The AAUP Chapter at Indiana University South Bend

As the Indiana University South Bend (IUSB) chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), we are asking faculty to sign this list of goals as a way to improve working conditions and stability for faculty on campus. Over two-thirds of faculty at IUSB are non-tenure track and lack the research support, academic freedom, and potential for promotion guaranteed to tenure-track faculty. And nearly half (42%) of all faculty at IUSB are part-time, meaning that they are paid by course—often as low as 2,300 dollars per section—and lack benefits and long-term contracts. As the IUSB AAUP chapter, we believe that part-time, contingent faculty deserve predictable contracts, health benefits, fair compensation for their work, and a clear path toward full-time appointments should they want such employment. Not only would stabilizing and normalizing pay, benefits, and employment greatly benefit the lives of part-time faculty members, but it would also benefit the institution, as the Council for Higher Education Accreditation found that a reliance on part-time, non-tenure-track faculty dramatically decreases retention and graduation rates among students. IUSB is not alone among universities to increasingly rely on non-tenure-track and adjunct labor; as states slash spending for higher education, reliance on non-tenure and part-time faculty has grown from twenty to nearly eighty percent of the academic labor force, with the sharpest growth in part-time faculty. As Indiana prepares to cut higher education spending even further, we fear that IUSB will increase its share of part-time faculty; such a reliance will only further weaken the university’s funding base as retention and graduation rates fall. IUSB faculty deserve a living wage and stable employment. And more than this, the future of the university relies on it.

Our goals:

1. Increase pay for associate faculty based on recommendations by MLA, AAUP, and other such organizations.
2. Avoid layoffs, reduction in number of classes, increase in class size due to budget cuts or increase in number of classes taught without being considered full-time.
3. Plan to convert associate faculty positions into full-time lecturer positions and provide resources to help current IUSB associate faculty apply.
4. Provide transparency in all aspects of hiring procedure for associate faculty in all departments across campus
5. Provide returning associate faculty with year-long contracts significantly in advance of the relevant semesters.
6. Increase benefits for associate faculty, including health and wellness, mental health, and tuition waivers.
7. Expand department, school, and senate communication with associate faculty and increase their opportunities for meaningful participation, including compensation for service.
8. Convert the outdated associate faculty handbook into a website including information on merit status, senior lecturer status, pedagogical training, and other resources for associate faculty.