By Katie Turner, Public Relations and Communications Committee chair
On Wednesday, students, staff and faculty gathered on the steps of Wilson Library to raise awareness about adjunct faculty working conditions. The event was part of National Adjunct Walkout Day, an organized protest across the country aimed at educating the public and higher education institutions about contingent faculty issues.
The average wage for adjuncts nationally is approximately $3,000 per course. At UNC-Chapel Hill, most adjuncts average around $7,000 per 3-credit hour course, significantly higher than most universities. However, adjuncts do not accrue benefits unless they teach a course load equivalent of four classes per semester, which is a heavier course load than tenure-track faculty.
For more information about adjunct labor issues and National Walkout Day, check out the following stories:
- Day of Protest in Inside Higher Ed
- Adjunct faculty, supporters demonstrate at UNC in Chapel Hill News
- Rally supports non-tenured faculty in The Daily Tar Heel
- The Adjunct Project by the Chronicle of Higher Ed
Photograph courtesy of Anne Mitchell Whisnant, deputy secretary of the faculty