Lecturer: Suzanne Kelly, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
First published in the May 2013 edition of The Bullhorn. The original publication can be found here.
Pursuing feminist philosophy and other interdisciplinary feminist studies was simply an “organic path” for the Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies Lecturer. As an undergraduate, Dr. Suzanne Kelly was inspired by her philosophy professor at Bradford College, Margaret Walsh, who led her to feminist studies by way of a major in philosophy and a minor in Gender Studies (a Gender Studies major was not an available option). She originally started her Master’s work in philosophy at the New School for Social Research, but when the institution offered a Gender Studies and Feminist Theory degree, she switched over and found her grounding in the discipline.
Later, Dr. Kelly finished her interdisciplinary Ph.D. at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). She found her way to FAU through the feminist philosopher Teresa Brennan, her mentor at the New School. “Teresa devised the Comparative Studies Ph.D. and was able to draw in wonderful minds to the program.” There she had the opportunity to study with Gloria Anzaldúa, Jane Caputi, Linda Alcoff and Nawal El Saadawi, among others. While inspired by feminist philosophy, she now sees her work as more interdisciplinary. “I came into it that way, but I’m not traditionally trained in feminist philosophy, although I’m heavily influenced by it.”
Today, her academic research and mainstream publications draw upon her feminist philosophical background to explore the intersections of feminism, the body and the environment, most recently thinking about “dead bodies that matter,” advocating for green burial, and environmental justice. Much of her work is inspired by a “feminist environmental ethic” that public intellectuals like Vandana Shiva, Jane Caputi and Val Plumwood have worked to shape. “I’m drawn to feminist thinkers whose ideas reflect a range of influences, like ecology, mythology, art, poetry and popular culture.”
During her graduate studies, Suzanne Kelly worked briefly at SUNY New Paltz. After receiving her Master’s, she taught “Women: Images and Realities” in 1996 before pursuing her interdisciplinary Ph.D. While writing her dissertation in 2003, she moved back to the Hudson Valley and began teaching as an adjunct for Women’s Studies. She first became a lecturer as a sabbatical replacement in 2008. That same year she received the part-time Liberal Arts and Sciences Award for excellence in teaching. When Professor Amy Kesselman retired in 2012, Dr. Kelly filled up part of the absent full-time line as a three-quarters lecturer.
Student Association members and other advocacy groups are currently advocating for granting departmental status to Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, but the program has always struggled with its status. Professor Kesselman was the only full-time faculty member hired solely for the WGS program, and only about seven years ago did the College begin to hire half-lines, starting with Heather Hewett.
Although there are now five full-time faculty members—Karl Bryant (Sociology), Kathleen Dowley (Political Science), Heather Hewett (English), Edith Kuiper (Economics) and Meg Devlin O’Sullivan (History)—they split their time between their home departments, where they receive tenure, and WGS. The hiring trend diversifies the program, but “that’s only one way that interdisciplinarity can manifest itself,” Dr. Kelly observed.
Despite Suzanne Kelly’s Ph.D., her interdisciplinary degree is outside any of the traditional SUNY New Paltz departmental parameters, making it challenging to qualify for a job here. Her only opportunity would be through WGS Studies since the program is interdisciplinary and best corresponds with her research. “There’s no job even for me to apply for.” Instead, as a three-quarters lecturer, she teaches a 3-3 course-load, three 4-credit courses and three 3-credit courses per year, with a reduced Lecturer’s salary. And this year she is also the Coordinator of WGS’s biennial conference, “Reproductive Justice – 40 Years After Roe v. Wade.” She could not imagine handling the workload of a full-time 5-5 lecturer. “It’s a cruel amount of work.”
She shares many of the burdens of her contingent counterparts. She remembers when the institution would predictably fill adjunct lines, when adjuncts knew year-to-year that their contracts were not on the line, that they would still have their job, even without such language in print. In particular, WGS always needed adjuncts because, apart from Amy Kesselman, there were no other tenure track lines.
When serious budget problems hit SUNY five years ago, there were severe adjunct cuts that eliminated any semblance of minimal “job security.” There used to be more adjuncts than full-time faculty members, now the numbers are nearly even. Suzanne recognizes the overall benefits of increasing full-time lines across the campus, even with the obvious need for some contingent labor force, but “it would have made more sense, if they were to decrease the number of adjuncts, as they did, to increase the pay for those who were left. But their plan has not proved to be beneficial for contingents.”
As part of her professional obligation, Kelly stays on top of program activities by attending faculty meetings, contributing to the program’s curriculum development, working with students outside of her contracted hours and participating in numerous program events. Fortunately, WGS Studies encourages contingent participation. “I attend many meetings because our voices are important. But it can end up being a lot of extra work. It doesn’t add to your contract, it doesn’t add to making more money. Class sizes have increased, which makes for more work at the same low pay and to add insult to injury we haven’t received discretionary salary increases for the last three years. For full-time professors, service and publishing provides more money. Like other contingents, I do many of these things, but I don’t get more money for my job from doing them. I don’t even get the satisfaction of knowing I’ll have a job in the future.”
In previous years she has served on the UUP’s Contingent Concerns Committee. “WGS is grounded in activism, so it’s an easy sell over here. Still, it’s been tough to get other part-timers on the committee.” She will also be speaking on contingent concerns at the May Day $5K event on May 1. Even with her personal motivations for union activism, she sees the trend: “Contingents most likely want to come to teach their classes and leave. Our time is precious because we get paid so little.” As such, it’s difficult to create a unified part-time force, and she cannot predict what current movements for adjunct job security and compensation will bring.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. I know the union is fighting for more money. You dignify people’s work by paying them what their work is worth. It’s really that simple. You can do it for a time, because you love doing it. It’s a very hard thing to endure. It is that much work, that little pay, and the job security is getting worse. This is happening all over the country, but it’s shameful right here at SUNY, and it’s mind-boggling to me that it continues.”
