Punished Or Cut Back on Hours For Working at Multiple Colleges?

[mahagonny]

Mahagonny, have you ever done the scheduling or the hiring?  These things aren't nearly as difficult as you're making them out to be.

Yes. I have been told, 'we need another adjunct, who do you know? OK, is he qualified? Yes? OK, is he available? Will you ask him? OK thanks. If he's interested, find out when we can get him down here to meet him.'

Yes, a last minute fill in to teach one of our labs has our blessing to drive an Uber or run for congress. We don't care.

Gee thanks. I knew you were a regular guy.

For professional fellows, we look specifically for people who have a full-time job in their field so they can provide better examples to our students.  The ongoing relationship for the required classes often depends on continuing to be employed in a full-time job in their fields.  I have seen contracts to that effect for nurses and other fields where licensing is important.

...and so the one-size-fits-all contract with language about you being expected to hold a full time job, concurrently, in a department like mine, where  a good number of professional people need to be on campus for hours at a time, during 9-5 hours, is a strange thing to read, and gets some deserved ridicule from people like us. There was even one fun fellow, a mid-level administrator, on the old forum who claimed that most part time adjunct teaching was done at night. And nobody said anything.

In the case of warm bodies covering random gen ed courses, no one cares what else you're doing with your life.

Insulting terminology, and reflects poorly on you.

Some of them actually do care, (winding back to my original post), if they think you are attracting students to a competing school.

[glowdart]

We schedule our part-time faculty classes based on a variety of data points, including:
— what we need taught
— when we can get classrooms
— the rest of the course offerings
— the teaching schedules at the other college in town where many of our PT faculty also teach
— when our part-time faculty are available to teach based on:
—— their preferences
—— their other jobs & schedules
—— their life needs (daycare pick ups, etc.)

So if the three people who can teach the 3 200-level basket weaving theory course are only available at 8 am before they go to their 10-6 job or at 7 pm after the day job is done, then that's when we schedule those classes.

It's really not complicated if you bother to talk to your colleagues.

[mahagonny]

We schedule our part-time faculty classes based on a variety of data points, including:
— what we need taught
— when we can get classrooms
— the rest of the course offerings
— the teaching schedules at the other college in town where many of our PT faculty also teach
— when our part-time faculty are available to teach based on:
—— their preferences
—— their other jobs & schedules
—— their life needs (daycare pick ups, etc.)

So if the three people who can teach the 3 200-level basket weaving theory course are only available at 8 am before they go to their 10-6 job or at 7 pm after the day job is done, then that's when we schedule those classes.

It's really not complicated if you bother to talk to your colleagues.

So what happens when a section doesn't populate and gets canceled? Does the instructor receive a cancellation payment? Does the adjunct professor know the total amount that his contract will pay before committing to being available?

[polly_mer]

In the case of warm bodies covering random gen ed courses, no one cares what else you're doing with your life.

Insulting terminology, and reflects poorly on you.

Some of them actually do care, (winding back to my original post), if they think you are attracting students to a competing school.

The terminology is crude on purpose.  People really need to know the full spectrum of part-time academic faculty employees from "interchangeable warm bodies" through "qualified temporary workers" to "fully integrated, part-time faculty who are truly valued professionals".  My bet is that you, Mahagonny, fall more into the gap between qualified temporary workers and fully integrated part-time faculty than interchangeable warm body.  Nobody cares enough about the interchangeable warm bodies to bother having a talk like "where else are you working?"

In addition, interchangeable warm bodies are not attracting anyone anywhere.  They can't be because those are the slots marked "staff" on the course listings because we don't know which human will end up with that section, if the section runs.  Interchangeable warm bodies are not generally listed on departmental websites with enough details to draw a following of any sort.  The advertising is simply not there and almost no one selects a college to attend based on the low-level, mostly indistinguishable gen ed offerings anyway.

Qualified professionals who are listed on the course listings by name might be attracting students from other sections in the same institution (e.g., Let's take that fabulous Mahagonny again for 302 since 201 was great!), but it's not likely to be from school to school unless students were already shopping around for those specific classes. 

If someone truly wanted to study with big name artists/writers/musicians, then that student is much more likely to be picking an institution that advertises heavily its big name folks, especially if a given department has a pretty good pool of fully integrated, truly valued part-time professionals so being enrolled means one is working with some big names, even if not exactly the big name every term.  I suppose it's possible to have something like a director take one play for the fall and draw students that way to one college for that one class, but that still seems more likely only if the students were already shopping around. 

I have seen some instances of students who decided they'd rather spend a term at the local CC to take essentially the same classes that could have involved some of the same faculty at a third of the price, but those were all gen ed classes to get knocked out of the way at low cost, not a big draw for individual professors. 

