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[peanuttyxx]

This forum is the greatest help in the world, as I came from the professional field into academia last year. I have a 3 year renewable NON TT job. I like it very much. I have a 4/4 load. The TT folk have a 2/2 load. The idea, of course, is that they should be publishing and performing service as part of their jobs.

During my review with our Chair last year, she mentioned that service was NOT part of my job. That said, I was still asked to serve on committees and I guest taught in my of my coworker's classes (to be fair to them, I made them do the same for my classes). The Chair recently told a friend of mine who IS ON the TT that those of us NOT on the TT have a higher service expectation than those ON the TT. Basically, the opposite of what she told me. I'm interested in knowing if there is a general rule of thumb across universities. If you are not on the TT, do you have to perform service? It seems to me that I shouldn't, as I teach more classes. Of course, then there's the added issue of how you really say no to a request from a Dean, regardless of whether you're not on the TT or are. What about your schools?

[charlesr]

What does your faculty handbook say?

[peanuttyxx]

Our faculty handbook is so hilariously old. It's photocopied onto our web site. I think it's from 1920. I don't think anyone truly follows the policies in it.

[barred_owl]

Are you sure that your second-hand information (via your TT friend) is correct?  Sounds like something got mixed up there, somehow.

Policies regarding service may vary from place to place, so as charlesr suggested, it's best to check the faculty handbook.  However, in situations I've encountered, your first take is correct--TT faculty are expected to engage in service (although such expectations may be reduced during the first year on TT), non-TT/adjunct faculty are not.  YMMV--check the handbook.

Finally, even if you are not required to engage in service activities, if your schedule allows you to do so, committee work or other service may enhance your ability to land a TT position elsewhere or expand your skills set when you're finished with your current job.

On preview--Old or not, the handbook is your fall-back reference if there should ever be any question about your service activities.

[kedves]

There is a faculty handbook somewhere, but I have never been able to get a copy of it and it's not available online.  We are actively discouraged or prevented from service because that is the province of the TT/T.  One non-TT person does all the undergrad advising for the department as 1/4 of that position but can't serve on undergrad committees.  I have volunteered to do smaller one-time things when allowed.

What would happen if, without mentioning the friend's conversation of course, you asked your chair directly to clarify the expectations?

[svenc]

We recently hired a full-time (non-TT) lecturer for whom we have service expectations because of her specific area of expertise with regards to one of our programs.  We are giving her a one-course reduction per year because of these service expectations.

Our other lecturers have no service expectations; any occasional service they do is purely on a volunteer basis (and treated and appreciated as such).

I have had non-TT faculty (not lecturer) colleagues of whom service was required, but these were people with normal (or even reduced) teaching loads.

[charlesr]

At my institution all full time faculty, whether tenure-track or not, engage in service.  I think most of our non-TT full timers are on renewable contracts.  I don't think we have visiting positions.

[august_leo]

Are the other non-TT teaching a 3/3? Maybe you are special.

Is it possible your friend misunderstood?

[oldadjunct]

I am often stuck by how timorous many posters are here.

What would prevent you from going to your Chair and simply asking for clarification?  "I understood you to say last year that X, recently I have heard it may be Y."  Are you expecting, " I SAID NO WIRE HANGERS!!!!"??

Rule of thumb: On institutional policy ask the people that know you and your institution, not a group of anonymous formites who know neither.

Yes, it is true that once you know the policy/culture this place can be very useful in gaining a perspective on it.

[msparticularity]

Just a bit more to chew on... the renewable positions I have held and been involved with were each constructed with (or without) a service expectation. Many universities regard full-time teaching-only as a 5/5 load, so a 4/4 already assumes some outside-of-class obligations. My service included being on a couple of very active university-wide committees, serving as the liaison to a related community organization, and doing some miscellaneous course design and assessment for my program and school. I was evaluated based upon 80% teaching and 20% service.

[jwormold]

In theory, my institution says it wants non-TT people to be on committees, etc.  I had a few advisees last semester (all of whom were failing-- lovely that the students in the worst academic positions get faculty least familiar with department and university policies). 

However, I've gotten enough snotty remarks from TT people in my department that "well, shouldn't these decisions be made by TT or tenured people, not those of you who aren't vested in the institution" (this was actually said to me by a TT faculty) that I'm not going out of my way to volunteer for anything.

[untenured]

In essence, you've experienced the policy.  Formally, no service may be required of you.  Informally, service is required.  If Chair's statements to TT friend are true, then you now know that what Chair says to you can either not be reliable or shifts with the wind.  Keep that in your back pocket.

How you react depends upon your career goals.

Is this your happy academic home where you want to stay as long as possible?  If so, then you'll have to do the service.  Keeping people happy is important because you are on a 3-year renewable contract.

Is this a stepping stone to something else?  If so, then you'll need to politely decline if the service impedes with your future career aspirations such as improving your research agenda.  Couch it with lots of nicey phrases: "I'm so sorry I cannot help you. I really want to sit on Committee X but . . ."

Don't whip out the handbook.  Apparently it means nothing at this campus.  You'll come off as a legalistic schnook and burn precious goodwill.

Service - the bane of aspiring tenure-track faculty.

Untenured

[peitho]

If it's not in the contract or the faculty handbook, then you are not technically required to do it. 

However, my experience has been that if they want you to do service, or teach overloads without pay, or do the moonwalk at the next dept. meeting and you refuse to do it, the likelihood of your contract being renewed will decrease exponentially.  Who needs the deadweight?

Informally check with other non-TT about their experiences, and do check the faculty handbook as they should at least pay lip-service to it. 

If you are not technically required to do service, but it is customary, then there's your answer. 

But you might be able to say, well, I was told that service was not expected, but if you'd like my expertise, I'd be happy to.  Now, how about insert realistic wish here? You have nothing to lose as long as you inquire politely.

[magistra]

I'd inquire via e-mail so you have the answer in writing.  It also depends on what "service" is -- is it volunteering to help on a day that promotes the department, or advising a few students, or serious committee work?  If they're expecting you to do a lot of service on top of a 4/4 when you know you have no long-term job security, that's not a great work environment.  They're using you.  If they're not willing to spell out what the requirements are for non-TT people, that's also a red flag.  You should know what's expected of you.

Of course there are other variables, such as size of department, size of the classes you teach, number of preps, availability of course release or extra funds, etc.  If you are truly treated well overall and are merely being asked to pitch in on occasion when needed, it seems like it'd be expected.  If they start asking you to do the committee work of a tt person -- or if only some non-tt persons are being asked to do service -- it's a problem.

Have you checked your contract?  Is there an "any other duties" clause?

[olandaku]

I am a full-time non-TT faculty member, and service is 1/4 of my commitments here (otherwise, I teach 3-3). This is specified in my contract. Which is a good thing. However, if service IS asked of you, I would recommend that it not only be specified in your contract, but that it also state how many hours / committee / whatever else you are expected to serve. Even with my contract (which does NOT specify how much of it I'm supposed to do), service gets out of hand depending on what someone imagines for me to do (my higher-up colleague, the department chair, the dean for my program in conjunction with other programs).... This gets to be a bit much because things seem to arise randomly and it really interferes with my ability to plan research, family commitments, etc.