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National adjunct walkout and awareness day (Public accessible presentation)
- 1. NATIONAL ADJUNCT WALKOUT AND AWARENESSDAY February 25th , 2015 “The Rise of the Hyper-Educated Poor” Developed and prepared by Dr. J Smith, Adjunct in TX
- 2. WHO ARE ADJUNCTS? •“PartTime” professors •“Contingent faculty” What does this mean? The college did not have enough full time faculty to cover all its classes They hired people to work ‘part time’, with equal qualifications, to teach other scheduled classes
- 3. THE MAJORITY OFCONTINGENT FACULTY DO NOT HAVE PROFESSIONAL CAREERS OUTSIDE OF ACADEME. Most teach basic core courses, rather than narrow specialties in which they are highly trained.
- 4. WHO ARE ADJUNCTS? •Onaverage, 76% of professors at most US colleges are hired ‘part time’ or non- tenure-track So, you’d think that these professors have the same pay, benefits, opportunities and job security as full-time faculty, right? WRONG
- 5. ADJUNCT WAGESAdjuncts arepaid based upon how many classes they teach, or ‘contact hours’. Adjuncts are limited by the state to 9 ‘contact hours’ (3 classes) per school, maximum. Full time faculty are salaried employees Full time faculty are given a maximum of 15 ‘contact hours’ (5 classes) Most adjuncts must get jobs at multiple schools (with maximum hours) to have a decent livable wage, typically 18-24 contact hours (6-8 classes).
- 6. ADJUNCTS ARE PAID $2,700PER COURSE, ON AVERAGE. (NOT PER MONTH, FOR THE WHOLE SEMESTER…)
- 7. WHEN CALCULATED PER HOURTHAT ADJUNCTS ACTUALLY WORK, IN AND OUT OF CLASS, THIS FIGURE IS LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE.
- 8. IF AN ADJUNCTTAUGHT ONLY 9 CONTACT HOURS PER SEMESTER (3 CLASSES), THEIR INCOME WOULD FALL BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
- 9. Average yearly incomeof an adjunct with a Ph.D. and equivalent experience, teaching at 2 institutions (9 hrs at one school, 6 hrs at another): $22,500 *Does not include summer teaching appointments Average yearly income of a full time professor with a Ph.D., teaching 15 contact hours: $84,000 ** at community colleges this figure is around $60,000 *full time professors can get raises, adjuncts cannot
- 10. Many adjuncts areon food stamps, welfare, Medicaid, or unemployment benefits, WHILE STILL WORKING.
- 11. ADJUNCT AWARENESS Adjuncts arenot eligible for health care – many go without Adjuncts are not offered retirement benefits Adjuncts do not get sick days or paid time off – they have money deducted from their paychecks if they have to miss class Full time faculty get healthcare Full time faculty get retirement and 401k Full time faculty can cancel class or find a sub if they are sick with no deduction to their salary
- 12. ADJUNCT CLASSES Full timefaculty can often choose their class times Full time faculty can often choose WHAT classes they teach Adjuncts must accept classes they’re offered, or risk losing their jobs
- 13. WHAT HAPPENS IFA CLASS HAS TOO LOW ENROLLMENT FOR THE SEMESTER? Adjunct: Loses that class, and that pay, for the entire semester, without warning Full time: Is given another section of the same class, often at the expense of an adjunct who loses that class
- 14. ADJUNCT EDUCATION Many adjunctshave equal education and training to their full-time counterparts Since they get paid so little, most adjuncts cannot afford to pay student loan debt, putting them further behind Adjuncts get no payment for time spent commuting to their different campuses, often on the same days
- 15. JOB SECURITYAdjuncts arehired ‘per semester’ and given no guarantee of employment after that Adjuncts are often told what their class assignments are DAYS BEFORE THE CLASS BEGINS, but are expected to provide the same level of educational experience for their students Full time faculty are given ‘contracts’ for years at a time, or permanent employment (tenure) Full time faculty know months in advance what classes they’ll teach and at what time
- 16. SCHOOL PARTICIPATION At mostcampuses, adjuncts have no voice or say in administrative proceedings of their colleges Adjuncts are typically not invited to departmental meetings Adjuncts cannot serve on department committees for selecting textbooks, hiring, planning, or serve as advisers Full time faculty have representatives in the ‘faculty senate’ Full time faculty are required to attend department meetings Full time faculty are expected to participate in department committees and advise students
- 17. OVERUSE OF CONTINGENTFACULTY HURTS ALL FACULTY •Responsibilities like advising students, setting curriculum, and serving on college-wide committees are divided and assigned piecemeal to instructors, lecturers, graduate students, specialists, researchers, and administrators. •Proportionally fewer tenure-track faculty means fewer people to divide up the work.
