1. 2014/15 Fixed Term Faculty Committee Nancy C. Fisher, Ph.D. Chair Report to UNC Chapel Hill Faculty Council April 24, 2015

2. Fixed Term Faculty Committee 2014/15 Deb AikatJournalism Nancy Fisher (Chair)Medicine Susan IronsEnglish and Comparative Literature Chris McLaughlinGovernment Tara MoonClinical Laboratory Science Adam Persky Bruce Cairns Pharmacy Chair of Faculty Also: Clare CounihanWomen’s Center – website design Sarah BirkenHealth Policy/Gillings – data analysis

3. Of 3406 UNC-CH faculty, 44% (1496) have fixed-term appointments. This does not include adjunct faculty. http://oira.unc.edu/files/2014/01/Current-Statistics.pdf Representation of Fixed-Term Faculty at UNC

4. Last year: The Fixed-Term Faculty Committee worked to advance the title of “Teaching Professor” to replace “Master Lecturer” in the College of Arts and Sciences.

5. Use of Clinical/Research TitlesUse of Lecturer Title

6. 2014 Survey objectives Determine awareness of FTF to their own numbers and representation in faculty governance Determine satisfaction levels and perception of UNC’s support of FTF Collect data on contract length Develop list of Best Practices Open-ended questions to mine issues not included elsewhere in the survey (still under analysis)

7. Please indicate how aware you were -- before receiving this survey -- of each of the following: ‘Teaching Professor’ in A&S FTF on Exec Committee Appointment Documents Advocacy43% FTF at UNC Unaware A little bit aware Very aware

8. Although policies are clearly outlined, the message is not getting to the faculty On the web: Appointment Documents: Policies for Fixed-Term Faculty: University: http://provost.unc.edu/policies/ Actions Develop Fixed-Term Faculty Website with links to relevant information. Link this site to the Faculty Governance site.

9. FTF respondents - Satisfaction

10. Responses

12. 51% of FTF responding have one-year contracts or less No Contract One year Two years Three years Four years Five Years or more

13. Length of Contract by Years of Service – FTF at UNC-CH responding to 2014 survey The majority of Fixed-Term Faculty have one-year contracts Longer contracts are granted to a few with more years of service

14. “One other reason to worry about one-year contracts is academic integrity. If a FTF on a one year contract sees something that shouldn't be happening, are they in any position to report it?”

15. Years of Service to the University Contract Length < 1 year1 year 1 – 5 years3 years > 5 years or Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer level or above 5 years Recommendations for contract length standardization campus-wide

17. Valuation Some Fixed-Term Faculty reported a lack of: Departmental Inclusion Mentoring and clarity on professional progression Development opportunities Working conditions This environment creates a sense of detachment from the University Community and feeling of a lack of value. The Lecturer titles and one-year contracts for longtime and dedicated colleagues adds to this.

18. Valuation “Fixed-Term Faculty in some departments don't get choice in what they teach and often are prepping lots of new courses rather than being able to focus on the same routine.”

19. Why should we do something about supporting Fixed-Term Faculty? Culture can be slow to change but the numbers of Fixed-Term Faculty on campus is rising swiftly. This is national conversation

20. Conclusions from the survey Fixed-Term Faculty were largely unaware of their own numbers, representation on Faculty Council or informational resources available regarding appointment policy 63% of Fixed-Term Faculty were Satisfied or Very Satisfied with their positions at UNC Top issues concerning Fixed-Term Faculty are salary equity, length of contracts, valuation, promotion criteria, retention and growth opportunities. The majority of Fixed-Term Faculty have only one-year contracts, even those who have served at the University for over 10 years. Some Fixed-Term Faculty are not well supported by their departments resulting in a feeling of lowered valuation.

21. RECOMMENDATION: Encourage Best Practices for Fixed-Term Faculty at UNC Standardize length of contracts and provide adequate non-renewal notice Communicate standards and criteria for promotion, providing clear professional progression Provide career development resources and opportunities Encourage participation in department activities at faculty level

22. Work to continue 2014 Fixed-Term Faculty Survey analysis Disseminate the list of best practices Institute longer contracts for Fixed-Term Faculty campus-wide Continue moving forward with renaming Lecturers to professional titles in A&S Compare internal survey to Fixed-Term Faculty data from COACHE survey Hold listening sessions campus-wide