Adjuncts

Ironically, the instructors who are often among the most liked by students are college teachers that will never be college teachers, the great underclass of academia known as adjuncts. Some of these adjuncts are professionals who like to dabble in the classroom, often as an ego thing ("Hey, I'm a college professor," or "I'm a successful professional who has pearls of wisdom to impart to the leaders of tomorrow."). Some adjuncts need the job (easy to spot, they call themselves "consultants."). Others have never been able to get a full-time teaching position, usually because they don't have their doctorates or sometimes because they are in an especially competitive field, so they make their meager living going from college to college (they are sometimes called "gypsies") teaching a class or two for $3000 apiece. And there are many that don't need the money or the ego stroke, they just like to teach and are usually good at it. But the over-riding theme is that adjuncts are a cheap source of labor (often exploited) for colleges and often carry a hefty portion of the teaching load at reduced dollars, one of academia's dirty little secrets. While adjuncts and teaching assistants may be the norm at research schools, particularly for introductory and lower-level classes, teaching schools are increasingly relying on adjuncts for economic reasons. But the question for this discussion is whether these adjuncts are good teachers.

While obviously a generalization, the answer is a qualified yes. Adjuncts usually are highly motivated and dedicated to doing a good job. They don't have to worry about scholarship or service (though those with "day jobs" often face time pressures), and usually enjoy teaching, despite being treated as second-class citizens by administrators. Further, adjuncts often receive higher student evaluations than full-time faculty. And therein lies the rub. Students tend to like adjuncts due to their "real-world" perspective (translation: they tell good stories), easier requirements and grading (adjuncts don't want to rock the boat nor receive low evaluations), and in many cases a greater devotion to teaching (it's not the money bringing them in to teach that night class). Full-time faculty tend to view adjuncts as a necessary evil, those that fill needs but are less qualified to do so (most don't have doctorates) and unable to provide depth to their subject (know the whats but not the whys, i.e., lack schooling in underlying theory and its application). Also, there tends to be a greater percentage of "rookies" that are adjuncts (no tenure, greater numbers, greater turnover), so a student is more likely to encounter an adjunct who has little teaching experience generally and for that class particularly. But adjuncts are there to teach classes that full-timers won't, and generally adjuncts do a creditable job.

Personally, I think that too many adjuncts lower the quality of a program in making it less rigorous and more vocational in nature. Yet I like our school to use a small number of adjuncts, as they bring a different and practical perspective to the programs, and adjuncts often bring a passion to teaching that energizes students.

Captains?

A sad reality is that many colleges are increasing the number of adjuncts as a way to reduce costs. In some places, the number of adjuncts is greater than the number of full-timers. The tenured/tenure track folks typically are not crazy about having a lot of adjuncts, not because they pose a threat of any type, but due to the perception that adjuncts dilute the quality of the program. In professional schools many think that it is good that students get some exposure to the so-called real world, and adjuncts are great at bringing their full-time job experiences into their part-time adjunct work. Students usually like the "war stories." However, as we typically don't view professional schools, or at least business schools, as vocational schools, a little bit of the purely practical goes a long way, as it is applied theory, or the understanding of the why and not just the what, that is the great shortcoming of adjuncts. Ironically, though, adjuncts often get higher student ratings than full-timers, not just because of typically easier grading, but because college students of today all-too-often overemphasize entertainment as the standard for quality instruction.

In my mind adjuncts are really treated atrociously, though I suppose there may be some debate as to whether the qualifications and performances of adjuncts merit better pay and benefits. We have seen adjuncts organizing at many colleges. What is most disturbing to me, however, is the disappointing lack of respect too often shown to adjuncts. Rarely do they have offices, and if they have anything it may be a "bullpen" or shared offices. They pick up the scraps on scheduling and resources, and full-time faculty rarely interact with them. Students usually don't think of them as "real" professors. And yet we have tons of people trying to be "college professors." It reminds me of the punchline to an old Myron Cohen (Vaudeville and Catskills/Borscht Circuit comedian): "To me, you're a captain [college professor]. But to a captain, you're no captain!"