Eastern Michigan University claims to be an institution of opportunity that values excellence, respect, inclusiveness, responsibility, and integrity. Yet a significant portion of its instructional staff is treated as second-class citizens, without the equity and respect that their contribution to EMU rightfully warrants. EMUFT is not alone in this - staff across the campus have seen decreases, and the University took more than a year to settle a contract with professionals.

Full-Time Lecturers have one of the highest workloads for full-time college instructors in Michigan, with some of the lowest salaries. Many do not qualify for even a small raise until they have worked at EMU for 8 years! After that raise, there is no further opportunity for advancement.

A significant portion of Part-Time Lecturers scrape together a living by working at several institutions and in several other part-time jobs. Even where Part-Time Lecturers teach as much or more than Full-Time tenure-line professors, EMU offers no benefits at all and compensation is a small fraction of what a tenure-line professor earns for the same teaching work, even the same class. Nearly 25% of Lecturers at EMU earn less than $25,000 annually. Consequently, some PTLs routinely struggle with food and housing insecurity.

Together, Full- and Part-time lecturers at EMU represent more than 50% of the instructional workforce, yet they account for about 10% of the instructional budget. Full-time positions have been decimated over the years, reaching a new low of only 67 this year, down from about 130 a decade ago. The number of Part-time lecturers, in the meantime, has ballooned to over 550. EMU Administration has purposely placed barriers to prevent Part-Time Lecturers from accessing full-time positions and their affiliated benefits and job security.

On Thursday April 21, 2022 at 1:15pm, members of the Eastern Michigan University Federation of Teachers (EMUFT) local 9102 are rallying on the Eastern Michigan University's Campus in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This rally is a part of EMUFT’s Respect Campaign, demanding better treatment, more equitable pay, and increased job security for all Lecturers at EMU.

In support of EMU Lecturers, we the undersigned ask that Eastern Michigan University committee the following in an effort to truly become an institution of opportunity for all:

1. Increase the amount of full time work available and create pathways for Part Time Lecturers to become Full-Time.

2. Create fair and equitable pay structures across all instructional units.

3. Provide meaningful opportunities for Full- and Part-time lecturers to engage and participate in decision-making in departments, schools, colleges, and the university at large.