Part-time college instructors want better pay. Here’s what could change in California
California Community College adjuncts – part-time instructors who are often only paid for the hours they spend in front of students – said they’re feeling hopeful as a wave of legislation and lawsuits force lawmakers to pay attention to their pleas to be fairly compensated.
Two adjuncts at Long Beach City College filed a class action lawsuit Monday alleging the district “knows and indeed expects” part-timers to do out of the classroom work such as preparing lectures, grading and communicating with students. The instructors allege that the district is violating minimum wage laws by not paying them for that time, and are asking for payment of at least minimum wage for all hours worked.
Additionally, two assembly bills advanced from the state’s Higher Education Committee on Tuesday that could change the way part-time faculty work and get paid.
AB 1752 would force community colleges to compensate adjuncts at the same ratio as their full-time counterparts, who are paid higher hourly rates and for office hours and prep work.
“This is something that we’ve been fighting for for a long time,” State Center Federation of Teachers union President Keith Ford told The Bee on Tuesday about AB 1752. “This is exciting. ‘’
AB 1856 would raise the amount of units adjuncts can teach from 67% to 85% of a full-time load. Part-time instructors are sometimes called “freeway flyers” because they rush from campus to campus to teach enough classes to make a living.
State Center Community College District, the parent district of Fresno City and Reedley, Madera and Clovis Community Colleges, employed 1,094 adjuncts in 2021. That’s nearly double the number of tenure or tenure-track professors, according to data from the Chancellor’s Office.
Several adjuncts at Fresno City College spoke out in 2021 about the hardships they endure to be able to teach and make a living. Some took on odd jobs, worked at other colleges, and qualified for CalFresh.
The district did not give comment, but said through a spokesperson that the legislation is being watched.
The two bills garnered support from the Community College Association and the California Teachers Association.
The CTA said the Long Beach City College lawsuit has the potential “to trigger much closer examination of pay structure for part-time instructors on other California community college campuses.”
The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Read more from The Bee’s Education Lab on our website.
This story was originally published April 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Part-time college instructors want better pay. Here’s what could change in California."