Civic duty leave not enough for adjunct faculty’s needs.
Adjuncts do not have sufficient sick leave and have not had a pay raise since 2016.
The most leave covered by this district is a measly 4.5 hours per course per semester.
The district should treat adjuncts with the respect they deserve as part of the college
faculty, and provide them with better benefits.
As it is, the paid leave is more symbolic rather than practical; 4.5 hours is not a lot.
What if an adjunct exhausts sick leave hours and instead of losing money for a missed class came to work ill and shared their illness with their student?
That would be a health hazard.
In that case, who would be at fault?
The instructor for choosing the minimal wages for adjuncts, or the district for not offering reasonable sick leave benefits?
The district should do more for the people who contribute so much.
With adjuncts outnumbering full-time faculty members, this needs to be a priority.
This district depends on adjuncts to carry a lot of the weight of teaching.
Students depend on those adjuncts going above and beyond their paid duties to provide adequate education.
The benefits that adjuncts receive with emergency leave and the paid civic duty are not enough.
Giving adjuncts properly paid sick leave and higher wages is the decent action.
Doing anything less is not only disappointing but discouraging.
No one likes to admit their employer doesn’t think much of them.
That kind of treatment can cause a serious morale problem that will be harder to fix than simply
supplying appropriate paid leave.