The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon
The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon
The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon
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Professors Offer Support for Non-Tenure Track Faculty

–
By Letter to the Editor
March 6, 2018

The University of Chicago is an academic community of outstanding scholars, teachers, students and staff who lead in the creation and transmission of knowledge. We call on the University to also lead in the inclusive and equitable treatment of all its members, including its non–tenure stream lecturers. As tenured, tenure-stream, and emeritus faculty, it is our obligation to ensure that our non–tenure stream colleagues receive fair compensation and access to the tools necessary to provide students with teaching and mentorship of the highest caliber. 

In December 2015, these colleagues voted overwhelmingly to form a union. For two years they have been negotiating their first contract with University administration. After these protracted negotiations, the administration is still proposing terms that would treat our non–tenure stream colleagues disrespectfully and unfairly. 

The administration proposes reserving for itself the discretion to increase the teaching load of full-time lecturers up to as many as eight courses a year, a full 33 percent increase for most lecturers. It is hard to see how these many added hours of work will benefit students, when the clear consequence is that non–tenure stream faculty will have less time to prepare for teaching, grading, and meeting with students. They will also have less time for advising, conducting research in their fields, designing courses, running programs, and myriad other contributions that they make to our departments and the University community and its shared life. 

When it comes to benefits, the administration’s proposal is to maintain the status quo. Under the current system, part-time lecturers receive no healthcare coverage. Even full-time lecturers receive less than half of the pay we get for parental leave, family leave, and medical leave. The administration does not extend the full college tuition benefit that faculty children receive. The current proposal thus appears to value the families of non-tenure stream faculty at roughly one half the value of our families. 

In terms of salary, the administration is proposing raises for lecturers of zero to two percent. These raises are not sufficient even to meet the rising costs of living. The administration proposals for part-time faculty, who are paid per course taught, are especially disappointing. Under their proposals, a part-time faculty member, teaching four courses in a year, will still make less than $24,000 per year by 2021. In a year in which the administration has paid enormous sums to union avoidance law firms to defeat the graduate students’ unionization effort, these stingy proposals are especially unseemly. 

We believe that the cumulative result of these proposals will be a less inclusive, less equitable, less vibrant University community. We call on the administration to instead agree to an equitable and inclusive contract that does not raise the course load of lecturers, compensates them fairly for their service, and values their families and health on terms equal to our own. 

Signed: 

  1. Hussein Ali Agrama, Associate Professor, Anthropology  

  1. Muzaffar Alam, George V. Bobrinskoy Professor, South Asian Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Guy Alitto, Associate Professor, History 

  1. Yali Amit, Professor, Statistics 

  1. Dan Arnold, Associate Professor, Divinity School 

  1. Karlos Arregi, Associate Professor, Linguistics 

  1. Leora Auslander, Arthur and Joann Rasmussen Professor, History 

  1. Ralph Austen, Emeritus Professor, History 

  1. Orit Bashkin, Professor, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Alexander Beilinson, David and Mary Winton Green University Professor, Mathematics 

  1. Lauren Berlant, George M. Pullman Distinguished Service Professor, English 

  1. Persis Berlekamp, Associate Professor, Art History 

  1. Robert Bird, Professor, Slavic Languages and Literatures/Cinema and Media Studies 

  1. Philip V. Bohlman, Ludwig Rosenberger Distinguished Service Professor in Jewish History, Music 

  1. Alida Bouris, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration 

  1. Matthew Boyle, Professor, Philosophy  

  1. Larissa Brewer-García, Assistant Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Jason Bridges, Associate Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Matthew M. Briones, Associate Professor, History 

  1. Adrienne Brown, Associate Professor, English 

  1. Daniel Brudney, Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Susan Burns, Associate Professor, History 

  1. Agnes Callard, Associate Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Timothy Campbell, Associate Professor, English 

  1. Manuela Carneiro da Cunha, Professor Emerita, Anthropology  

  1. E. Summerson Carr, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration 

  1. Austin Carson, Assistant Professor, Political Science 

  1. James Chandler, Barbara E. and Richard J. Franke Professor, English/Cinema and Media Studies 

  1. Robert Chaskin, Professor, School of Social Service Administration 

  1. Simeon Chavel, Associate Professor, Divinity School 

  1. Kyeong-Hee Choi, Associate Professor, East Asian Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Cathy J. Cohen, David and Mary Winton Green Professor, Political Science 

