Greetings! For those of you who don’t know me, I am your new adjunct coordinator.  While not working for the FA, I am an Ammerman Campus librarian. Before being hired full time, I was an adjunct professional assistant and adjunct librarian for several years, and I am aware of the issues and challenges facing SCCC adjuncts. 

One of the biggest frustrations is trying to obtain the same number of assignments that you received in past semesters. When the economy crashed in 2008, the college saw a massive increase in enrollment.  This resulted in hundreds of new adjuncts being hired to teach the additional sections that were being offered.  A good number of you were hired these years.

For the past several years enrollment has decreased.  While our headcount is still significantly higher than it was pre-recession, lower enrollment means fewer sections offered.  This spring there were 85 fewer sections than last spring.  This, coupled with the increased number of adjuncts, means greater competition for classes.

Decreased enrollment also means last-minute class cancellations, which results in the dreaded “B” word: bumping.  When you lose an assignment due to low enrollment, you have the right to bump only one adjunct in the discipline; you do not get to choose any less senior adjunct. It must be the individual who meets the criteria described in the bumping procedure which can be found here.

You can use some strategies to maximize your number of assignments each semester.  When filling out NORA, the more flexible you are in terms of campus preferences and time availability, the better chance you have in being offered an assignment. You can also speak with your chair for additional certifications or follow the established application process as described in the September issue of The WORD.  Course certification is based on your qualifications plus the needs of the college, and this semester's deadline for those requests is March 10, 2017.

While on the subject of NORA, please, please, please make sure you fill out your NORA form and either take a screenshot or print the confirmation.  If you do not submit your NORA forms on time, you will be put on the wait list. This means that all adjuncts on both the A and B lists are offered their full complement of assignments before you may be offered an assignment. This semester several adjuncts did not receive an assignment because they did not fill their NORA.  Here are your upcoming NORA deadlines:

NORA procedure	summer 2017	fall 2017
forms available	3/1	3/1
forms due	3/24	3/24
assignments posted	4/27	4/27
accept/decline	5/12	5/12

Finally, if you have any questions or concerns about NORA, bumping or general questions about the college, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email (kevinmc@fascc.org) or by phone (631-451-4172, or leave a message with Anita at 631-451-4151).  You can also find me at the Ammerman Campus library most weekdays during the semester.  Feel free to stop by!