This paper, from the Faculty Association of Community and Technical Colleges (FACTC) in Washington, addresses the issue of part-time faculty employment in the state's community colleges. In fall 1997, there were 3,019 full-time and 5,256 part-time instructors in Washington's two year colleges. Departments that rely most heavily on part-time faculty are those teaching basic skills, developmental, and college English. FACTC states that there are good reasons for employing part-time faculty, such as when a certain course should be taught and there is no one to teach it, and it is not offered often enough to warrant a full-time contract. But there are still too many part-time faculty filling positions that could utilize full-time faculty, and part-time instructors continue to be poorly paid and mistreated. And because many adjunct faculty teach at more than one college or have other second jobs in order to make a living wage, they do not have time to participate in conferences, do committee work, or do independent research and publishing. Thus, when a coveted full-time job is available, their vitae are lacking. FACTC suggests that the solution to the problem is complicated in its political, policy, and moral dimensions. The issue contends that the overdependence on part-time faculty adversely affects higher education. (NB)