Table of Contents

• Article 1 – Recognition
• Article 4 – Salary
• Article 5 – Grievance Procedure
• Article 6 – Appointment
• Article 7 – Department Provisions
• Article 8 – Personnel Files
• Article 9 – Advancement
• Article 11 – Professional Development
• Article 12 – Evaluations

Q: What is the purpose of this page? 

A: This page does not cover everything in our new Collective Bargaining Agreement, but it is intended to cover the most common questions Lecturers (formerly PTLs) have been asking in plain English. If you do not find what you are looking for here, contact your union officers at ptl@rutgersaaup.org.

Article 1 – Recognition 

Q. Who is covered and not covered under the new Lecturer (formerly PTL) contract?

A. Anyone who is hired for the semester or year to teach a course should be classified as a “Lecturer.” Co-teachers are included in this definition provided their share of the course is at least equal to 1 credit per semester.

Exceptions to the Lecturer classification include people who work in a different position for Rutgers or the State of New Jersey as a 50% or more employee (typically listed as Coadjutants), managerial or supervisory employees, and those employed by law firms who represent Rutgers.

Q:  I am in the PTLFC union but I am being paid as a coadjutant (Coad) for one of my classes. Shouldn’t all my teaching appointments be as a Lecturer?

A:  YES. When you teach you are represented by our PTLFC union and should be part of the bargaining unit, receiving all of the benefits of our union’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Coads are not part of our bargaining unit. 

Q: Who is classified a coadjutant (Coad)?

A:  The Coad classification is limited to: managers at Rutgers; those working in another position at Rutgers or for the state of NJ greater than 50% of full-time; or people who work for a law firm that represents or has represented Rutgers. 

Note: On occasion, the Coad title has been misapplied and Lecturers have been deprived of the benefits due them, such as retroactive pay after a new contract takes effect. Misclassification will also incorrectly limit the credits you have accrued toward advancement. If you believe that your teaching has been misclassified, you will need to challenge it—and notify your union.

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Article 4 – Salary 

Q. What are the minimum pay rates according to the new contract?

A. The minimum pay for a Lecturer 1 in Fall 2023 is $2,596 per credit. There is a 10% increase in pay for Lecturer 2 and an additional 10% for Lecturer 3.

Beginning in spring 2024, some lecturers will qualify for the new Lecturer levels 4 & 5. There will be a 10% salary increase for advancing to each of these levels as well.

Minima for a three-credit class:

• Fall 2022-23 Retroactive minimum pay of $7,530 at Lecturer 1 for a three-credit class 
• Fall 2023-24: $7,788 for a three-credit class at Lecturer 1
• Fall 2024-25:  $8,055 for a three-credit class at Lecturer 1
• Fall 2025-26: $8,331 for a three-credit class at Lecturer 1
• Higher-ranking adjuncts (Lecturer 2–5) will receive higher per-credit pay (+10% per level).

Note that your department can set higher rates. 

Lecturers whose base salary is above the minimum will receive across-the-board increases:

• Fall 2022: 3.75% (retroactively)
• Fall 2023: 10%
• Fall 2024: 3.25%
• Fall 2025: 3.5%

Q. Am I entitled to tuition remission for taking Rutgers courses?

A. Yes, you are entitled to 50% Rutgers tuition remission subject to the following conditions: [1] the course is related to subject(s) you have or will teach, and [2] you have taught at least (a) 12 credits, and (b) 2 semesters in the past 2 years, and [3] are admitted to a program at Rutgers. 

Q. Can my dependents receive tuition remission for taking Rutgers courses?

A. The tuition remission benefit does not extend to dependent children, spouses, or domestic partners.

Q. What other benefits am I entitled to as a Lecturer?

A. As a Rutgers employee, Lecturers are eligible to take advantage of several benefits, including access to paid leave, library and recreation centers, and a University ID. Some employees may also be eligible to contribute to retirement plans.

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Article 5 – Grievance Procedure

Q: I feel that I was treated unfairly by my department. How can I grieve this? 

A: There is a formal grievance procedure that we can utilize to address issues that cannot be resolved “informally” at the department level. The latter should always be the first course of action because the grievance procedure is very time-consuming and costly. For that reason there also needs to be a fair chance of winning before we will decide to initiate a formal grievance. The first step is to check what our contract (CBA) says about the issue, if anything. 

Let’s look at an example:  a course previously taught by a Lecturer was taken away and given to a different instructor.  In this case, Article 6, Appointments is the relevant place to look to see who management can select to teach a particular class.  Some actions may seem “unfair” but may be within management’s prerogative. These cases would not be breaches of the CBA, and so are not grievable. 

In general, only issues covered by the CBA, or issues addressed by RU policies concerning wages, hours, or what the law defines as  “mandatory subjects of negotiations” concerning “conditions of employment,” are subject to the grievance process.  

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Article 6 – Appointment

 Q:  How many courses do I need to teach to get an appointment longer than one semester?  

A: No one will be eligible for a 1-year appointment until the fall of 2024. But, if by then,  you have taught at least 12 credits as a Level-1 Lecturer in each of the preceding two years (12 credits total for fall and spring), you shall receive an appointment of one year for a minimum of 12 credits or at least as many credits as you taught in the immediately preceding year, whichever is greater.

