What can we tell about schools that have tones of open part-time positions

[hamburger]

but no full time position?

Hi, there are some local schools including my former CC that advertise for open positions. However, they are all part-time or contracted course-based positions. These positions do not include benefits nor allow one to join the union. Yet, the job descriptions look like jobs for full-time faculty. Does that mean they are just abusing the situation to hire people whom they can get rid of whenever they like?

For my former department, they again advertised for over 10 open positions. Yet, they are all part-time. Seems like they need people but they don't want to pay for any benefit nor want to hire full-timers. When a new department head came, we thought the situation would improve but it is worse.

[Ruralguy]

Common situation.

[Mobius]

The department head generally has no control of how many FT positions they can fill. Deans might not have control, either.

[Parasaurolophus]

Tons do that here, usually at HR's urging, to keep instructional staff costs low by preventing anyone from moving up the union ladder quickly.

One place here has, like, 20 faculty teaching just one course in the department instead of five more full-time faculty.

[polly_mer]

Generally, people who want full-time positions should refrain from applying to these places, even if full-time positions are advertised.

[hamburger]

The situation seems to be worse and worse. At least at my former CC before the pandemic, graduates from the same CC and even Students' Advisors were hired to teach to as they are at lower pay scale than PhD.

Every semester, one department keeps saying that without "international students", they don't have enough students to open a class for me to teach. They even terminated my email account. How much does it cost to keep my email account?

[polly_mer]

You are not employed there.  It is a liability to let an unaffiliated person to retain a faculty account.

[mahagonny]

They even terminated my email account.

Well, there's something to enjoy, amid all this squalor and exploitation.

[Kron3007]

Hamburger,

I dont mean to be harsh, but you know very well what this means.  You have been posting about your experience as a temp instructor for years, and if I recall you are many years, if not decades, out of your PhD.  Despite all of this experience, your posts still come across as if you were new to the situation and just learning about the flaws and exploitation.  You know the reality, but do not seem to accept it.  You have received all sorts of great advice on this forum, but you seem to ignore it and continue to repeat the same actions while expecting new results.

When I was a post doc, I consciously made myself a promise that I would not stay in that position for more than three years because I saw too many bitter researchers working as perpetual post docs without job security or room for professional growth.  It is not as bad as the adjunct scene, but I saw the writing on the wall and was not willing to be used as cheap disposable labour.  Fortunately, I ended up getting a faculty position in my third year, but I was already making my plans to move to industry or start a business. 

From what I remember, you have skills that are useful outside of academia.  If you were happy as a temp instructor, that would be great, but you obviously are not.  So, you need to make an exit plan and execute it (as discussed at great length in other posts).     

[dr_codex]

but no full time position?

Hi, there are some local schools including my former CC that advertise for open positions. However, they are all part-time or contracted course-based positions. These positions do not include benefits nor allow one to join the union. Yet, the job descriptions look like jobs for full-time faculty. Does that mean they are just abusing the situation to hire people whom they can get rid of whenever they like?

For my former department, they again advertised for over 10 open positions. Yet, they are all part-time. Seems like they need people but they don't want to pay for any benefit nor want to hire full-timers. When a new department head came, we thought the situation would improve but it is worse.

If these are sincere questions, then you really should apply for other jobs, just to see what's happening outside of the ivory tower.

It's not a problem confined to your local schools. It's a fundamental shift in employment and labor relations in almost all sectors that has been going on around us for decades.

[Myword]

Sometimes these "openings" are not for actual jobs. I was told this by HR departments. They list part-time jobs open but this is only to create a list of potential instructors. Nothing is open at the time. Community colleges do this a lot.
That's the shell game. It is like a business that lists inventory on the internet but has none.

[Caracal]

Where I am, CCs pay a lot less. Last time I checked several years ago, the CC in my area paid a third per class of what I get paid. (That's not a brag, unfortunately) There's a tiered hierarchy of adjunct positions and CCs are often at the bottom. The market for adjuncts is really opaque, so I'm sure plenty of good adjunct instructors are working at CCs, but I bet almost all of them send emails every year to departments in the various other schools in the area that pay more. When a department finds itself short of a few classes and sends them an email asking if they're still interested, they're gone. If that doesn't happen, I can't imagine a lot of people stick around too long anyway. So, of course they have a lot of open positions.

[the_geneticist]

It's entirely normal to advertise like this to create a "pool" of potential instructors. 
There is zero correlation between having these postings, the actual need for instructors, or the potential for a permanent full-time position.

Look, you hated working at that community college.  You despised the department, your colleagues, and the students.  You told the fora folks at length how miserable you were.

Why on earth would you want to go back?!?

Get a job doing something else.  Anything else.  Seriously.  Mow lawns for a lawn care company, fill orders at a warehouse, manage files for an insurance company.
I'd suggest you fill out a profile for a temp agency.  Once they see that you can use computer programs, do basic math, see in color, etc. they will find you positions.  The pay will be lousy at first, the hours are more likely to be swing or graveyard and weekends than day time M-F, but you will be starting something new.  Who knows, maybe you'll even like it.

[Ruralguy]

Yes, and if for some reason you don't need the money, stay active doing something else anyway.
Some sort of job or volunteer work.  But waiting for this CC to throw you a bone when you didn't like it anyway, and it can't offer you hope for getting you back into your field, is not worth it even if you are tied to that region for personal reasons.

[little bongo]

Hamburger--I get from your past  history that things haven't been working out so well. Thank you for bravely sharing your difficulties with the fora, and I hope you find a fresh start, whether by remaining in teaching or in a different direction.