With the increase of course caps for next fall, numerous sections have been consolidated. Many sections have been canceled due to this consolidation, which in turn has had an effect on the adjuncts of Saint Joseph’s University who would normally teach these now canceled classes.

An elimination of adjuncts has commenced across the university, majorly affecting the art department.

Seventeen sections in the art department have been canceled for the upcoming fall semester due to the new enrollment cap policies, and all 17 sections were taught by adjuncts.

“It feels really like we’ve been kind of targeted, and the reason is, even though the classes are really popular and the kids really want to take them, they’re not signature classes, so we can afford to get rid of them,” said Dennis McNally, S.J., Ph.D., professor and chair of the art department.

All of the sections within the art department that were canceled were studio courses except for one art history section. Joseph Giuffre, adjunct professor of art, explained that as sections were canceled, other sections needed to increase in size; however it is especially difficult to do this for studio courses.

“You can’t raise the caps on a lot of studio courses,” he said. “There’s just not much equipment. In a drawing class… you can’t put 30 students around a live model. The courses have to be kept small. Plus the fact that in studio courses almost all of the instruction is one on one.”

One of Giuffre’s art history survey sections for next semester was canceled, leaving him with only one section to teach. And McNally explained that as a whole, the art department has lost approximately nine adjuncts for the fall semester.

“It’s a disgrace,” said McNally about the elimination of adjuncts, “These people are highly educated, highly dedicated, they work really hard. They stay here for years; they’re really part of the community, we know them and love them,

the amount of faculty and resources,” said Alan Iser, adjunct professor in the department of theology.

Ann McNally, adjunct professor of management, said that she feels adjuncts can be more relatable to students, changing the atmosphere of the class- room.

“I think that the adjuncts do add to the quality of education for the students,” said McNally. “They bring the real world into the classroom. It’s the reason I teach. I really want the students to gain the real-world perspective.”

John Fleming, adjunct professor of management, said, “I think that when the adjunct brings a lot of value to the education is when they can bring re- al-life experiences into the classroom. And I think if you take that away, if you limit that, you’re limiting another way that a student can learn.”

Some students, like Mary Kate Catalino, ’16, shared similar opinions.

“It’s not fair to them and it’s not fair to us, both sides are being hurt here,” said Catalino. “[Adjuncts] bring in the perspective of real-life experience, and [eliminating adjuncts] hurts the stu- dents because you can only learn so much from a textbook.”

“It’s beneficial to have the adjuncts in the classroom because…they’re not going to teach you stuff that’s frivolous, that you don’t need to know,” she added. “They’ve had hands-on experience. I also find the adjuncts have a better passion for their subject. I feel their passion really shows through and I know for me, the more passionate they are towards a subject the better I want to do in that class.”

As course caps rise for the fall of 2014, the number of adjunct faculty will decrease, causing certain courses to be canceled.

Jeanne Brady, Ph.D., interim dean of the college of arts and sciences, was unavailable for comment.