DePaulia
The
Pinnacle award winner, No. 1 College Weekly Newspaper
Volume #100 | Issue #15 | Feb. 15, 2016 | depauliaonline.com
Canceled classes an issue among adjuncts By Megan Deppen Print Managing Editor
Unionizing adjunct faculty across the country are demanding better pay, access to resources and job security, but according to a recent survey of DePaul’s adjunct faculty, there are a few more items to add to that list. One item of importance deals with canceled classes and getting paid. Almost 200 DePaul adjuncts reported that they were unaware of DePaul’s cancellation policy, which says adjuncts are paid 10 to 20 percent of a total class fee if it is canceled one month before, according to the adjunct faculty fact sheet. Some adjuncts said they never received any money at all. “I have never been paid for a cancelled course,” one responder wrote anonymously. “Compensation is very low, notice is short, and classes are often canceled for lack of enrollment falling one or two short — ridiculous when you consider how little we are getting paid to teach the course,” wrote another. This stands out in light of statements made by President Fr. Dennis Holtschneider C.M. in January that, “we pay people at the last minute even if we cancel their class ... we pay them half-salary.” When contacted for clarification, a statement made by university public relations said that Holtschneider “had been misinformed about the course cancellation fee.” Also listed in the report were responses from faculty dealing with union representation. When asked, “Is adjunct representation at DePaul sufficient, or would you prefer...,”, responses were almost evenly split, with 28 percent preferring an adjunct union, 25 percent preferring no change in representation, 24 percent preferring local academic unit representation and 18 percent preferring an adjunct senate. Of the 78 written responses to the same question, 45 percent voiced a need for representation, 41 percent had no opinion or a neutral opinion and 14 percent said there was no need for change. “Please, please give us a voice. Please. Any kind of voice!!!!!!! (sic),” one responder said, while another said, “I’m not interested in adjunct politics.” The survey is the first of its kind done by the Committee for Contingent
See ADJUNCTS, page 8
HE IS A GOD
DEPAULIA FILE
DePaul student Edward Ward speaks at an on-campus vigil. Ward’s eventual goal is to run for office.
A CLEAR VISION From homeless to leader, student eyes state office By Donyae Lewis Contributing Writer
A young black man lies on the icy floor of a family friend’s first floor apartment. There is no heat, and temperatures in the house are below freezing. He is enrolled as an undergraduate student at DePaul. He is also homeless. This young man will go on to becoming founder of Men of Vision and Empowerment (M.O.V.E), working as a youth organizer at Blocks Together on the city’s West Side, and furthering his education with the hope of becoming a candidate for Illinois State Representative. As he approaches his commencement in the spring Edward Ward, now 23, reflects on the journey it has taken to get this far. What’s revealed is the road to get there was not easy by
any means. Born and raised on the city’s West Side, Ward was a straight-A student. However, as he transitioned to DePaul, a heightened awareness led to a shift in his academic drive. “When I was in high school I was surrounded by black students,” Ward said. “I knew I was black, but I didn’t have to think about it. The minute I got to DePaul, I was in a predominantly white class, where I was the only black student. I automatically felt I wasn’t smart enough to be here.” Ward, being an individual who suffered from low selfesteem, began feeling very insecure about his racial status during his freshman year. As he struggled to find himself within the classroom, troubles at home began to grow.
See WARD, page 5
Changes proposed to sexual assault reporting process By Matthew Paras Editor-in-Chief
Karen Tamburro had 90 days. When Tamburro took over in September as DePaul’s Title IX coordinator, the person responsible taking on complaints of sexual assault, violence and making sure DePaul follows the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination on campus, she had 90 days to evaluate the university’s policies and procedures when it came to the sexual assault reporting process and
A look at Kanye West’s decorated career — page 16
other cases of gender discrimination. Now with that time frame passed, Tamburro has proposed a series of changes — one of which evolved hiring a Title IX investigator, a position that DePaul has never had. In December, Tamburro hired Cheryl Wayne to take over the investigation process in cases. When Tamburro was hired in September, she knew one of her tasks would be to hire an investigator. “There’s a lot of care and consideration
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPAUL
Title IX coordinator Karren Tamburro.
See TITLE IX, page 6
FUEL FOR THOUGHT Pictures and reaction from the auto show — page 21