I am writing in response to the editorial titled "Treatment of Non-Tenured Faculty: The Value of Instructors Must Be Recognized" that appeared in the issue of The Spectrum dated Feb. 26, 2003.
That editorial uses the term "non-tenured faculty" to refer to a broad range of junior rank, qualified rank and part-time members of the UB faculty, as well as those graduate students who technically are not "faculty" members but who nevertheless contribute to the institution's instructional programs in the capacity of teaching or graduate assistants. The editorial speaks to a number of issues (e.g., "voice" within the institution; "empowerment"; etc.,) as if these several groups were interchangeable. While all of these individuals provide valuable teaching services to the institution in various ways, there are significant differences among the groups that are not acknowledged in your editorial. In particular, teaching and graduate assistants across SUNY who are supported through state funds are represented by their own collective bargaining unit which has entered into a contractual agreement with the state of New York that defines certain terms and conditions of their employment.
Your plea for heightened "empowerment of faculty" raises complex issues of group membership and associated rights, prerogatives, roles and responsibilities within the institution that differ significantly among the groups to which your editorial collectively refers. Recognition and careful consideration of those differences must be reflected in any serious discussion of the issues you cite.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
