Comparison of Adjunct Faculty Compensation Rates in the Bay Area
Adjunct faculty are usually compensated in proportion to the number of courses taught at a "per course rate" that often varies depending on the academic discipline and length of time the individual has taught at the institution. Full-time adjunct faculty are usually paid at a higher "per course rate" than part-time faculty and are eligible to receive benefits if they teach more than a minimum number of courses. The ranges of "per course rates" for part-time and full-time adjunct faculty at Santa Clara University are compared to those at five Bay Area universities/colleges that all have collective bargaining agreements for their adjunct faculty. In addition, a comparison is made across the same set of institutions as to the minimum average number of courses an adjunct faculty member would need to teach per term in order to be benefits eligible.
Santa Clara University operates predominantly on an academic calendar consisting of three ten-week quarters, whereas most comparable institutions run on an academic calendar built around two fifteen-week semesters. To compare adjunct salaries at institutions observing different academic calendars, the per course rate for one 15-week semester is multiplied by 2/3 to arrive at the equivalent of a per course rate for one 10-week quarter.