Understanding Society: Civil society in a globalizing world

This post on Understanding Society, a sociology blog caught my eye ~ no mean feat as many feeds as I have in my reader. However, this blog always gets an extra look because the articles are interesting, relevant and imminently readable. A hard to beat combination, too rare in much academic writing.

This post on civil society is especially relevant because of recent initiatives, adjuncts taking matters into their own hands: NFM's new health insurance initiative; Anna Spiro's one woman (now two) "A is for Adjunct" awareness campaign; 'Junct Rebellion's Adjunct Emergency Fund; 2012 summit on contingency ~ and because it landed in my reader while I was working on a piece about adjuncts taking the initiative to connect with other adjuncts and adjunct/contingent faculty groups, start self-help initiative.

Now I think the topic needs to be developed into a series. The adjunct condition is part of globalization and the global precariat. I'm sure there are other adjuncts. individuals and groups, out there working on initiatives, and I want to hear from you

"An important component of western political theory since Locke and Rousseau is the notion of civil society—the idea of a society in which members have a variety of cross-cutting activities and associations, and where the state is not the sole source of social power. On this conception, a civil society is one that is characterized by multiple associations, free activities and choices by individuals, and a framework of law that assures rights and liberties for all citizens. It is a society with multiple forms of power and influence, minimizing the potential for exploitation and domination by powerful elites or the state. And it is a society in which citizens have developed a sense of mutual respect and consideration for each other. The fact of civil association serves to enhance the strength of collective identities among citizens, by building new loyalties and affiliations."

Understanding Society: Civil society in a globalizing world

EWU Notes & Updates

EWU's United Adjuncts will demonstrate again by the Michigan Avenue entrance and want to get a big crowd. We'll keep you posted. If you would like to support United Adjuncts by attending this demonstration, please contact ewuadjuncts@gmail.com.     In the meantime, UAFA (United Adjunct Faculty Association) urges all adjuncts with abrogated summer contracts to apply for unemployment compensation as soon as possible.  Bring the letter informing you that the University considered you no longer employed by the University to the unemployment office as proof that you have been laid off. More unemployment information is available on the NFM Unemployment Initiative web page United Adjuncts are organizing with the Illinois NEA. Nevertheless, those concerned adjunct issues nationally have suggested that the AFT Convention now in session issue a statement censuring EWU for its labor practices ~ and discussed at length. Indeed, where is it written in stone that one higher ed union cannot go on public record disapproving of how an institution being organized by another higher ed union? If cross-union support is not S.O.P., it should be. The AAUP issued a statement (although I have not heard of further action such as official AAUP censure).

Adjuncts on the march

 .... at #USSF 2010

Above ~ front of the crowd at Opening Day March, Twitpic. Coming soon: more USSF 2010 pictures on Flickr

Wayne State (UPTF), Chicago COCAL and other adjuncts are somewhere in the marching crowd at the US Social Forum Opening Day March. 

Raye Robertson (The Adjunct Voice) and NFM board member Jen Bills are in there too. Are you? Let us know. Tell us about it. 

Not there? Follow the Forum with streaming video on the web, on the radio (Amy Goodman + Democracy Now ~ broadcasting from Detroit) and on Twitter ~ both at @USSF and by searching the #USSF hashtag

Press Release: New Faculty Majority: the National Coalition for Adjunct and Contingent Faculty

From the Organizing Committee for New Faculty Majority: the National Coalition for Adjunct and Contingent Equity, March 18, 2009:

Contacts:

• Co-Chair Maria Maisto - emcmaistolynch@sbcglobal.net - 216-262-4375
• Co-Chair Deborah Louis – deb@northmountains.org - 828-206-0128

In their third conference call since their establishment as an organizing committee in early February, faculty activists from across the country agreed on the name New Faculty Majority: The National Coalition for Adjunct and Contingent Equity for the organization, which will represent the interests of and advocate for non-tenure-track faculty at colleges and universities nationwide. During the two-hour call on Sunday, March 15, the committee also referred a draft of their mission statement back to subcommittee for refinement, reviewed a rough outline of the proposed organizational structure, voted to approve the establishment of a temporary web site until a permanent web site is constructed, and approved the formation of new subcommittees on research and fundraising. The committee also decided to seek 501(c)3 status after incorporating later this year.

The committee selected their name in a unanimous vote, noting that “New Faculty Majority” has been used to refer to fixed-term faculty since its appearance in Spring 2000 as the title of an article by Judith Gappa, professor of educational administration at Purdue University. At the time of Gappa’s article, non-tenure-track faculty constituted approximately 60 percent of the teaching faculty nationwide; today they account for 70 percent. “The New Faculty Majority” is also the title of a new blog by adjunct activist Steve Street. The group’s subtitle, “The National Coalition for Adjunct and Contingent Equity,” reflects the fact that the organization will target both semester-to-semester contract adjunct faculty and multiple year/limited contract contingent faculty as its constituents, but will also welcome any interested individuals and groups to participate in the group’s advocacy and public education efforts.

“We feel that we’ve made significant progress in a very short period of time, which reflects the commitment and hard work of this committee,” said Co-Chair Deb Louis, observing that the committee has added three new members since its last teleconference and has agreed to add more as talented individuals continue to come forward. “We are pleased that the composition of the committee increasingly reflects the composition of the adjunct and contingent population nationwide, and we look forward to welcoming more people who share our dedication to equity and excellence in higher education,” added Co-Chair Maria Maisto.

The committee will meet again by teleconference on April 5, at which time it expects to approve its web site, finalize its mission statement, vote on its organizational structure, and begin planning its summer activities. The committee expects that New Faculty Majority will be a functioning membership organization by the beginning of the next academic year.

Note: watch for notice of our soon to published web site. An updated list of committee members will be posted separately.

Previously reported in CHE @

• New Adjunct-Faculty Union Gets a Name, March 20, 2009 (please note mistake in Chronicle piece corrected by organizing committee co-chair, Deborah Louis in comment #5
• New Group Aims to Be National Voice for Adjunct Faculty Members, February 22, 2009