Siena College, adjuncts agree to 1st contract

PHOTOGRAPHER: Marc Schultz

Siena College adjunct and visiting professors protest Aug. 7 in front of the Loudonville college.

Siena College’s adjunct and visiting professors last week adopted their first contracts with the school, capping two years of negotiations.

The contract, which boosts the part-time professors’ per-course pay rate, also establishes “core status” for adjunct faculty who have taught two courses for three or more consecutive years. Under that designation, the school must meet a higher standard in justifying its decision to not reappoint the adjunct and must provide greater notice if it intends to do so.

Prior to the contract, which came about after the adjunct faculty voted to unionize in 2015, adjunct faculty members were appointed each semester and didn’t have clarity about whether they would be teaching a course until weeks or days before the start of the semester, in some cases.

The adjuncts will see their per-course pay rise from $2,500 to $3,425. A separate contract covers visiting professors, who have slightly more stability than adjuncts and are paid more. Both contracts are for three years.

“The contract ratification confirms that Siena values its contingent faculty,” said Elaina Frulla, a visiting professor of English and a member of the union’s negotiating team.

The Siena Board of Trustees is expected to approve the contract at its Sept. 29 meeting.