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

Started by hamburger, March 18, 2021, 03:26:32 PM

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downer

None of this is new. OP has a psychological block on moving on. That will probably continue until something forces the situation to change or the OP seeks some kind of help with working out the emotional issues that go with change.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."—Sinclair Lewis

hamburger

Quote from: spork on March 22, 2021, 07:13:02 AM
Quote from: hamburger on March 22, 2021, 07:10:02 AM
Before the pandemic, a shopkeeper asked my job hunting condition. I told her that I had an unstable adjunct professor job. She told me that her daughter just graduated with a BS degree and she was also an adjunct "professor" at a local university. I had people from the industry telling me that are also adjunct "professor". These days anybody can become a "professor". I know at least two students' advisors in my former department teaching part-time as professor.  Too many PhD cannot find a job. This kind of teaching positions should be reserved to real academic.

Complaining about academia is not going to get you a full-time job outside of academia.


If schools do not hire those kind of people, there could be full-time job in academia for me. Those two students' advisors and company men already have a full-time day job. While they are getting salary from more than one source, some academic are unemployed. They have crossed the line.

Caracal

Quote from: hamburger on March 22, 2021, 07:28:32 AM
Quote from: spork on March 22, 2021, 07:13:02 AM
Quote from: hamburger on March 22, 2021, 07:10:02 AM
Before the pandemic, a shopkeeper asked my job hunting condition. I told her that I had an unstable adjunct professor job. She told me that her daughter just graduated with a BS degree and she was also an adjunct "professor" at a local university. I had people from the industry telling me that are also adjunct "professor". These days anybody can become a "professor". I know at least two students' advisors in my former department teaching part-time as professor.  Too many PhD cannot find a job. This kind of teaching positions should be reserved to real academic.

Complaining about academia is not going to get you a full-time job outside of academia.


If schools do not hire those kind of people, there could be full-time job in academia for me. Those two students' advisors and company men already have a full-time day job. While they are getting salary from more than one source, some academic are unemployed. They have crossed the line.

Dude, its like you're playing the role of the embittered adjunct in a badly written movie.  I really don't see how having someone in industry teach an occasional class in a relevant field is a terrible thing, but who cares. You've constructed this world that is filled with villains keeping you from getting the job that is rightfully yours: Vindictive students, evil chairs, people who teach a class even though they have another job, the internet, people who learned how to do your job without going to grad school. You're just seething with resentment and anger and it isn't serving any purpose.

spork

Quote from: hamburger on March 22, 2021, 07:28:32 AM
Quote from: spork on March 22, 2021, 07:13:02 AM
Quote from: hamburger on March 22, 2021, 07:10:02 AM
Before the pandemic, a shopkeeper asked my job hunting condition. I told her that I had an unstable adjunct professor job. She told me that her daughter just graduated with a BS degree and she was also an adjunct "professor" at a local university. I had people from the industry telling me that are also adjunct "professor". These days anybody can become a "professor". I know at least two students' advisors in my former department teaching part-time as professor.  Too many PhD cannot find a job. This kind of teaching positions should be reserved to real academic.

Complaining about academia is not going to get you a full-time job outside of academia.


If schools do not hire those kind of people, there could be full-time job in academia for me. Those two students' advisors and company men already have a full-time day job. While they are getting salary from more than one source, some academic are unemployed. They have crossed the line.

None of this is relevant to finding a full-time job outside of academia.
It's terrible writing, used to obfuscate the fact that the authors actually have nothing to say.

Mobius

Quote from: hamburger on March 22, 2021, 07:28:32 AM
Quote from: spork on March 22, 2021, 07:13:02 AM
Quote from: hamburger on March 22, 2021, 07:10:02 AM
Before the pandemic, a shopkeeper asked my job hunting condition. I told her that I had an unstable adjunct professor job. She told me that her daughter just graduated with a BS degree and she was also an adjunct "professor" at a local university. I had people from the industry telling me that are also adjunct "professor". These days anybody can become a "professor". I know at least two students' advisors in my former department teaching part-time as professor.  Too many PhD cannot find a job. This kind of teaching positions should be reserved to real academic.

Complaining about academia is not going to get you a full-time job outside of academia.


