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OK, I'll jump in. Was adjunct faculty when I was a librarian. Then full time tenure track faculty. Now, back to being part time temp now that I am a bookseller. Part 1: Good experience, and I enjoyed it. The pay was, as it happens, fairly good, but no fringe benefits of course. If I had not had another job, that would have been a big problem. Job security also was not an issue (1 semester at a time contracts are not the way to make your living). Since I wasn't all that connected to the institution where I taught, the lack of official connection with governance wasn't an issue. My second part time position was with a library school, and they welcomed adjuncts, etc. into faculty meetings, kept us on mailing lists, etc. and asked our opinion (so we had some unofficial input). Part 2: Based on my adjunct experience, I switched careers, and played the full game from assistant prof to full prof. Since I was generally aware of tenure and its historical background, I appreciated the job protection, and in fact become more outspoken once I had it. As the article notes, the issue of up or out after 5 years is scary, and could also be used as a club against outspoken nontenured faculty, but I do not see the elimination of tenure as s solution to that problem. Part 3: I took early retirement to become a full time bookseller at renaissance and medieval festivals. The ability to continue teaching has given me extra income, and an inducement to keep up on at least part of my field. And after 20+ years in academe, I frankly do not miss the governance aspects. Since I am teaching at the same institution as in part 2, I have connections with and knowledge about the institution and the specific college, so I don't really know what specifically is done for the typical part timer. I will also note that both my stints as part time teacher allowed me to connect my experiences (as librarian, and later as bookseller) with the more academic part of what I taught, which I would see as a clear benefit to the students and university from having some part timers. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lorna Peterson" <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Friday, July 9, 2010 5:05:39 AM Subject: Re: from the Chronicle of Higher Education: Tenure, RIP: What the Vanishing Status Means for the Future of Education (fwd) On July 7, 2010 "Elsa F. Kramer" wrote: >Tenure, RIP: What the Vanishing Status Means for the Future of >Education, is a July 4, 2010 article in the Chronicle of Higher >Education: >Available online at http://chronicle.com/article/Tenure-RIP/66114/ Thank you Elsa Kramer for providing the link to the full article. I am wondering if any part time faculty/adjuncts for LIS would like to comment about their experiences as part time faculty. What are some of the challenges you face? What are the rewards? What would you like those of us in LIS Education to know about the part time faculty experience? Or perhaps LIS deans, directors, department chairs would like to comment on the importance of part timers and how the part time faculty are oriented, acknowledged, supported at their institutions. What are the challenges for LIS administrators in finding and keeping top quality part time faculty? These are just general questions attempting to start a discussion. Please know that I am writing this question as an individual and not in any official role, either elected, appointed, or employed. many thanks, lp Lorna Peterson University at Buffalo [log in to unmask] -- James H. Sweetland 414-229-4707 Professor Emeritus [log in to unmask] School of Information Studies University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee