The St. Thomas administration has created an adjunct faculty task force aimed at addressing concerns raised after a failed union vote in July.

The adjunct professors’ attempt to unionize was shot down by a vote of 136-84, which prompted the creation of the task force. It is comprised of adjunct faculty appointed by Executive Vice President and Provost Richard Plumb and is currently working to form a council. The council will then address issues such as possible salary and benefit increases.

The 10 faculty members of the task force plan to have the council in place by mid-October, according to Kim Sovell, adjunct business professor and task force member.

After the council is established, Plumb said he believes that it will be able to unify the adjunct faculty.

“The council will be a venue for where adjuncts can link and come together – share thoughts, share ideas,” Plumb said. “It will have a particular charge of what they’re responsible for.”

Lucy Saliger, an adjunct English professor, supported the formation of a union and said she is worried that the task force is not an adequate alternative.

“When we did not win the election, I expected there to be a little more of a plan than just the task force to make the council to make suggestions,” Saliger said. “It just goes on and on. I thought they had something specific – some substance.”

Sovell, however, is optimistic that the task force, led by Plumb and St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan, will be a success for the university as a whole.

“I am so looking forward to working with Provost Plumb and Dr. Sullivan,” Sovell said. “I think (Sullivan) wants the best for the university. I think she wants to see growth, innovation … and the stronger your team, the better growth and innovation you’re going to see.”

Of the issues the task force council plans to address, Plumb said he hopes that one of them will be adjunct faculty contracts.

“One of the issues that the adjunct faculty has raised is they go on a semester-by-semester basis, so they won’t know that they’re teaching a class,” Plumb said. “Working through the council, what I hope we’ll be able to do is establish the criteria by which we’ll be able to offer adjuncts year-long contracts.”

Sovell said she hopes that the council will look at granting adjuncts remission – discounted tuition for spouses and children.

“I have a sophomore and a junior here,” Sovell said. “I would like remission. That’s a benefit I need.”

But because the council has not yet been established and does not yet have a specific plan, Saliger is wary of the outcome.

“These things are not in place. I find that problematic, too, considering that they called over and over for us to trust them,” Saliger said. “So that’s why I don’t have tremendous faith in the ability of the task force to achieve a whole lot of gains for adjuncts. It doesn’t mean that the individuals on the task force may not be trying to do that, but they don’t have a lot of power.”

Despite much opposition, Sovell said she is confident that the task force will allow St. Thomas to be a leader for colleges across the country.

“We’re leading the nation. We’re making history here,” Sovell said. “No other university has done this, so we are really looking forward to furthering our leadership and showing higher education how it’s done.”

Theresa Bourke can be reached at bour5445@stthomas.edu.