CAUT has made part-time and other contract academic staff an important priority. In addition to creating a new subcommittee on contract academic staff, CAUT is hiring a new professional officer whose job will be to work with local associations in organizing contract academic staff.

"It has become clear that contract academic staff are an integral part of CAUT's responsibilities," said David Clipsham, chair of the newly created subcommittee. "It is essential for all of us to have a holistic vision of the academic workplace -- to recognize that the common interests of full-time and part-time academic staff outweigh any differences."

An immediate task for the subcommittee was to review the CAUT policy on academic appointments and tenure. At the April 1999 Council, delegates recognized that the policy was seriously flawed and referred it to the new subcommittee and to the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee with instructions to "revise the sections dealing with contract academic staff to express CAUT's support for (1) inclusiveness, (2) academic freedom, (3) job security, (4) fair and due process in all decision-making, and (5) elimination of all exploitation." The revised policy will be brought to the November Council.

In addition to Clipsham, members of the subcommittee are Brian Brown (Windsor), Aydon Charlton (Regina), Tess Hooks (Western Ontario), Eileen Lohka (Calgary) and Brenda McLean (Alberta).

The new staff position will be filled by January 1, 2000.