An article discussing ethical issues relating to employing adjunct instructors

Smith, Rhonda L.

English

Fort Hays State University

Academic Leadership: The Online JournalVolume 2Issue 2 Spring 2004 Article 2April 2004Adjuncts in the Academy: Ethical IssuesRhonda L. SmithBaylor UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/aljPart of the Educational Leadership Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the TeacherEducation and Professional Development CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by FHSU Scholars Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Academic Leadership: TheOnline Journal by an authorized editor of FHSU Scholars Repository.Recommended CitationSmith, Rhonda L. (2004) "Adjuncts in the Academy: Ethical Issues," Academic Leadership: The Online Journal: Vol. 2 : Iss. 2 , Article 2.Available at: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/alj/vol2/iss2/2academicleadership.org http://www.academicleadership.org/137/adjuncts_in_the_academy_ethical_issues/Academic Leadership JournalAdjuncts in the Academy: Ethical IssuesRhonda L. SmithBaylor UniversitySally gets up at 6:00 a.m. in order to complete her forty-five minutecommute to one of her classes as an adjunct professor. Even though sherequested a Tuesday/Thursday teaching schedule, she has been assignedtwo Monday/Wednesday/Friday courses. One begins at 8:00 a.m.; the otheris scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m. During the three interim hours,Sally has no office, so if she is to be accessible to her students atall, she must sit in the library and hope they can find her. Sally alsoteaches four courses at another institution of higher learning. There,she is given an office which she shares with three other instructors.Working at these two institutions, Sally is able to survivefinancially, but she does not enjoy the benefits of full-timeemployees. For example, Sally has no health insurance or retirementpackage.On the day that she was hired, Sally was handed a pre-printed syllabusfor each course that she teaches. She has absolutely no control overwhich textbook she may use in the classroom. All of these decisions aremade by a committee of full-time instructors, who, ironically, are freeto use any textbook they wish.Another concern of Sally?s is the fact that she has virtually no timeto spend with classes outside of instruction time. She gives herstudents her email address on the course syllabi and respondsimmediately on the rare occasions that they actually contact herelectronically; however, she feels that practice is woefully inferiorto the face-to-face contact from which students often benefit withfull-time instructors. Some full-time instructors are even openlyhostile towards her because she is not required to advise students orserve on committees, as they are. Why should the academy care aboutSally?s plight? Increasingly, Sally?s experiences are becoming therule, rather than the exception.Hickman (1998) states, ?Adjuncts and part-time professors, once astopgap solution to unexpected enrollment or a temporary fix for lackof expertise in a particular academic field, now account for nearlyhalf of all American professors. And this development has changed thenature of higher education, mostly for the worse? (p. 15). Zabel (2000)states that at community colleges in 1992, ?Sixty-nine percent of thenew hires were part-timers? (p. 33). Although part-timers make foradded flexibility and big savings, they also make for fewer jobopportunities for full-time professors. Another cause for the influx ofadjuncts in the academy is the refusal of full-time professors to teachlarge, introductory-level sections of core courses (?Adjuncts inAcademe,? 1997).The hiring of adjunct, or part-time, instructors raises the followingethical issues for administrators of higher education: salary/benefits,instructor workloads, and campus involvement.Salary/Benefits IssuesHickman (1998) writes that the average (part-time) salary for onecourse is $1,500. In Texas community colleges, this number varies from$800 per course at Western Texas College to $2,100 at Blinn College(?Compensation,? 