I've dealt with cases of droves of students going to another institution to avoid the one person who teaches a specific required course. 

I've seen students change institutions when they discover the same major for essentially the same price has much better offerings, more involved professors, and is in many ways overall better.

However, I've not seen droves of students enroll at another institution for one class being taught by one really special qualified professional, even when that person has a recurring contract to teach the same set of courses.

[mahagonny]

In the case of warm bodies covering random gen ed courses, no one cares what else you're doing with your life.

Insulting terminology, and reflects poorly on you.

Some of them actually do care, (winding back to my original post), if they think you are attracting students to a competing school.

The terminology is crude on purpose.  People really need to know the full spectrum of part-time academic faculty employees from "interchangeable warm bodies" through "qualified temporary workers" to "fully integrated, part-time faculty who are truly valued professionals".  My bet is that you, Mahagonny, fall more into the gap between qualified temporary workers and fully integrated part-time faculty than interchangeable warm body.  Nobody cares enough about the interchangeable warm bodies to bother having a talk like "where else are you working?"

It's gratuitously crude and strongly suggests that the speaker relishes showing disrespect. People can easily be interchangeable because each one of them is competent. 'Warm body' suggests a low standard or the desire to create that perception.

[polly_mer]

It's gratuitously crude and strongly suggests that the speaker relishes showing disrespect. People can easily be interchangeable because each one of them is competent. 'Warm body' suggests a low standard or the desire to create that perception.

If we're in agreement that workers should know their status with the employer, then the correct status for some adjuncts is "warm body".  You can be mad that I tell the truth, but it doesn't change what the truth is.

If you can really write:

Yes. I have been told, 'we need another adjunct, who do you know? OK, is he qualified? Yes? OK, is he available? Will you ask him? OK thanks. If he's interested, find out when we can get him down here to meet him.'

and then claim the hiring bar for that position is substantially above "warm body", then we live in different realities.  The hoops to hire qualified professionals for even a full year with a full slate of classes, let alone for a long-term position, are a far cry from "hey, do you have a friend who might be interested?"  While I can't find the post now, years ago someone in English admitted to calling up the local bookstores, asking the person who answered if they had an MA in English, and then entering into negotiations to try to fill sections for a term that started in less than a week.

I can't even amend the "interchangeable warm body" category to "interchangeable warm body with a graduate degree" because about 5% of part-time faculty teach with a bachelor's or lower (http://www.academicworkforce.org/CAW_portrait_2012.pdf, table 9).  I watched a heated discussion at an HLC conference when the community college representatives pointed out that universities with graduate programs allow first-year graduate students to teach classes under often pretty lax supervision, but under proposed regulation, the CCs couldn't do the equivalent, even if they hired the first-year grad students from those same institutions.  That was a huge problem for the more isolated CCs where adjuncts for certain classes (math is commonly in this category) are very hard to find if the minimum bar is a master's in the field (e.g., mathematics) from an accredited institution.  I taught mathematics one term at a CC with zero graduate credits in math, but the assertion was my PhD in engineering was sufficient to demonstrate knowledge of the material.

I reiterate that, based on the information we have, you, Mahagonny, are not personally in the "interchangeable warm body" category.  However, to pretend that category doesn't exist neglects the reality of people who are the strongest in need of union protection.  Those are the people who could most benefit from a regional adjunct union to set qualifications that prevent hiring anyone in a category less than "qualified temporary workers" and ensuring the minimum pay rate is at the qualified professional level. 

I use the crude term to make the point to readers that a toe in the door for faculty as an adjunct functions nothing like a toe in the door for practically any other job for most other employers.  An "interchangeable warm body" is not building good will towards a more permanent position in that department.  An "interchangeable warm body" is not building valuable experience that will pay off in a tenure-track position elsewhere.  An "interchangeable warm body" is just getting a paycheck for this term.

[mahagonny]

We schedule our part-time faculty classes based on a variety of data points, including:
— what we need taught
— when we can get classrooms
— the rest of the course offerings
— the teaching schedules at the other college in town where many of our PT faculty also teach
— when our part-time faculty are available to teach based on:
—— their preferences
—— their other jobs & schedules
—— their life needs (daycare pick ups, etc.)

So if the three people who can teach the 3 200-level basket weaving theory course are only available at 8 am before they go to their 10-6 job or at 7 pm after the day job is done, then that's when we schedule those classes.

It's really not complicated if you bother to talk to your colleagues.

So what happens when a section doesn't populate and gets canceled? Does the instructor receive a cancellation payment? Does the adjunct professor know the total amount that his contract will pay before committing to being available?

I'm going to assume the answer is 'no' then. So when you say 'it's not complicated' you mean it is not complicated for you. But it is complicated for the person with whom you have been discussing being hired.

