Adjunct professors
Transforming Lives, One Class at a Time
COMMUNICATION - Compensation - Protection
Strategic initiatives spring 2025
COMMUNICATION
spring 2025
voices of adjuncts
Your Voice Matters: Stay Informed on ACC Administrative Rules Impacting Adjunct Faculty Equity
Please be on the lookout for email updates throughout the semester regarding critical ACC Administrative Rules that will require your feedback. Your insights are essential in shaping these policies to ensure equity for our adjunct faculty.
It is crucial that we come together as the adjunct community to voice our concerns and experiences, so we can advocate for fair treatment and support for all professors. Your participation will play a significant role in driving positive change within ACC.
Spotlight on Adjuncts
Celebrating Our Past, Embracing Our Future: Honoring Adjunct Faculty and Welcoming New AFA Leaders
As we move forward into another vibrant academic semester, it's the perfect time to reflect on the tremendous contributions of past Academic Faculty Association (AFA) officers and welcome our new campus representatives. We also want to honor adjuncts across the college for the talent they bring to ACC. Stay tuned for new releases of the Passionate About Pedagogy Podcast.
Spotlight on Adjunct Faculty: Share Your Story on the Passionate About Pedagogy Podcast!
Future episodes of the Passionate About Pedagogy Podcast will shine a light on the incredible work and experiences of adjunct faculty across our college.
This initiative is all about celebrating the diverse voices that contribute to our educational community and sharing your unique stories and insights.
If you’re an adjunct faculty member and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming episode, I’d love to hear from you!
Please reach out to me at lcoppole@austincc.edu
open forum AFAEC meetings
All Adjuncts are Welcome to Join AFA Executive Council Meetings
In our spring 2025 AFAEC meetings, we will strive to create a proactive environment where adjuncts can voice their concerns, share their experiences, and collaborate on effective strategies.
By adding a section to our agendas and providing a 15-minute segment for adjuncts to deliver three-minute speeches, we hope to cultivate a supportive network and enhance our collaborative understanding of critical issues with which adjuncts are concerned.
Sign Up To Speak Adjunct Advocacy at AFAEC Meetings
Your Top 3 Concerns for AFAEC to place on agenda
Attending these meetings will also provide ACC adjuncts with professional development.
all adjunct assembly
Stay tuned for more details including a video from the Fall 2024 All Adjunct Assembly.
“Coffee chats” Reloaded
We Invite You to Our 2025 Coffee Chat Series for Adjunct Faculty!
As adjunct faculty members, we often face unexpected challenges in our professional journey. Last year, we hosted a successful Coffee Chat focusing on Emergency Communication, allowing adjuncts to earn professional development credits while fostering a sense of community.
This year, we’re excited to build on that foundation by addressing key issues that often surprise adjuncts, enabling us to be proactive in our professional development.
CAMPUS afa “DONUT DAYS” ARE AROUND THE CORNER
Stay tuned for more details.
compensation
spring 2025
compensation & theory of change
Making the Case for MSTA Status: Paula King's Insights on Equity and Opportunity for Adjunct Faculty
Paula King has written a brief on the importance for MSTA status for adjuncts. Her brief states,
“Limiting Multiple Semester Term Appointments to certain departments while leaving others without this facility amounts to an unfair practice that upsets the principles of justice, professional appreciation, and institutional consistency at the college. Adjunct faculty in all departments are as crucial in the mission of offering quality education, and offering equal opportunities for recognition and advancement is important. The main reasons why MSTAs need to be extended to adjunct faculty in all departments are briefed below.”
Professor King outlines four reasons: Equity in Recognition and Opportunity, consistency Across Departments, Quality Faculty Retention, student Success and Continuity, Unfair Disparities Between Departments, Compatibility with Institutional Mission.
December Work Session Recap: Insights and Strategies for AFAEC's January 2025 Goals
In December, we welcomed all adjunct faculty to the AFAEC Work Session, an engaging opportunity to share ideas and strategies for improvement within our community. Queen Samantha Ackers led a thought-provoking presentation on her Theory of Change, titled "Demonstrated Practices of Care from Employees." David Albert, chair of the AFA Compensation Committee, also presented critical insights during his presentation.
As we move forward into January, our primary focus will be to synthesize the key points from these presentations along with Paula King's MSTA brief. By doing so, we aim to align our AFA strategic goals with the framework of the Theory of Change, ensuring that our initiatives are rooted in meaningful practices.
protection
spring 2025
employee grievances
Strengthening Employee Grievance Policies: The Need for Impartiality in Workplace Concerns
Stay tuned for a full blog post this February.
Student Compliant process
Addressing Non-Academic Student Complaints: The Need for a Balanced Appeals Process
Stay tuned for a full blog post this February. AFA Immediate Past President Amber Luttig-Buonodono is chairing our AFA Ad Hoc Committee on Student Complaints.
adjunct REPRESENTATION
Bridging the Gap: Advocating for Greater Adjunct Representation in Shared Governance at ACC
In today’s educational landscape, shared governance is essential for decision-making that affects adjunct faculty at ACC. Effective governance depends on diverse representation within committees, promoting richer discussions and ensuring that various perspectives are taken into account. This collaborative approach fosters greater engagement and leads to more equitable outcomes.
While making appointments for shared governance committees this year, I observed an inequity in representation, particularly considering the significant number of adjuncts teaching at ACC.
For a detailed breakdown of full-time versus adjunct faculty on each committee, please see the hyperlinks below.
Academic & Student Affairs Council:
4 full-time vs 3 adjuncts
Curriculum and Programs Committee:
8 full-time vs 3 adjuncts
12 full-time vs 5 adjuncts
Faculty Development and Evaluation Committee:
5 full-time vs 2 adjuncts
Information Technology Committee:
12 full-time vs 3 adjuncts