Universities depend on low-cost sessionals

Budget cuts reason for trend: U of R

The University of Regina is not alone in its reliance on temporary lecturers to teach its courses.

An estimated one-third of people teaching in Canadian universities are on short-term contracts, said David Robinson, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).

That number is higher at comprehensive institutions — universities without professional colleges like medical or law schools.

At Toronto’s York University, the ratio is about half, he said.

At the U of R, according to its faculty association (URFA), sessionals are teaching 47 per cent of undergraduate courses this semester.

On average, these temporary employees are paid $35,315 annually, or $7,500 per course, per the collective agreement. That’s compared with $83,787 for an entry-level assistant professor.

Thomas Chase, vice-president (academic) and provost at the U of R, said the university’s reliance on sessionals comes down to finances.

“This is facing all universities in the country and part of it is of course changes to the way that governments are funding universities,” said Chase. “Last year we received a very substantial cut to our operating budget (seven per cent); it’s our main source of revenue. Our secondary source of revenue is student tuition and fees, which of course we try to keep as low as possible. So it is a challenge ... to pay everyone what they feel they should be paid.”

U of R sessional lecturer Deborah Simpson believes the university is “prioritizing certain kinds of investment over investing in faculty. … There are new residence buildings and other kinds of investments that are being made that aren’t about building faculty.”

Relying on short-term contract workers is a trend across Canada that has been growing since the 1990s, said Robinson. He said CAUT has noticed whether government funding increases or decreases, the number of contract staff at universities continually increases. Robinson said this can have a negative impact on staff.

“It’s incredibly stressful,” said Robinson. “I’ve heard lots of stories about people who would like to start a family but don’t know if they should because they have no idea whether they have any guaranteed income after this semester. There are people who would like to pursue research careers, but they don’t get compensation for research and have to do it on their own time.

“And then many of them wait nervously by the phone at the end of the semester, wondering if they’re going to be asked to teach the course again next semester or not.”

It can also have a negative impact on students, Robinson added — and not only because sessionals have less time to devote to students. He mentioned one sessional who “feels he’s got to be Mr. Happy in the classroom all the time,” not marking too hard or challenging students, lest he jeopardize his future employment with a negative review.

“So in those ways I think the student experience is also affected,” said Robinson.

While some sessional lecturers are professionals with full-time jobs off campus, URFA says most are academics who would prefer a permanent position.

“For the average sessional, they are … relying on sessional teaching to buy groceries and pay rent,” said Simpson. “They’re trying to eke out a living and build a life.”

Chase said the U of R values the work that sessionals do.

“They are tremendous instructors across many areas of the operation and we look forward to discussions at the bargaining table,” said Chase.

Contract negotiations between URFA and the U of R are scheduled to begin on April 17, he said.