Sessional Survey: Final

Sessional Membership Survey Results
for the Brandon University Faculty Association

The ad hoc sessional committee of the Brandon University Faculty Association (BUFA) conducted a survey of the sessional faculty in order to identify the needs of our membership in the negotiation of the next collective agreement.
Survey Questions
with Primary Data and Data Analysis for Categories 1-8.

The results of the survey were instrumental in arguing for sessional members concerns before the BUFA Negotiations Committee to establish the BUFA Negotiation position prior to bargaining.
Note: The number in parentheses to the right of the eight categories indicates the number of questions from the survey relevant to the category. In the data section below, the original numbers for each survey question are indicated in parentheses. Survey questions 1 – 8 ask for identification information and are not included in these results.
1. Appointment (5)
2. Seniority (2)
3. Conversion (2)
4. Evaluations (1)
5. Salaries and Benefits (2)
6. Other Allowances: Research and PD Funding (2)
7. Space and Equipment (1)
8. University Involvement (13)

1. Appointment
1. (9) How many credit hours will you be contracted to teach in this academic year from September - August?___

Frequency of Contracted Credit Hours for 04-05
Lowest number of contracted credit hours for 04-05 is 3
Highest number of contracted credit hours for 04-05 is 12
Mean is 7.5 contracted credit hours for 04-05

2. (10) Would you be interested in teaching more than the current 12 credit hour maximum,
if you were offered more courses? Yes ( ) No ( ) Comments?

YES 19/32 59% NO 12/32 38% NOT SURE 1/32 3%

3. (11) Have you ever been offered more courses than the current maximum?
Yes ( ) No ( )

YES 10/32 31% NO 22/32 69%

4. (33) What percentage of your total annual income is derived from teaching at BU?

Percentage of total annual income derived from BU ranges from 2 to 100
Mean is 33.5% for total annual income derived from BU

5. (34) Have you ever taught any off-campus or distance education courses for BU?
            Yes ( ) No ( )
            If yes, please list the courses and provide any comments on your off-campus
            and distance teaching experience.

YES 15/32 47% NO 17/32 53%

2. Seniority (1)
1. (41) Do you think seniority status should be required for the awarding of
an appointment to any external sessional contract. Yes ( ) No ( )

YES 11 /32 34% NO 15/32 47% No Response/Unsure 6/32 19%

3. Conversion (2)
1. (42) Are you interested in gaining a continuing (permanent) position with the university?
            (Such a position would likely require seniority status with a history of past employment
            which demonstrates the on-going need in the department for such a position).
            Yes ( )   No ( )

YES 18 /32 56% NO 8/32 25% No Response/Unsure 6/32 19%

2. (43) If a full-time limited term or tenure track position became available in your field of teaching
and scholarly expertise, would you apply for the position? Yes ( ) No ( ) Comments?

YES 14/32 44% NO 12/32 38% No Response/Unsure 6/32 19%

4. Evaluations (1)
1. (39) Have you ever been evaluated by your department or dean? Yes ( ) No ( )

YES 4/32 13% NO 28/32 88%

5. Salaries and Benefits (4)
1. (15) Benefits coverage: None ( ) Benefits from spouse, other employer, etc. ( )

None      7/32 22%
Benefits from spouse, other employer, etc. 23/32 72%
N/A      1/32 3%
No Response   1/32 3%

2. (32) a) Do you live outside Brandon? Yes ( )   No ( )
            b) How far do you travel to campus? _________
            c) Have you ever received an allowance for travel? Yes ( ) No ( ) ___

a) Do you live outside Brandon?

YES 13/32 41% NO 19//32 59%

b) How far do you travel to campus? ______

Farthest distance members travel to campus is 210 kms (one-way)
Shortest distance members travel to campus is 18 kms (one-way)
Mean distance members travel to campus is 89.6 kms (one-way)

c) Have you ever received an allowance for travel? Yes ( ) No ( ) ___

YES 7 /32 22% NO 25/32 78%

4. (40) What do you consider to be an acceptable stipend for teaching a three-credit hour course?
(The current stipend is $4126 per course) ________________

Current Stipend Acceptable (Total 3)
     1. Current Stipend Acceptable
        Yes
        Okay now
        Fine
            (Total 3)
More Than Current Stipend (Total 21)
    1. More Than Current Rate (no amount specified) (2)
        More than current rate.
        More than that [current rate of $4,126]
     2. Include Payment for Prep Time (3)
        Plus monies for prep
        Needs to be extended to include prep time
        Par with other Universities;
        the low pay discourages one from teaching a new course
        which requires hours to plan,
        the hours of prep are not recognized;
        the pay hardly compensates for
        the hours of marking the some courses require.
     3. $4,500 - $5,000 (8)
        $4500 (2)
        $4750
        $5000 at least
        $5000 (4)
     4. $5,000 - $6,000 (5)
        $5000-5500
        $5000-6000
        $6000 (3)
    5. 50% of full salary/3hr. credit
    6. Same as Lecturer or Tenure Track Professor (2)
        1. Why should we be paid less per course than tenure track professors
            if we’re qualified to teach one class why don’t we get paid for it properly?
        2. Stipend should be set at a pro-rated amount which is close or at the
            equivalent of a course taught at the floor (lecturer position)
    No response (8)

6. Other Allowances: Research and PD Funding (3)
1. (29) Are you engaged in any research, scholarly, and/or creative activities
        – including publication, exhibition, or performance
        --which contribute to the university community?
        Yes ( )   No ( )   _________________________________________

YES 14/32 44% NO 18/32 56%

2. (30) Have you ever applied for any Professional Development Allowance funds
available to sessionals? (Each faculty has $1000 in PDA funds to disburse each year).
Yes ( ) No ( ) Comments?_____________________________________

YES 4/32 13% NO 28/32 88%

    Yes Comments (3)
    Purchased 2 books
    [Yes, but] The amount needs to be increased substantively.
    The current fund is too small. Apparently this was not very clear.

