Tenure track and adjuncts need each other

One of the hot-button topics in higher ed is the role of adjunct instructors. Part-time professors (or adjuncts, for short) are frequently employed - an english department in one large state school I know of is composed of 2/3 adjuncts - but are rarely talked about. I agree with Ihssen and Kaurin, who state that there is a crucial need for better communication between adjuncts and tenure-track professors. Adjuncts often accept positions with the expectation of promotion to tenure-track, but frequently there is no clear path to this goal. From the perspective of the administration, it's simply more economical to continue hiring more adjuncts, when tenure-track lines are difficult to attain and not necessarily continued when lost (a faculty member leaves). The benefits from adjuncting (health insurance, holidays, sick days) are frequently none. Unions are also making inroads; in the CSU system, adjuncts who teach two classes a semester receive medical coverage.