1. Compensation
1.1. Unfair
1.1.1. This (Adjunct Fellows Program) is the only way I can get a raise
1.1.2. No raise for years of experience
1.1.3. I don't get compensated for "extra" things I do
1.1.4. No compensation for meetings/prof development
1.1.5. RMU pays the least of any univ. i work for
1.1.6. No union or contract
1.1.7. No security
1.2. Fair
1.2.1. I get bonus checks every year
1.2.2. Holiday gifts
1.2.3. Birthday gifts
1.2.4. More $ paid for PhDs
1.2.5. More $ paid for grad classes
1.2.6. They have a class for me every quarter
1.3. MEMOS
1.3.1. 10/30/09: When asked what RMU could do to encourage more involvement with RMU community, many Adjunct Fellows came up with ideas that involved compensation. Suggestions ranged from compensating adjuncts for continuing education courses they took, to stipends for attending meetings/faculty development workshops, to stipends for adjuncts to be paid for "some sort of scholarly work" when the University does not have a class for them to teach. Being paid for their time - even if it is a gesture - appears to be very important to adjuncts. They indicate that their participation in university life could be improved if they were offered more income opportunities.
2. Learning Organization
2.1. Comments - pro
2.1.1. "There are some elements of that (learning organization" that already exist here at Robert Morris." (72)
2.1.2. "My idea of what constitutes a learning organization is... they have an environment or culture where its members share information and are willing to help one another... they also have technology mechanisms in place to support that... I see RMU as maybe halfway... they are head and shoulders above most organizations that I've encountered, but I think they still have room for growth." (75)
2.1.3. "We either have a strong goal of working towards being one or are 'there'... we're constantly changing, we're adjusting our classes, we've got the adjunct fellows, TIF, MI. There's a lot more opportunities for learning, and there's a lot more opportunities for growth as a professional." (110)
2.1.4. "The organization is flexible enough to see the flaws in its program and fix them, and is not afriad to actually go 'hmmm! Let's try something new.' An organiztion that actually takes input and tries to better itself.. there's constant growth." (111)
2.1.5. "RMU looks for areas of improvement and goes to its base for ideas. Who better to ask where to go that the people that you are driving to their destination." (117)
3. Expectations of RMU
3.1. Untitled
3.2. Realistic, Manageable
3.3. Expects too much/too little of adjuncts
3.4. MEMOS
3.4.1. One item brought up by Deans (IAD, TI) and chairs, as well as Adjunct Fellows, express disappointment that adjunct faculty rarely attend curriculum meetings, department meetings, etc. Adjuncts are not inclined to attend meetings on weekdays. However, the university has in the past scheduled meetings for weeknights or for weekends, with little participation from the adjucnt community. Adjuncts themselves cite "no time" as a reason, but they also suggest a stipend for meetings. When I was an adjunct at RMU many years ago, I never went to meetings specifically because they were not paid. Although administrators don't like to hear this, adjunct faculty expect to be paid for their time. Deans have expressed to me that they want people who teach for more than just the paycheck, and that even if the had money in the budget to pay adjuncts for meetings (they don't!), they would look down on someone who told them they'd come to meetings if they were paid. When I was an adjunct, I never, ever went to meetings except for one college I taught at - at that college, I was paid $75 for every meeting.
4. Value of/Why involved in Adjunct Fellows
4.1. Money
4.1.1. "I admit I enrolled only for the raise" (12)
4.1.2. "Money Talks" (p. 58)
