Op-Ed By Lea Theodore – April 20, 2023
Adelphi University and the American Association of University Professors Chapter (AAUP)/American Federation of Teachers (AFT) are currently negotiating a new five-year contract. It is important to acknowledge that contract negotiations were set to begin at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and were postponed until now. That is, Adelphi faculty agreed to postpone, in good faith, contract deliberations, given the unprecedented pandemic faced by the entire world. That having been said, it is now time for an honest appraisal of where we are currently and what we need to do to remedy glaring deficiencies in salaries, benefits, and working conditions at the University. Now it is important to highlight what life is like for professors and staff at Adelphi University.
On a personal level, I have been disheartened to witness the continuous stream of administrators, faculty, and staff who have decided to leave the university over the past 5-years, without having another job in place. Such a mass exodus by employees, regardless of their level of employment, not only diminishes overall morale, but emphasizes how unrewarding employment at Adelphi University is. It is clear across campus that Adelphi faculty feel neither appreciated nor supported by the administration.
Undergraduate and graduate students pay very high tuition to attend Adelphi University and expect quality instruction, meaningful mentorship, and accredited programs in return. What they are getting in return for their expensive tuition and high-interest student loans are faculty coming and going like a revolving door, which results in a lack of consistency for students. Rather than focusing on what is best for students and excellence in education, Adelphi University prefers to hire part-time employees that are inexpensive and easy to dismiss when desired.
Many full-time Adelphi faculty responding to a recent survey indicated they have side jobs, while others hold the equivalent of full-time employment elsewhere because the university does not support faculty with a sustainable salary in one of the nation’s highest cost of living areas. Low salaries especially hurt junior faculty struggling to pay essential bills and feed and house their families and senior faculty working toward a secure retirement. Salary truncation is especially burdensome now with unprecedented inflation rates and housing costs, in an already high cost of living area; faculty who struggled financially before inflation are desperate at this time. Adelphi University salaries for ALL faculty are significantly below those of other universities.
For the reasons mentioned above (and more), many full-time faculty seek outside employment, which in essence results in them becoming part-time Adelphi employees. This situation is especially problematic because faculty become less committed to their work at Adelphi, experience considerable stress due to living and working in a non-sustainable manner, with concomitant mental health challenges, low morale, decreased productivity, and family strife. Deans and Associate Deans provide little leadership and minimally mentor junior faculty because they are not in their offices – they too are working second jobs!
If Adelphi University truly cared about a quality educational experience for students, and the legacy of its graduates, administration would provide faculty with benefits, salaries, and working conditions sufficient to encourage their committed and loyal employment. A model of equitable pay and support would result in myriad benefits, including increased faculty research productivity, enhanced creativity, improved teaching and mentorship, overall better health and wellness, and a personal sense of appreciation and value. Unfortunately, the opposite is the case in the current context and contract conditions.
In sum, this narrative is intended to provide a faculty perspective that highlights the mood, inequities, and deprivations experienced by faculty and staff at Adelphi University. Low salaries, limited benefits, poor morale, meager support, heavy workloads, and high expectations, combined with faculty seeking outside employment just to make ends meet in a high cost of living setting are driving too many individuals to leave the university, even without another position. While these serious issues existed prior to the pandemic, they are far worse post-pandemic and are exacerbated by excessive inflation. Adelphi University administration has an opportunity at this time to demonstrate the extent to which it values its faculty, students, and programs by responding in good faith to the current contract negotiations and jointly reaping the myriad rewards of a positive work environment that results from professional employees who feel secure, appreciated, and supported.
Lea A. Theodore, Ph.D.
AAUP/AFT President, Adelphi University