Provost McClure recently issued non-renewal notices to ALL term-appointed adjuncts here at New Paltz. We contend that this action is 1) largely unnecessary, 2) a waste of University resources, and 3) deeply disrespectful of our adjunct teaching faculty, many of whom have become part of the fabric of our departments and an integral part of our students’ experience of New Paltz through years (and even decades) of working here.
Our Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a 45-day notice right for part-time Term employees, meaning that you should be informed at least 45 days before the expiration of your current term if the employee is not returning in the following semester. This contractual provision does NOT mean that every term employee must or should receive such a notice.
Demands
We, the undersigned faculty, staff and students call upon the SUNY New Paltz Administration to:
- Cease and desist from issuing blanket non-renewal notices to term adjuncts, reserving these notices for those identified as not returning to teach in the next semester
- Respect and value the dignity of the labor, and the contributions made by our part-time contingent faculty in disciplines across the campus
- Increase their job security by offering progressively longer-term appointments and making a more enduring commitment to those who have devoted themselves to their students and their departments over time.
- Advocate for our campus, calling on the State to allocate sufficient resources to SUNY to sustain a high-quality, accessible system of public higher education and to make clear in the University’s budget the priority of teaching and learning on our campus.
I was already on the schedule of classes for the Fall when I received this letter. It actually made me less aware of where I stood, which is the opposite if the intent of sending these out. Just not needed.