[Scout]

We schedule our part-time faculty classes based on a variety of data points, including:
— what we need taught
— when we can get classrooms
— the rest of the course offerings
— the teaching schedules at the other college in town where many of our PT faculty also teach
— when our part-time faculty are available to teach based on:
—— their preferences
—— their other jobs & schedules
—— their life needs (daycare pick ups, etc.)

So if the three people who can teach the 3 200-level basket weaving theory course are only available at 8 am before they go to their 10-6 job or at 7 pm after the day job is done, then that's when we schedule those classes.

It's really not complicated if you bother to talk to your colleagues.

So what happens when a section doesn't populate and gets canceled? Does the instructor receive a cancellation payment? Does the adjunct professor know the total amount that his contract will pay before committing to being available?

Three institutions- no cancellation pay, which I tell those we hire, but I also tell them they're free to break the agreement if they get a better offer.

Of course I tell them what they'll be getting. Either I reference the contract, if it's a union shop, or show them the calculus.

[glowdart]

We schedule our part-time faculty classes based on a variety of data points, including:
— what we need taught
— when we can get classrooms
— the rest of the course offerings
— the teaching schedules at the other college in town where many of our PT faculty also teach
— when our part-time faculty are available to teach based on:
—— their preferences
—— their other jobs & schedules
—— their life needs (daycare pick ups, etc.)

So if the three people who can teach the 3 200-level basket weaving theory course are only available at 8 am before they go to their 10-6 job or at 7 pm after the day job is done, then that's when we schedule those classes.

It's really not complicated if you bother to talk to your colleagues.

So what happens when a section doesn't populate and gets canceled? Does the instructor receive a cancellation payment? Does the adjunct professor know the total amount that his contract will pay before committing to being available?

There's a published pay scale, so as long as the professor can read a chart with two columns and discern whether they are teaching undergraduate or graduate classes and how many credit hours the course is, then yes, they know what they're making.

We don't staff classes before enrollments make.

On the rare occasion something has gone wrong and we've needed to cancel a course, we've added another section that will fill for the instructor or put them in a still unassigned section.  This happens long before the start of the semester.

I don't know why you're assuming the answer is no — maybe let people answer before jumping to conclusions?

[mahagonny]

It's gratuitously crude and strongly suggests that the speaker relishes showing disrespect. People can easily be interchangeable because each one of them is competent. 'Warm body' suggests a low standard or the desire to create that perception.

If we're in agreement that workers should know their status with the employer, then the correct status for some adjuncts is "warm body".  You can be mad that I tell the truth, but it doesn't change what the truth is.

If you can really write:

Yes. I have been told, 'we need another adjunct, who do you know? OK, is he qualified? Yes? OK, is he available? Will you ask him? OK thanks. If he's interested, find out when we can get him down here to meet him.'

and then claim the hiring bar for that position is substantially above "warm body", then we live in different realities.  The hoops to hire qualified professionals for even a full year with a full slate of classes, let alone for a long-term position, are a far cry from "hey, do you have a friend who might be interested?"  While I can't find the post now, years ago someone in English admitted to calling up the local bookstores, asking the person who answered if they had an MA in English, and then entering into negotiations to try to fill sections for a term that started in less than a week.

It brings me relief and satisfaction to explain that you and I do not live in the same reality. First of all, you misquoted me. My friendship with the prospective new adjunct is not a criterion. Second, they know I have high standards, so if I recommend someone, he/she is better than a hell of a lot of people in our area, which is well endowed with talent in my field. What's known as 'word of mouth.'

I reiterate that, based on the information we have, you, Mahagonny, are not personally in the "interchangeable warm body" category.  However, to pretend that category doesn't exist neglects the reality of people who are the strongest in need of union protection.  Those are the people who could most benefit from a regional adjunct union to set qualifications that prevent hiring anyone in a category less than "qualified temporary workers" and ensuring the minimum pay rate is at the qualified professional level. 

Why would I care about that? You're saying 'we advertise positions, then interview and staff them, and then make fun of the people who who've accepted the assignment merely for doing their job. But don't worry, it's not you we're talking about.' I don't like this. It's unhealthy and, once again, reflects poorly on you.
Polly_Mer, notice, no one else is making up derisive nicknames for a category of faculty. Glowdart is not. Scout is not. You are doing something weird.


And you maintain that it should be the union's job to insure quality people are hired? Why? Don't people like you, who are already on salary, care enough to do it?

Scout and Glowdart, thanks for the info.

[dr_codex]

Yes, a last minute fill in to teach one of our labs has our blessing to drive an Uber or run for congress. We don't care.

However, if the person is contracted full time, we care, and we have statements as to the limits of hours of outside work. Of course, these limits are often violated, and we only start to care if someone starts missing their classes, or is never available for students or committee service (if tenure track).