  1. James Conant, Chester D. Tripp Professor of Humanities, Philosophy  

  1. Chiara Cordelli, Assistant Professor, Political Science 

  1. Whitney Cox, Associate Professor and Chair, South Asian Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Ryan Coyne, Associate Professor, The Divinity School  

  1. Kevin Davey, Associate Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Shannon Lee Dawdy, Professor, Anthropology 

  1. Michael Dawson, John D. MacArthur Professor, Political Science 

  1. Daisy Delogu, Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Michael Dietler, Professor, Anthropology 

  1. Wendy Doniger, Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor, Divinity School and Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Fred M. Donner, Peter B. Ritzman Professor, Oriental Institute and Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Alireza Doostdar, Assistant Professor, Divinity School 

  1. Mark E Courtney, Samuel Deutsch Professor, School of Social Service Administration 

  1. Sascha Ebeling, Associate Professor, South Asian Languages and Civilizations/Comparative Literature 

  1. Ahmed El Shamsy, Associate Professor, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Maud Ellmann, Randy L. & Melvin R. Berlin Professor, English 

  1. Darby English, Carl Darling Buck Professor, Art History 

  1. Curtis Evans, Associate Professor, Divinity School 

  1. Jacob Eyferth, Associate Professor, East Asian Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Frances Ferguson, Ann L. and Lawrence B. Buttenwieser Professor, English 

  1. Allyson Nadia Field, Associate Professor, Cinema and Media Studies  

  1. Norma Field, Robert S. Ingersoll Distinguished Service Professor Emerita, East Asian Languages and Civilizations 

  1. David Finkelstein, Associate Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Cornell H. Fleischer, Kanunî Süleyman Professor, History/Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Anton Ford, Associate Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Itamar Francez, Assistant Professor, Linguistics 

  1. Susan Gal, Mae & Sidney G. Metzl Distinguished Service Professor, Anthropology/Linguistics 

  1. Laura Gandolfi, Assistant Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Edgar Garcia, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor, English 

  1. Adom Getachew, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor, Political Science  

  1. Michael Geyer, Samuel N. Harper Professor Emeritus, History 

  1. W. Clark Gilpin, Margaret E. Burton Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, Divinity School 

  1. Jan Goldstein, Norman and Edna Freehling Professor, History 

  1. Yanilda González, Assistant Professor, School of Social Service Administration 

  1. Adam Green, Associate Professor, History 

  1. Robert Gulotty, Assistant Professor, Political Science 

  1. Thomas Gunning, Edwin A. and Betty L. Distinguished Service Professor, Cinema and Media Studies 

  1. Matthias Haase, Assistant Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Elaine Hadley, Professor, English 

  1. Sarah Hammerschlag, Associate Professor, Divinity School 

  1. Timothy Harrison, Assistant Professor, English 

  1. Julia Henly, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration 

  1. Gary Herrigel, Paul Klapper Professor, Political Science 

  1. Faith Hillis, Associate Professor, History  

  1. Denis Hirschfeldt, Professor, Mathematics 

  1. Kimberly Hoang, Assistant Professor, Sociology 

  1. Judy Hoffman, Professor, Cinema and Media Studies 

  1. Dezheng Huo, Associate Professor, Public Health Sciences 

  1. Aziz Huq, Frank and Bernice J. Greenberg Professor, Law School 

  1. Paola Iovene, Associate Professor, East Asian Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Travis A. Jackson, Associate Professor, Music 

  1. Alison James, Associate Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Janet H. Johnson, Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor, Oriental Institute/Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Hakan Karateke, Professor, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Demetra Kasimis, Assistant Professor, Political Science 

  1. Micere Keels, Associate Professor, Comparative Human Development 

  1. Heather Keenleyside, Associate Professor, English 

  1. Robert L. Kendrick, Professor, Music, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Christopher Kennedy, William H. Colvin Professor, Linguistics 

  1. Gordon Kindlmann, Associate Professor, Computer Science 

  1. Karin Krause, Assistant Professor, Divinity School 

  1. Michael Kremer, Mary R. Morton Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Loren Kruger, Professor, English, Comparative Literature, Theater and Performance Studies 

