(Adjuncts: The Slave Labor of Higher Education -- continued)
It also follows that if there is no significant productive change, then the faculty suffer, the students suffer, and ultimately individual colleges and the community college system become mediocre.
The irony is that making the necessary changes would not be all that difficult. For example, a model for evaluating faculty fairly and a model for dealing fairly with student complaints have already been created at Prince George’s Community College. Setting general standards for course assignment does not defy logic. (Nor does it require the pressure of a union.)
Moderate increases in tuition would provide funds to pay adjuncts fairly. There is no need to limit community college tuition increases to only $2 a credit hour for next year. In the face of all the damage being done to students and to adjunct faculty, who teach a substantial proportion of the courses taught, $2 is absurd (see Portland Press Herald, 25 May 2013, B2, “Augusta”).
Such a minuscule increase makes obvious beyond doubt that low student tuition rides on the backs of the adjunct faculty. It makes obvious beyond doubt that adjuncts are indeed the slave labor of higher education. Folks, that’s morally wrong by any ethical standard. It is a classic example of “penny-wise and pound-foolish.” Neither the system board and administration nor the legislature can make a plausible argument to the contrary. Any argument to the contrary is just specious word games that would not withstand an hour’s discussion in a critical thinking class.
My Credibility and Context
Obviously, my views are grounded in my own fifteen years of experience, as follows.
Where I Taught
I taught for two years at a Catholic male high school in East Baltimore and then taught 13 years at the community college, art college, or university level.
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In Maryland, I taught at Prince George’s Community College, Montgomery College, Baltimore County Community College, and the Maryland College of Art and Design. In Maine I taught at the University of Southern New Hampshire in Brunswick, the University of Southern Maine in Lewiston, Kaplan University in Lewiston, Heartwood College of Art in Kennebunk, and Central Maine Community College in Auburn---there most recently. Those colleges present great diversity in demographics, academic expectations, student ability, and motivation.
What I Taught
The courses I taught were in English, writing, communication, and the humanities. On average I taught three college courses a semester. I taught all the freshmen and sophomore English courses, including college writing, literature, research, and argumentation. In the humanities I taught critical thinking, ethics, and Western thought and culture. In communication I taught public speaking and interpersonal communication. These courses spanned a wide spectrum in objectives and methodogy.
While they all contained content to be mastered, all of them were also intended to teach students how to think and present their ideas effectively. I very much liked doing that, and I never minded grading essays of students who tried. Essays are essential in teaching students how to think and organize ideas clearly, systematically, and persuasively. I once calculated that I’ve graded more than 14,000 essays and taught several thousand students.
My Hope
I hope my credibility, thesis, evidence, and logic are persuasive to you! I also hope for positive change.
Langston Snodgrass
May 14, 2013