UTF, is a union of fixed-term faculty of approximately 360 members. It has been in the preliminary processes of gathering the wants and needs of its members, to prepare for collective bargaining in July.

UTF Vice President and lecturer in journalism and broadcasting departments, Mark Ranzenberger said money is usually the number one priority while bargaining.

The current contract, which was signed June 19, 2012, saw pay increases for both fixed-term faculty who are paid a salary and those paid by the credit-hour.

UTF member and Assistant Professor of Religion Sara Moslener said she worked with the data collected by UTF's survey and that wages will be addressed in the discussions.

“Higher wages. That will always be the case and that’s never going to be met to our satisfaction,” Moslener said.

UTF President Amanda Garrison said job security is also a major point of concern for UTF members.

“CMU is a very good place to work. So when people come here, especially as adjuncts, it’s really hard to have to leave it if you don’t get a reappointment," Garrison said "The students are wonderful. The resources are wonderful. The benefits are wonderful. We want to stay here and job security is very important."

Moslener added she would like to see fixed-term faculty be recognized for scholarship and be given access to creating more scholarly work.

“Part of that means being able to request a course release. Fixed-term faculty cannot get a course release for any reason,” Moslener said. “The university is assuming we are temporary, but they aren’t giving us resources to get to a position that is not temporary.”

Garrison said the UTF has a good working relationship with the university.

“It’s not slamming fists on the table,” Garrison said. “We have a generally good working relationship with the administration. We are not at a point where there is any contention.”

Moslener said she would like to see fixed-term faculty be recognized as a bigger part of the university—a part that wants to remain at CMU for the long term.

“Fixed-term faculty are not temporary, but in fact are committed to this university,” Moslener said. “We only have two levels (of fixed-term faculty), lecturer one and lecturer two. I would like to see something beyond that to recognize people who are here for the long-term.”

Garrison said job security also involves knowing when and what classes a fixed-term instructor will be teaching. Often those reappointments or non-reappointment letters do not come in a timely manner, she said.

“The adjunct (fixed-term faculty) position is strenuous because the department of the dean, or whomever, doesn’t know whether certain classes are going to fill up,” Garrison said. “If they don’t fill up, people don’t get those appointments.”

If they get reappointments, Garrison said fixed-term faculty often do not receive reappointment letters until a few weeks prior to classes starting, which is not enough time to prepare for the semester.