University of Northern Iowa Eliminates 146 Adjunct Positions

By ALEX P. KELLOGG

The University of Northern Iowa is eliminating 146 of its 240 adjunct-faculty positions next semester, as a way of dealing with state budget cuts. The adjunct faculty members would have taught 217 course sections this spring, all of which will also be eliminated.

The university faced a 4.3-percent budget cut, approximately half of which it has chosen to meet by not renewing the contracts of the adjunct faculty members, who are hired on a semester-to-semester basis. The remaining cuts have been made primarily in the maintenance budget.

University officials said students' progress toward their degrees would not be affected in any way by the cutback, although a number of faculty members, including some who were scheduled to be on leave next semester, will have to assume heavier teaching loads to pick up the slack. The university has 612 tenured and tenure-track professors.

"What it means is fewer classes and bigger classes," said Laura A. Terlip, an associate professor of communication studies and vice chairwoman of the Faculty Senate at Northern Iowa.

"It's a shame. I think the state legislature should closely examine what price they're making students pay for these decisions."

Michael T. Prahl, an adjunct in the history department who has been with the university for 13 years, said, "We are very much a part of this university and yet we are the first to be cut when it becomes necessary."

University officials defended the move. "We understood going into the fiscal year that there was likely to be a reduction," said Northern Iowa's president, Robert D. Koob. "So from the very outset, we were looking at how we should do this." Mr. Koob said the main impact on students would be that they will have fewer options in scheduling their classes.

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