Adjunct faculty members Randi Wayland and Dr. Gustavo Valadez Ortiz deliberate potential amendments to the adjunct handbook Wednesday during the Adjunct Faculty Council meeting in Room 129 of Gonzales. Read the story on www.theranger.org. Photo by Alison Graef
Revisions to the adjunct handbook are still in the works.
By Wally Perez
gperez239@student.alamo.edu
The continuing effort to revise the adjunct handbook was a major topic Wednesday during the monthly Adjunct Faculty Council meeting in Room 129 of Gonzalez Hall.
The council is charged with revising the 2010-2011 handbook, which they have been working on since October.
Amanda Martin, council president and English adjunct, wanted to make sure the handbook was up to date and hopeful 10all adjuncts would read it.
Kinesiology Adjunct Randi Wayland said several adjuncts, including the chairs for those departments have not read it.
“We’ve got to make sure that the administration tells the department chairs that when they hire a new adjunct that they are required to go and read it,” Wayland said. “I’ve been through five different department chairs; the very first one gave me a copy, and the second kept me up to date, after that they looked at me like, ‘Oh there’s an adjunct handbook?’”
It would be easy if the handbook were brought up during August department meetings, but that’s left to the chairs to remember to do so, she said.
Math Adjunct Gustavo Valadez agreed there is a lack of awareness over the handbook.
If chairs don’t remember to tell new adjuncts to read the book, then Dr. Jothany Blackwood, vice president for academic success, should, he said.
Members of the council also expressed that it shouldn’t be their job to revise the handbook in the first place; it should be left to the administration.
“Maybe if we got compensated for doing this, it would be fine,” Wayland said.
The topic of a compensation proposal was also discussed during the meeting.
According to the proposal, items such as paid leave and the ability to receive an increase in pay based on the adjuncts level of time spent with the college are a few of the items that the council would like the administration to put into action.
Compensation for part-time/adjunct faculty who participate with campus committees and task forces was also mentioned.
Currently, adjuncts that are involved in these do not receive any type of financial recognition and propose that committee work should be paid equivalent to a one-hour course, according to the proposal.
Martin has presented the proposal to first Vela, but was told there are other priorities, such as hiring a vice president for student success and the newly formed integrated planning and performance excellence division.
Vela wanted to assure her that it was being monitored
