ByWillAtkinson.com

With open season being declared by the American education system, one species is having trouble surviving: the full-time, tenure-track professor.

Over the past two decades, universities and colleges have diluted the role of full-time faculty. Due to state and federal budget cuts, many schools rely on bargain-priced part-timers.

It saves money to hire part-timers. Part-time faculty make considerably less than their full-time peers. A recent study by the American Association of Community Colleges found a course load that would cost $40,000 for a full-time professor would cost a mere $15,000 if a part-timer did the work.

Nationally, the use of part-time teachers has increased from 22 percent in 1970 to 46 percent of all higher educational professors, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

At Winthrop

Like its national peers, Winthrop has been using more part-timers.

Winthrop has been hiring more and more part-timers.

Since 2000, Winthrop has increased by 52 percent its number of part-timers to 230 faculty members. The number of full-time professors during that same period increased by only 1 percent to 299 faculty members, including 13 library employees. Part-timers account for 43 percent of Winthrop’s entire faculty headcount.

Since 2000, Winthrop has increased by 52 percent its number of part-timers to 230 faculty members. The number of full-time professors during that same period increased by only 1 percent to 299 faculty members, including 13 library employees.

However, the 230 part-time employees only teach the course load of 104 equivalent full-time professors.

Some have taken note of the trend.

“Winthrop hires a lot of part-time faculty,” said history professor Michael Aradas. “[Part-timers] can keep tuition going up but faculty costs down but the quality of education is going to suffer.”

Others disagree with this viewpoint.

“Part-time faculty are hired because we think they can do the job we ask them to do,” said Debra Boyd, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “If the person’s not qualified, then we take steps to make sure they’re not teaching anymore.”

Accreditation issue
The highly touted U.S. News and World Report college rankings treat part-time faculty members as a disadvantage. Schools that hire full-time, well-paid faculty are ranked higher than those that hire a lot of part-time professors. The logic is full-time, well-paid professors will have a better resume and be able to devote more time to class preparation and teaching.

Karen Jones, academic affairs assistant vice president, disagrees with U.S. News’ methodology.

“I don’t see how you can make that assumption,” Jones said. “People usually teach because they love doing it. They don’t accept the assignment unless they can devote the time.”

Full-time, tenure-track professors have research and scholarship responsibilities while part-timers don’t, Jones said.

Others point to Winthrop’s evaluations as positive indicators.

“Those who’ve evaluated us have said we’re a best value, better than any other institution in South Carolina,” said Tom Moore, vice president for academic affairs. “We must be using our part-time faculty efficiently.”

A constriction of state funds has been a catalyst in the part-time faculty issue.
“Our governor’s pretty down on higher education,” Moore said. “As state support decreases and tuition increases, the use of part-time faculty has been a way to keep costs down and quality up. Based on independent reports, we’re doing a good job.”

Viewpoints
Some point to part-time faculty as a factor in an allegedly stagnant American higher education system.

Reed College in Portland, Ore., does not cooperate with the U.S. News ratings system. Reed’s administration noted that it no longer felt pressure to hire part-time faculty in order to lower average class-size.

The president of Reed College, Colin Diver, called hiring part-timers an “inexpensive but educationally dubious technique for even further increasing the percentage of small classes” in a 2005 Atlantic Monthly article.

Others think Winthrop should do more to attract full-time professors.

“There needs to be more incentives to get quality, full-time teachers,” said Rob Sturgis, a part-time history teacher at Winthrop for over 20 years. “I know some part-time teachers that are better than full-time teachers. I also know some part-timers that shouldn’t be teaching.”

Alarmed at the growing rate of part-time professors, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has dubbed the first week of November “Campus Equity Week.” The AAUP believes part-time positions threaten higher educational quality by offering low wages, no benefits and no academic freedom.

Don Rogers, dean of Winthrop’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, would disagree.

“Most of our experiences [with part-time faculty] are positive,” Rogers said. “What’s happening here is happening everywhere. It’d be hard to be successful at Winthrop if we didn’t use part-time professors.”

