Why do you adjunct?

[marshwiggle]

Good luck to you Wahoo. There have been interesting discussions here, I've enjoyed reading your remarks.

Has been a good time.  A lot of good opinion.  We shall see each other around, no doubt.

I think the problem you've run into is that seeing everyone as either a helpless victim or a cruel oppressor means that sooner or later you're going to disagree over someone's category. However, if everyone is a person, with constraints (such as budgets, even for politicians and administrators), and with agency (including the chance to quit, even for adjuncts), then there's more room for productive discussion about what reasonable actions each person can take to improve their own situation and the system as a whole.

[Wahoo Redux]

Good luck to you Wahoo. There have been interesting discussions here, I've enjoyed reading your remarks.

Has been a good time.  A lot of good opinion.  We shall see each other around, no doubt.

I think the problem you've run into is that seeing everyone as either a helpless victim or a cruel oppressor means that sooner or later you're going to disagree over someone's category. However, if everyone is a person, with constraints (such as budgets, even for politicians and administrators), and with agency (including the chance to quit, even for adjuncts), then there's more room for productive discussion about what reasonable actions each person can take to improve their own situation and the system as a whole.

Gosh Granpa, how did you ever get so smart?

[mahagonny]

I think the problem you've run into is that seeing everyone as either a helpless victim or a cruel oppressor means that sooner or later you're going to disagree over someone's category. However, if everyone is a person, with constraints (such as budgets, even for politicians and administrators), and with agency (including the chance to quit, even for adjuncts), then there's more room for productive discussion about what reasonable actions each person can take to improve their own situation and the system as a whole.

Whereas I think the problem with rejecting, out of hand, the option of ever seeing anyone as a cruel oppressor is statistics.

[FishProf]

So, I'm a chair.  The decision to hire an adjunct in mine.  The decision to hire adjuncts (as opposed to not offering the class) is not mine.

Am I the oppressed, or the oppressor?

[downer]

So, I'm a chair.  The decision to hire an adjunct in mine.  The decision to hire adjuncts (as opposed to not offering the class) is not mine.

Am I the oppressed, or the oppressor?

You are just another brick in the wall. Or a cog in the system.

[Wahoo Redux]

So, I'm a chair.  The decision to hire an adjunct in mine.  The decision to hire adjuncts (as opposed to not offering the class) is not mine.

Am I the oppressed, or the oppressor?

You are just another brick in the wall. Or a cog in the system.

You are like the rest of us---part of a bad system that we collectively submit to.  However, as chair you have more power than the adjuncts to do something about it. 

[downer]

There are places that hire one year full time positions. A chair could advocate for one of those instead of hiring an an adjunct. Occasionally it might work.

Chairs can push for adjunct faculty to be hired at a higher rank so they get more pay.

Chairs can be understanding when adjuncts have personal stuff going on, and be flexible about missing class.

Chairs can give adjuncts good teaching times, and good courses to teach. But often FT faculty have precedence over the adjuncts.

But generally Chairs have remarkably little power over those hiring and policy decisions.

[mahagonny]

So, I'm a chair.  The decision to hire an adjunct in mine.  The decision to hire adjuncts (as opposed to not offering the class) is not mine.

Am I the oppressed, or the oppressor?

You are just another brick in the wall. Or a cog in the system.

You are like the rest of us---part of a bad system that we collectively submit to.  However, as chair you have more power than the adjuncts to do something about it.

And I, an adjunct, have recommended one or two others who were hired as adjuncts, who were then hired at a lower rate than me because they were considered a little bit less accomplished and not as hard to get, despite the fact that I believed they deserved more than I was getting (but not more than I deserved), an opinion I kept to myself. We are unwitting accomplices.

However, one type is a clear oppressor, and that's the one who meddles in the union organizing with the goal of giving people the jitters about even trying. Because once there's a union the group has the cover to go public with their gripes and claims to deserving more. Their case may fall on deaf ears, ignorant ears, apathy, sympathy or even ridicule, but they have a voice. If they don't even have the voice because they got the jitters about unionizing then they're oppressed, big time. And the person who did it broke the law, too. And these people do have potential to affect the lay of the land, as word gets around. And they know why they do what they do and they lie about it because they can. So I have no respect for them and no compunction about pointing them out.

