by Ted Brett NorCal Adjunct Director
Gavilan College and Evergreen Valley College

This is the first column in the ECCTYC Newsletter specifically directed toward adjunct faculty in the California two-year colleges. As a recently appointed adjunct representative to the ECCTYC Board, I want to take this opportunity to acquaint adjunct faculty with ECCTYC, its purpose, its publications, its conferences, and most importantly, the opportunities it affords adjunct faculty in two-year colleges.

ECCTYC stands for English Council of California Two-Year Colleges. It is the only organization in the state specifically serving English faculty in the two-year college, but it has important connections to other organizations. We English and language teachers have a diverse group of organizations to serve us and our profession. The Modern Language Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, The California Association of Teachers of English, The Conference on College Composition and Communication and others...

continue reading →

Reprinted from the ECCTYC Newletter by Shant Shahoian.

Erik Fritz, an adjunct instructor and co-director at ECCTYC, delivered a report on the harrowing plight of adjuncts. While the faint glimmer of a pay raise is on the horizon, all is not gold. Adjuncts are still not compensated regularly or consistently for office hours, and they generally report feeling disconnected, disorganized, and uninvolved. Addressing the problem: There is no way to address the problem. Just kidding. But that’s probably how most part-timers (a.k.a. freeway flyers, campus jugglers, portable office holders) feel. There is something we can all do. The next time your union representatives ask for feedback, tell them to address the issue of pro rata pay for part-time instructors first. We cannot ignite in our students a reverence for equality and justice when the adjuncts are clearly exploited. Also, we should all be communicating with others...

continue reading →

In response to Lee’s post, we have 10 part-time faculty and six full-time faculty teaching English at West Hills College Lemoore.I also used picnic tables and the back of my car as an office when I worked part-time. I continued to do this for the first couple of years I worked full-time since I still didn’t have an office and I worked on two campuses fifty miles apart.The college does not pay for office hours for part-time faculty, nor do they provide official office space. When the campus was built a few years ago there were some empty spaces in the faculty office corral, but those have since filled with full-time faculty. We have new classrooms opening this semester with more faculty offices. I don’t know how this will impact part-time faculty office space. The district does not offer our part-time faculty health insurance.Everyone is...

continue reading →

I taught at two different campuses at a part-time instructor in the mid-90s. At one, there was a shared office space with a phone and computer, and we had individual mailboxes in the division office. At the other, there was no office. At the department chair’s suggestion, I utilized Mother Nature and located a picnic table under an old tree. I love the outdoors. But it felt weird, to say the least.I am curious about the part-time conditions at your colleges. I would be particularly interested in two areas (a) office hour pay and health insurance, and (b) office space, department meeting attendance (how many come), mailbox and other access that may make them feel (or not feel) like they are part of your campus. What is being done? Is 75/25 still important on your campus? How effective is your mentoring program?

At Fresno City...

continue reading →