Yes to both of these.

Specific to adjuncts, the only issues that arise are when academic calendars get out of phase. I have a colleague who has not proctored an exam in at least a decade, because our exam schedule conflicts with his other teaching obligations. We cover for him. We do the same in the years when we do some fancy jiggery-pokery with date swaps because of holidays. Since we're the ones making every second Tuesday a Monday, or the like, we don't insist that adjuncts come in. Full-time faculty don't get a pass, since the expectation is that we are available working hours every day.

The only time my Chair would ask about somebody's other teaching would be to try to ensure that people have health insurance.

You have some lousy bosses.

dc

[polly_mer]

The reality of adjuncting at the warm body level:

1) Qualifications are usually determined by a group of qualified people and are written in a job ad.  No job ad and the likelihood of warm body category goes up enormously.  A generic job ad listing a whole stack of fields (e.g., physics, English, psychology, and sociology) is also a pretty good indicator of warm body category.  Qualified is seldom one yes/no question, but requires a rubric to score the various qualifications for several yes/no/kinda questions.

2) People who are being hired as qualified professionals tend to have a formal interview that includes discussing the written list of qualifications after submission of a cover letter, transcripts, CV, and very likely a teaching statement that address those qualifications.  People being considered for a part-time, continuing relationship will likely have most of a day of interviews with various faculty, the chair, the dean, and possibly the provost.  Unless one is a true star (e.g., Stephen King covering a creative writing class), a ten-minute phone call/meeting that is mostly logistics of what paperwork needs to be filed and where the class meets is a strong indicator of a warm body category.

Why would I care about that? You're saying 'we advertise positions, then interview and staff them, and then make fun of the people who who've accepted the assignment merely for doing their job. But don't worry, it's not you we're talking about.' I don't like this.

I am not making fun of people.  I am pointing out the brutal reality along the spectrum of part-time academic jobs.  There are people who get hired with no job ad and possibly an interview that consists of 10 minutes of "the pay is $1800.  Can you be ready by Tuesday at 6 PM?"  People in that category need to be told in stark terms that that's a very bad situation in which they are not paying dues or otherwise climbing any sort of academic ladder.  They are being exploited and need to get out. 

I again state that's not all part-time faculty; some people are in positions that could be a little more stable and pay a little more, but are good enough for now.  Some people are actually in great positions that mesh well with their lives.

Yes, you don't like the starkness of "warm body on the academic death march" as a description.  I don't like reading all the first-person narratives where it's clear too many people are in that category who claim no one ever told them how bad it would be.  I am that person telling people at great volume in the starkest terms how bad it can be in the hopes that fewer people end up in that category.

[marshwiggle]

Polly_Mer, notice, no one else is making up derisive nicknames for a category of faculty. Glowdart is not. Scout is not. You are doing something weird.

Several people have also used the term "freeway flier", which may be another term which you see as derisive. To me, it just reflects the situation frequently described where people are teaching at several different places, often with (by their own admission) long commutes which is the basis for the term. I recall one time where someone actually said that the pay wouldn't cover the gas costs, but wondered whether it was worth it for the possibility of future employment.

If that doesn't suggest an impractical, if not extremely naive, view, then I don't know what does.

For people who have such unrealistic ideas, blunt language may help them realize that they are not merely hoping for something which is not a "sure thing", but rather for something which is "wildly unlikely".

[mahagonny]

Yes, you don't like the starkness of "warm body on the academic death march" as a description.  I don't like reading all the first-person narratives where it's clear too many people are in that category who claim no one ever told them how bad it would be.  I am that person telling people at great volume in the starkest terms how bad it can be in the hopes that fewer people end up in that category.

I don't believe you. You and your kool aid stand are here talking about part time faculty among your former peers, tenured and administration, in a way that makes you feel swell about yourself while keeping the second tier 'down where they belong'. You are not going to be seen as a friend or advisor to the adjunct. Few things could be more implausible, given your hostility to unions, the put-downs, the assaulting of adjunct faculty boards with relentless walls of text, etc.

[marshwiggle]

Yes, you don't like the starkness of "warm body on the academic death march" as a description.  I don't like reading all the first-person narratives where it's clear too many people are in that category who claim no one ever told them how bad it would be. I am that person telling people at great volume in the starkest terms how bad it can be in the hopes that fewer people end up in that category.

I don't believe you. You and your kool aid stand are here talking about part time faculty among your former peers, tenured and administration, in a way that makes you feel swell about yourself while keeping the second tier 'down where they belong'. You are not going to be seen as a friend or advisor to the adjunct. Few things could be more implausible, given your hostility to unions, the put-downs, the assaulting of adjunct faculty boards with relentless walls of text, etc.

How does encouraging people to get out of a situation serve to keep them  'down where they belong'???