As at many universities these days, the majority of classes at Miami are taught by non-tenure track faculty (TCPL, visiting faculty, and part-timers). These instructors lack the economic security and academic freedom that tenure-line faculty enjoy. Miami’s teacher-scholar model is threatened when the majority of faculty are precarious employees.
So AAUP has been arguing for a broad-based, well informed approach to faculty hiring that carefully considers Miami’s teacher-scholar mission alongside budgetary constraints. Could the ratio of tenure-line faculty to non-tenure line faculty be improved so we can sustain the teacher-scholar model we advertise? Are non-tenure-line faculty being treated in an equitable and consistent way? Can we improve academic freedom, due process, and economic security for non-tenure-track faculty?
In 2018, AAUP Miami members presented a proposal to Senate to create an ad-hoc committee on faculty composition that would consider the important issues at stake. Our proposal was overwhelmingly approved by Senate and the committee began meeting this spring.
We are glad to hear that TCPL faculty are currently being interviewed by the committee. We hope that other non-tenure-line ranks—visiting faculty and part-timers—are being asked about their experiences as well, as they are responsible for a large proportion of teaching at Miami, especially on the regional campuses.
Read the full charge to the committee here. We are looking forward to the committee’s findings.
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