For Adjuncts, Stitching Together Part-Time Jobs Into Full-Time Pay While Staying Put

Washington — How can part-time adjunct professors cobble together enough jobs to get full-time pay, all while staying put at one institution?

By teaching and doing student-service work — such as developing courses, advising, and serving as a mentor — on a fee-per-service basis, said Treseanne Ainsworth, an adjunct who recently got a full-time non-tenure-track appointment at Boston College.

Ms. Ainsworth pitched what she called an “alternative model for adjuncts that is already happening” during a presentation here, “The New Role(s) of Contingent Faculty,” at the American Association of University Professors’ international conference on globalization, shared governance, and academic freedom.

For instance, she said, at Boston College adjuncts serve as advisers to students who have not yet declared a major. For their work, Boston College pays them $1,000 a year, Ms. Ainsworth said. “The potential is really enormous” for such a model, which allows adjuncts to formally combine their roles.

Of course, as one member of the audience reminded Ms. Ainsworth, the catch is that many adjuncts often already take on time-consuming service on behalf of students without pay. So trying to turn such activities into a profit might well be impossible. —Audrey Williams June