January 16, 2004

Dr. Ed Cunliff,
Assistant Vice President Academic Affairs
Box 138 Campus  

Dear Dr. Cunliff,

Please express my sincere gratitude to facilitators Cindy Boling and Chuck Cooper and to the members of the Adjunct Faculty Integration Team for their significant efforts to help us identify opportunities to include adjunct faculty in the fabric of UCO. With our large population of adjuncts I agree fully that it is time to recognize the interdependence of adjunct and full time faculty as UCO fulfills its mission of "helping students learn." 

Turning to the recommendations from the Team:

1.                  Develop a university level orientation for adjunct faculty members.

 Response: I concur with this recommendation and agree that Academic Affairs will provide up to $1500/year to support the orientation sessions. Though I am willing to pilot an honorarium, please review the effectiveness of the award after the first year.

 2.                  Develop a culture across all departments such that adjunct faculty play a vital role in the life of the department.

 Response: Adjunct faculty should serve on committees, participate in faculty meetings, attend social events and otherwise take part in the myriad of opportunities that is UCO. Recommendations as to how and who should make this happen are welcome.

 3.                  Create a position for an adjunct faculty representative on the Faculty Senate.

 Response: I suggest the proposal be taken to the Faculty Senate for action.

 4.                  Provide at least one learning opportunity per semester for adjunct faculty in the evening and/or weekend.

 Response: Whenever possible, opportunities for enhancement should be made available to adjunct faculty. Faculty Enhancement Day is free to all and organizers of workshops on campus to which faculty are invited free of charge should set aside several seats for adjuncts.

 5.                  Provide opportunities for adjunct faculty to attend off-campus educational opportunities.

 Response: Travel funds are not abundant at UCO. Faculty Development dollars going to support travel from the Office of Academic Affairs are not available to adjuncts. Some colleges may be able to reallocate their travel dollars to include adjuncts others will not. Academic Affairs will recommend to the Budget Task Force that money be set aside for this purpose.

 6.         Provide adjunct faculty with the opportunity to engage in university research.

 Response: Research funds come from two sources. One is the grant program through the College of Graduate Studies and Research, the other is external funding from agencies and private sources. Because of limited funding, it is not the practice at UCO to fund adjunct research internally. There is no prohibition to prevent adjunct faculty from seeking and receiving external funding. Most external sources, however, will not fund adjuncts. Faculty Merit Credit is not currently available to adjuncts though the Faculty Senate could be petitioned to modify the program. 

 Perhaps one of the best ways for adjunct faculty to involve themselves in research is to associate with full-time faculty receiving research funding. The Action Team might consider making a recommendation that research faculty members each mentor an adjunct. The intellectual support and skills that adjunct researchers might provide could accelerate and improve the research of full-time faculty and potentially lead to the inclusion of adjuncts as authors of scholarly papers.

 7.          Provide adjunct faculty members with the opportunity to buy into benefits where the teaching load is greater than six hours per semester.

Response: I am pleased to receive such a proposal and will carry it to the Budget Task Force for consideration.

 

While many of these recommendations have impact on human and budget resources, the integration of adjuncts is in the best interests of UCO. Should additional best practices come to light I would like to be informed. 

I will pass these recommendations to Dr. Brent Wendling, Faculty Enhancement Director so that he may begin to take action on those items under his control. Finally, I suggest that for items three and six the CIT make direct contact with the Faculty Senate. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Don Betz
Provost/Vice President Academic Affairs

cc: Brent Wendling