, and discipline-related market forces to clarify compensation tiers and appointments.
1.2 Offer compensation packages comparable to those at other Idaho institutions.
1.3 Provide a tuition-waiver benefit that allows adjunct faculty to take classes (e.g. one course per semester or one course for x number of credits taught).
1.4 Develop an academic year contract option for adjunct faculty.
1.5 When circumstances warrant, convert part-time adjunct faculty positions to full-time special lecturer positions.
1.6 Investigate options for adjunct faculty to access health insurance benefits.
2. Policy and Procedure
2.1 Review and revise all policies related to adjunct and contingent faculty to ensure consistency of definitions (e.g. Investigate how concurrent enrollment faculty are defined: Are they adjunct faculty or affiliate faculty?)
2.2 Adopt a new umbrella term for contingent faculty that includes adjunct faculty and other groups, rather than using “adjunct” to describe all contingent faculty.
2.3 Clearly delineate responsibility, authority, and accountability for implementation for all policies and procedures related to adjunct faculty at either department or university levels.
2.4 Using department best practices that already exist at Boise State University, develop a template that academic departments will use to create a written policy for the selection, hiring, supervision, evaluation, and separation of adjunct faculty that is consistent with university and state policy. Department policies should be ready for implementation within a specified timeline.
2.5 Review and clarify adjunct faculty workload policies and assign responsibility for monitoring the workload of individuals.
2.6 Develop data tools and reporting mechanisms to identify and communicate with adjunct faculty and track workload, teaching history, credentials, etc.
2.7 Using department best practices at Boise State University create a checklist for use by department administrative assistants related to the procurement of campus services for adjunct faculty (e.g. how to order keys, set up a GroupWise account, obtain an ID card, set up library privileges, etc.).
2.8 Adopt a philosophy statement describing the university’s intent and practices regarding use of adjunct faculty.
3. Professional Development
3.1 Create or assign a position and/or organizational unit with coordination responsibilities. The coordinator would be encouraged to keep an ongoing Adjunct Commission or Advisory Committee.
3.2 Engage in regular assessment of professional development needs that include assessment at the time adjunct faculty are hired.
3.3 Create university-wide professional development opportunities for adjunct faculty. These opportunities should be based on needs assessments and should include programs, services, and workshops (e.g. mentoring programs, opportunities for community building)
3.4 Establish a career path that includes acceptable pay, benefit options, recognition, and predictable employment opportunities.
3.5 Offer a university-wide orientation program for new adjunct faculty.
3.6 Offer incentives (e.g. stipends, travel funds) for adjunct faculty to participate in professional development opportunities.
3.7 Create a section in Albertsons Library (accessible in the evening and on weekends) designed for adjunct faculty to reference books and materials on pedagogy.
3.8 Collaborate with other higher education institutions within the area that hire adjunct faculty to provide joint professional development opportunities.
4. Work Environment
4.1 Integrate adjunct faculty into the academic departments in which they teach by establishing regular communication, including adjunct faculty in work meetings and social gatherings, creating mentoring and/or networking relationships with tenure-track faculty, and granting voice and/or vote in decision-making.
4.2 Since not all adjunct faculty have convenient access to a computer, develop a printed handbook for adjunct faculty that includes “how to” information (e.g. how to arrange for parking for a guest lecturer)
4.3 Maintain a web site for adjunct faculty that provides timely information, a discussion forum, and a mechanism to provide feedback and suggestions.
4.4 Include adjunct faculty as voting members of the Faculty Senate.
4.5 Provide parking options that match teaching assignments (e.g. proportional cost for a “one evening” pass, options specific to each teaching site, payroll deduction for parking passes)
4.6 Allow adjunct faculty to pay the same rate as official faculty for childcare at Boise State University’s Children’s Center.
4.7 Provide a comparable work environment for all faculty:
- Appropriate office space
- Access to essential equipment (e.g. phone, computer, copier) and materials
- Classroom equipment, materials and support
- Conditions that promote health and safety (e.g. campus lighting)
4.8 Encourage recognition/awards for adjunct faculty at the university and college levels (e.g. Social Sciences and Public Affairs)
Conclusion
The work of the Adjunct Commission should serve as a starting point and model for an ongoing cycle of continuous improvement. Data gathering and analysis, identification of critical issues, problem-solving, generation of ideas for improvement and innovation, input from stakeholders, assessment of results, coordination of effort, and visible institutional leadership will be required to implement the recommendations and to sustain university energy, focus, and commitment.
Data Appendices
Supporting data is provided in a binder that accompanies this report and includes the following:
Section 1: Boise State University Policies, Hiring Documents, and Extended Studies Role
Section 2: Adjunct Faculty Handbook
Section 3: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Standard Four
Section 4: Adjunct Survey 2005
Section 5: Department Chair Survey 2006
Section 6: Institutional Analysis, Assessment and Reporting (IAAR) Reports
Section 7: Best Practices
Section 8: Adjunct Task Force Report 2000