evidence of faculty shortage - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jul 18, 2004

evidence of faculty shortage

Date: Jul 18, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: rosalie z
"if anyone needs hard evidence of faculty shortage in english at USM, look at pg. 3H in HA classifieds today. there is an ad for adjunct english instructors to teach composition 1 and 2 and world lit. must have at least 18 hours graduate credit in english! how sad that it has come to this and that the administration has destroyed/is destroying such a good department. one can only hope that accredidation review will force SFT and the IHL to remember that a comprehensive university is in fact just that, and recognizes all disciplines as important in the education of the individual. it goes without saying that qualified tenure track professors are necessary. "

Another good reason to cap enrollment.

Date: Jul 18, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: rosalie z
"if anyone needs hard evidence of faculty shortage in english at USM, look at pg. 3H in HA classifieds today. there is an ad for adjunct english instructors to teach composition 1 and 2 and world lit. must have at least 18 hours graduate credit in english! how sad that it has come to this and that the administration has destroyed/is destroying such a good department. one can only hope that accredidation review will force SFT and the IHL to remember that a comprehensive university is in fact just that, and recognizes all disciplines as important in the education of the individual. it goes without saying that qualified tenure track professors are necessary. "

And this means that they do not have enough graduate students to fill these positions (traditionally, as others have noted TAs have taught most of the ENG 101/102/World Lit classes at USM). You can believe that if the PSC grad student numbers were down, SFT and Co. would be right on it!

Noel, Jameela or Anne W., do you guys know anything about this?

Date: Jul 18, 2004

Does anyone know what adjuncts earn? What the teaching load is? I was an adjunct at Memphis some years ago, and it was a good situation. Love those night students -- they care so much and work so hard.

Date: Jul 18, 2004

I think they earn $1200 per three hour course if they don't have a doctorate, $1500 if they do.

Date: Jul 18, 2004

Sad posted about adjunct salaries:
I think they earn $1200 per three hour course if they don't have a doctorate, $1500 if they do.

This is correct - Faculty Senate tried for six years (at least) to raise these levels, without success.

This also explains SFT's "MIDAS" project - if faculty get 'release-time salary', it's a great deal for the university, because the 'income' (faculty salary) is much more than the 'payout' at $1500/course.

Date: Jul 18, 2004

You guys have got to be kidding! That's close to what I made at Memphis in the late 80's/ early 90's! and it was too low then.

Date: Jul 18, 2004

The quoted adjunct salaries are correct. I am a USM PhD and have been available for "adjunct" positions in several depts, but I will not work for these slave wages. It is ridiculous.

Date: Jul 18, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Sad
"I think they earn $1200 per three hour course if they don't have a doctorate, $1500 if they do."

If I were a chairman hiring at these wages, I'd be ashamed. You get what you pay for in this world.

Date: Jul 20, 2004

Somebody check my math. If a semester is 16 weeks and someone lectures 3 hours per week for $1200 that is $25/hr. If one prepares two hours for every classroom hour it is $8.33/hr. Of course as a professional you should look at it on a salary not hourly basis. At four courses per semester and three semesters a year that is $14, 400/yr.

Where do I sign?

Date: Jul 20, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Eagle
"Somebody check my math. If a semester is 16 weeks and someone lectures 3 hours per week for $1200 that is $25/hr. If one prepares two hours for every classroom hour it is $8.33/hr. Of course as a professional you should look at it on a salary not hourly basis. At four courses per semester and three semesters a year that is $14, 400/yr. Where do I sign?"

Okay, math's not my thing but (we're talking about a 4 course semester) then if someone has 12 hours to devote per week on teaching and has 24 hours to devote per week for preparation (that's 36 hours) and teaches 3 semesters on this plan and makes a grand total of 14, 400/yr. and can actually LIVE on that amount then I'd tell that person to go for it. For me, that's way below the poverty line for degrees I put a lot of money and time into.

Date: Jul 20, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Swan Song
"Okay, math's not my thing but (we're talking about a 4 course semester) then if someone has 12 hours to devote per week on teaching and has 24 hours to devote per week for preparation (that's 36 hours) and teaches 3 semesters on this plan and makes a grand total of 14, 400/yr. and can actually LIVE on that amount then I'd tell that person to go for it. For me, that's way below the poverty line for degrees I put a lot of money and time into."

Exactly the point, SS. I won't divulge names, but I know several people (with multiple degrees) who have cobbled together a "living" teaching adjunct at various regional colleges/CC (USM, Wm Carey, MGCCC, etc.). It's a shame that the universities/colleges can get away with this, but they can. And if you look at a dept. like English at USM, which is being asked to teach even more freshman English classes with fewer tenure-track profs and a pool of TAs that has remained steady since the Lucas administration, you can see why a $1500 semester adjunct makes sense to them.

