Department Chair & Tenure-Track Faculty

Being an Ally to Lecturer Faculty 

as a Department Chair or Tenure-Track Faculty Member

These suggestions are intended to support department chairs and tenure-track faculty in fostering respectful, transparent, and equitable working relationships with lecturer faculty. It affirms that effective communication and meaningful inclusion in shared governance are not optional courtesies that can be extended to lecturers, but rather essential components of shared governance. Lecturers play a central role in the academic mission of Sacramento State, and department practices that embody equitable inclusion will foster greater student success and a healthier culture for all faculty. Department chairs are on the front lines in supporting all of their faculty. You play a key role in ensuring the contract is followed in your department, so your support for all Unit 3 members is vital.

1) Communication and Information Equity

• Be sure that all messaging about department matters and emergencies goes out to all faculty, not just tenure-track faculty.
  
• Clearly explain department decisions that affect lecturers.  Provide context and rationale for changes to the curriculum, modality, or enrollment caps rather than simply announcing outcomes.
  
• Openly share timelines and processes. When possible, outline how and when decisions about course assignments are made.  

2) Contractional Obligations and Order of Assignment

• Be sure that your department is following order of assignment as laid out in Article 12.29 of our contract – not giving classes to new lecturers because you are excited about their applications. If it is not not, be sure the lecturer reaches out to our CFA Lecturer Representative, currently Danielle Duckett, dduckett@calfac.org
  

3) Hiring, Pay Transparency, and Professional Support

• When hiring new lecturers, be sure that they:
  • Are strongly encouraged to attend New Lecturer Orientation on Zoom, usually held on the Friday before classes begin each semester
  • Are encouraged to self-enroll in the New Lecturer Resources Canvas Shell
  • Receive the CFA New Lecturer Handbook 
  • Are connected to the Sacramento Chapter CFA Lecturer Representative, currently Danielle Duckett, dduckett@calfac.org
  • Receive clear information about evaluation timelines, order of assignment, and reappointment processes outlined in Articles 12 and 15 of the CBA.
    
• Ensure that training and professional development opportunities are also open to lecturers (ideally with funding), and proactively advertise University-wide professional development opportunities that are open to lecturers.

• Inform lecturers when tenure-track job postings are made in their department, and make sure that they know that, if qualified, they should automatically receive a preliminary interview for the position, as Article 12.28 of our contract requires.
  
• When hiring lecturers, share the pay scale openly, review their experience to recommend an appropriate pay level to HR, and inform candidates if additional documentation could support a higher placement.

4) Shared Governance and Lecturer Representation

• Invite lecturers to department meetings (though with the clear understanding that lecturers are not compensated for service and should not feel any pressure to attend)
  • Make meetings accessible by providing agendas in advance, offering remote attendance options when possible, and noting which agenda items are most relevant to lecturers.  Meeting materials should be distributed afterward to ensure access to information regardless of attendance.
    
• Consider having a lecturer seat on key departmental committees that determine lecturer working conditions (though with the clear understanding that lecturers are not compensated for service)
  
• Consider having lecturer representation when it comes to voting on department matters that directly impact them (e.g., the selection of a chair, program restructuring, or instructional delivery models), consistent with the principle that those affected by decisions should have a voice in them and shared governance values.

5) Departmental Culture and Professional Respect.

• Normalize questions about working conditions.  Make clear that asking about pay, workload, evaluation processes, or contract language is appropriate and welcome.
  
• Foster a departmental culture that affirms the dignity and professional contributions of instructional faculty. Be mindful of microaggressions in language and behavior, such as assuming limited commitment to the department or minimizing lecturer expertise. 

• Use accurate titles when referring to lecturers. Avoid terms like “part-timers,” “temporary,” and  “adjuncts.” and other language that implicitly centers tenure-track faculty as the default and frames lecturers as “other.” 

• Model inclusive, respectful engagement in all departmental contexts; casual remarks about “coverage,” “filling sections,” or “last-minute hires” can unintentionally dehumanize lecturers’ labor and contributions. Recognize that many lecturers have long-term and sustained commitments to departments and the institution. Avoid framing lecturers as interchangeable or peripheral; acknowledge their role in instruction, mentoring, and student success..

Thank you to the CFA College Advocates (Juan José Bueno Holle, Brett Judson, Jessica Martinez, and Joanna Nuñez) who came up with the idea of this resource guide and contributed content, and to the Executive Board members (Danielle Duckett, Pat Oberle, Lina Rincón, Mya Dosch, and Alma Flores) who contributed and reviewed it. Want to get involved in College Advocates? Email Lina Rincón at lrincon@calfac.org