4.2. Growth
4.2.1. EDU 311 provided "safe environment" to discuss RMU with other faculty.
4.2.2. Define my philosophy of education (56)
4.2.3. "We actually talk to one another about what we are doing in the classroom" (63)
4.2.4. "I just want to be helpful - I don't want to be full time anything." (66)
4.2.5. This program helped me feel more involved... getting to know other adjuncts and share our experiences was key in helping me develop professionally." (86)
4.2.6. "I found that not only was the research I conducted helpful but my colleagues' research was very insightful and helpful to me as well." (87)
4.2.7. "Prior to being accepted into the Adjunct Fellows program, I thought there might be a handful of part-time faculty. This program has opened my eyes, to not only the significant amount of adjunct faculty but the professionalism and dedication that these individuals possess." (102)
4.2.8. "We have kindred spirits out there...even though we are teaching different disciplines." (112)
4.2.9. Adjuncts are "ships passing in the night." but program helped this. (114)
4.2.10. "I got to know people a little bit better." (113 but many expressed this)
4.2.11. Network building (113, multiple sources)
4.2.12. Program helped with knowledge of policies, mission (115)
4.2.13. Increased confidence (115)
4.2.14. Feeling of belonging (119)
4.2.15. "I always feel like I need more training." (122)
4.3. MEMOS
4.3.1. 10/28/09 Some Adjuncts freely admit they were only in the program for the 25% pay raise at the end. This amazed me. The program involved significant work and an entire academic year of their time, as well as a research project. The average per-course salary of these adjuncts is $2000. They were willing to put in all of this effort just for a $500 raise per course! It's a nice raise, but not the most efficient way to make money. One told me she entered the program only for the money, and the personal growth was "an unexpected bonus." I didn't know whether to be pleased or incensed! I'm glad she got so much out of the program, but I was diappointed that her expectations going in were so low at the outset.
5. Treatment of Adjuncts at RMU
5.1. Excellent
5.1.1. "Adjuncts need to feel their input is valued by meaningful changes to processes that enable inclusion, not just with placating comments" (31) This was a positive comment praising RMIU.
5.1.2. "With the origination of the adjunct fellows program, I feel RMU has demonstrated an interest in what adjuncts have to say. (58)
5.1.3. RMU actually cared about their adjuncts and did not treat them like a disposable workforce." (64)
5.1.4. "I feel like I am part of an ongoing focus group to better the school" (58)
5.1.5. "where other institutions let you go after the initial orientation, Robert Morris doesn't do that. They keep you engaged in activities that make you feel a part of the institution." (67)
5.1.6. Adjunct faculty are "looked upon with favor by the administration" (68)
5.1.7. I believe (RMU) is on the right path to better integrating adjunct faculty with the birth of the Adjunct Fellows program. (105)
5.1.8. "I guess I don't expect perfection when it comes to the workplace (so) I feel fulfilled as an employee which does equal success for me." (106)
5.1.9. "The opinions of most employees are at least investigated." (118)
5.2. Poor
5.2.1. phone calls not returned
5.2.2. My feedback not listened to/respected by chair
5.2.3. Feel isolated (108)
5.3. MEMOS
6. Culture and Climate at RMU
6.1. Public Image
6.2. Inner Workings
6.2.1. Input from adjunct faculty is respected - Provost has "genuine" response to concerns of Adjuncts
6.2.2. EDU 311 provided "safe environment" to discuss RMU with other faculty.
6.2.3. "When I started, I had no intentions of staying. I just wanted to do a friend a favor and cover a course, and then I became immersed in the warmth of the culture." (74)
6.2.4. "Overall, I believe they have a positive culture" (75)
6.2.5. "I really enjoy teaching at Robert Morris because it is supportive, more supportive than any institution I've known, and the way it encourages its instructors to become better at what they do - to me that's just outstanding." (76)
6.2.6. My insight of RMU's "unwritten" culture is that the decision makers are flexible and fast moving. They adapt rapidly to change, both external and internal and they appear to have a good planning process in place" (78)
6.2.7. "It's hard to pinpoint an exact culture for RMU because it can change depending on what campus you attend. The students are usually very different.... I think for the most part this is due to (campus) size." (101)
6.2.8. "It is an unwritten culture of innovation and problem solving. There is also a silent but persistent business culture in RMU in which the customer is the key focus of the organization." (118)
6.3. MEMOS
6.3.1. 10/30-09 The way higher administration responds - even things like tone of voice - are an important indicator to adjuncts of how seriously they feel they are taken by the University. Adjuncts expressed many times that the Provost's and President's appearance at their meetings had a positive impact on their view of RMU as an institutution and their perception of the culture.