  1. Aden Kumler, Associate Professor, Art History 

  1. Genevieve Lakier, Assistant Professor of Law, Law School 

  1. Susan Lambert, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration 

  1. Matthew Landauer, Assistant Professor, Political Science 

  1. James Lastra, Associate Professor, Cinema and Media Studies 

  1. Gabriel Lear, Professor, Philosophy, Committee on Social Thought 

  1. Brian Leiter, Karl N. Llewellyn Professor of Jurisprudence, Law School 

  1. Laura Letinsky, Professor, Visual Arts 

  1. Bruce Lincoln, Caroline E. Haskell Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, History of Religions 

  1. Amy Lippert, Assistant Professor, History 

  1. Hoyt Long, Associate Professor, East Asian Languages and Cultures 

  1. Agnes Lugo-Ortiz, Associate Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Zhe-Xi Luo, Professor, Organismal Biology and Anatomy 

  1. Jonathan Lyon, Associate Professor, History 

  1. Maria Anna Mariani, Assistant Professor, RLL 

  1. Patchen Markell, Associate Professor, Political Science  

  1. Miguel Martínez, Assistant Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Nicole Marwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration 

  1. Joseph Masco, Professor, Anthropology 

  1. Peggy Mason, Professor, Neurobiology 

  1. William Mazzarella, Neukom Family Professor, Anthropology 

  1. John P. McCormick, Professor, Political Science 

  1. Josephine McDonagh, Professor, English 

  1. Omar McRoberts, Associate Professor, Sociology 

  1. Paul Mendes-Flohr, Professor, Divinity School 

  1. Mark Miller, Associate Professor, English  

  1. W. J. T. Mitchell, Gaylord Donnelley Distinguished Service Professor, English, Art History 

  1. Daniel Morgan, Associate Professor, Cinema and Media Studies 

  1. Benjamin Morgan, Associate Professor, English  

  1. Jennifer Mosley, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration 

  1. Anna Mueller, Assistant Professor, Comparative Human Development 

  1. Salikoko S. Mufwene, Frank J. McLoraine Distinguished Service Professor, Linguistics 

  1. Nancy D. Munn, Professor Emerita, Anthropology 

  1. Matam P. Murthy, Professor Emeritus, Mathematics 

  1. John H. Muse, Assistant Professor, English 

  1. Constantine Nakassis, Assistant Professor, Anthropology 

  1. Richard Neer, William B. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor, Art History, Cinema amd Media Studies 

  1. Sianne Ngai, Professor, English 

  1. Larry F. Norman, Frank L. Sulzberger Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Martha C. Nussbaum, Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics, Law School and Philosophy Department, Law and Philosophy 

  1. Colm O'Muircheartaigh, Professor, Harris School 

  1. Julie Orlemanski, Assistant Professor, English 

  1. Emily Lynn Osborn, Associate Professor, History 

  1. Willemien Otten, Professor, Divinity School 

  1. Stephan Palmié, Professor, Anthropology 

  1. Thomas Pashby, Assistant Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Robert Pippin, Evelyn Stefansson Nef Distinguished Service Professor, Committee on Social Thought and Philosophy 

  1. Jennifer Pitts, Associate Professor, Political Science 

  1. Andrei Pop, Associate Professor, Committee on Social Thought 

  1. Trevor Price, Professor, Ecology and Evolution 

  1. Clifton Ragsdale, Professor, Neurobiology 

  1. Eugene Raikhel, Associate Professor, Comparative Human Development 

  1. Kaushik Sunder Rajan, Professor, Anthropology 

  1. Johanna Ransmeier, Assistant Professor, History 

  1. Srikanth Reddy, Associate Professor, English 

  1. François Richard, Associate Professor, Anthropology 

  1. Justin B. Richland, Associate Professor, Anthropology 

  1. D. N. Rodowick, Glen A. Lloyd Distinguished Service Professor, Cinema amd Media Studies, Visual Arts 

  1. Na'ama Rokem, Associate Professor, Modern Hebrew Literature and Comparative Literature 

  1. Danielle Roper, Provost Career Enhancement Postdoctoral Scholar, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Gerald Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Political Science 

