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Emerson College’s American Association of University Professors-affiliated faculty union is recommending that all full-time professors cease supervising independent “directed study” courses unless they are paid to do so. The policy is set to take effect in the fall. Previously, full-time, non-tenure-track professors made $416 for supervising these one-on-one courses. But the stipend ended when the full-timers joined Emerson's tenured and tenure-track faculty union several years ago. Tenured and tenure-track professors also were once compensated for directed studies.
Nancy Allen, an instructor of public health and communication, said that the faculty union has offered to continue supervising the independent studies if the students’ tuition dollars go to a specific purpose, such as professional development for faculty or student scholarships, not general funds. "Even if the money went back to students in need, we’d drop our opposition to directed studies," Allen said. "While we think we should be compensated, we are particularly appalled that students pay full tuition for something that has zero direct costs to the college. The students have a right to know where their money goes. And they should know that none of it goes to faculty."
Emerson’s Student Government Association voted unanimously to support the union in its pledge not to supervise these courses without pay last month. A spokesperson for Emerson said the college had no comment, other than to say that the faculty contract was the subject of extensive negotiations in 2018.
