|
University Professionals of Illinois Press Release UPI sees IBHE report on part-time, non-tenure track faculty as flawed CHICAGO Ð The University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100 is disappointed in an Illinois Board of Higher Education report on the use and abuse of part-time and other non-tenure track faculty employed by the stateÕs public universities and community colleges. UPI was a major force in the drafting and passage of House Joint Resolution 19 (HJR19) that mandated the IBHE report. The resolution directed the IBHE, "in consultation with institutions and faculty organizations" to "consider policies designed to discourage over-reliance on part-time and non-tenure-track faculty ." The resolution also directed the IBHE to make specific recommendations on setting salary and fringe benefit minimas, indexing them to full-time, tenure track faculty salary and benefits. "While the IBHE has adopted a report that responds to the legislatureÕs directive and addresses the general situation, we are disappointed that it does not answer a number of the questions raised in the resolution, nor does it adequately emphasize the critical nature of the problems that the study identifies, nor candidly and vigorously advocate for the solutions needed," said John Murphy, executive vice-president of UPI. The University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100 is the largest union of full-time faculty and staff at Illinois public universities and is the bargaining agent for hundreds of part-time and non-tenure track faculty throughout the state. Union leaders noted particular concerns about the methodology of the survey upon which the report is based. The IBHE report uses data from a survey developed and conducted by the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University. "The overall conclusion reached by the portion of the study that determines that part-time and non-tenure track full-time faculty members are Ôvery satisfiedÕ is not reflected by the majority of the teaching faculty we represent," Murphy said. ### April 1, 2002 |
