On February 25 Adjunct Professors Were To Walk Out Of Classes To Protest Low Pay, A Lack Of Benefits And Unfair Treatment. I Forgot.

On February 25, 2015, adjunct professors across the United States are planning to walk out of the classroom to protest their low pay, lack of benefits, and unfair treatment. - See more at: https://chroniclevitae.com/news/762-the-adjunct-crisis-is-everyone-s-problem#sthash.qGBKDC9M.dpuf

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I teach part time as an Adjunct at three universities.  I forgot to walk out of my classes on February 25^th.  Here it is March 11 and I am still technically in class (my online classes).   However I also understand that I have not had a pay increase in one university I teach at in now 13 years and have had my classes and pay cut at another one due to Obamacare (see quoted text below)

Important Notice:

To meet the needs of the Affordable Care Act and its limits on adjunct faculty teaching load, a statement regarding allowed load has been added in a blue box at the bottom of the contract above the signature line. Please read it carefully and understand the implications about going over the approved load of three classes total in a 16-week period. 

I have been teaching as an Adjunct for the past 33 years and have taught classes in Economics, Business and Accounting at 10 different colleges and universities over that time frame.  I have taught 1083 credit hours during that time also.  The average full time Professor teaches 6 to 18 credit hours per school year.  I teach normally 39 to 45 credit hours per school year.  I will match my professionalism and credentials in the classroom with any full-fledged tenured professor at any college or university any time. 

Interesting isn’t it?  I have given up any desire to want to teach full time on a college or university level.  I know it would be enticing for me to teach fulltime since there are few college professors who are either conservative and or have real world experiences in the economy.  Yet I keep teaching I guess to try to help my students learn and do better in their lives and for a paycheck since I receive no benefits at any of the schools I teach at.  The paycheck is interesting for at one university I teach at they are saving a great deal of money now by paying adjuncts only once a semester in a lump sum.  Most schools will pay adjuncts every two weeks.

Interesting isn’t it?  We see college costs have skyrocketed over the past fifteen years.  We see adjunct pay be cut and or stay the same in that same time frame.  We see Presidents of colleges and universities salaries and benefits continue to go up in this same time period.

Something really needs to change in higher education.  It is sad to see the abuse of the adjunct in 2015.  Interesting isn’t it?  I forgot to walk out of my classes on February 25^th.  I think I should have now.

On February 25, 2015, adjunct professors across the United States are planning to walk out of the classroom to protest their low pay, lack of benefits, and unfair treatment. - See more at: https://chroniclevitae.com/news/762-the-adjunct-crisis-is-everyone-s-problem#sthash.qGBKDC9M.dp