Southeastern Louisiana University is considering a proposal to shift up to 30% of instructional duties from full-time faculty to adjunct instructors, lecturers and graduate students.
This change will take place over the next several years, according to faculty leadership; the change would not be immediate.
Instead, departments would gradually phase in the change through attrition, including retirements, as they adjust staffing over time.
Under the proposal, graduate students and non-full-time faculty would take on a larger share of classroom instruction as openings occur. The university has described the plan as a long-term response to financial pressures and shifting conditions in higher education.
However, details on implementation timelines and department-level impacts are still being discussed.
Bridget Hester, instructor and undergraduate coordinator in the Department of History and Political Science, said Southeastern has historically emphasized small class sizes taught primarily by full-time faculty.
“In our century-long history, Southeastern has maintained a standard of small, intimate classes taught by full-time faculty,” Hester said.
According to Hester, the university’s student-faculty relationships have played a major role in student success and contribute to recruitment efforts.
She said Southeastern has built a reputation on students being known personally by professors rather than feeling disconnected in large or impersonal classroom settings.
At the same time, Hester acknowledged that the proposal could benefit graduate students if implemented carefully. She noted that increased teaching opportunities could help prepare them for careers in academia or education.
“Being given the responsibility of crafting curricula, assignments and assessments can be a great preparation for graduate students who want to pursue a career in which teaching is the primary focus,” she said.
However, she emphasized that any expansion of graduate student teaching roles would need to be carefully managed to avoid adding excessive workload.
Graduate students already balance demanding academic requirements, and additional teaching responsibilities could strain them if not properly supported through faculty supervision and departmental oversight.
Hester added that students could be negatively affected if more instruction shifts away from full-time faculty, saying they may become “a nameless face to an overworked grad student or adjunct.”
Despite those pressures, Hester questioned whether the plan risks weakening what she described as one of Southeastern’s defining strengths: its close-knit academic environment and faculty engagement with students.
Dr. Jerry Parker, instructor and program coordinator for World Languages, and director of the Foreign Language Resource Center, offered a different perspective.
He described the proposal as part of a broader national trend in higher education.
“The term is called the adjunctification of higher education, so Southeastern is just getting on par with national trends,” Parker said.
Parker said the use of adjunct instructors can create opportunities for students to learn directly from professionals currently working in their industries. He explained that adjunct faculty members often bring practical, real-world experience into introductory courses.
“It provides the institution another option; it provides students the opportunity to hear that perspective,” he said.
Parker also spoke positively about the role graduate students could play in the classroom, noting that teaching experience can help prepare them professionally.
“A lot of times, you’re never taught how to teach in graduate school. I think now we have the opportunity to train those students to be in the classroom,” Parker stated.
Parker said graduate students would likely teach introductory-level courses rather than upper-level classes due to accreditation requirements.
He also said university leadership has been transparent about the proposal, adding that “higher education is a changing field.”
As the proposal continues to be discussed, faculty perspectives remain divided on whether the shift will strengthen or weaken the university experience.
While some see concerns over student connection and campus culture, others view it as an opportunity for growth and adaptation within the future of higher education.
Students who wish to share feedback on the proposal have several avenues available. Hester encouraged student participation through SGA, letters to The Lion’s Roar and direct communication with university administrators.
