Compensation changes for course lecturers

Good news for course lecturers. A new minimum salary for teaching a three-credit course has been recommended by the Provost's Task Force on Non-Tenure Track Academics.

"On average we're not doing that badly, but our minimum left something to be desired. We've always determined to effect a correction there," said Provost Luc Vinet.

The new "universal floor" across faculties will now be $5000 per three-credit course. The same minimum will be in effect for non-credit courses with 39 contact hours. Currently compensation for course lecturers varies greatly from faculty to faculty, with some making less than $3000 for a three-credit course.

The new rate will go into effect as of this month. To help faculties meet the new compensation requirements, the administration will grant a one-time payment amounting to 50 percent of the extra cost.

The Task Force will continue its work, looking at all categories of non-tenure track academic appointments.

"The issues are complex -- this is the first one we are tackling," said Vinet.

Although conceding there might have been some pressure from course lecturers for the change, Associate Vice-Principal (academic staff) Stuart Price who chairs the Task Force said that the changes are only proper.

"We realized that to be fair to course lecturers we needed to give them a better salary," he said.

Mark Reynolds