If schools do not hire those kind of people, there could be full-time job in academia for me. Those two students' advisors and company men already have a full-time day job. While they are getting salary from more than one source, some academic are unemployed. They have crossed the line.

Departments wants someone who is collegial and doesn't cause a problem for chairs/department heads. As an adjunct, do you cause problems for chairs or department heads?

clean

QuoteThose two students' advisors and company men already have a full-time day job.

Maybe you should look for one of those things too!  As there is no limit to the number of jobs a person can hold at one time, and there is no quota that requires employers to hire those that do not have a full time job, then Get A Full Time Job doing SOMETHING.
From the evidence you provide, it will not prevent you from working as an adjunct as well, if you choose! 

And I have always heard, "it is easier to get a job when you have one".

In summary, What Spork said. 
Until you are mobile and quit bitching about your ancient degree in a language/specialty that is no longer in demand, and get over the belief that someone Owes you a job because you have a piece of paper, you will be unhappy.  Your unhappiness is probably infecting your work persona and poisoning your employment. 
I suggest a "Fake it until you Make it!" attitude.  IF someone asks 'how are you?" then the answer is "Fantastic", because no one cares if you are or not, so be happy or at least let others think that you are!.
"The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am"  Darth Vader

polly_mer

Let's review:

This is a job teaching people that a mouse is one of the standard input devices for a computer and then fielding complaints that memorizing that fact is too hard.

This is not an elite institution with an academic job mostly doing research, mentoring research, and professing to prepared students.

The people who struggled to get a recent BS are likely better teachers because they know more pedagogical techniques and have patience with the struggle.  They are also now active in the field and can provide advice on the differences between classroom reality and working reality.

Even in academia, a PhD is the wrong qualification for the specific job and no amount of insistence changes that reality.
Quote from: hmaria1609 on June 27, 2019, 07:07:43 PM
Do whatever you want--I'm just the background dancer in your show!

Mobius

Quote from: polly_mer on March 22, 2021, 10:48:18 AM
Let's review:

This is a job teaching people that a mouse is one of the standard input devices for a computer and then fielding complaints that memorizing that fact is too hard.

This is not an elite institution with an academic job mostly doing research, mentoring research, and professing to prepared students.

The people who struggled to get a recent BS are likely better teachers because they know more pedagogical techniques and have patience with the struggle.  They are also now active in the field and can provide advice on the differences between classroom reality and working reality.

Even in academia, a PhD is the wrong qualification for the specific job and no amount of insistence changes that reality.

CCs definitely want people who understand the mission of a CC, which is why they tend to like to hire people who went to one during the academic career. In any case, I remember teaching my fellow CC students how to navigate in Windows 2000/XP while in my work-study job in the computer lab. Luckily, my job didn't depend on student evals. Just had to show up and tell students to follow the instructions in their books.

Ruralguy

The bottom line to the OP is don't sit and wait for this CC to give you a temp or permanent job. They might, but even temp seems unlikely. OP didn't even like it. Continue to look for other things.

eigen

I think a lot of the advice can be generalized in two statements:

1) Figure out how to teach the students you have, not the ones you wish you had.
2) Figure out what qualifications you need for the jobs that are available, not the ones you wish were available.

This includes looking at changing institutions if the students you have aren't the type you wish you had, but if the types of jobs teaching the students you wish you had aren't available...
Quote from: Caracal
Actually reading posts before responding to them seems to be a problem for a number of people on here...

the_geneticist

Hamburger,
Look, you need to get yourself into "good working order".  You ooze anger, resentment, and bitterness at your former colleagues, your former students, anyone who has a job, and the universe in general.  You've asked for advice, been given advice, and ignored said advice.  The universe owes you nothing. 
Stop wallowing in your miserable, angry puddle of self-pity.
Find a therapist.  Or a job coach. 
No one wants to hire the angry jerk who thinks they are too good for the job or resents other people.  What's your 5 year plan?  It may start with a low-paying, crummy hours position.  But if you show that you are quick to learn new things, responsible, and work well with other people, you'll find it easier to transition into jobs that are higher paying with less crummy hours.

Or if you don't need the money, just relax in some time-consuming hobbies!

