News from United University Professions

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Campus Equity Week Calls for Action to Help SUNY Part-time Faculty

UUP chapters schedule campus events

OCTOBER 26, 2007 (10/26/2007; 1229)(readMedia)-- Seeking justice for often exploited part-time faculty is the goal of Campus Equity Week. United University Professions (UUP) is leading efforts on SUNY campuses to press the need for better pay and better recognition for adjunct faculty during Campus Equity Week that takes place between Oct. 29 and Nov. 2. UUP’s activities are part of a nationwide effort by UUP’s international affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), happening at public and private campuses across the country.

“Our part-timers do a great job but receive much less pay for doing much of the same work performed by full-timers,” said UUP President and AFT Vice President William E. Scheuerman. “We call many of them roads scholars, since they often travel to work on several campuses just to cobble together a decent living. Part-timers deserve adequate compensation, and equal pay for equal work.”

UUP members will be getting their point across with pins that read, “Demand Justice – Part-time employees deserve fair pay,” and posters that say, “Our part-time colleagues are tired of working for peanuts.” While continuing to fight for better pay for part-timers, UUP has successfully won full benefits for part-time faculty and higher salaries on over a dozen campuses.

Campus Equity Week at SUNY Oneonta is highlighted by a forum that will tackle the future agenda for the local campus. The forum titled, “Vision for the Future: Call to Excellence,” will be held Wed. Oct. 31 between 3 and 4:30 p.m. in the Butternut Room of Hunt College Union. Conditions, compensation and resources for part-timers will be among the topics.

“The recently announced resignation of Oneonta’s campus president makes Campus Equity Week an ideal time to consider the future of the campus and the role of part-timers,” Oneonta UUP Chapter President William Simons said.

Simons and chapter VP for Academics Robert Compton will serve as moderators. Chapter Part-time Concerns Officer James McDermott will participate.

Besides Oneonta, UUP chapters at Morrisville, New Paltz and Oswego are also conducting Campus Equity Week activities as well as dozens of other campuses across the nation.

UUP represents 33,000 academic and professional faculty on 29 New York State-operated campuses, including thousands of part-time faculty, and is an affiliate of New York State United Teachers and the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the AFL-CIO.

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