Contact Information
Adjunct Faculty Association
SUNY New Paltz, SAB 108
75 S. Manheim Boulevard
New Paltz, NY 12561
Email
afa@newpaltzadjuncts.org
Adjunct Faculty Association
SUNY New Paltz, SAB 108
75 S. Manheim Boulevard
New Paltz, NY 12561
afa@newpaltzadjuncts.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need a separate AFA?
What are AFA's prime goals and concerns?
What does "Equity for Adjuncts" mean?
Should I join the UUP if I am a member of AFA?
Where do my membership dues go?
How DO adjuncts survive?
Why do we need a separate AFA?
The Adjunct Faculty Association (AFA) is the only organization devoted exclusively to advocating for adjuncts at SUNY New Paltz. As such, it is a much smaller and quite distinct organization from UUP, which is a labor union that legally represents the College's professionals, as well as all full-time and part-time academics. While the UUP needs to balance the interests of all its members, AFA advocates solely for improving the lives of our part-timers.
Some adjuncts are members of other unions and thus may not legally join the UUP, whereas AFA welcomes all part-timers as members.
Within its first six months of existence, AFA launched a vigorous campaign on behalf of adjuncts that helped bring about a long overdue 20% increase in base pay for part-timers.
AFA and UUP work closely together on various issues, and some people are active in both organizations.
What are AFA's prime goals and concerns?
The prime goal of the Adjunct Faculty Association is to improve the lives of part-timers at SUNY New Paltz. This includes better pay and working conditions, greater flexibility in the number of courses they may teach, greater job security, more opportunities for advancement, as well as more fully integrating part-timers into Faculty Governance structures. Part-timers comprise the majority of teachers at this institution and deserve to be recognized for the enormous contributions they make.
What does "Equity for Adjuncts" mean?
AFA supports the principle of "Equal Pay for Equal Work." Part-timers are currently being paid significantly less than full-timers are for their teaching. Most people agree with the basic concept of equity. Of course, the exact numbers and precise articulations of equity are the subjects of ongoing negotiations.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), with which our own union (UUP) is strongly affiliated, has set forth the following basic principles of equity:
"Part-time/adjunct faculty should be paid a salary proportionate to that paid full-time faculty of the same qualifications for doing the same work. ...these standards are organized around the principle of pairing fully proportionate professional responsibilities with fully proportionate compensation."
(Original emphasis; AFT Higher Education Program and Policy Council, William E. Scheuerman, Chair, Standards of Good Practice in the Employment of Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty: Fairness & Equity, Washington, DC, 2002. Section 1, "Curbing the Exploitation of Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty in Employment, Standards of Compensation," page 8).
Should I join the UUP if I am a member of AFA?
Absolutely! It is very important for part-timers to join the Adjunct Faculty Association AND to sign up as members of UUP. All adjuncts are required to pay dues to the UUP, but only those who officially become members by signing a membership form may vote in UUP chapter elections, for instance. AFA strongly urges all adjuncts to become active members of the UUP and to fully participate in its New Paltz chapter activities.
Where do my membership dues go?
Monies collected are deposited into our savings account and used for organizational expenses. The biggest expense is for publications and outreach, specifically for newspaper ads. We have also printed flyers, posters and brochures and made buttons, in an effort to establish identity, become more visible and make our concerns known.
How DO adjuncts survive?
Every adjunct has a different situation. By teaching two courses at SUNY and at least two more at other institutions each semester, including summer sessions, an adjunct may be able to live entirely on his or her annual wages. In the New Paltz area, the cost of housing will eat up at least half of this amount. Not many adjuncts can survive the heavy teaching load and low wages for long.
Some adjuncts support themselves with other part-time or full-time jobs. Some are supported by spouses or significant others. Like full-timers, most adjuncts love teaching and find the work itself very rewarding. It is, however, extremely demoralizing to be paid a small fraction of what our full-time colleagues make for doing the same thing. Justifying the "choice" to work for so much less, without recognition, job security or opportunity for advancement, is a dilemma familiar to adjuncts.
Why do we need a separate AFA?
What are AFA's prime goals and concerns?
What does "Equity for Adjuncts" mean?
Should I join the UUP if I am a member of AFA?
Where do my membership dues go?
How DO adjuncts survive?
Why do we need a separate AFA?
The Adjunct Faculty Association (AFA) is the only organization devoted exclusively to advocating for adjuncts at SUNY New Paltz. As such, it is a much smaller and quite distinct organization from UUP, which is a labor union that legally represents the College's professionals, as well as all full-time and part-time academics. While the UUP needs to balance the interests of all its members, AFA advocates solely for improving the lives of our part-timers.
Some adjuncts are members of other unions and thus may not legally join the UUP, whereas AFA welcomes all part-timers as members.
Within its first six months of existence, AFA launched a vigorous campaign on behalf of adjuncts that helped bring about a long overdue 20% increase in base pay for part-timers.
AFA and UUP work closely together on various issues, and some people are active in both organizations.
What are AFA's prime goals and concerns?
The prime goal of the Adjunct Faculty Association is to improve the lives of part-timers at SUNY New Paltz. This includes better pay and working conditions, greater flexibility in the number of courses they may teach, greater job security, more opportunities for advancement, as well as more fully integrating part-timers into Faculty Governance structures. Part-timers comprise the majority of teachers at this institution and deserve to be recognized for the enormous contributions they make.
What does "Equity for Adjuncts" mean?
AFA supports the principle of "Equal Pay for Equal Work." Part-timers are currently being paid significantly less than full-timers are for their teaching. Most people agree with the basic concept of equity. Of course, the exact numbers and precise articulations of equity are the subjects of ongoing negotiations.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), with which our own union (UUP) is strongly affiliated, has set forth the following basic principles of equity:
"Part-time/adjunct faculty should be paid a salary proportionate to that paid full-time faculty of the same qualifications for doing the same work. ...these standards are organized around the principle of pairing fully proportionate professional responsibilities with fully proportionate compensation."
(Original emphasis; AFT Higher Education Program and Policy Council, William E. Scheuerman, Chair, Standards of Good Practice in the Employment of Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty: Fairness & Equity, Washington, DC, 2002. Section 1, "Curbing the Exploitation of Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty in Employment, Standards of Compensation," page 8).
Should I join the UUP if I am a member of AFA?
Absolutely! It is very important for part-timers to join the Adjunct Faculty Association AND to sign up as members of UUP. All adjuncts are required to pay dues to the UUP, but only those who officially become members by signing a membership form may vote in UUP chapter elections, for instance. AFA strongly urges all adjuncts to become active members of the UUP and to fully participate in its New Paltz chapter activities.
Where do my membership dues go?
Monies collected are deposited into our savings account and used for organizational expenses. The biggest expense is for publications and outreach, specifically for newspaper ads. We have also printed flyers, posters and brochures and made buttons, in an effort to establish identity, become more visible and make our concerns known.
How DO adjuncts survive?
Every adjunct has a different situation. By teaching two courses at SUNY and at least two more at other institutions each semester, including summer sessions, an adjunct may be able to live entirely on his or her annual wages. In the New Paltz area, the cost of housing will eat up at least half of this amount. Not many adjuncts can survive the heavy teaching load and low wages for long.
Some adjuncts support themselves with other part-time or full-time jobs. Some are supported by spouses or significant others. Like full-timers, most adjuncts love teaching and find the work itself very rewarding. It is, however, extremely demoralizing to be paid a small fraction of what our full-time colleagues make for doing the same thing. Justifying the "choice" to work for so much less, without recognition, job security or opportunity for advancement, is a dilemma familiar to adjuncts.