Caracal

Quote from: the_geneticist on March 24, 2021, 05:02:01 PM
Hamburger,
Look, you need to get yourself into "good working order".  You ooze anger, resentment, and bitterness at your former colleagues, your former students, anyone who has a job, and the universe in general.  You've asked for advice, been given advice, and ignored said advice.  The universe owes you nothing. 
Stop wallowing in your miserable, angry puddle of self-pity.
Find a therapist.  Or a job coach. 
No one wants to hire the angry jerk who thinks they are too good for the job or resents other people.  What's your 5 year plan?  It may start with a low-paying, crummy hours position.  But if you show that you are quick to learn new things, responsible, and work well with other people, you'll find it easier to transition into jobs that are higher paying with less crummy hours.

Or if you don't need the money, just relax in some time-consuming hobbies!

Yeah I agree, If 1/20th of what you communicate on here comes across when you are looking for a job nobody is going to hire you. I don't really buy that nobody wants to hire people with doctorates, but I certainly believe nobody wants to hire someone with a doctorate who thinks the job they are applying for is beneath them and that they should really have a job at a university somewhere.

Kron3007

Quote from: Mobius on March 22, 2021, 12:15:11 PM
Quote from: polly_mer on March 22, 2021, 10:48:18 AM
Let's review:

This is a job teaching people that a mouse is one of the standard input devices for a computer and then fielding complaints that memorizing that fact is too hard.

This is not an elite institution with an academic job mostly doing research, mentoring research, and professing to prepared students.

The people who struggled to get a recent BS are likely better teachers because they know more pedagogical techniques and have patience with the struggle.  They are also now active in the field and can provide advice on the differences between classroom reality and working reality.

Even in academia, a PhD is the wrong qualification for the specific job and no amount of insistence changes that reality.

CCs definitely want people who understand the mission of a CC, which is why they tend to like to hire people who went to one during the academic career. In any case, I remember teaching my fellow CC students how to navigate in Windows 2000/XP while in my work-study job in the computer lab. Luckily, my job didn't depend on student evals. Just had to show up and tell students to follow the instructions in their books.

Yeah, my cousin was recently hired for a permeant position at a CC with a MA.  I think one of the contributing factors was that they went to a CC as a mature student before transitioning into university for their BA and then MA.  So, as you say, they are very familiar with the CC mission and have been through it.  They also had a lot of teaching experience in a variety of settings, including CCs domestically and abroad.  More importantly, they are very good and enthusiastic about teaching.

For many CCs, a PhD isn't really that relevant.  A PhD dosn't make you a better teacher, and that level of expertise isn't really necessary to teach at that level in many fields.  I think demonstrating interest and aptitude for teaching, along with a real interest in the CC mission is often more important. 

Hamburger, you do not display these traits based on your posts. The last thing a CC wants is a PhD with a superiority complex that looks down on its students and graduates as inferior.   Based on your posts, I would not hire you either, and think you would be a negative force in the workplace.  Hopefully you don't let your opinions/attitude come through during interviews, because if even a sliver does you will be passed over.  If you are not getting hired within or outside of academia, you need to self reflect and review your approach to the application, but I'm sure this has come up in one of the many posts you have started along the same line.

downer

Those seem like big generalizations about CCs. There's a lot of variation. I suspect that the one where I teach would not look at candidates for tenure track positions if they didn't have a PhD. Indeed, I think a large majority of the adjunct faculty in my dept have PhDs. While the focus is teaching, they still value some research.

That's not to offer any hope to the OP about employment though, who seems stuck for other reasons.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."—Sinclair Lewis

polly_mer

CCs want people who teach as a primary interest.  Period.  That is the job.

Many CCs can get excellent teachers who have PhDs, but the mission is teaching students, not providing support for faculty as researchers.

A CC that is transitioning to a four-year institution may be transitioning faculty expectations as well.

A CC may be very encouraging for discipline-based educational research (DBER) to become even better teachers.

However, hamburger's ideal academic job as described on other threads is never found at CCs.  The full-time CC jobs that hamburger has described as being available at hamburger's most recent adjunct employer are not jobs on the path to hamburger's ideal job. 

It's like reading that someone's plan to become a lead guitarist involves years playing the drums.  Yes, both are valid musician jobs, but one does not normally lead to the other, even if examples exist of individuals doing both.
Quote from: hmaria1609 on June 27, 2019, 07:07:43 PM
Do whatever you want--I'm just the background dancer in your show!