By Gabriella Lucci
Staff Writer
Andrew Leynes and Matthew Wund, the chair and the vice-chair of the Committee on Faculty Affairs (CFA), attended the Student Government general body meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 26 to give a presentation on the College’s current policy when it comes to adjunct professor’s office hours.
The office hour policy specifies hours for full-time and tenure-track faculty members that work a specific number of hours at the College, but currently, there is no office-hour policy for adjunct professors, according to Leynes.
“I was a part of the group that made that original policy, and our thinking on that was … adjunct faculty get paid very, very little for what they do,” Leynes said. “But because they are so underpaid and overburdened with work, we didn’t feel that it would merit us adding another criterion.”
Many adjunct professors who are employed at the College also hold positions at other colleges and universities in New Jersey, which leaves them with little time to meet with students outside of the classroom.
Leynes and Wund asked for feedback from the students on what they think should be put in the policy regarding adjunct professors’ office hours. Some students feel that it is unfair that they are spending money on classes but are often unable to meet with their professors if they don’t understand the course material.
One student said they had a professor who used “flex scheduling,” which involves meeting with students virtually on their own time. The professor had a whiteboard that they would write on to solve problems, and the students could ask any questions they needed. Others students agreed that having a platform for virtual office hours would be beneficial.
The general body also elected its new speaker, Jasmine Yoo, a senior elementary education and psychology dual major. The speaker of the general body handles business between the cabinet and the general body, makes sure the internal proceedings are running smoothly and works closely with the freshman class council.
“I was homecoming chair this past semester, so I was able to spearhead a lot of the different events that foster community, and that’s exactly what I want to do in this position,” Yoo said. “This community is so important, and I think it starts here (in Student Government).”
Junior special education and history dual major Chris Driscoll, the alternate student trustee, presented another resolution to the bill for a write-in candidate. During voting, students can write in a candidate, and if the candidate would like to be written in, they will have to email the Election Chair 72 hours before the polls open.
The potential candidate will then receive a contract of commitment that they must fill out within 24 hours of it being sent out. The candidate must receive 10 percent of the overall votes within their race if the race is uncontested. If a candidate is ineligible, the next eligible candidate who receives the most votes will fill the position.
The bill received 83 percent of the votes and passed.
The new senators for the Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences, Business, Arts and Communication and Science were sworn in, as well as senators who weren’t previously sworn in.
