Faculty who hold contracts with appointments of limited duration represent a significant and experienced asset to the university.

In the California State University, more than half of the lecturer faculty have more than five years of teaching experience.

These faculty members are not "temporary" any more than are tenure-track faculty who do not remain for their entire careers. The distinction rests on the length of the employment contract, which is typically limited to one term or one year for lecturer faculty.

Lecturer faculty are governed by policy provisions which determine standards and criteria just as their tenured and tenure-track colleagues. Temporary faculty should be allowed to participate with other faculty in the formulation of these policies which affect their professional careers.

The contribution of lecturer faculty experience to academic governance would strengthen and benefit the campus community. Allowing temporary faculty participation in academic governance would create better morale, a clearer sense of common cause among faculty, and a more united faculty to improve terms and conditions of employment.

If there is uncertainty or disagreement about an issue in an academic community, it is better to err on the side of inclusion than exclusion.

Participation in academic governance should be based upon credentials and experience. Lecturers have both; they should be enfranchised and should actively participate in governance.

Full-time faculty develop and evaluate program curricula and serve on committees that carry out the business of their department.

Usually, they have a broader scope of experiences and this enhances their ability to analyze issues affecting the institutions they serve. There is a cohesiveness and collegiality among permanent members of a department and they tend to be more invested in the long-term success of their institution.

Part-time faculty members are typically hired to teach a course or two per semester, may not conduct research, and probably would not serve on committees. They are not as familiar with program curricula and typically do not attend departmental faculty meetings. These factors contribute to a more limited perspective and make them less suited to make decisions about global institutional matters.

There's a danger also. Part-time faculty involved in governance may be used like pawns by administrators who want to accomplish certain ends such as chipping away at faculty rights. Part-time and temporary appointment faculty depend on administrators to hire them each semester. Consequently, they may be overly eager to please these individuals, and this inclination may be played out in governance bodies.

Wise administrators know that the check-and-balance system offered by a strong, full-time tenured faculty helps ensure the long-term health of the institution. A solid core of full-time faculty is the foundation of our colleges and universities and the most appropriate participants in faculty governance.

* Jane Kerlinger, a lecturer in geo-sciences, is the California Faculty Association associate vice president for lecturers. Being temporary or part-time doesn't mean having nothing to give. Jane Kerlinger

* Mary Ellen Symanski, associate professor of nursing, is president of the Faculty Senate at the University of Maine.