  1. Callum Ross, Professor, Organismal Biology and Anatomy 

  1. Lawrence Rothfield, Associate Professor, English 

  1. Marshall Sahlins, Charles F. Grey Distinguished Service Professor of Anthropology, Emeritus, Anthropology 

  1. Benjamin A. Saltzman, Assistant Professor, English 

  1. Zachary Samalin, Assistant Professor, English 

  1. Gina Samuels, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration 

  1. Mario Santana, Associate Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Eric Santner, Philip and Ida Romberg Distinguished Service Professor in Modern Germanic Studies, Germanic Studies 

  1. Victoria Saramago, Assistant Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Julie Saville, Associate Professor Emerita, History 

  1. Jennifer Scappettone, Associate Professor, English, Creative Writing, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Kristen Schilt, Associate Professor, Sociology 

  1. William Schweiker, Edward L. Ryerson Distinguished Service Professor of Theological Ethics, The Divinity School and College 

  1. William H Sewell, Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, Political Science and History 

  1. Edward L. Shaughnessy, Creel Distinguished Service Professor of Early China, East Asian Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Holly Shissler, Associate Professor, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations 

  1. David Simon, Assistant Professor, English 

  1. William Sites, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration  

  1. Salomé Aguilera Skvirsky, Assistant Professor, Cinema and Media Studies  

  1. Jeffrey Stackert, Associate Professor, Divinity School 

  1. Paul Staniland, Associate Professor, Political Science 

  1. Amy Dru Stanley, Associate Professor, History and the Law School 

  1. Ulrike Stark, Professor, South Asian Languages and Civilizations 

  1. Howard Stein, Professor Emeritus, Philosophy 

  1. Justin Steinberg, Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures 

  1. Josef Stern, William H. Colvin Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Philosophy 

  1. Forrest Stuart, Assistant Professor, Sociology 

  1. William Tait, Professor Emeritus, Philosophy 

  1. Katherine Taylor, Associate Professor, Art History 

  1. Christopher Taylor, Assistant Professor, English 

  1. Sonali Thakkar, Assistant Professor, English 

  1. Robert Vargas, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor, Sociology 

  1. Anubav Vasudevan, Assistant Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Candace Vogler, David B. and Clara E. Stern Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Dexter Voisin, Professor, School of Social Service Administration 

  1. Martha Ward, Associate Professor, Art History 

  1. Kenneth Warren, Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor, English 

  1. Lisa Wedeen, Mary R. Morton Professor, Political Science 

  1. Christian Wedemeyer, Associate Professor, Divinity School 

  1. Laura Weinrib, Professor of Law, Law School 

  1. Rebecca West, William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Service Professor Emerita, Romance Languages and Literatures, and Cinema and Media Studies 

  1. Jennifer Wild, Associate Professor, Cinema and Media Studies 

  1. John Wilkinson, Professor, English 

  1. Malte Willer, Associate Professor, Philosophy 

  1. Tyler Williams, Assistant Professor, South Asian Languages and Civilizations 

  1. James Lindley Wilson, Assistant Professor, Political Science 

  1. Mareike Winchell, Assistant Professor, Anthropology 

  1. Alan Yu, Professor, Linguistics 

  1. Tara Zahra, Professor, History 

  1. Linda M. G. Zerilli, Charles E. Merriam Distinguished Service Professor, Political Science and Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality 

  2. Randolph Stone, Clinical Professor of Law, Law

  3. Marco Z Garrido, Assistant Professor, Sociology

  4. Martha Feldman, Mabel Greene Myers Professor, Music

  5. Robert J. Richards, Morris Fishbein Distinguished Service Professor, History and Philosophy

  6. Miwa Yasui, Assistant Professor, School of Social Service Administration

  7. Waldo E. Johnson, Jr., Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration

  8. Niall Atkinson, Associate Professor, Art History

  9. Matthew Jesse Jackson, Associate Professor, Art History

  10. Seth Estrin, Assistant Professor, Art History

  11. Sarah Nooter, Associate Professor, Classics

  12. Darryl Li, Assistant Professor, Anthropology

  13. Elizabeth Asmis, Professor, Classics

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