Change of Status Guidance: Visitor to Adjunct

Over the next year, the President and I (Robert Ausch) will be working to create a handbook for new and current Pratt faculty. As we develop different sections, we hope to share them with members. Given the soon-to-be start of the 2024-2025 ARPT calendar, we begin with a guide for Visiting part-time faculty interested in applying for adjunct status. We hope that members will find this helpful. Over the past few weeks, James and I contacted all Pratt Visitors eligible for a status change. Many faculty were excited about the opportunity but unsure of what such a process might look like. As is the case with any faculty applying for a promotion and change in status this year, we offered to provide any support and guidance we could. As a result, we decided to develop this first section of the future handbook. In addition, we will propose a workshop for faculty seeking a change of status in early September so that we can share experiences and offer guidance to those engaging the system for the first time. As members of the current Grievance Committee, we will strongly support status change for eligible, qualified visitors who meet the standards set by their peers.

In Solidarity,

Jamie and Robert

VISITOR STATUS CHANGE AT PRATT

Almost all part-time faculty are first hired as Visiting Instructors or Visiting Assistant Professors. Visitors are one of five employment levels or "status" that exist at Pratt: (a) Visitor, (b) Adjunct, ( c) Adjunct with CCE, (d) full-time non-tenured, (e) full-time tenured. Each faculty, whether part-time or full-time, is also assigned one of four ranks: Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor. About 70% of faculty teaching at Pratt are Visitors, and about 85% of Visiting faculty are either Instructors or Assistant Professors. One’s rank at hire typically depends on whether you possess a terminal degree and on your level of experience.

Visiting faculty are at-will employees, meaning their reappointment is entirely at the administration’s discretion. They have the least seniority regarding course scheduling and assignments—departments must assign courses to qualified adjuncts and full-time faculty first. Visitors cannot purchase subsidized healthcare and receive no retirement contributions.

There are two functions of the visiting status at Pratt: (1) it allows professional and working artists and designers to teach courses at Pratt without making a significant or long-term commitment, and (2) it acts as a trial period for new faculty. A Visitor's workload is limited to 7.5 contact hours a semester per the current Contract. 

Adjunct status offers more job security and seniority when it comes to scheduling and the assignment of courses. About 20% of Pratt faculty are adjuncts, and around 30% of those adjuncts have gone on to achieve part-time tenure in the form of CCE status. Termination of adjuncts requires two negative formal evaluations from the administration over two years, and such termination, when arbitrary, is subject to the grievance process. Adjuncts can purchase subsidized health care, though only Adjuncts with CCEs receive retirement contributions. Adjuncts are also typically more integrated into the department's work and receive stipends for service like committee work and curriculum development. After ten semesters as an adjunct, faculty at Pratt can apply for a Certificate of Continuous Employment or CCE, which is contractually equivalent to tenure. Pratt is one of the few schools in the country offering part-time faculty tenure. As of Spring 2024, there were 134 adjuncts with CCE at Pratt.

Acquiring CCE status begins with your promotion to adjunct, which triggers the start of the 10-semester clock that makes one eligible to apply for a CCE. It is crucial to consider the next five years as part of your application for CCE. A successful CCE application convinces one’s peers and the administration that a faculty member is a good fit for a permanent commitment. Faculty will be evaluated in three areas- teaching, professional competence, and service- and adjuncts must be prepared to prove themselves highly successful in these areas.

The Application Process

Most departments allow visiting faculty to apply for adjunct status in one’s 5th semester of teaching, though because this may vary, it is crucial to check departmental guidelines. Article XVI of the current faculty-administration contract (CBA) outlines the Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure (ARPT) process. The criteria for promotions and status change are developed independently by each department and its established Peer Review Committee (PRC). The PRC is charged with developing eligibility, fitness, and evaluation standards and using those standards to evaluate faculty who apply for status change or promotion. They then issue recommendations to department chairs. Additional recommendations are provided by the Chair, Dean, and Provost before the Board of Trustees makes the final decision. Given the importance of peer review, the administration generally follows the recommendations of the PRC. It is worth studying Article XVI carefully as this describes the process in detail.

Faculty are typically required to inform their department’s PRC chair of their interest in submitting an application to the committee at the start of the semester. However, this may vary by department. Required application materials are detailed in departmental guidelines and typically include a cover letter, CV, and evidence demonstrating that one has met the criteria needed for the change. The CBA requires that PRCs develop standards for teaching effectiveness and professional accomplishment. It offers PRCs the option to create standards for service, and most generally do. It is important to submit materials that speak to these three areas: teaching, professional work, and service. Most departments require that an application be submitted by late September or early October. It will then take 6-8 weeks to move through each of the following steps, including PRC review, Chairperson review, Dean review, Provost review, and Board of Trustees decision, usually issued in May.

Recommendations for a Successful Change of Status Application

1. PRC COMMITTEE Before applying, it is best to reach out to your departmental chair and the Chair of your department’s PRC and seek advice about the process. With over twenty PART committees across Pratt, they often have their intricacies, and successful chairs of both departments and PRCs should be able to help guide you through some of these particularities. Also, the committee's composition changes over time, which can result in changes in committee dynamics. Because your peers on the committee will be a crucial part of evaluating your case, the more you can talk to them, the stronger the application you can submit.

2. DEPARTMENT CHAIR Your department chair is part of the administration. They cannot establish PRC guidelines. Instead, to understand these guidelines, it is essential to read the published guidelines and talk with the faculty on the committee. These conversations are a great way to introduce yourself to more senior faculty and move them to support your case. You will not be an imposition. You are demonstrating that you care about the values of the department.

3. PRC GUIDELINES While departmental PRC guidelines vary, two things are generally vital to a successful application for adjunct status: (1) the ability to teach several classes and the willingness to teach more classes and (2) the desire to become more involved with the department, including doing service. Service includes serving on committees, assessments, critiques, and organizing events -- anything that supports the department. These forms of service should always come with a stipend. Your desire to get more involved with service must be communicated clearly in any application. 

4. STUDENT EVALUATIONS Some applications include student evaluations. Student evaluations are notoriously unreliable, and determinations should never be made based mostly on them. If you have received negative student evaluations, explain what you believe happened and what changes you made in your teaching as a response. Treat student evaluations as opportunities for professional development.

5. PRC NON-RECOMMENDATIONS Sometimes, a PRC will determine that an applicant has not met the guidelines and recommend against the action. Do not despair. Take heed of the areas that need work. Meet with some of them to get feedback on what they are looking for and apply again.

6. ADMINISTRATION NON-RECOMMENDATIONS Sometimes, the administration recommends rejecting an application because of some unspoken standards that do not come from the ARPT committee guidelines. This violates the contract, and the union has successfully filed grievances in such cases.

7. APPEND/AFFIX If you receive a non-recommendation, it is essential that you promptly submit an “append and affix” statement to your application. This should detail why the committee, the department chair, or the Dean misrepresented or misunderstood the merits of your application and highlight the ways you meet the criteria for promotion with a focus on the published guidelines.

8. GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE On the Grievance Committee, we represent faculty and are here to help. Stay in touch, especially if you feel something is amiss in the process or you feel you have not been treated fairly. (email Robert Ausch robqrdd@gmail.com or Jamie Lipovac james@jameslipovac.com)