2000). Zabel (2000) explains, ?Though rates of payvary widely, most part-timers make around $2,500 per course. At eightcourses over two semesters?a heavy load by full-timer standards?that?sonly $20,000 per year? (p. 34). Scarff (2000) registers the followingcomplaint:Last fall I taught four freshman-composition courses at two colleges:one state, one private. At these schools, a full-time professor usuallyteaches five courses in a whole year. From August to December, I made$7,000 teaching a load almost equal to a full-time professor?s, forwhich he or she would usually earn a minimum of $45,000. If I dividedmy pay by the number of hours I worked, it would be well below theminimum wage (p. 10).Zabel (2000) discusses the plight of the adjuncts of NortheasternUniversity in Boston. At this institution, part-time instructorsaverage $2,100 per course. Full-time instructors earn nearly $7,000 percourse. Hickman (1998) writes, ?By paying adjuncts a few thousanddollars a course and by keeping benefits to a minimum, institutions cansave 60 to 75 percent on faculty costs?the same logic behind corporatedownsizing? (p. 15). Zabel (2000) states that most part timers have nohealth insurance or retirement benefits. According to a publicationfrom the NEA (1989), ?Part-time faculty are paid lower salaries andoften receive no benefits. Full-time temporary faculty may receivebenefits, but are usually paid on the low end of the salary schedule.They often have no clerical support or office space, and are usuallyineligible for professional development programs, grants, andsabbaticals? (p. 2). One very important benefit that full-timesabbaticals? (p. 2). One very important benefit that full-timeprofessors possess, and adjuncts are not given, is job security.Avakian (1995) states, ?Adjunct faculty members are hired on a semesterbasis with no guarantee of continuing employment from one semester tothe next? (p. 35).Workload IssuesCertainly, workload creates serious concerns for both adjunctinstructors and their administrators. Scarff (2000) states that in eachof her four courses each semester the students write five essays plus aresearch paper. They are also required to rewrite at least two of them.She reasons, ?If I wasn?t prepping for a class or driving to a class orteaching a class or meeting with students, I was reading papers,rereading papers and marking papers. I wrote comments, and Ideliberated for some time before assigning grades? (p. 10).Ludlow (1999) asserts that the maximum section size for a part-timeinstructor is often larger than the maximum section size for full-timeinstructors. She makes the following request of her readers:Consider that the majority of courses taught by ?non-regular? facultyare ?service courses??lower division and introductory-level coursesthat fulfill college and university requirements and department andprogram prerequisites?and that these courses often have largerenrollment numbers per section than the courses reserved fortenure-track professors. It becomes clear that the role of these?non-regular? faculty is crucial to the economic state of aninstitution (p. 11).Hickman (1998) writes that although students might sometimes enjoyhaving instructors who are not completely submerged in their research,this fact could backfire for the students. As adjuncts focus onteaching, sometimes in many different institutions, they have no timeleft to pursue research interests. Therefore, they fall behind in theirrespective fields, which inevitably affects what they teach. He furtherstates, ?Adjuncts frequently receive less institutional support?emailaccounts, secretarial and computer services, peer review?than theirfull-time colleagues do. And, without these resources, even the mosttalented professors teach at a distinct disadvantage? (p. 15).Campus InvolvementArguably, the most important ethical issue dealing with adjuncts in theacademy is campus involvement, or more appropriately, the lack ofcampus involvement. Volz (1996) states, ?Full-time faculty see studentsoutside of class, but part-time adjuncts are only paid to teach and maynot be able to put as much effort and time into preparing for classes?(p. 3). Scarff (2000) agrees with this assertion and adds, ?Adjunctsare so busy juggling jobs that they?re underavailable to students who,at private institutions, can pay as much as $30,000 for tuition, room,and board. Students need teachers who are accessible, teachers who havepermanent offices and time to spend in them? (p. 10). She furtheradvises, ?I don?t want to put adjuncts out of work, but if I were astudent looking for a college, I?d ask aboutfull-time-to-adjunct-faculty ratios. Full-time professors aren?tnecessarily better teachers than adjuncts, but they have moretime?they?re there to stay? (p. 10). This issue raises seriousquestions about fairness, both to the adjunct and to the student he orshe teaches.Hickman (1998) also addresses this situation. He claims that it is verydifficult for ?under-resourced, overworked? adjuncts to effectivelyserve their students. For example, giving a student individualattention is a component of excellent teaching.However, forty-one percent of adjunct professors have no office hours.Nine percent of full-time faculty have no office hours. He furtherclaims that the adjuncts do want to individualize instruction forstudents; they simply do not have the time to consider that as anoption. Avakian (1995) concurs with this assessment and adds, ?Adjunctfaculty members complain there is little time