[mahagonny]

^^^^^^^

Now in the daylight I see I used 'intemperate language' a term Wahoo used a few days ago. And true in some cases. But bad experience and years of reflection can do that to a person.

[hamburger]

There are places that hire one year full time positions. A chair could advocate for one of those instead of hiring an an adjunct. Occasionally it might work.

Chairs can push for adjunct faculty to be hired at a higher rank so they get more pay.

Chairs can be understanding when adjuncts have personal stuff going on, and be flexible about missing class.

Chairs can give adjuncts good teaching times, and good courses to teach. But often FT faculty have precedence over the adjuncts.

But generally Chairs have remarkably little power over those hiring and policy decisions.

In my CC, Chairs have absolute power in making hiring decisions. They don't need to explain to anybody about their decisions. Quite often, Chairs only have an undergraduate degree or a 2/3 year diploma from the same CC. They are not academics. Some of them even are in a completely different fields (e.g. ESL teacher chairing a department in STEM). Yet, they are in power. I have applied for about 10 full time positions in my department. Even with a PhD in one of the hottest areas from one of the best universities in the world, they don't even interview me. What is going on in this place? It is a complete insult.

[Wahoo Redux]

There are places that hire one year full time positions. A chair could advocate for one of those instead of hiring an an adjunct. Occasionally it might work.

Chairs can push for adjunct faculty to be hired at a higher rank so they get more pay.

Chairs can be understanding when adjuncts have personal stuff going on, and be flexible about missing class.

Chairs can give adjuncts good teaching times, and good courses to teach. But often FT faculty have precedence over the adjuncts.

But generally Chairs have remarkably little power over those hiring and policy decisions.

In my CC, Chairs have absolute power in making hiring decisions. They don't need to explain to anybody about their decisions. Quite often, Chairs only have an undergraduate degree or a 2/3 year diploma from the same CC. They are not academics. Some of them even are in a completely different fields (e.g. ESL teacher chairing a department in STEM). Yet, they are in power. I have applied for about 10 full time positions in my department. Even with a PhD in one of the hottest areas from one of the best universities in the world, they don't even interview me. What is going on in this place? It is a complete insult.

I would have no trouble teaching at a CC. I've been a CC student and a CC instructor.  In some ways I might ever prefer it. I was never able to get even a nibble from the two big CC-systems in the region.  I now ask my spouse to symbolically flip off the buildings of big city CC (never the people) because my multiple applications didn't even get a sniff despite my earnest cover letters.

We need to better fund CCs so they can actually hire FT.

[downer]

What is going on in this place? It is a complete insult.

Yep, you got that right. Yet you are still there.

Why are you still teaching there? It is a complete mystery.

[hamburger]

What is going on in this place? It is a complete insult.

Yep, you got that right. Yet you are still there.

Why are you still teaching there? It is a complete mystery.

Have been told that it is not good to drop out in the middle of the term. Contract will end next month but still haven't found a new job. Old and conservative parent does not allow me to look for a job as a contractor or a plumber with my PhD. Probably being a 'professor' sounds better in front of relatives and her friends!

[marshwiggle]

What is going on in this place? It is a complete insult.

Yep, you got that right. Yet you are still there.

Why are you still teaching there? It is a complete mystery.

Have been told that it is not good to drop out in the middle of the term. Contract will end next month but still haven't found a new job. Parent does not allow me to look for a job as a contractor or a plumber with my advanced degree.

If you're still living with a parent, then part of your solution is to move out and run your own life.

[hamburger]

What is going on in this place? It is a complete insult.

Yep, you got that right. Yet you are still there.

Why are you still teaching there? It is a complete mystery.

Have been told that it is not good to drop out in the middle of the term. Contract will end next month but still haven't found a new job. Parent does not allow me to look for a job as a contractor or a plumber with my advanced degree.

If you're still living with a parent, then part of your solution is to move out and run your own life.

Single old parent puts pressure on me to take care of her.  If I had the choice, I would have left the current city long ago.