AA/60/AS/24/FAC - Ensuring Compensation for Out-of-Contract Lecturer Service to the University

Effective February 27, 2025

WHEREAS, based on a survey of lecturer faculty completed in Fall 2023, the Faculty Affairs Committee conservatively estimates that lecturer faculty contribute a minimum of 3000 hours of labor each semester in the service of our students and broader campus; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 59% of such service labor is currently uncompensated; and

WHEREAS, with few exceptions, lecturer faculty are completing this service labor in excess of their contractual obligations and should be compensated for this out-of-contract work; therefore, be it RESOLVED, an annual budget line item shall be created for the sole purpose of compensating lecturers for out-of-contract service work to the university; and be it further

RESOLVED, the Faculty Affairs Committee, in consultation with the Leaves and Awards Committee and the Office of Faculty Affairs, shall create a simple, non-competitive process through which lecturer faculty may report their service activities for compensation each semester, to be paid at the end of each semester of service. The committee shall also establish a standard timeline for the process.

RESOLVED, after two full academic years of implementation, the Faculty Affairs Committee shall review the program to determine whether it is adequately supporting lecturer faculty work.

Policy

When a lecturer engages in a service role that benefits the university-wide community, and when the service role requires approximately 20 hours of work per semester, they are eligible for a stipend payment of $1000 per semester for each non-contractual service role completed that is not compensated for through other funds. A lecturer may request compensation for up to two service roles per semester.

To receive funds, the lecturer faculty member shall register their service role with the Office of Faculty Affairs to be verified and have payment processed. The registration process shall include identifying the role, category of service, and the unit/division under which the work occurs, as well as whether it is a one- or two-semester position. This is a non-competitive process and should not create unnecessary additional labor for those who register. Appropriate funds for compensation shall be dispersed to lecturer faculty for registered and verified service work at the end of each semester.

University-wide service roles include:

• Student club/organization advisor.

• Coordinator or Mentor in a university mentorship program.

• Serve on a university-wide standing committee that meets 2+ times per month.

• University-level search committee or other ad hoc committee running for at least one semester and meeting approximately twice per month.

• Provide or support community outreach events and activities.

Other roles that provide service at the university-wide level may be approved at the recommendation of the Chair of the Leaves and Awards Committee and in consultation with the AVPFA. Once approved, that role shall be added to the standing list.

The university shall provide an annual budget to cover the cost of stipends for all registered and verified service work.

Rationale

While the responsibilities of university faculty are varied, most can be categorized as relating to: teaching, scholarship, or service. In the California State University system, most tenured and tenure-track faculty contracts include a service and advising expectation of 3 WTUs per semester; this is equivalent to an average of 8 hours of work per week. This allows tenured and tenure-track faculty members to engage with the university and larger community in ways that intersect with their interests as part of their paid work.

The majority of lecturer contracts at Stanislaus State are strictly for teaching duties. Nonetheless, many lecturers engage as part of the university community in myriad ways and in both compensated and uncompensated roles. While volunteerism is to be commended, when lecturers engage on a volunteer basis in long-term service work for which tenured and tenuretrack colleagues are compensated, this represents a serious issue of inequity. Providing a compensation fund for these service activities not only rectifies an inequity but provides a fair and equitable solution.

Because of its purview at the university level, the Faculty Affairs Committee suggests that service work at the department or College level should be compensated in those work units.

As of Fall 2024, the Faculty Affairs Committee estimates a budget of $30,000 will be sufficient, based on lecturer service in AY23/24. However, this amount will fluctuate and may grow as more lecturers elect to provide their labor in these ways.

Review Period: Academic Year 2026/2027

Review History: Approved by the Academic Senate on January 28, 2025

Approved by President Britt Rios-Ellis on February 27, 2025

Faculty Affairs Division has the primary responsibility for this policy.

Attachment(s): AA/60/AS/24/FAC Ensuring Compensation for Out-of-Contract Lecturer Service to the University  

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