The Academic Senate also voted to create a resolution on giving pro-rata pay to adjunct faculty. Bennett says some SRJC departments, such as computer information sciences, English, and English as a second language, are seriously hurt by the imbalance. The move by SRJC is tied to the statewide effort to boost staffing levels. A number of legislative bills seek to create 2,000 new full-time faculty community college positions annually for five years. It's the only avenue into community college teaching right now.
Critics say the overreliance on temporary part-time faculty is detrimental to students.
You're reduced to what you can do without too much preparation. Tyner says such hiring practices send a negative message to students. We're hopeful that the legislative route will be successful. He says the money is available to create the jobs through legislation, but that the public needs to be made aware of the situation. Ultimately it will depend upon public concern and financing from state and local levels.