- 18. OUTSIDE OF CLASS… Adjunctfaculty do not have private office space, and at some campuses, no office at all Full time faculty have private offices
- 19. OUTSIDE OF CLASS… Adjunctfaculty are not paid for office hours for students, though they are required for each class Adjunct faculty are not paid for time spent grading or preparing for class Full time faculty are compensated in their salary Full time faculty are compensated in their salary
- 20. MANY CONTINGENT FACULTY MEMBERSARE EXCELLENT TEACHERS AND SCHOLARS. But no matter how qualified and dedicated, contingent faculty members are hobbled in the performance of their duties.
- 21. HEAVY RELIANCE ONCONTINGENT FACULTY HURTS STUDENTS (YOU). •Adjuncts: • have little ‘down time’ – their time is spent commuting or working. • Never having ‘down time’ means a lower quality of life • can offer few office hours, and are never easy to find on campus. No matter what, adjuncts NEVER let their own struggles affect the QUALITY of education you receive. YOU are our TOP priority.
- 22. CONTINGENT FACULTY HAVE HIGHTURNOVER… •This means that some students: •may never have the same teacher twice •may be unable to find an instructor who knows them well enough to write a letter of recommendation.
- 23. THE TURN TOWARDS CHEAPERLABOR IS LARGELY A MATTER OF PRIORITIES RATHER THAN ECONOMIC NECESSITY.
- 24. WHILE MANY INSTITUTIONSARE CURRENTLY SUFFERING BUDGET CUTS… THE GREATEST GROWTH IN CONTINGENT FACULTY OCCURRED DURING TIMES OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.
- 25. Full time employmenthas decreased in the past 25 years… While employing adjuncts has skyrocketed.
- 26. ADJUNCTS ARE THE‘FACULTY OF THE FUTURE’ Unless you do something about it…
- 27. MANY INSTITUTIONS HAVEINVESTED HEAVILY IN FACILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY WHILE CUTTING INSTRUCTIONAL SPENDING. Though incoming students may find finer facilities, they are also likely to find: fewer full-time faculty with adequate time, professional support, and resources available for their instruction.
- 28. WE, THE ADJUNCTFACULTY OF THE UNITED STATES, are taking a stand for working conditions deserving of the level of academic preparation and commitment of adjunct faculty.
- 29. SO WE ASKYOU, TODAY, WITH ONE VOICE: “What would you do if your professor was not here? What if he/she got fed up with the conditions, and left you to learn alone? Or with someone with lesser qualifications, or less desire to see you succeed?”
- 30. IT’S NOT JUSTONE VOICE… Sources: •New Faculty Majority •Chronicle of Higher Education •Inside Higher Ed •Vitae •Adjuncts in Action •Adjunct Faculty Union •AdjunctNation.com •Adjunctsauras •Association of Governing Boards •American Federation of Teachers •AAUP •National Center of Education Statistics •Various news outlets • Washington Post • New York Times • Huffington Post
- 31. YOUR FACULTY, FULL-TIMEAND PART-TIME, STAND BEHIND YOU. WE HAVE DEDICATED OUR LIVES TO HELPING YOU SUCCEED AND ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS. REMEMBER US NEXT TIME YOU PAY FOR YOUR CLASSES.
- 32. I’M ONE OFTHE LUCKY ONES… Your campus has a great support system of administrators and supervisors that care about contingent faculty, from working with my schedules, to providing temporary offices, and other necessities. But not all are that lucky…
- 33. GET EDUCATED ABOUTHOW YOUR TUITION AND FEES ARE SPENT, AND DEMAND THAT IT IS SPENT FOR THE THINGS YOU WANT. Ask me if you’d like to write a letter or talk to someone about this issue. We cannot have change without YOU!
- 34. SIGNED… One of thethousands of adjunct faculty that love you, who •Has been on food stamps •Been forced to receive unemployment benefits •Cannot pay back anything on 5-figure student loans •Has no health, dental, or vision insurance •Has no retirement benefits or personal savings •can’t afford to live alone •Worked, at one point, for 4 colleges simultaneously to make ends-meet •Has no office •Buys clothes at thrift stores (not by choice) •Currently teaches 18 contact hours (6 classes) •Got an advanced degree, just so she could teach you at the highest level •Has a Ph.D., loves teaching you every day, and would do anything to make sure you succeed. Someone come to the hallway to get me! Thank you for standing with me!