What do you need for good working conditions?

[Conjugate]

Well, I have it pretty good.  The one problem I have is with printing.

When I got here, every desk (in a converted classroom with cubicles) had a PC and a printer. There was also a copier down the hall that only copied; it was not networked. Then there was the main printing office, for large print jobs.

Then we got the networked printer/copiers. We were told that when the office printers broke down they would not be replaced, and that it would no longer be possible to order toner cartridges for them (but we still found a way to get the school to do that, on the sly. I don't know the details, but some of the administrative assistants can work wonders). The problem with the networked printer was, well, multi-faceted. 

First of all, the only networked printer I can use is in a separate building from the one where my office is (because of the way offices were arranged.) When we got tenure-track faculty out of the cubicle offices, we got offices wherever they could find them. So if my printer dies, I must (1) send my document to the common networked printer, (2) leave my building, walk maybe 50 yards to another building, up two flights of stairs, and go to the copier; (3) see if the document has printed.

(3a) Briefly, the machine had this problem where, if someone else were using the copier, my quizzes or whatever would be interleaved with whatever was being printed on the copier by someone else, or if someone else tried to print with special paper, my print job would come out on their paper, causing them to run out of special paper before their job was completed. No, I don't know why.

(3b) Then, for a while, I could not print except by choosing "Secure Print," and after going to the copier/printer, putting in my PIN and checking to see if the print was right. God help me if I couldn't remember the PIN or had mistyped it when sending the print job.

(3c) Now, occasionally, when I want 30 3-page exams collated and stapled, it will uncheck the "collate" box for whatever odd reason, and I will get 30 copies of Page 1 all stapled together, 30 copies of Page 2 all stapled, and 30 of Page 3 all stapled. Also, sometimes, I get one page of what I wanted and 29 blank pages, or some strange combination of these problems.

So, (4) if there is a problem with the print, I have to walk back down two flights of stairs, 50 yards back to my building, and send the print job again, and repeat the process. Or email the Administrative Assistant, who would do this for me from her office next to the printer/copier.

So I am VERY careful with that damned printer in my office!

Oh, and I want a good supply of paper pads, pens, dry-erase markers, and such.

[docmama]

This seems basic, but a couple of the places I've taught have had severe mold problems. Mold remediation would be a nice baseline for good working conditions.

[aside]

This seems basic, but a couple of the places I've taught have had severe mold problems. Mold remediation would be a nice baseline for good working conditions.

I've experienced this as well.  Asbestos abatement would also be nice.

[polly_mer]

I adjunct at the school where I also work full-time, which makes my individual deal pretty sweet (I also charge a very high rate to teach, so yay me). However, the biggest working conditions problem here falls on everyone equally: the janitorial service does not clean classrooms. Ever.

After my first year at one institution, the department had a discussion regarding classroom cleaning schedules.  The chair took a couple bullet points as requests to facilities.  The head of facilities listened politely and then informed the chair that heads would roll because what we were requesting as modest improvements was lower than what was supposed to be already being done.  In the fall, we had new custodial staff who not only emptied the trash in classrooms every day, but also swept the floor a minimum of twice per week as well as cleaning the boards a few times per week.

[mahagonny]

Regarding building upkeep cleaning and repairs; I  suspect state bureaucracies are among the worst functioning. They give unions a bad name. Whereas if I didn't do my job there are plenty of ways they could find out and plenty they could do about it. But we never had a union. Now that we do, it is interested in our need to perform well, as well as our rights as workers.

[mahagonny]

I adjunct at the school where I also work full-time, which makes my individual deal pretty sweet (I also charge a very high rate to teach, so yay me). However, the biggest working conditions problem here falls on everyone equally: the janitorial service does not clean classrooms. Ever.

So gross. So gross. And I don't just mean having to carve through layers of dried whiteboard marker schmear to write on the boards.

Instead of taking the adjunct gig for extra $, why not clean a few rooms yourself. Call it giving back to the community. Do that can I'll have a reason to say 'yay wellfleet.'

[mahagonny]

Another work condition that is all too often  in need of improvement is freedom from toxicity and disreputable company in the workplace in the form of an administrator(s) who wants to meddle in adjunct faculty union organizing decisions or communications.

[AnaTommy]

All I want is a window in my office or at least in one of the classrooms. Sometimes I am not sure if the outside world is real.

[fosca]

I had a classroom once with a hole in the ceiling/roof; I could look up through it and see the sky.  This was in New York State, so it did get cold and wet at times.

[mahagonny]

I had a classroom once with a hole in the ceiling/roof; I could look up through it and see the sky.  This was in New York State, so it did get cold and wet at times.

Wow. I had a room that flooded through a wall.

[the_geneticist]

Access to the little niceties adds up fast.  Like being able to get basic supplies (post-it notes, pens, markers) without being grilled as to whether you will REALLY be using them to teach.  A key to the break room so you can use the refrigerator and microwave.  Having a voice, even if you don't have a vote, in faculty discussions of teaching issues. 

[Juvenal]

Access to the little niceties adds up fast.  Like being able to get basic supplies (post-it notes, pens, markers) without being grilled as to whether you will REALLY be using them to teach.  A key to the break room so you can use the refrigerator and microwave.  Having a voice, even if you don't have a vote, in faculty discussions of teaching issues.

This adjunct must live in Paradise.  Have all those things and a card key to the faculty bathroom.  Not even FT have a key to the supply closet, but ask the AA for access and it's "Open sesame" for all.

[the_geneticist]

Access to the little niceties adds up fast.  Like being able to get basic supplies (post-it notes, pens, markers) without being grilled as to whether you will REALLY be using them to teach.  A key to the break room so you can use the refrigerator and microwave.  Having a voice, even if you don't have a vote, in faculty discussions of teaching issues.

This adjunct must live in Paradise.  Have all those things and a card key to the faculty bathroom.  Not even FT have a key to the supply closet, but ask the AA for access and it's "Open sesame" for all.

I'm not an adjust, but I've seen a dysfunctional department scare away some really awesome part-time folks by treating them like they were disposable.

[Caracal]

Access to the little niceties adds up fast.  Like being able to get basic supplies (post-it notes, pens, markers) without being grilled as to whether you will REALLY be using them to teach.  A key to the break room so you can use the refrigerator and microwave.  Having a voice, even if you don't have a vote, in faculty discussions of teaching issues.

This adjunct must live in Paradise.  Have all those things and a card key to the faculty bathroom.  Not even FT have a key to the supply closet, but ask the AA for access and it's "Open sesame" for all.

Really? You guys have restricted supply closets? Everywhere I've been its just an open room in the department office. Also you have separate faculty bathrooms?

[mahagonny]

Access to the little niceties adds up fast.  Like being able to get basic supplies (post-it notes, pens, markers) without being grilled as to whether you will REALLY be using them to teach.  A key to the break room so you can use the refrigerator and microwave.  Having a voice, even if you don't have a vote, in faculty discussions of teaching issues.

This adjunct must live in Paradise.  Have all those things and a card key to the faculty bathroom.  Not even FT have a key to the supply closet, but ask the AA for access and it's "Open sesame" for all.

I'm not an adjust, but I've seen a dysfunctional department scare away some really awesome part-time folks by treating them like they were disposable.

Dysfunctional according to whom? that's absolutely normal. Higher ed culture long ago gave up on the idea that part time teaching jobs should attract people for any basic working conditions reasons. The most predominant advice is to quit. Maybe not everywhere, but certainly on this forum. The more energetic and narcissistic of those advisors then congratulate themselves on their thoughtfulness for having given that advice.