Personnel Policies and Procedures
Last updated on 1/02/2004Adjunct instructors are appointed by the department chair each semester per collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Staff Congress (the Union).
Terms of the PSC Contract govern the employment and termination of adjuncts. Of immediate interest is the procedure for notifying adjuncts regarding appointment.
From the 1996-2000 agreement between PSC CUNY and the City University of New York: Article 10: 10.3.
"Persons in adjunct titles hired on a semester basis shall receive such notice on or before December 1 in the Fall semester or May 1 in the Spring semester. Such notification of appointment shall be subject to sufficiency of registration and changes in curriculum which shall be communicated to the employee as soon as they are known to the appropriate college authorities."
Notification letters (appointment, reappointment, or non-reappointment) are required per the agreement with Union. Experience has shown that one can receive a non-reappointment letter when there may be every intention of hiring you as an adjunct for the following semester. Sometimes the department chairperson may follow the first letter with a second letter clarifying your situation. Whatever the case, if in doubt, check personally with the department as to your status.
