The faculty of this college feel very strongly that we are getting more and more administrative tasks thrust upon us. Tasks that used to be handled by staff, like updating classes in Curriculog or verifying that we are being paid the correct amount each pay period, are now being handled by faculty because of staffing cuts. Other tasks, like requesting time off or special assignment pay, now have extra bureaucratic barriers that discourage faculty from completing them. While these administrative tasks pile up on faculty desks, the college is also hiring less full-time tenured faculty to do the necessary committee work that supports the college and the advising work that supports our students.
Teachers Need Tech!
One factor that impacts associate faculty is the lack of sufficient computers provided by IT. Associate faculty need laptops, webcams, and other technology to do their jobs, especially if they teach online classes. IT will not provide these tools, which requires the associate faculty to purchase their own out of pocket. In addition, IT will not support the personal devices of our faculty when they are not working properly. This means that associate faculty are now required to provide their own IT support for their devices to ensure that they can do their jobs!
The faculty of this college have extensive qualifications that demonstrate that we are subject matter experts and teaching experts. By implementing these drastic staffing cuts, we are now being given tasks outside of our area of expertise. These extra tasks are leading to burnout amongst faculty who are being asked to do more and more work for the same wage.
Academic Freedom
In our current political environment, teachers are experiencing heightened scrutiny on what is taught in their classrooms. We have heard concerns from our membership about censorship and other forms of interference in the curriculum we teach. Article 3.1 of our collective bargaining agreement addresses the purpose and implementation of academic freedom. The union feels this section needs to be strengthened to ensure that the subject matter experts (that is, the Edmond College faculty) are given the freedom to decide what is taught in their classrooms.
What We Want
- Hire more full-time faculty so that we have more faculty to perform the necessary teaching, advisory, and committee work that the college needs.
- Strengthen the support for academic freedom in our contract.
When We Fight, We Win!
If you want to join our fight, you can join our Contract Action Team by contacting our VP for Action and Advocacy, Chuck Mueller, at cmmuelle@gmail.com.