Most institutions of higher learning in America employ a much higher percentage (70%) of adjunct professors than at any other time in the history of higher education. Adjuncts are very poorly paid, receive no benefits, have no job security, and must work at several institutions to make ends meet. While the benefits to the institutions are obvious, is this business model fair to the students? What are your feelings about this situation, and how can students and other stakeholders address this problem?
https://edwp.educ.msu.edu/green-and-write/2017/the-plight-of-adjunct-faculty/
Put simply, an adjunct professor is a part-time college teacher. Forty years ago, an adjunct might have substituted when a professor went on sabbatical or took medical leave. Sometimes, adjuncts taught specialized classes in their field, such as a mystery author teaching crime writing. Often, adjuncts were women, shunned from full-time, tenured positions: a workforce that was dubbed "the housewives of higher education." Today, however, adjuncts are used to teach core classes: maths, English, science, history. In fact, the American Association of University Professors states that 76 percent of college faculty across the nation are adjuncts.
Students are often clueless about the situation, believing all professors to be full time, but adjuncts are so disconnected from campus life that the classroom experience is diminished. An adjunct professor is making half of a new full-time professor's salary at either workplace although he/she teaches more credits overall and has been employed longer. On top of this, he/she receives no benefits, while full-time professor receive health care and retirement packages.
With best regards
Hi,
It seems that rather than reduce the number of adjunct professors, these professors have to fight for their rights. It is done in my country's universities. There is an organization of all adjunct professors in the country, and they struggle to ameliorate the work conditions of their members. They have many achievements, although not all demands are met by the university authorities.
Put simply, an adjunct professor is a part-time college teacher. Forty years ago, an adjunct might have substituted when a professor went on sabbatical or took medical leave. Sometimes, adjuncts taught specialized classes in their field, such as a mystery author teaching crime writing. Often, adjuncts were women, shunned from full-time, tenured positions: a workforce that was dubbed "the housewives of higher education." Today, however, adjuncts are used to teach core classes: maths, English, science, history. In fact, the American Association of University Professors states that 76 percent of college faculty across the nation are adjuncts.
Students are often clueless about the situation, believing all professors to be full time, but adjuncts are so disconnected from campus life that the classroom experience is diminished. An adjunct professor is making half of a new full-time professor's salary at either workplace although he/she teaches more credits overall and has been employed longer. On top of this, he/she receives no benefits, while full-time professor receive health care and retirement packages.
With best regards
In india, UGC recommended colleges to maintain Cadre ratio (Faculty- Student ratio) from 1:15 to 1:20. More number of faculties going to loose their Job in india due to this changes. Some Institutions they want to maintain the same cadre ratio, Instead of taking full time faculty the recruit adjunct Professors. They may get hour based salary.
Thank you @Mahesh Kumar. You made a very good observation that, generally, students are not aware that their professors are adjunct. In fact, they may not even know what the term means! To me, unionism is probably the only solution; however, thee is a systematic attempt to dismantle unions in the U.S. wonder if students can reverse this trend. Should students demand more of their institutions, and should institutions be required to reveal their hiring/staffing policies regarding adjuncts?
@ Santhosh Kumar Balan I think that the adjunct staffing business model is spreading internationally. A few short years ago I read that the adjunct-to-student ration in Canada was low; however, that is no longer the situation. Very sad and very unfair for students in the long run...
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