    No Comments (9)
        1. Not Informed of the PDA Funds and/or Sessional Applications for (5)
            Didn’t know there was an allowance.
            Not aware of funds available.
            Was unaware of them.
            Was not aware.
            Did not believe eligible as a sessional instructor.

        2. Not Advised of/Assisted with Application Process (4)
            I always find out about them after deadline dates.
            Would have liked to once or twice but was given message it was all allocated.
            Not as yet.
            Don’t know what to apply for.

No Comments (16)

     Highest number of members HAVE NOT applied for PDA funds (88%)
     Lowest number of member HAVE applied for PDA funds (13%
     Mode is members who HAVE NOT applied for PDA funds (88%)

    Note: Nine of the 28 members who have not applied for PDA funds
    commented that they were either unaware of
    or did not believe they had access to PDA funds (32%).

3. (31) Would you engage in research, scholarly, and/or creative activities– including publication,
            exhibition, or performance– if you had access to Brandon University Research Committee
            (BURC) funds? (Sessionals are currently ineligible to apply for BURC awards).
            Yes ( )   No ( )

YES 19/32 59% NO 6/32 19% No response 5/32 16% Other 2/32 6%

7. Space and Equipment (1)
1. (35) a) Do you have an office or access to an office?

YES 23/32% NO 7/32% Varies with each term/Sometimes 2/32 6%

b) Do you have access to a computer on campus?

YES 17/32 53% NO 12/32 12% Yes but no email 1/32 3%

Varies with each term/Unsure 2/32 6%

c) Do you have a university e-mail account?

YES 17/32 53% NO 14/32 44% Unsure 1/32 3%

d) Do you have a telephone on campus?

YES 15/32 47% NO 15/32 47% Varies with each term/Sometimes 2/32 6%

e) Are you listed in the university telephone directory?

YES 2/32 6% NO 25/32 78% Unsure 5/32 16%

f) Do you have a mailbox on campus?

YES 28/32 88% NO 4/32 13%

g) Do you have access to services such as photocopying, fax, and typing, for example?

YES 30/32 94% NO 2/32 6%

h) Do you have library privileges?

YES 27/32 84% NO 2/32 6% Unsure 3/32 9%

i) Do you have access to department funds for library book orders?

YES 16/32 50% NO 13/32 41% Unsure 3/32 9%

j) Have you received sufficient information from the university or any other source
which has assisted you in your work on campus?

YES 21/32 66% NO 8/32 25% No Response/Unsure 3/32 9%

8. University Involvement (13)
1. (16) Have you ever been invited to a department meeting? Yes ( ) No ( )

YES 22 /32 69% NO 10 /32 31%

2. (17) Have you ever attended a department meeting? Yes ( ) No ( )

YES 14/32 44% NO 18/32 56%

3. (18) Have you ever received notice of a faculty council meeting? Yes ( ) No ( )

YES 13/32 41% NO 19/32 59%

4. (19) Have you ever attended a faculty council meeting? Yes ( ) No ( )

YES 7/32 22% NO 25/32 78%

5. (20) Have you ever received notice of a BUFA meeting? Yes ( ) No ( )

YES 13/32 41% NO 18/32 56% No Response 1/32 3%

6. (21) Have you ever attended a BUFA meeting? Yes ( ) No ( )

YES 7/32 22% NO 25/32 78%

7. (22) Have you ever participated in any university union-related activities, including job action?
Yes ( ) No ( )______________________________________________

YES 7/32 22% NO 25/32 78%

8. (23) Have you ever received information of any kind from your union?
Yes ( ) No ( ) Please describe ________________________________

YES 13/32 41% NO 19 /32 59%

9. (24) Have you signed a BUFA membership card and paid the one-time fee of $1
to become a voting member of the BUFA bargaining unit? Yes ( ) No ( )

YES 18/32 56% NO 13/32 41% Not Certain 1/32 3%

10. (25) Please describe the relationship you have with your union.

Positive to Neutral 5/32 16% Negative 23/32 72% No Response 4/32 13%

11. (26) a) Have you ever sat on a university committee? Yes ( ) No ( )
b) Please detail any committee involvement. __________________________

YES 7/32 22% NO 25/32 78%

12. (27) Please list any other university-related service during your time at BU.

Department with highest number of sessionals involved in
university-related service is Education 5/32 (16%)
Department with lowest number of sessionals involved in
university-related service is Library Services 1/32 (3%)

13. (28) Please list any community service that you have performed
which is related to your university work.

Members who reported performing community service related to their university work 11/32
(34%)

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hillmanw@brandonu.ca