The Future Adjunct Spring?

I’m no protestor. My idea of civil disobedience is usually a pithy comment on a news story I’ve seen posted on Facebook. But I surprised myself (and my family) last Thursday when I stood with a few hundred other people on the side of West End Boulevard in Nashville as part of the “Occupy Wall Street” protests. What brought me there was not, as the media claims, a secret liberal agenda, or a need to be a part of something I could not or was unable to explain. I knew exactly why I needed to stand with the rest of the 99%.

I’m an adjunct. I teach two part-time jobs at schools 45 minutes apart. But I’m not complaining. I know how lucky I am to be working.  For six months I was unemployed, living off the generosity of my boyfriend, and scared as hell. These two jobs this fall have saved my life and my self-esteem.  But even though I’m getting a check, I know I’m not out of the woods. I’m still afraid that more cuts will come and I will lose my job to an economy that keeps falling apart and pulling its most capable down with it. And I’m not the only one.

Adjunct teachers are increasing on college campuses as more full-time, tenured teachers are phased out. And since colleges save money hiring part-time teachers who do not qualify for any benefits, the trend will only increase as economic outlooks decrease. Since adjuncts don’t have offices, they often use rolling carts as their own portable offices, filled with student writing journals, water bottles, and lunch bags.  Adjuncts drive older cars sporting several different school parking tags and bumper stickers.  These educational nomads are often seen sitting in their cars eating their lunches – no way can an adjunct afford to buy lunch on campus. And since grading is sometimes done while eating lunch in the car, students’ papers occasionally sport stains along with well thought out comments.

We adjuncts are grateful to work where we can – when we can. We are committed to our students as much as any full-time professor; we just have to do our work on the run to keep up.  If we’re lucky, we’re splitting our time at two or three different schools - that means we teach more classes each semester than most professors.  We have more papers to grade, more names to learn. Each school has different rules, deadlines, goals, etc., so we have to learn those as well.  There are different offices to find, different email and online databases to check, and different expectations to live up to.

Adjuncts are certainly part of the 99%.  I don’t know the number of us considered poor, but I can only imagine that the available part-time jobs compared to the number of applicants with Master’s Degrees would show that we are not only underemployed, most of us live well under the survival line.  There’s a critical mass coming. Colleges are employing adjuncts to save money, yes, but some of the unintended consequences of that are making this large, non-represented and marginalized group rethink its rights.

  Will there be an Adjunct Spring? Probably not.  We’re too tired from all that driving to organize and protest and start our own union. But that doesn’t mean that colleges shouldn’t pay attention to what is coming. In fact, there are things that colleges can do to before its adjuncts outnumber its full-time faculty, creating a critical mass of underemployed and pissed off academics. Before colleges are caught off guard, there are several things they could do to pacify the growing majority of adjuncts –at little or no cost to the institutions. In fact, considering how much schools are getting for so little investment, I would think the following list would be a welcome shift in how colleges think of adjuncts and how they choose to treat them.

•         Adjuncts should have first choice of class schedules. Of course, administration must take many things into consideration, but adjunct schedules should always be at the top of the list.
•         Adjuncts should get special parking. The list of parking priority should go like this: Handicapped, Dean, Adjuncts, and then the rest (Full Timers, Maintenance, and Students).
•         Adjuncts should have special ID cards that give discounts on everything on campus. This card will also grant special access to the new adjunct office/lounge. (But more on that later.)
•         Adjuncts should make up a new voting group that has a say in department issues. This means that there should also be a “Head Adjunct” or “Special Adjunct Coordinator.” Whatever the title, this person heads up a powerful lobby of adjunct teachers at the school.
•         Golf cart rides – anywhere, anytime. Remember those damn rolling carts?

•         Special Adjunct teaching awards and named adjunctships.

•         The Adjunct offices must change from corner closets with shared old desks and computers to workspaces akin to Google, or Ebay headquarters. And of course, there must be free printing. This office must also have an Adjunct Secretary! How can the University pay for this? – Hire more adjuncts!

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Of course, this is just a start. The main thing that colleges and universities should keep in mind is that they can do something to pacify the growing number of adjuncts they hire. Treating adjuncts like rock stars is the first step, because if you can’t give money, special privileges go a long way. Sure, what I really want is a full-time job with benefits; but I will certainly take help and appreciation when it’s offered.  I want to be recognized as part of this dedicated work force – and not just by a “thank you” email.

Schools should be rushing to do this, not just to avoid blame when the underemployed also claim to be exploited. Schools should do this to slow the inevitability of all of us being outsourced to another country like India.  For those of you who have used Skype and video conferencing, you know this is very possible.  Because once schools see that video outsourcing is a viable way to replace all of their employees with qualified people who will work cheaper in countries where benefits are not required, the only employees left on campus will be IT staff and security.