When we talk to administrators on unionized campuses, they tend to describe the constraints they face and inability to make positive changes for VITAL (visiting, instructional, teaching, and lecturing) faculty. Administrators admit that these contingent faculty have subpar working conditions, but campus leaders remain hamstrung when it comes to making alterations. Administrators note that contracts dictate so many parameters that they are unable to offer professional development to VITAL faculty or include them meaningfully in governance, for example. This common refrain is more myth than truth. On each of these campuses, we have spoken to union leaders who welcome the idea of making changes to better support VITAL faculty. Collective bargaining and contracts should be seen as a site of potential and possibility, not as constraints.
Reciprocity over Hierarchy: Designing and Implementing a Student-Led Reverse Mentoring Program
Many academic leaders, including administrators and faculty members, participate in traditional mentoring programs that prioritize hierarchy. But these programs typically don’t foster engagement and connection between students and faculty or
Marquita Lyons-Smith and Keva Suitte
October 19, 2026
