- As a former full-time professor, and now serving in an adjunct position, I experience pay inequity firsthand as a key problem in higher ed. Before teaching at SUNY Oneonta, I taught full time at a private liberal arts college on a one-year contract (renewed for a second year). The course load was 3 classes per semester. I also participated in faculty meetings and some departmental service work. The salary was around $54K (Private colleges typically pay higher than a state university). In my first-year teaching at SUNY Oneonta as an adjunct, I continued to teach 3 classes per semester, earning $3000 a class (for a total of $18,000) a third of my previous earnings (State University salaries are public- you can find them on the internet). I found the energy output to be similar, and therefore the pay disparity demoralizing. Grateful for the opportunity to continue teaching (closer to home) and for student engagement, I reduced my teaching load to 2 classes per semester, to allocate more energy to my own scholarship and avenues of earning additional income.
Another problem I hear about in our department is that there are several fulltime faculty who refuse to or just simply do not contribute service to the department (do not serve on committees etc.) This leaves the work for fewer people to accomplish- creating an uneven workload across fulltime faculty. This is unfair and is a disservice to the department (students as well as faculty). Although it is not my firsthand knowledge (as adjuncts are not included in department meetings) I wonder how this continues- and why there are no systems to hold fulltime faculty accountable.
A tenure-track faculty acquaintance, who taught at Cornell University, once said: “It seems the longer a Full-Time faculty is at a university, the less they do and the more they get paid.” Perhaps this is true of other industries, and not true for every fulltime faculty person, however, it was the first time I thought about how hard contingent faculty work, investing in the hope of climbing the academic ladder. (Most likely no different from other industries).
Students often seem to have to take too many credits/courses per semester to graduate in 4 years. This limits the amount of time/ energy they can devote to each course or subject. I once had a student who had several learning accommodations- and their advisor allowed them to enroll in 6 courses- towards the end of the semester this student was failing just about every course and had to withdraw from all 6 classes. This is an extreme example, however, it always seems unfortunate to me, that we (faculty) are required to cover so much material in so little time and that students need to take 5 sometimes 6 classes a semester.
I am unaware of how systems of higher ed operate in other countries, however, I know the inequality of Adjunct pay is a problem across the U.S.A. (it is key to the academic capitalism system)
I was not aware of the Adjuncts role in the academic capitalism system as a student at the state university I first attended. Later, at the small college that I graduated from, I did learn that the faculty (the reason why students came to study at that school) earned 1/4 of what the administrative staff earned annually. However, the reality did not become as significant to me until I became a teaching professional (with a terminal degree) earning less than the faculty who taught at that school some 18 years ago!
While living in Philadelphia, I made a friend who was a tenured English Professor at Temple University. He discouraged me from pursuing an academic career- stating “When I retire, Temple will replace me with 3 Adjuncts, as it costs them so much less. In the 60’s [when he entered the field] an academic career was a viable career. It is no longer.” (We had that discussion around 2006-2007, well before I went to graduate school.)
When I was first a student at a state university right after high school, I enrolled in 4 classes per semester. It was all I could (barely) manage on top of work study etc. I withdrew from that program/ school because of a personal crisis and did not return to another school for 7 years. At that point, I was financially independent and better able to focus and manage the demanding workload.
2. I don’t know if the education students are paying for is worth it. I think culturally, we direct students to college as if it is their only option. It becomes an extension of high school. Many students seem like they would benefit from a break before entering college- or at least some seem like they are not taking full advantage of the educational opportunities.
To give an example, a very good student in my 100-level course, two semesters later, enrolled in another course I taught. When he stopped coming to class after the first 3 classes, I became concerned. He finally got in touch with me to share that he was leaving the University and heading off to attend trade school. I was grateful that he let me know- he was a bright individual and had intelligence working with his hands, his decision seemed a smart path for him.
3. Students wear fatigue differently, manage stress differently and communicate differently. And now that I am less connected to the department in which I teach and my student engagement is limited to classroom and office hours, it is not always obvious to me the levels of mental and physical fatigue students are experiencing (although during the last 2 ¼ academic years- I have just assumed that we are all operating in some level of crisis and have worked hard to be more compassionate and supportive towards students)
In my first year at a state university, straight out of high school (in 1992) faculty were not understanding of personal, mental, or physical fatigue. Deadlines were deadlines, personal crisis were personal crisis- not to interfere with assignments that were due. I was told by a professor to learn to compartmentalize or “shelf” the troubling experience I had just endured and get on with the assignment. (I had not disclosed to the professor the experience). Ultimately, I left University after that semester, as I needed to tend to my mental health- and I found no support on campus. I do think both state universities and private colleges have evolved a lot in these areas- and offer a lot more support for students through Counseling Services and Title IX. As a faculty member, I have attended multiple workshops on Equity and Inclusion and how to Identify Mental Health Crisis in students that have helped me to develop my awareness and be more supportive to students
4. I define success as the accomplishment of one’s goals… for me that is being able to continue making artwork and living a creative (simple) life; making paintings that people connect with; making sculptures that are funny or make people think differently; building my own cabinets out of reclaimed wood; sharing delicious dinners with friends made with foods we’ve grown; working together with community members to accomplish a common goal- contributing to the well-being of the community; helping students gain confidence by learning new skills…
On many levels I feel successful. I have a great studio; I continue to create and exhibit artworks. I have great friends, and so many things I am grateful for.
I am not yet earning what I need to, and so it is hard for me to feel fully “successful” within our capitalist societal structure and is why I imagine I would not be viewed as successful. Perhaps some of my artwork and things that I create can be viewed as “successful”- but I always think that capitalists are most interested in money!