6.3.2. Invites to meetings, etc are important to adjuncts as a gesture even it they do not attend them. They state that they feel included if they are invited (10/29/09)
6.3.3. Monetary gestures, such as $25 birthday gift certificate to a bookstore - are important indicators of a culture that values adjunct faculty 10/29/09
7. After AF, now what?
7.1. Create new courses for my department
7.2. Work on new programs (grad degrees)
7.3. Attend more TI workshops
7.4. Continue as an instructor
7.5. Inspire others to research their own best practices
7.6. Offer my own workshops and attend TI workshops
7.7. Experiment with team/interdisciplinary teaching. (109)
7.8. "I believe my role at the University will change if I want it to change. It is my feeling that now that we have become familiar with the function and culture of the organization, the choice of direction is ours to pursue" (65)
7.9. "I see myself as a helpmate. I bring experience and focus and perhaps even a dissenting opinion on some things, because I don't have the restrait of being politically involved in the institution" (66)
7.10. "I want to be a part of Robert Morris and its continuing growth." (74)
7.11. "the greatest benefit is a by-product of the program, the collegial rapport developed with and among the participants." (81)
7.12. Have "some sort of social network building" or the environmental change from the AF program is "likely to be modest" (94)
7.13. "What happens after the AF program is completed? The the adjuncts once again 'ships passing in the night' with our engagement being limited to the classes taught?" (95)
8. Perceptions about RMU
8.1. Positive
8.1.1. "An institution that had evolved from a kind of secretarial school to a more robust, vocationally based school. My perception was thatn it had just entered a new round... to four year institution kind of endeavors. But then when I took a look at it, it's more university than I thought it was." (71)
8.1.2. The Af program "helps the engagement process" (95)
8.2. Negative
8.2.1. "I believe the university does not like to hear the negative or contrarian views with regard to the curriculum." (84)
8.2.2. "(RMU) baffles me, because fundamentally they are a business but often times they don't operate that way. Maybe that's part of the disconnect between full time and part time faculty, those who understand the system and those who don't." (85)
8.2.3. "There is an inherent conflict between the vision of a career focused curriculum and the development of critical thinking skills that transcends particular vocations..." (90)
8.2.4. "I feel that a university more focused on teaching vs. research needs to structure different sessions for faculty to interact and share ideas." (107)
8.3. Memos
9. Feeling about Adjunct v. FT status
9.1. Delight
9.1.1. Bonus Check for Adjunct
9.1.2. Bday Cards/Holiday Gifts
9.1.3. Invited to Meetings (multiple sources)
9.1.4. Asked for Opinion
9.1.5. Input is Respected p. 6
9.1.6. Provost and President speak to adjuncts, seek feedback (multiple sources)
9.1.7. "I think the biggest thing I've learned is not to discredit myself and my own ideas because I am a part-time faculty member. I'm sure there's a lot I could learn form full-time faculty, but I now realize that I have a lot 'in the bank' as well." (103)
9.2. Resentment
9.2.1. 2nd Class Citizen
9.2.2. Cancelled Classes
9.2.3. Ft fac come first
9.2.4. "Adjuncts and full timers do not get together and talk very often so there is a tendency for people to fill in the gaps with rumors, guesses, and their own personal prejudices" (62)
9.2.5. "I think that universities and colleges need to look at... adjunct faculty and full-time faculty on an equal level. We are all working ot achieve the same goal. It's just that sime of us work more hours than others." (104)
10. Information Flow to Adjuncts
10.1. Organized
10.1.1. Formal Orientation in Sc of Business
10.1.2. Intro to college viaEDU 311
10.1.3. Intro Tour with Dean/Assoc. Dean or Chair
10.1.4. "Clearly Defined and Articulated" p. 11
10.1.5. Standardized procedure although many unwritten (p. 11)
10.2. Random
10.2.1. "Learning as I go"
10.2.2. Unwritten Procedures
10.2.3. Unclear and undefined procedure (p.. 11)
10.2.4. Brushed off by chair (p. 18)
10.2.5. "Room for Improvement" (29)
10.2.6. Not Informed of academic initiatives (29)
10.2.7. Adjunct role seemed ill-defined at first, AF program helped define for me (p. 7)
10.2.8. "The technology could be greatly improved in terms of access to information." (75)
10.2.9. "What really stands out on the substansive level is the lack of information from the Administration and Deans to the adjuncts as to all the requirements of the institution or its capabilities and limitations." (83)
10.2.10. Untitled
10.3. Untitled
10.3.1. MEMOS
10.3.1.1. 10/28/09 college. Adjuncts related a great variety of "introductory" experiences from their first days at RMU. They expressed surprise that everyone had such different orientatation experiences - and expressed a g2eneral desire for a more standardized process
