LINGUIST List 12.846

Mon Mar 26 2001

Disc: The Role of Lecturers in Universities

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Suzanne Scott, Disc: Role of Lecturer
2. Joseph Tomei, The Role of Lecturers in Universities
3. B. Hollebrandse, Re: 12.829, Disc: The Role of Lecturers in Universities

A point on terminology:

In skimming Alain Theriault's discussion on universities hiring lecturers,
I didn't notice him saying where (what country) the advertisement was from.
I just wanted to point out that the term "lecturer" has different meanings
in universities worldwide. In New Zealand, for example, a lecturer is
typically the equivalent of an assistant professor. Senior lecturers are
typially equivalent to associate professors in the U.S. Expectations for
lecturers in NZ would therefore be different than they would be for
lecturers in the North American context. One needs to take the location of
the job offer into account--which is not to deny the validity of
Theriault's comments, based within the North American context.

Suzanne Scott
Lecturer, Linguistics
University of Otago
Dunedin,
New Zealand

I would like to write more, with a special emphasis on the current 
situation in Japan, but it will take a bit to put in enough context 
for people not familiar with the Japanese university milieu. However, 
I did want to pass on the following URLs to the list

The American Historical Association has a web page on the results of 
a survey of university teaching
http://www.theaha.org/caw/pressrelease.htm
and
http://www.theaha.org/caw/index.htm

The Chronical of Higher Education reported on this in teh Dec 1, 2000 
issue. Here is the opening

The Chronicle: December 1, 2000: Study Shows Colleges' Dependence on
Their Part-Time Instructors
 From the issue dated December 1, 2000



Study Shows Colleges' Dependence on Their Part-Time Instructors
Report documents the low pay and lack of benefits for those off
the tenure track

By ANA MARIE COX


After relying for years on anecdotal evidence and outdated
statistics, the debate over the use of part-time faculty members took
on new urgency last week with the release of a report filled with
hard data. It suggested an even darker view of the situation than
conventional wisdom supposed, showing that
nontenure-track instructors make up almost half of the teaching staff
in many humanities and social-science disciplines.

The report, based on a survey sponsored by a coalition of 25
disciplinary associations, also said that part-time and adjunct professors
receive far less pay and far fewer benefits than their peers.

"This report is going to reveal a shameful truth," said Richard
Moser, a national field representative of the American Association of
University Professors. "Administrations have abandoned the notion that the
university should set an example of good citizenship, that they have turned
away from the pursuit of justice and instead set up the sweatshops of the
future for the greedy to imitate."

end excerpt

cheers
joe

- 
Joseph Tomei
Kumamoto Gakuen Daigaku
Department of Foreign Languages
Oe 2 chome, 5-1, Kumamoto 862-0911 JAPAN
(81) (0)96-364-5161 x1410
fax (81) (0)96-372-0702
jtomeikumagaku.ac.jp http://www.kumagaku.ac.jp/teacher/~jtomei/index.html

Message 3: Re: 12.829, Disc: The Role of Lecturers in Universities

Lynne Murphy points out that the word lecturer is reserved for 
another type of position in Europe. However, this, by no means, 
means that there is no equivalent of the American lecturer in 
Europe. At least, in Holland there is and as far as I can see there 
is not better than the American (or Canadian) equivalents. In 
Holland lecturer is usually called something like temporary teacher, 
or substitute teacher. 

Bart Hollebrandse
Groningen University/Utrecht University
The Netherlands