A National Forum for Contingent Faculty

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Kudos to Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, for his recent call to investigate what the increasing use of so-called “adjunct” or contingent faculty means for these faculty members and for the learning conditions of their students.

His comments certainly hit the mark:

“I think there is a huge lack of understanding of what it means to be in the adjunct world…We should all be alarmed about what’s been happening to higher education labor over the last couple decades…Tuition keeps skyrocketing.  Yet the people doing the bulk of the work educating college students are getting less and less compensation. There are adjuncts who make between $2000 and $3000 per course for a semester, with no benefits.  There are adjuncts on food stamps. I think the Congress should be taking a serious look at this phenomenon.”

The Campaign for the Future of Higher Education joins with Rep. Miller in urging contingent faculty members to share their stories on the eForum (http://democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/eforum ) his committee has established.  We further urge academic leaders at all levels in our universities to improve—starting now– the hiring and working conditions for this group that is now the majority of faculty in the U.S.