I have a nice long teaching-reflectiony post percolating on my laptop, all about how rewarding it is to be teaching a literature course in my specialization this term, my successful Orientalism lecture, my thoughtful students dialoguing thought-provoking things on the online discussion board. But then some colleagues drew my attention to recent articles and blog posts on the topic of adjunct, contingent faculty. Michael Bérubé's "Among the Majority." Copy & Paste's Crowdsourcing Google doc. An infographic from Online PhD that makes things all too clear.
My kid wakes me up in the middle of the night to nurse. Yes, I'm still doing that. But after she nods back off to sleep, I'm usually awake for 2-4 hours considering the facts. I finished my PhD in 2007, and I've done MLA five years in a row now. 12 (or is it 16?) interviews, 3 campus visits, no tenure-track job. My scholarship has gotten to be an increasingly expensive hobby: I still attend conferences 2-3 times a year, each of which might cost me $500 to $1,000 in travel, hotel, registration, and meals. I spend uncompensated time writing articles, book reviews, and working on my book project when I could be working a paid job. (My family has been scratching their heads about this for years.) This is all fine--I love my research like I love my daughter. But now teaching, too, is beginning to seem like a very expensive hobby. Next term, I've got one contract for one 3-credit course for which I'll make about $2100 over three months. That might cover my half of daycare, but it certainly doesn't cover rent and other bills.
That's all. I just wanted a place to dump this information for the next late night session of not-sleeping.
1 comment:
Serious times for higher education in the US. All education for that matter. This issue disturbs me greatly.
Probably the entire US model needs to be reconsidered.
The marketplace/culture demands four year and higher degrees while simultaneously decreasing public support for them. At the same time it has become nearly impossible to make a decent living in America as an unskilled or semi-skilled worker.
For many, hard won degrees obtained in the traditional way provide an indirect path to decent jobs in areas other than their major interests. But unlike the unskilled at least they can find work somewhere.
Arguably the marketplace/culture overvalues traditional 4+ yr degrees. Alternatives, such as vocational/certification programs, would serve many people (and possibly the economy as a whole) much better. Unfortunately that particular tradition isn't as strong here as, say, Germany, where it is integrated with K-12.
(Also. Most existing voc/tech schools here are for-profit and expensive. Many are ethically challenged as well.)
And too there is the surplus of PhD's generated by the current model. The dependence of "research institution" grad programs on undergrads and vice versa. A rat's nest of conflicting interests as you know better than I.
I did some community college teaching in different fields than yours and enjoyed it. However I did not count on the exploitively pitiful compensation for a living and could not have. You have my sympathy.
I'm truly sorry you are caught up in these changes and have struggled to find a tenured position. If anyone deserves a chance, you do.
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