or available office spacefor them to meet or mentor students. Nonetheless, committed andconscientious adjunct faculty members insist they are available foradvising and nurturing students. They are also ready to assumenoninstructional duties? (p. 36). Certainly, all of these factors mustaffect the quality of instruction. Even the most conscientious adjunctinstructor simply may not be able to address a student?s concern whenhe or she needs it to be addressed. Part-time instructors do their bestto serve students; however, the task overwhelms many, if not most ofthem.In many cases, part-time instructors do not have the luxury of formingrelationships with their colleagues who are hired full-time. Neither dothey have many opportunities for developing professional relationshipswith other adjuncts. Many times, full-time instructors resent theinflux of part-time teachers as illustrated in the following quote:?Permanent faculty members fear that program continuity is compromisedsince some adjunct faculty members lack teaching experience, and othersare inferior teachers who expect either too little or too much ofstudents? (Avakian, 1995, p. 36).Another ethical concern for the administrators of institutions thatemploy part-time faculty is the lack of representation that adjunctsare normally given in the decision-making process. The NEA advises,?Temporary faculty are commonly excluded from department meetings,committees, and academic senates. They find it difficult to meetstudents outside the classroom because they frequently lack officespace. Their marginal status in departments makes it difficult for themto be well-informed about degree programs and required course work? (p.2).Avakian (1995) writes that for several years, adjunct professors havebeen accused of not being interested in participating in the life ofthe institution, or for that matter, even being supportive of theinstitution. Some full-time faculty members complain that adjuncts arefar less committed to the institution than full-time faculty members.The reality, however, is that adjunct instructors generally wish to bemore involved in campus issues. Time does not allow them this luxury.Even if attending sporting events, concerts, or other extra-curricularactivities is out of the question, many adjunct professors do try tokeep abreast of these activities on their campuses.Adjuncts also need to be asked to serve on committees. Whether it beadvising students, helping with registration, or serving on curriculumcommittees (where part-timers are woefully underrepresented), adjunctsneed this opportunity to get involved. It is true that many part-timerswill be forced to turn down these committee assignments due to lack oftime; however, the ones who can accept them will benefit both theinstitution and the students. Some department heads may be surprised tofind that part-timers, though very busy, may accept service on adecision-making body simply because they have felt so isolated andalienated from these processes for so long.SummaryWhat should community college and university administrators do aboutthese ethical issues of adjunct instructors? Most people agree thatfull-time instructors are much more beneficial to the institution inevery way (except financially) than part-time instructors. However,administrators must balance this information with the fact thatpart-timers are much more appealing than full-timers when contemplatingbudget considerations. Perhaps Avakian (1995) sums it up when sheasserts, ??Administrators have been persuaded that something must andwill be done [about this dichotomy]. But, they concede, it is ofteneasier said than done? (p. 36).ReferencesAdjuncts in academe. (1997, Dec. 17).Science, 65, 14.Avakian, A. N. (1995). Conflicting demands for adjunct faculty.Community College Journal, 55, 34-36.Compensation and utilization of part-time instructors: Texas public community colleges 1998-99 and1999-2000. (2000).TCCTA Messenger, 1, 10.Hickman, J. N. (1998, Dec. 7). Adjunct U.New Republic, 219, 14-17.Ludlow, J. (1999, Jan. 25). Joining in the conversation: An adjunctprofessor discusses the trials and tribulations of a life in theacademy.Community College Week, 11, 10-11.National Education Association. (1989). A survival handbook forpart-time and temporary faculty. [brochure]. Washington, DC.Scarff, M. (2000, May 15). The full-time stress of part-time professors.Newsweek, 135, 10.Volz, D. (1996, Sept. 13). Part-time professors give schools lesson in supply, demand.Christian Science Monitor, 88, 3.Zabel, G. (2000, March 1). A new labor movement in the academy.Dollars and Sense, 44, 33-35.VN:R_U [1.9.11_1134]

Adjuncts in the Academy: Ethical Issues

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Adjuncts in the Academy: Ethical Issues

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