10.3.1.2. 11/3/09 Many adjuncts expressed the need to "feel" included even if they choose not to participate in meetings, etc. They "need to feel their input is valued" (31) and "not just with placating comments. (also 31). When I think about the people who said this, many of them were long-time employees who are more involved than the average adjunct. These are people who have already figured out the culture of the college. The people who criticized the college for "unclear and undefined" or poor communication were fairly new adjuncts. Both of these opinions have merit. There definitely IS a a formal orientation, but it is optional. There is no formal departmental orientation process. Anyway, I can see that if you chose not to go to the formal orientation, it would be easy to feel that you weren't getting communication and your voice was not heard, because you wouldn't be "in" on the things RMU does (Blackboard announcements, special Blackboard sites for new faculty, Teaching Institute workshops, etc) that wouldn't necessarily be delivered to your e-mailbox or talked about by your chair or dean.
11. Adjunct Involvement at RMU
11.1. Local
11.1.1. Curriculum Meetings
11.1.2. Work on new courses
11.1.2.1. Serve as subject matter experts.
11.1.3. Attention from Chair/Dean
11.1.4. Feels "tangential to process" Pat p. 12
11.1.5. Became more involved over the years
11.1.6. I need to become more involved - don't take opportunity
11.1.7. Can expect only "modest" faculty engagement from adjuncts. (83)
11.1.8. "Adjuncts need to feel there is someone who would care about what they might have to say regarding curriculum development." (96)
11.1.9. "As with any group of individuals, some are going to want to go 'the extra mile', some will do what is expected, and some will do the minimal amount. This is true for both part-time and full-time faculty." (104)
11.2. Global
11.2.1. Participate in long range planning
11.2.2. Participate in University research
11.2.3. Do fundraising for university
11.2.4. Invited to sit on committees for major academic initiatives.
11.2.5. Serve as liasons to get information to other adjunct faculty regarding RMU initiatives, changes
11.2.6. "Including adjunct faculty in the long range planning process... might provide a means by which to break the myopic mindset of the educational establishment." (88)
11.3. MEMOS
11.3.1. Adjuncts express some desires which seem out of place to me, a fulltimer and researcher. From my perspective, saying something like "Adjuncts should participate in Long Range Planning seems ridiculous, partially because I see it as overstepping their role, and partially because I know that the long range plan comes from the top, and almost no one is consulted, and definitely not faculty!
11.3.2. Some adjuncts say that they are not involved because there is no compensation. Others express a desire to become more involved and say they are aware of opportunities and don't make the effort.
12. AF Program and Awareness of Mission
12.1. None to Some
12.1.1. "I did not know much about the mission at all...at the time I started I had no idea about the scope of the programs." (p. 17)
12.2. Good to Great
12.2.1. When Pres. Viollt spoke to us it was quite eye-opening... the primary thing I learned... was how the direction of the college was changing" (17)
12.2.2. "I felt that I learned a lot about how the college was trying to position itself, going from college to university..." (17)
12.3. MEMOS
12.3.1. Untitled
13. Adjunct Alignment with Mission
14. Opinion About RMU Direction, LR Plan
14.1. Praise
14.1.1. "I see Robert Morris moving almost as fast as it needs to in terms of global competition." (72)
14.1.2. I see Robert Morris maybe halfway between where it wants to be or should be." (75)
14.1.3. "They don't mind taking risks, they are future oriented." (75)
14.1.4. "The level of vision for RMU was far superior to any other organization I've worked for (and the only one that's ever been able to explain how they do it)... it reassures me as an employee that we have competent individuals at the top who care about where RMU is going in the future. It's also amazing the amount of individuals they are willing to invite into this process by asking for feedback" (99)
14.1.5. "(I) now see the importance of the development of adjunct faculty to the long range goals and success of Robert Morris." (105)
14.1.6. "I think RMU does an above average job of planning ahead," (117)
14.2. MEMOs
14.2.1. 10/30/09: After listening to all the feedback from the President's and Provost's talks, I noticed something interesting. Both parties sought feedback from the Adjunct Fellows, answered questions, and asked for written suggestions. There is now a general misperception among adjunct fellows that the LR planning process at RMU is collaborative. There are all sorts of meetings and sessions in which faculty and staff are informed of plans, outcomes, etc and are asked for feedback. However, it is common "insider" knowledge that decisions about the long range plans of the university are made by a small group of people, and the information sessions and feedback opportunities are there to encourage buy-in from faculty and staff (informant - anonymous vice president). The suggestions are read and good ideas are incorporated, but the LR planning process is not as democratic as the Fellows perceived.