Date: Jul 20, 2004

There is also an erroneous assumption that one is able to teach 4 courses as an adjunct. In fact, one usually teaches one or two courses. Teaching less than seven hours means no benefits, so it's better for the univ to hire two adjuncts to teach 6 hrs each than to hire one to teach 9 - 12 hours

But being an adjunct is a good way for people who truly love teaching to keep their hand in without the greater responsibilities of publishing, committe work, etc. As an adjunct I was able to give my students more attention than when I was a TA. I enjoyed it. Actually, I found that in English, it takes way more than two hours per class period because it is so labor-intensive to grade composition. The pay comes out to minimum wage or less.

Date: Jul 20, 2004

Now we can see why the "MIDAS" program is so profitable. Imagine full professors who usually do research and teach a couple of coures each senester.
Now if they get "buy out" from a funding source, the university has to pay for 2 courses @$1500 a course for two semesters = $6000. In return they get to play with the professors salary plus fringes = much more than $ 50,000!!!!!

Date: Jul 20, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Otherside
"Now we can see why the "MIDAS" program is so profitable. Imagine full professors who usually do research and teach a couple of coures each senester. Now if they get "buy out" from a funding source, the university has to pay for 2 courses @$1500 a course for two semesters = $6000. In return they get to play with the professors salary plus fringes = much more than $ 50,000!!!!! "

Quote from The Jerk:

"oh, I get it . . . it's a profit deal."

Date: Jul 20, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Eagle
"Somebody check my math. If a semester is 16 weeks and someone lectures 3 hours per week for $1200 that is $25/hr. If one prepares two hours for every classroom hour it is $8.33/hr. Of course as a professional you should look at it on a salary not hourly basis. At four courses per semester and three semesters a year that is $14, 400/yr.

Where do I sign?"

Head down to the human resources office of your local Wal-Mart for your $8/hour job.

Date: Jul 20, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by: Otherside
"Now we can see why the "MIDAS" program is so profitable."

MIDAS should remember the old saying: "one is never a profit in their own country."

Date: Jul 21, 2004

This is truly insane.

However, this has unfortunately become a country where wealth = intelligence.

Recently, I could not believe the fervor with which people were insisting that Mike Ditka would make a great Senator. Their argument usually ran along the lines of "he owns several successful restaurants, he won a super bowl, he has a ton of money".

I usually shut them up by saying 3 simple words: "New Orleans Saints".

Alas, we are seeing the effects of our post-capitalist society, where the dollar is respected more than anything, especially wisdom.

When I was leaving USM upon receiving my MS, a professor in anthropology saw my assistantship offer, and told me that I would be making more money as a RA than his first year tenure track associate professors.

This helps to explain the passion of this board. Most of the people on this board are supporters of USM (and opponents of Shelby) because they are still passionate and still care about it. Our teachers at USM were there because they truly wanted to be there; not there for the money. Hell, people got paid more at SLU than at USM.

However, those days are dying fast.

In my department, probably half of the faculty will be retiring in 5 years, thanks to the state retirement fund. Of course, they can teach at Tulane-in-the-mall, and double dip.

They are being replaced by those for whom English is not a first language (which plays a MASSIVE part in teacher evals at USM), and for those who do not have a strong enough vita to get into a better institution. So after 3 years of vita padding and such, they will leave, and not miss it a bit. There is no committment, because there is no longer any incentive.

At least when Aubrey K was around, we all knew that we were being oppressed, but at least we were all in it together. Now...

Call me a pessimist, but I don't know what can be done anymore. I think that the damage is possibly irreversible. I know that even if USM were to match my salary, I would have to tell them fuhgeddaboudit, because I know too much about the politics.

And, I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

Date: Jul 21, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
" And this means that they do not have enough graduate students to fill these positions (traditionally, as others have noted TAs have taught most of the ENG 101/102/World Lit classes at USM). You can believe that if the PSC grad student numbers were down, SFT and Co. would be right on it! Noel, Jameela or Anne W., do you guys know anything about this?"

Seeing beyond:

Why not take a positive approach to this shortage of money, optimistic English faculty, and students of all levels and up the ante for these Adjuncts who are at the bottom of the educational wage pool by making the position more appealing.

Offering more money from that far below should not "break the Bank" or hell, dental insurance, free classes for their own interests or advancement in their subject matter and health insurance...anything to add a few perks to the position.

The English Department could actually develop its own "workforce development" division and take these fine Adjunct recruits, allow them to become tuition free students in say Southern Writing Classes (?) on the side, and produce their own specialists of Adjunct Senior Educators ( good title) with the coursework and training, but not necessarily the degrees....or the larger salaries.

A new subcatagory of teachers which would take advantage of the empty classroom seats.

Date: Jul 21, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by: doubleough
"The English Department could actually develop its own "workforce development" division . . . . produce their own specialists of Adjunct Senior Educators ( good title) with the coursework and training, but not necessarily the degrees . . . A new subcatagory of teachers which would take advantage of the empty classroom seats."

doubleough,

You have a very creative idea, but how about simply not offering the classes if those classes can not be fully staffed. That is what would happen at many major universities. The department chair would simply tell the secretary or the course coordinator to cancel the class(es). Bailing the university out of its self-created crisis is not going to work. Sometimes it is necessary to hit the bottom before resurfacing.