After 27 years at the University, English writing instructor June Pulliam spends 60 hours a week on her four English courses, yet she still lacks job security. Pulliam is classified as an instructor, which means she teaches classes, does not conduct research and is not eligible for tenure.
English professor and former department chair Anna Nardo and several other faculty are pushing University administrators to give instructors three-year rolling contracts.
The English department has the largest number of instructors at the University, but because they are not professors, these faculty members are not eligible for tenure.
Nardo said instructors currently work on one-year contracts, which give departments flexibility. If the University were to see a financial crisis, then deans would have the ability to let some instructors go, Nardo said.
“Our proposal would not affect flexibility,” Nardo said.
University writing program Director Barbara Heifferon said these contracts would only be available to instructors who have passed their six year reviews with “excellent” marks and would not cost the University additional funds.
In these six years, some instructors come and go on their own, but once professors hit the six year mark, reviews are taken as seriously as tenure reviews, Nardo said. Heifferon said when she was hired during the 2008 budget crisis, instructors were given termination letters saying they may or may not have jobs at the end of the year.
“The most important people who were teaching were given these letters,” Heifferon said.
Pulliam said the termination letters demoralized the instructors and caused several people to leave voluntarily. Several instructors posted their letters on their doors to show the University their anger.
“I remember being furious, making people feel like their jobs were threatened,” Pulliam said. “It was a climate where you didn’t want to work.”
Heifferon and Nardo both agreed three-year rolling contracts could also have a positive effect on student retention.
Instructors teach classes capped at 22 students, and these small classes make them feel at home, Heifferon said.
Through their writing and interaction in the classroom, Pulliam said her small classes help her connect with students in a unique way, and she said over the years she has helped countless students in and out of the classroom.
Writing instructor Nolde Alexius said the community created in her classes helps with retention.
“In terms of other classes they take at LSU, it’s a personal connection,” Alexius said.
The University prioritizes the first year experience, Nardo said, but the conditions for instructors who are often teaching first year students is incongruous with this position.
“If parents really knew the person teaching their students gets paid enough to qualify for food stamps, it doesn’t correlate with the first year experience,” Nardo said.
With Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Stuart Bell on Saturday, three writing instructors participated in focus groups aimed at identifying instructor concerns.
Jane Cassidy, vice provost for human resources and facilities management, said she and the provost will work to find solutions for instructor concerns, but contract extensions and instructor salary increases will be a longer process.