14.2.2. MEMOS: 11/2/09 Several adjuncts in the Graduate school of business sharply criticized RMU's LR planning process. Some criticized the process as "not transparent" and "limited" or even "myopic!" . The perception is that RMU does not seek feedback from the outside and instead generates all its LR planning from "insiders" in the Board of Trustees and higher administration. Actually, this perception is not true - it just isn't evident to them! However, the comments about the process not being transparent are valid. I know that they do seek feedback from the outside, but even as a chair I am not privy to who they ask, how they do their research, etc. My sense about the criticisms is that no outside firms are involved in that process, and this is perceived as limiting. The graduate business faculty tend to be the most critical of the LR planning process, probably because they are the most involved in that themselves! I was also really surprised by the number of adjuncts who felt RMU was not ready for university status. Again, it was the graduate business faculty who most sharply criticized the university. As an insider, this was hard for me to accept, even though I too feel it is a bold move. Currently we have had a graduate school for 4 (5?) years, and although the programs are limited, the plans are ambitious and include more master's and even some doctoral level programs. Within 5 years we will have a full complement of grad programs in every discipline. Of course, the adjuncts involved don't know this. But I got the intuitive sense from them that RMU was getting "too big for its britches" and that we were trying to muscle our way into the university realm when we aren't really "there". But what is "there"? I see RMU as an ambitious upstart with little patience for the traditional academic process, structure, etc. Since I've been there awhile and have had many interviews with the President, this has shaped my opinion. But actually, I always had this opinion, even from the beginning. I found myself loving RMU's "we can do anything" attitude from my first days there. I was surprised at the breadth and depth of the plans. I've gone from listening to the President talk and thinking "who is he kidding?" to seeing those plans and dreams come to fruition. So, it's interesting to see the criticism - it's not that these people don't believe we can push ahead and offer things like doctoral programs, it's that they think we shouldn't try because we aren't a doctoral level institution, and we aren't research based - at least at present. But how do you become a doctoral level institution if you don't start with one program?
14.3. Problems/Issues
14.3.1. "Room for improvement" - and "oversight" Communication issues - administration to adjunct faculty (26) 'consider how to reach out to adjuncts.... not only leave it to the adjunct to initiate a connection" (27)
14.3.2. RMU does not seek opinions from the outside when formulating LR plan. (32)
14.3.3. "There is little sign of influence on the long range plan from outside of the educational establishment." (91)
14.3.4. "The adjunct faculty made up of practitioner/scholars is one of the few 'windows to the outside world' easily and cost-effectively avaialble to RMU and the long range planning process." (88)
14.3.5. "College to University" name change - "the answer (from the Provost/President) was that we are already there and we just need to change the name. I do not agree with that answer." (33)
14.3.6. "There should be some impetus towards team-based experiences to gain more knowledge." (75)
14.3.7. "The assessment mechanism is not transparent and if mistakes are made, they are not shown on the surface or corrected." (77)
14.3.8. LR planning process is "myopic" because there is no adjunct feedback (88)
14.3.9. "The open question is whether such a top down focus produces the generation of ideas from those closest to the students, i.e. the faculty, regarding the delviery of the educational process." (89)
14.3.10. "The RMU process is too detailed and possibly too frequent, elevating the process of long range planning over the substance." (89)
14.3.11. Process is confusing.