If you have advanced to Level-2 or above by Fall 2024, the minimum number of credits you must have worked in the previous 2 years to get a 1-year appointment is only 6. 

If you have taught at least 6 credits per academic year as a PTL or Lecturer in the same department or school in the previous 12 consecutive academic years, you shall receive an appointment for four semesters for a minimum of 6 credits or at least as many credits as you taught in the immediately preceding year, whichever is greater.

Q:  A course I have taught for many years was given to a Lecturer with less seniority than me. What recourse do I have?

A:  If you have taught at least 10 semesters as a PTL or Lecturer in the same department, you may have priority in appointment over a Lecturer who has  less than 10 semesters of service. However, management has retained some discretion in this, insisting the appointment must “meet [their] academic and fiscal needs,” which could be used to justify giving the position to a Lecturer with less seniority.

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Article 7 – Department Provisions

 Q. What items does the contract say the department should provide me with in order to facilitate my teaching a course?

 A. Your department “shall make good faith efforts” to provide you with space to meet students, and “where possible” telephone/copier/printer/computer access, secure storage for student work. They shall provide previous course materials, if available; and a desk copy of any department-required textbooks.

“Departments shall be encouraged to consider unit members to be a part of the faculty and provide them with relevant information, announcements, and communications, including all communications addressed to ‘Members of the University Community.’”

 Q. If a full-time teaching position opens within the department, will I be notified?

 A. Yes, a representative of the department should notify all Lecturers of the availability of an open position so that the member may apply. Article 6 also requires that “the University shall interview qualified Lecturers who apply for the vacant [NTT] position…” 

 Q. Am I entitled to reimbursement for expenses associated with my course?

 A. Yes, but you must seek preauthorization with your department.

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Article 8 – Personnel Files

Q. I think there might be negative information in my personnel file. Am I entitled to review the information in my personnel file?

A. You should be notified when any negative materials (misconduct allegation, policy violation, performance reviews) are added to your file but in any case, for any reason, you are entitled to review your own personnel file upon request. You should request, in writing, an appointment to review your file in the dean’s office or your department. Note that there may be multiple files for an employee. You are entitled to make copies of all documents in your file, at your expense.

Q. There is negative information contained in my personnel file. What should I do if I disagree with it?

A. You may provide your department or dean’s office with a written response, additional information, or documents, and request that they be added to your personnel file.

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 Article 9 – Advancement

 Q. Will my time teaching as an NTT count towards advancement to a higher level? What about my winter and summer teaching?

 A. In the past, only consecutive semesters of teaching as a PTL counted towards advancement. This contract provides many more opportunities for advancement. For the first time, Lecturers can count time, and now also credits, teaching as an NTT and 1 summer semester per academic year as well. (Winters, however, do not count.) The semesters no longer have to be consecutive. 

 Q. How do I qualify for advancement to a higher level?

 A. The number of semesters required between levels is now 10, but there is also now a credit alternative that could speed up the process for those who teach heavy course loads. 

Ten semesters or 54 credits are required to advance to Lecturer 2 and 20 total semesters or 108 total credits are required to advance to Lecturer 3. 180 credits or 30 semesters are needed to advance to Lecturer 4 and 252 credits or 40 semesters are required to advance to Lecturer 5.  

You may skip levels if you have the requisite number of credits, for example, you can skip from Lecturer 1 to Lecturer 4 if you have 30 semesters or 180 credits.

Lecturer 2: 54 credits/10 semesters Lecturer 3 108 credits/20 semesters Beginning spring 2024: Lecturer 4: 180 credits/30 semesters Lecturer 5: 252 credits/40 semesters

Please note that advancement is NOT automatic. You must apply to your department in the first month of the semester during which you become eligible in order to advance in the following semester.

Q. Do I need to be teaching the semester in which I apply? 

A. Yes. For example, if you are not teaching this Fall but you will be teaching in the Spring, you have to wait until Spring semester to apply for advancement in the following Fall semester.

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Article 11 – Professional Development

 Q. Are there any funds available to Lecturers for professional development?

1. Yes! At least $125,000 of development funds will be available each year, including 2022-2023, of the contract for any Lecturer to pursue activities related to pedagogic or professional development. Unused funds will roll over from year to year for the duration of the contract.

Q. What types of activities qualify for professional development funds?

1. Anything that will enhance the Lecturer’s knowledge, skills, and abilities in connection to their teaching responsibilities with Rutgers. 

Q. How do I obtain professional development funds?

1. The Office of University Labor Relations will provide eligibility requirements to departments and the union by Oct. 1 each year. Applications should be submitted to the Lecturer’s department Chair/Director for review and approval.

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 Article 12 – Evaluations

Q. How often will my teaching be evaluated, and how?

1. Once during each academic year, Lecturers will receive a classroom observation of a single class at a mutually agreeable time. The review will be conducted by a full-time faculty member. As before, student evaluations (SIRS) are conducted every semester for each class taught. 

We expect that the departments will assess the websites of those who teach asynchronously online in lieu of a classroom observation.

Q. What if I am concerned about bias or want to provide some input to the process?

A. Lecturers have the option of providing a written self-evaluation and a response to SIRS feedback as well as adding comments to the evaluation form. They also have the right to meet with their dean or department chair to discuss their performance.

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