Dive Brief:
- The University of Iowa has agreed to offer non-tenured-track (NTT) faculty members expanded benefits following several months of protest and discussions with the university administration.
- The approximately 1,700 visiting NTT instructors will receive health insurance, dependent coverage, retirement benefits and sick leave with the agreement, according to the The Gazette of Iowa City. NTT instructors make up 54% of the university's faculty members.
- The increase in benefits will take affect Sept. 1 for NTT instructors who had 50% or greater appointments for at least one year.
Dive Insight:
Many institutions increasingly have relied upon NTT faculty members to staff classes without having to make long-range commitments or pay and other benefits. Administrators say that these instructors are fortunate to have teaching positions, and often only teach classes while tenured professors do more research and have other responsibilities. The universities and colleges also see hiring NTT instructors as a way to provide quality instruction when budgets are strained by state cuts they have no control over or falling enrollments.
A report early in the year indicated that non-tenure faculty member are increasingly hired on college campuses, and that their use has little impact on the success of students. The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association report said contingent faculty member use was associated with lower student/faculty ratios, expanded course offerings and higher faculty engagement with students.
However, the study also suggested that use of non-tenured-track professors resulted in higher costs for recruitment and training, more turnover and lower-quality instruction. Possible savings were offset by other increased costs, according to the report.
A General Accounting Office report released in October showed that contingent faculty members made up about 70% of postsecondary instruction nationwide, and that while job security varies in the positions, it is generally considerably less than in tenured positions. But the GAO report also said some contingent employees saw advantages in their positions, including schedule flexibility.