SEIU Local 500 Higher Education Division

Information for Faculty During the Coronavirus Crisis

Are there any resources to help me transition to teaching online?

In addition to the resources your employer may have offered, The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), an SEIU Local 500 partner, is offering freely available resources to help faculty and graduate students transition their courses online. ACUE worked with three noted experts to create and curate some essential guidance on six key topics. Specifically, how best to:

1. Welcome students to the online environment 

2. Manage your online presence

3. Organize your online course

4. Plan and facilitating quality discussions

5. Record effective micro-lectures, and 

6. Engage students in readings and micro-lectures.  

These and forthcoming resources are within this toolkit: https://acue.org/online-teaching-toolkit/, alongside other supports at ACUE’s coronavirus response page: https://acue.org/coronavirus/.

What should I do if I don’t receive a paycheck while teaching online?

If you don’t get paid, please call SEIU Local 500 at 301-740-7100 and ask to speak with a Contract Administrative Representative.

Can I get paid for the extra work involved in teaching online instead of in a classroom?

This is an unprecedented situation with unanticipated challenges. Some faculty have reported that online teaching is taking more hours than normal classroom courses. In that case, you should keep track of your hours for the rest of the semester. SEIU Local 500 can assist you in advocating for additional compensation, though you should keep in mind that your employer is not required to compensate you for these hours. Please call 301-740-7100 if you want to discuss making a demand for additional compensation.

Can I get paid for taking trainings to teach online?

This is an unprecedented situation with unanticipated challenges. Recognizing this, some institutions have been paying faculty to take trainings. SEIU Local 500 can assist you in advocating for your compensation for trainings, even though employers are not mandated to do so. Please call 301-740-7100 to let us know if you have been required to take trainings you were not compensated for.

Can I get reimbursed for expenses incurred in teaching online?

Many of our union contracts have provisions that faculty can get paid for classroom expenses. You should check the language of your specific contract here - https://www.seiu500.org/find-my-workplace. Ideally, you should contact your department chair before incurring any expenses. Please contact SEIU Local 500 at 301-740-7100 for guidance or if your request for reimbursement is rejected.

What if I don’t get any summer courses?

Adjuncts whose work is reduced or eliminated from one academic term to another can apply for unemployment benefits. As the unemployment situation for adjuncts is different from that of other educational employees, please contact Anne McLeer at mcleera@seiu500.org for more information.

What is my union doing at the state and national level to protect workers’ rights in this crisis?

SEIU Local 500 is working with our regional partners, as well as SEIU International, to make demands to protect workers and their families during this crisis and beyond. Demands at the state level in Maryland include preventing loss of housing, ensuring essential services, removing barriers to public benefits, expansion of sick leave and more. You can read more here. For residents of the District of Columbia, Jobs with Justice is maintaining this site with resources on workers’ rights, housing, public benefits, medical leave and more.

At the national level SEIU has launched the Protect All Workers campaign, demanding immediate, sweeping action by major industries, corporations, and government to secure the health, safety and long-term economic well-being of working people across America regardless of where they work, their race, their immigration status, or current healthcare coverage.