Adjunct faculty members at the College of Saint Rose have voted to form a union.
The private college will soon be negotiating the role of its more than 300 part-time educators after they voted 175-61 to form a union, Saratogian News reported.
"The issue surrounding the role of adjunct faculty in our nation's colleges and universities is one that deserves national discussion and dialogue, and we thank our faculty for taking a role in propelling the conversation," Saint Rose officials said in a statement. "As the collective bargaining process gets underway, we will continue to work together to move Saint Rose forward and to provide excellence in teaching and mentoring to our students in and outside the classroom."
The adjuncts, who constitute more than half of the small school's faculty, teach 30 percent of the undergraduate and graduate classes offered by the College of Saint Rose. However, they are not given all of the same benefits as their full-time colleagues and "are banding together for such privileges" with help from Service Employees International Union (SEIU)/Adjunct Action.
SEIU/Adjunct Action is an organization of that represents 21,000 adjuncts around the nation.
Some adjunct professors have called the vote "historic," Inside Higher Ed reported.
"This vote is a heartening reminder that change is possible when enough people decide the time has come," Jazmine Gabriel, adjunct instructor of philosophy, said in a statement. "Speaking up takes courage, and the adjunct faculty members at St. Rose have demonstrated true courage by participating in this process and committing to envisioning and designing a better future."
Negotiations will soon begin to determine that future.
"We will work with the SEIU to address the issues concerning the adjunct faculty that President Carolyn Stefanco recognized early on in her tenure," the school said in a press release Monday. "We have all learned from each other, and the civility with which the debate has been conducted is a testament to the Saint Rose community and the value we put on discourse and critical thinking."