Part-timers have given students opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have, Rogers said. Some music students have been taught by Charlotte Symphony Orchestra players who have helped the students get playing gigs.

Others agree.

“Adjuncts often offer expertise that is not available on the faculty, so they are a way to enrich the students’ educational opportunities,” said Jeannie Woods, associate dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “Many part-time faculty choose to teach part-time and do not want to teach full-time.”

Benefits
Last summer, part-time faculty at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, collectively bargained to receive pay raises and a health care plan. Winthrop’s faculty, however, is not unionized.

Currently, Winthrop part-timers cannot receive a health care plan through the university.

“The part-timers do not have access to health and dental insurance but they have the option to participate in a retirement program,” said Gail O’Steen, assistant director of human resources. “If you don’t occupy a full-time employment spot, you don’t have benefits.”

Others point to the state government.

“We don’t do benefits. The state does not do that,” said J.P. McKee, vice president for Winthrop’s finance and business. “I don’t know how you could have proportional benefits.”

Some Winthrop administrators would like to see policy changes.

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Debra Boyd would like Winthrop to provide prorated benefits for part-time faculty.

“I’d like to see Winthrop at the forefront of providing proportional benefits to part-time faculty,” Boyd said. “Providing benefits is expensive but I can’t think of anyone who would not want our part-time faculty to have benefits.”

Others don’t have quite as rosy a picture.

“No full-timers are going to surrender anything for part-timers,” said history professor Michael Aradas. “There’s only so much pie to go around. It’s going to have to come from somewhere.”

Aradas was a part-time professor at five schools before coming to Winthrop.

“In one semester, I taught 12 courses,” Aradas said. “I definitely would’ve loved to have benefits.”

Only through insurance has Aradas been able to finance recent dental operations: two extractions, nine fillings, preparation for a bridge and three crowns.

“I didn’t have dental care for so long,” Aradas said. “There’s no way I could’ve afforded it without insurance.”

Part-time English professor Jeannine Jordan enjoys teaching at Winthrop but would like to see benefits provided.

“I have known many college instructors to teach at three different schools and maintain a 10-plus course load just to make ends meet, without the benefit of medical insurance,” Jordan said. “Though part-time benefits would be helpful, this requires funding that the state just doesn’t have.”

Casey Doherty, a 21-year-old graphic design junior, said he enjoyed being taught by a part-time professor.

Student view
Students are divided on their opinion of part-time teachers. Some enjoyed their experience.

“One of my favorite teachers was a part-time professor,” said 21-year-old graphic design junior Casey Doherty. “It was cool to get someone who was working in the real world to teach aspiring graphic designers.”

Others agree.

“[My part-time professor] was tough but very good,” said 20-year-old biology and Spanish junior Elia Arenas. “She was funny and she knew how to teach.”

Some prefer full-time professors.

“I would rather have a full-time professor because if you like them, you can take more classes with the same professor,” said 21-year-old history and psychology senior Jessica Force. “Full-timers also have more office hours.”

Some students point to part-time professor’s availability as an issue.

“I think it’s more convenient to have a full-time teacher because you can get in touch with them easier and catch them on campus if you ever have questions,” said 21-year-old art senior Kelly Gukanovich.

The road ahead
With NCAA appearances, academic accolades and successful alumni, Winthrop continues to gain national recognition and scrutiny. Massive renovation projects that will forever alter Winthrop’s campus are currently underway. The approaching years could define Winthrop.

Winthrop President Anthony DiGiorgio has a plan: the Quality Enhancement Plan, specifically.
Rebecca Masters, assistant to the president for public affairs, said the plan will focus on many things, including retaining and recruiting quality faculty, contemporary technology and contemporary facilities.

“The notion is to protect quality and value and find the right balance,” Masters said. “When we need to make an investment, we cannot shy away.

Some see the trend as part of the natural ebb and flow of academia.

“Winthrop has its ups and downs like any other institution,” said part-time history professor Rob Sturgis. “Obviously, in an ideal situation, you’d go out and hire full-time, quality faculty.”