tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734173.post977270634024950693..comments2024-03-23T14:36:56.227-04:00Comments on The Collaborative Piano Blog: College Teaching: Tenured vs. AdjunctChris Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05248396106719265480noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734173.post-69839322056374594952010-05-20T21:12:45.142-04:002010-05-20T21:12:45.142-04:00As someone who's on the verge of leaving acade...As someone who's on the verge of leaving academia after 12 years, I must point out that the security issue of being non-tenured is no different than being employed by any corporation or business, but the issue of low pay really makes it a challenge to consider academia as a viable career. Tenure is slowly going away, and we have to face that. I think it's not a big deal, we're spoiled in academia by the tenure system. My position on it is like business: do great work and you'll keep your job...as long as your institution values great work--finances at colleges/universites are horrendous right now and faculty are let go without rhyme or reason in the midst of all the panic and hysteria at the administrative levels. It's been a real bloodbath in California. <br /><br />However, the pay issue... A quick scan of the ads for openings shows many schools are going the way hiring non-tenure track faculty for "Instructor" or "Visiting Assistant Prof." full time positions so they can offer low salaries. Especially for music positions, they know there are hundreds of musicians for every opening waving massive credentials and degrees who are happy to just to get any kind of job, and the salaries are barely over $30K. I was able to convince my dean of a raise once by pointing out to him that I could make more pouring lattes at Starbucks than I did in my full time faculty position (and I was very tempted to do it because Starbucks stock had just started a 6 year boom at the time and employees could buy it at $.50 on the dollar.) <br /><br />So, I think the Inside Higher Ed article points out a real truth--the exploitation of faculty, particularly with regard to pay. It's especially true in the humanities and arts--institutions know they offer some of the only employment opportunities for the thousands of job-seeking musicians, writers, artists that hit the market each year, and they get away with paying sometimes 30% of what a faculty member in a "market pay" discipline can demand.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734173.post-35710576103077422992010-05-20T10:28:01.053-04:002010-05-20T10:28:01.053-04:00Oh my god. That's a terrible story. Aren't...Oh my god. That's a terrible story. Aren't there any state/provincial laws in your area that protect the rights of women to return to work after a pregnancy, and that can provide for compensation in the event that you are improperly dismissed for becoming pregnant?Chris Foleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05248396106719265480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734173.post-47124192052471275062010-05-20T10:15:35.662-04:002010-05-20T10:15:35.662-04:00I've been a part-time "adjunct faculty&qu...I've been a part-time "adjunct faculty" member at a state university for five years - a staff pianist and instructor. Despite consistently stellar reviews for my performance from students and colleagues, my revelation of a pregnancy (due early next semester) and request for a period of unpaid leave presented too much of an inconvenience for my department to renew my contract for the next year. I've received many empty promises that there would be work for me down the road, but without a contract and regular hours, the pay for this work is too little to justify the time. <br /><br />Sadly, I really have no rights and no way to appeal this decision. I don't work enough hours to qualify for the FMLA guaranteed 12 weeks of leave. <br /><br />I've read that discrimination of this sort toward adjunct faculty is pervasive in academic institutions throughout the U.S.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com