Later, Dr. Kelly finished her interdisciplinary Ph.D. at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). She found her way to FAU through the feminist philosopher Teresa Brennan, her mentor at the New School. “Teresa devised the Comparative Studies Ph.D. and was able to draw in wonderful minds to the program.” There she had the opportunity to study with Gloria Anzaldúa, Jane Caputi, Linda Alcoff and Nawal El Saadawi, among others. While inspired by feminist philosophy, she now sees her work as more interdisciplinary. “I came into it that way, but I’m not traditionally trained in feminist philosophy, although I’m heavily influenced by it.”
Today, her academic research and mainstream publications draw upon her feminist philosophical background to explore the intersections of feminism, the body and the environment, most recently thinking about “dead bodies that matter,” advocating for green burial, and environmental justice. Much of her work is inspired by a “feminist environmental ethic” that public intellectuals like Vandana Shiva, Jane Caputi and Val Plumwood have worked to shape. “I’m drawn to feminist thinkers whose ideas reflect a range of influences, like ecology, mythology, art, poetry and popular culture.”
During her graduate studies, Suzanne Kelly worked briefly at SUNY New Paltz. After receiving her Master’s, she taught “Women: Images and Realities” in 1996 before pursuing her interdisciplinary Ph.D. While writing her dissertation in 2003, she moved back to the Hudson Valley and began teaching as an adjunct for Women’s Studies. She first became a lecturer as a sabbatical replacement in 2008. That same year she received the part-time Liberal Arts and Sciences Award for excellence in teaching. When Professor Amy Kesselman retired in 2012, Dr. Kelly filled up part of the absent full-time line as a three-quarters lecturer.
Student Association members and other advocacy groups are currently advocating for granting departmental status to Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, but the program has always struggled with its status. Professor Kesselman was the only full-time faculty member hired solely for the WGS program, and only about seven years ago did the College begin to hire half-lines, starting with Heather Hewett.
Although there are now five full-time faculty members—Karl Bryant (Sociology), Kathleen Dowley (Political Science), Heather Hewett (English), Edith Kuiper (Economics) and Meg Devlin O’Sullivan (History)—they split their time between their home departments, where they receive tenure, and WGS. The hiring trend diversifies the program, but “that’s only one way that interdisciplinarity can manifest itself,” Dr. Kelly observed.
Despite Suzanne Kelly’s Ph.D., her interdisciplinary degree is outside any of the traditional SUNY New Paltz departmental parameters, making it challenging to qualify for a job here. Her only opportunity would be through WGS Studies since the program is interdisciplinary and best corresponds with her research. “There’s no job even for me to apply for.” Instead, as a three-quarters lecturer, she teaches a 3-3 course-load, three 4-credit courses and three 3-credit courses per year, with a reduced Lecturer’s salary. And this year she is also the Coordinator of WGS’s biennial conference, “Reproductive Justice – 40 Years After Roe v. Wade.” She could not imagine handling the workload of a full-time 5-5 lecturer. “It’s a cruel amount of work.”
She shares many of the burdens of her contingent counterparts. She remembers when the institution would predictably fill adjunct lines, when adjuncts knew year-to-year that their contracts were not on the line, that they would still have their job, even without such language in print. In particular, WGS always needed adjuncts because, apart from Amy Kesselman, there were no other tenure track lines.
When serious budget problems hit SUNY five years ago, there were severe adjunct cuts that eliminated any semblance of minimal “job security.” There used to be more adjuncts than full-time faculty members, now the numbers are nearly even. Suzanne recognizes the overall benefits of increasing full-time lines across the campus, even with the obvious need for some contingent labor force, but “it would have made more sense, if they were to decrease the number of adjuncts, as they did, to increase the pay for those who were left. But their plan has not proved to be beneficial for contingents.”
As part of her professional obligation, Kelly stays on top of program activities by attending faculty meetings, contributing to the program’s curriculum development, working with students outside of her contracted hours and participating in numerous program events. Fortunately, WGS Studies encourages contingent participation. “I attend many meetings because our voices are important. But it can end up being a lot of extra work. It doesn’t add to your contract, it doesn’t add to making more money. Class sizes have increased, which makes for more work at the same low pay and to add insult to injury we haven’t received discretionary salary increases for the last three years. For full-time professors, service and publishing provides more money. Like other contingents, I do many of these things, but I don’t get more money for my job from doing them. I don’t even get the satisfaction of knowing I’ll have a job in the future.”
In previous years she has served on the UUP’s Contingent Concerns Committee. “WGS is grounded in activism, so it’s an easy sell over here. Still, it’s been tough to get other part-timers on the committee.” She will also be speaking on contingent concerns at the May Day $5K event on May 1. Even with her personal motivations for union activism, she sees the trend: “Contingents most likely want to come to teach their classes and leave. Our time is precious because we get paid so little.” As such, it’s difficult to create a unified part-time force, and she cannot predict what current movements for adjunct job security and compensation will bring.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. I know the union is fighting for more money. You dignify people’s work by paying them what their work is worth. It’s really that simple. You can do it for a time, because you love doing it. It’s a very hard thing to endure. It is that much work, that little pay, and the job security is getting worse. This is happening all over the country, but it’s shameful right here at SUNY, and it’s mind-boggling to me that it continues.”
