Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h9RIOwV01955; Mon, 27 Oct 2003 13:24:58 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 13:24:58 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <000901c39cb6$d0fb0ac0$6501a8c0@alclv.org> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Judy Rittenhouse" <jrittenhouse@alclv.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9578] Re: Fw: [PartTime] article from The Chronicle of Higher Education X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 4588 Lines: 134 Workers form unions for this very reason. Referring you to the Teaching Assistants' and Adjuncts' experience forming a union (with UAW support) at NYU over the past 3 years. It's about money and many fell in the struggle at that school when the university took action, sometimes mendacious and illegal actions. Now Yale U. provides a study in the same struggle. Forming a union gets results and demonstrates that adjuncts are serious about being received and compensated as professionals. But to take this step teachers have to prepare for some very hard ball from the institutions that have been taking advantage of them. ----- Original Message ----- From: <karamera@boun.edu.tr> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 2:49 AM Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9577] Re: Fw: [PartTime] article from The Chronicle of Higher Education > So long as the adjuncts and part-timers work like crazy and without being paid > for their extra work, the system will adjust itself to get the most out of them > while providing the least possible benefits. Unfortunately, and luckily, > teaching itself is satisfying and most of us will teach even if they are not > paid at all, just so they can have students and still be in class. That's what > I have been doing since I started living in Texas. > Sure it doesn't provide a living, I even pay for the class materials I prepare, > yet for me, there is nothing more satisfying than being in class. > > I guess this love of teaching makes us the most vulnerable. After all, "why pay > more while you can work them as much as you like." I wonder if some colleges > choose to hire more part-timers instead of full time professors, since they can > save a bunch of money from health benefits etc. without lowering the quality of > the education. > Quoting mdryden@mail.utexas.edu: > > > For 15 years, I taught 27 hours of adult education ESL (plus preparation, > > reviewing books, meeting with students, etc.: I also taught nine hours of > > academic courses in English composition and literature(twelve in the > > summer); > > in addition, because the college paid so little, I had another part time job > > running a refugee program (my favorite job)and after the refugee program > > ended, > > I traded that job for my own educational consulting business. During these > > years, I also raised a daughter, earned my MA, and completed many hours for > > my > > doctorate. > > > > And I was very proud of much of my work--especially the evening hours in the > > classroom with adult ed ESL students, four nights a week; and the morning, > > noon, evening and weekend hours I spent with the refugees. > > > > I was fortunate; because I worked so many hours and so many part time jobs, > > I > > had health insurance and retirement. However, by Friday afternoon, I was > > unreasonably, painfully tired. The treatment I received in the college > > adult > > education program was very bad. Once I began my Ph.D program, however, my > > love > > for my students and the knowledge that I could give them increased benefits > > because of the additional education that I was gaining, made me even prouder > > of > > my dedication to the profession. > > > > Yet I cannot deny that it was a difficult life, in terms of the energy I > > needed > > to gather, and sometimes could not gather, because I was overextended. > > I think that most of the people with full time positions have no idea how > > difficult the life of an adjunct is. > > > > I finally earned a full time administrate position. > > > > Marianne > > > > > > > > uoting Ujwala Samant <lalumineuse@yahoo.com>: > > > > > Dear Dottie, > > > > > > What an insightful and incisive article. I see this > > > everywhere, and have been a part of the adjunct system > > > for a while. When working with teachers of adults, > > > part timers work longer hours than a number of full > > > timers for little or no benefits. At one point the > > > NJALL even organised a session at their annual > > > conference on how to make a living as a part timer (or > > > something to that effect) by inviting people from the > > > insurance/pension companies, etc. It is a very hard > > > choice (?) to pursue a career as a part timer in > > > education. > > > > > > I remember working as an adjunct as a graduate student > > > as well... > > > > > > regards, > > > Ujwala > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > > > Do you Yahoo!? > > > The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search > > > http://shopping.yahoo.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
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