Part-time professorships on the rise

Tufts has over 200 part-time professors teaching courses, with many of them clamoring for a chance at a full-time position. But Tufts' policy for part-time professors may be in many ways an improvement over other universities' policies. While the University's current finances limit the number of full-time professorships, both teachers and administrators hope for more tenure-track positions in the future.

Over the past decade, the average number of part-time professors _ or "lecturers" as they are called at Tufts _ has risen from 33 to 43 percent in US colleges and universities, according to the American Federation of Teachers. Part-time professor positions give universities an opportunity to save money since the employees do not generally receive benefits and are not on the tenure track.

While last year 40 percent of Tufts' Arts and Sciences faculty was hired as part-time professors, according to part-time professors, in general, it treats this faculty much better than most other colleges. The number of part time faculty was not yet available for this academic year though last year the University hired 254 part-time professors and 385 full-time professors.

Tufts is different from other universities in that it is relatively easy to move from being a part-time professor without benefits to one with benefits, according to Kevin Dunn, the Undergraduate Dean of Academic Affairs.

Part-time professors who receive medical and retirement benefits are usually happy with their position. "The benefits are very good, especially compared to other places," Spanish Department Lecturer Raquel Weitzman said.

This policy is not the case at many other schools. Part-time professors at New York University, for example, have discussed unionizing to achieve more benefits as lecturers.

But because lecturers work at Tufts for only a year or two, Political Science Chair Jim Glaser believes unionization will not occur at Tufts. "It doesn't make sense here... This is something just to tide them over. We aren't interested in creating a long-term exploitative relationship with them."

The lecturers which Glaser hires are mostly recent Ph.D. graduates. While these instructors are not paid very well, he said, Tufts does provide them with teaching opportunities and r?©sum?© experience.

Hiring of part-time professors also allows the University to bring in outside specialists to teach. Michael Goldman, a lecturer for both the political science department and the Experimental College, is one such person. A political consultant, Goldman most recently worked on Robert Reich's Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign.

Because he is not required to publish or do research at Tufts, Goldman enjoys his part-time professorship. But often, schools may frown on this type of position. "There are a lot of talented academics that can't teach," he said. "What is exciting about this place _ unlike a lot of places _ is that [the Political Science Department] really respects classroom teaching."

Part-time professors, such as Goldman, can be brought in solely for their ability to teach. Besides its obvious benefits to students, Goldman said Tufts' policy improves the teaching experience for lecturers. "The other thing they let me do here is have fun," he said.

Hiring based on teaching skills gives more flexibility to tenured professors doing research and makes it possible for 'full-timers' to go on leave. The result benefits everyone, according to Dunn. "Part-time lecturers are such an integral part of the University," Dunn said. "We have an incredible talented pool of people doing it."

Tufts is also different from other universities because it gives varied distinctions to part-time professors. The school recognizes four separate levels. Lecturers who act as replacement professors for full-timers on leave are paid by the course and do not receive any benefits.

There are also part-time lecturers who are paid by the course yet receive medical and retirement benefits. To qualify for these benefits, professors must teach at least three courses a year.

At the next level are full-time lecturers who receive salaries and benefits but are not on a tenure track.

Finally, senior lecturers are the same as full-time lecturers, except for a new title to indicate that they have been with the University for longer. "Calling someone a senior lecturer is a way of acknowledging we like what they do," Dunn said.

The University does not keep separate numbers for the different levels of part-time faculty. But departments which need time off for its professors to do research, like the political science department, will have more short-term lecturers. This is almost opposite of language departments where the majority of professors are part-time lecturers that stay for years at a time, long enough to receive benefits.

While only working part-time is great for professors who enjoy those hours, the lack of open-tenured positions is frustrating to others. "If a tenure-track job was open at Tufts, I would take it in a heartbeat," Classics Department part-time Professor Anne Mahoney said. "I like this place, and the students are really great. But at this moment I am applying for other jobs, and if I get one, it's goodbye brown and blue."

Tufts' endowment forces the small full-time staff, according to Mahoney. "Tenure track positions are expensive," she said. "With our relatively small endowment, we can't do all the things we want to do. What do you want to have? Two tenure-track professors or a new dorm?"

But Tufts cannot be blamed for hiring too few full-time professors, Mahoney said. "If there are people who are willing to be part-timers, and the University can get by with less expensive resources _ maybe that's a good use of resources," she said.

At Tufts the number of tenure-track professors is not decreasing, but Dunn says Tufts is increasing its number of full-time faculty "painfully slowly."

But Tufts is able to offer enough professors part-time postions to make up for this shortage, at least in the short run, according to a number of part-time professors. "While I would, of course, love a full-time position," Classics Department Lecturer Linda Rabieh said, "I've benefited so much from my classes as well as from the excellent faculty, that teaching part-time here will do for now."

While part-time professors would like to make more money, Dunn said he is "sure that they feel that Tufts is the best employer in the Boston area."

"It isn't a perfect situation," he said, "but it's what we've got."