The Vanguard
May 11, 2021
On April 6, 14 adjunct faculty in the University Studies department at Portland State were sent emails notifying them that their appointments with PSU would not be renewed when they expire on June 15. … Ariana Jacob, Chair of Bargaining for PSUFA, said the adjuncts “were sent very brief, utterly impersonal letters saying that they had no work for next year.” Read full article here.
The Vanguard
April 28, 2020
Adjuncts at PSU face a multitude of challenges, including unstable income, fear of job security and anxiety over being able to teach subjects they care deeply about. “I guess for me a major challenge is pursuing my profession—the only job I’ve ever had that I really enjoyed and felt like I was really good at—in a context where I don’t actually get to be a professional,” stated Jarrod Dunham, an adjunct professor in the English department at PSU. Read full article here.
oregon Humanities
April 27, 2020
The title of “adjunct,” a broad term to describe part-time instructional faculty positions in American higher education, doesn’t capture the full reality of our jobs and our experiences, our odd position in the body of a university. Lyndsie Compton, a fellow Spanish adjunct at PSU, says, “How many connotations does it have? Appendage, nonessential, subordinate, temporary, auxiliary. We are the appendix of the university.” Read full article here.
SEIU 503
September 19, 2019
Over three hundred classified university staff, supporting faculty, students, and community leaders rallied at Portland State University (PSU) on September 17th, supporting the SEIU 503 members who are preparing to step out on strike. After months of negotiations, and years of sub-par wages, university administration has refused to agree to a fair contract, offing cost of living adjustments that don’t keep up with inflation. The economic reality employees are facing has forced classified staff to take their last resort: authorizing a strike. Read full article here.
Socialist Worker
March 22, 2018
On March 16, 50 members and supporters of PSUFA rallied on PSU's campus to kick off contract negotiations with the administration. The rally was followed by a march to the office of President Rahmat Shoureshi, where protesters presented Shoureshi with a giant carpenter's level, built by an art and design adjunct instructor, to symbolize pay and benefit equity for non-tenure-track faculty. Read full article here.