Adjunct faculty members play an important role on our nation’s campuses. As their numbers increase dramatically, so are the frequency of discussions about their employment arrangements and working conditions. While full results and analysis will appear in the May/June issue of Trusteeship, here are some key takeaways from our most recent Quick Governance Survey on boards’ roles in these discussions on adjunct faculty unions.
Most institutions have not considered or entered into collective bargaining agreements with the adjunct faculty on their campus.
Institutions who currently have collective bargaining agreements indicated that their adjunct faculty members were more frequently approached by labor unions.
Two-thirds of respondents have not discussed issues related to adjunct faculty employment status, including compensation, a voice in governance, or job security.The survey was posted on the AGB blog and sent electronically to chief executives and trustees at AGB member colleges and universities. A total of 302 respondents completed the survey. Quick Governance Surveys are an initiative from AGB to capture member and nonmember views about hot-button higher education issues and governance practices and policies. Our intent is to provide information about the practices and views of the nation’s board members writ large. Full results will be reported in the “Datafiles” column of Trusteeship.
