Campus Equity Week

Every two years, faculty and allies across the United States and Canada take part in Campus Equity Week, a week of events calling attention to the prevalence and working conditions of faculty in contingent appointments. This year’s Campus Equity Week will be held from October 24 to 30. (In Canada and some US states, it is called Fair Employment Week.)

The purpose of the week is to generate awareness about working conditions on our campuses and advocate for improving those conditions. As most readers of this blog are probably aware, the vast majority of US faculty are now in non-tenure-track jobs, with lower pay, less job security, and fewer rights than their tenure-track colleagues.

There are many ways to take part in Campus Equity Week–depending on available resources, individuals & faculty groups might hand out fliers, screen a movie about fair employment, hold a hearing, organize a teach-in or letter-writing campaign, or hold an event to put contingent faculty in touch with each other.  Resources are available on the AAUP website.

For my part, I mostly will be helping others with their efforts by posting information on the AAUP Web site, lending videos (I have A Simple Matter of Justice and Degrees of Shame), and sending AAUP materials to chapters and members who are organizing events. I’ll also distribute materials on a college campus in my neighborhood.

Are you planning to participate in Campus Equity Week? If so, use the comments section to share your plans!