conferences, surveys and videos

I've been thinking about conferences, even though NOT thinking about conferences may be the best part of being OUT of the game. So why was I? They are professional forums. Many conferences offer sessions relevant to adjunct/ contingent faculty issues ~ employment, workplace conditions, pedagogy, professional development, etc. It's a different medium than mainstream media, local and college press or even academic press. It's where we connect with like minded and present our case to tenured colleagues. Continuing presence is an expensive strategy so track and coordinat for maximum effectiveness.

• MLA 2009, past
• AHA 2010, past
• CCCC 2010 - recently past
• AAC&U, "Faculty Roles in High-Impact Practices" - this weekend, Philadelphia
• AFT-NEA - this weekend, San Jose
• CEA 2010: Voices - this weekend, San Antonio
• TESOL 2010 - ongoing, Boston
• Working Class Studies, "How Class Works" - upcoming, Stony Brook
• COCAL IX, upcoming, Montréal
• CBW, 2010 - upcoming, Atlanta

Just the tip of the iceberg. There are more conferences and in other disciplines inhabited by ad/cons. Which ones offer sessions addressing adjunct/part time/contingent interests and issues? Time I think to keep better track and make a concerted effort to ensure voices at all.


Remember the saying about three kinds of lies? Results for two adjunct faculty surveys came out this week: the big fat, slick AFT survey done by professional and Raye Robertson's on the Adjunct Voice, homemade, her design and questions but hosted by AFT local. Both surveyed modest numbers. Big Fat Slick has been catching a lot flack for design flaws. Take a look for yourself. Share the links. Leave comments. Think about what kind of data we need and why, about how to get and use it.

Surveys

AFT Releases National Survey of Part-time and Adjunct Faculty

"The Add-On Voice: Adjuncts in Academia" - presentation, survey results

"Statistical Significance v. Substantive Significance" ~ post on quantitative methodology with the perfect punchline: "Statistical significance does not equal substantive significance" ... critique of traditional research methods in quantitative social sciences


Videos
Most recently, "Part Time Faculty: Full Time Impact". from Adjunct Matters. More ad/con videos on YouTube (enough to make popcorn and have a film night): just do a search for keywords, organizations, or individual adjunct activists.