Last month, the Georgia Board of Regents changed academic policy to raise the cap on the percentage of lecturers (rather than full faculty members) that can teach at the state’s public colleges.  The change increases the cap on lecturers from 10 percent to 20 percent of a college’s faculty.  The Board hopes that an increase in this percentage will give college administration more flexibility to cut costs in tight budget years.  Lecturers earn less than full professors earn and don’t conduct independent research, enabling them to teach more courses at a lower cost.  At places like the University of Georgia, there is no plan to increase the number of lecturers who currently make up 5 percent of faculty.  However, at schools like Kennesaw State University more lecturers could allow the school to promote part-time and temporary faculty to permanent positions.
 
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