By: Shaya Rogers, Staff Reporter | Photo By: Scott M. Roberts, Photojournalist
Part time instructors unhappy with office space
The part-time instructor offices located in the portable buildings West of Ken Chappy Hall on Main campus are in serious need of maintenance. Not only do the instructors lack any sort of privacy, but there are also doors, desks, windows and carpets in need of repair.
Part-time Journalism Instructor Maggie Shepard said there needs to be more priority for maintenance of the part-time offices.
“There has been more attention to part-time needs since I’ve been here, but a lot of us feel like it’s still not enough to make us feel wanted and appreciated,” she said.
To open the window for ventilation, the instructors have to prop it open with a paper clip or a book, she said.
“For those of us who work here we’re like, ‘Great, I’m pretty sure people in the Dean’s office have nice carpet and the full-time faculty have nice offices too,’ and that’s the priority,” she said.
Shepard said having functioning and responsive computers and printers is a requirement for teacher success.
“During finals last semester the printer was out — during finals — and the copier was out,” she said.
Part-time Biology Instructor Steve Glass said he has submitted multiple requests to get the light over his desk replaced since last semester, but it still has not happened.
“I teach in the evenings mostly, so if I have to be here preparing for my 7:00 lecture, I’d like to be able to read. At this time of year, it’s dark by 5:30. It just seems like a light bulb replacement would be easy enough to do,” he said.
Glass said that beyond the cast-off furniture, the dirty and ripped carpet and the general lack of maintenance, he would like to have a private place for conferences with students.
“My biggest concern is the lack of privacy. A lot of students come to instructors with fairly significant personal problems,” he said.
Students deserve a place to talk freely without having to worry about being within ear shot of many other people, he said.
“Sometimes we’re counselors as well as instructors; they come up with some amazing challenges. Sometimes they just need somebody to talk to and it’s really not fair to them to have to share that stuff right out in the middle of everything,” he said.
Part-time Psychology Instructor Dr. Ron Reid said another issue is that faculty members are not allowed to use the office on the weekends, which can make it difficult to complete responsibilities before Monday, said Reid.
“They might come in on a weekend to get their work done if they don’t have the resources at home, and then security comes and kicks them out. It’s hard for faculty members sometimes to successfully strategize how to fit that in. We need to loosen up on that,” he said.
Director of Marketing and Communications Brad Moore said that at a recent Facilities Master Plan forum, it was discussed that improving the office space for part-time teachers needs to be a priority.
“There have been several building renovations over the past few years that have caused some groups of employees to be relocated as space availability has been constricted,” he said.
There are plans to expand part-time teacher offices, expected to be completed by the middle of the spring term, he said.
“Currently a project is being planned to renovate a space in Ken Chappy Hall that would provide 26 new spaces for part-time faculty members,” he said.
Moore said that CNM is in the process of a space audit which will help them divide and appropriate the use of the space on Main campus.
“CNM is striving to make more informed decisions related to the allocation of space on a very busy Main campus, where space needs for different areas of the college are often fluctuating,” he said.
As for the work orders, Moore said the Physical Plant is responsible for repairs.
“Once a work order has been submitted, the Physical Plant’s maintenance department assesses the situation and conducts repairs as necessary,” he said.
