American Association of University Professors
Illinois Conference Policy Council
Notes From the Open Meeting, April 27, 2002
The Faculty Club, Chicago IL

Council Members present:  Leo Welch, President (Southwestern College), Joe Felder, Secretary (Bradley University), Connie Caveny, Treasurer and Executive Secretary (UIUC), Jim Johnson (Loyola), Melba Buxbaum (Blackburn College), Pan Papacosta (Columbia College)

Others Present:  
Ann Draznin (U of I at Springfield), Brigitte Erbe (Roosevelt), Barbara Kaiser (Loyola), Sharon Telleen (U of I at Chicago), Frederic W. Widlak (National Louis University)

I.  The Open Morning Meeting focused on the IBHE Report 
entitled "All Faculty Matter!  A Study of Nontenure-track Faculty at Illinois Public Colleges and Universities."  (Copies provided.  The web link is http://www.ibhe.state.il.us/). The study was done by The Center for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University (NIU).  (Summary Results provided.)  Leo Welch summarized the report and led the discussion.  Points raised in the discussion were quite critical of the report.  They included:
* Survey Problems:  Leo pointed out that the interviewers were total strangers to those being interviewed.  They called the interviewees at their home phone numbers and conducted the interviews in that initial phone call.
* Sampling Problems and Problems with Disaggregation:  Connie pointed out that neither the sample nor the results were broken down by type of part-time or temporary employee.  "Happiness" with pay, benefits, and working conditions might differ across types and averages might be affected by the proportions of types in the sample.  
* Tenure:  Pan emphasized that the trend toward part-timers and temps erodes tenure.  But tenure is the backbone of academic freedom, shared governance, and the primacy of faculty in curricular matters.  
* Vulnerability and Abuse:  There was consensus on the fact that part-time and temporary faculty members are very vulnerable and are subject to abuse.
II. Related matter:  Unionization is making significant advances 
among part-time faculty, even at private institutions.  Certainly, no one can argue that they are "management".  
III. Announcement and Request:  The Association of American Colleges  
and Universities (AACU) (aacu-edu.org) is urging all college presidents to sign on and pledge to help educate the public about the value of liberal education for all college students. To see the text of the "call" go to: 
http://www.aacu-edu.org/CALL/CALLtext.cfm.  
To see if the president of your institution has signed on go to: http://www.aacu-edu.org/CALL/CALLsigners.cfm.  
If your president has not signed, please urge him or her to do so. 



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