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[dano64]

As a part-timer, I was wondering, as an adjunct if anyone could comment about community college work environments (students, equity levels, job growth, et al)  in the following regions/states: New England, Louisiana, Oregon, Washington, or Nevada. No small comment is too small.

[kamiakin]

I think that the work environment for adjuncts is far more dependent on the culture of the particular institution and even the department than it is on the state.

That said, most Washington schools are unionized and that might lead to better treatment of adjuncts.

[barred_owl]

Kamiakin is correct--there is tremendous variation from school to school, just as there is from town to town.  The term "work environment" can mean many things (or different things to different people, as well):  treatment of adjuncts is one aspect of that environment, but one might also consider availability of resources (labs, library materials, office space, etc.), condition of the physical facilities, student characteristics, and so forth.  Again, with reference to Washington, there is quite a broad range across the 30+ CC campuses.  Some are quite large and located in urban settings, others are very small and located in very rural or impoverished parts of the state.  Some have very diverse student populations, others are less culturally or economically diverse.  Some have stellar new science facilities, others have wonderful galleries or performance spaces.

Just as there is a constellation of different work environments at CCs, there are also differences between individual adjunct instructors:  some prefer part-time, some prefer teaching online courses only, etc.  If you're looking at adjuncting at CCs in any of the places you've identified, you should be able to find at least some information about facilities, faculty status (TT/tenured vs. adjunct), or student characteristics by consulting the websites for individual schools.  For the state of Washington, you might also study the WA State Board for Community and Technical Colleges at  www.sbctc.ctc.edu . 

[designmfa]

I did some CC adjuncting in New England (Maine, to be specific), and am originally a native of the region. Community Colleges in New England are not as commonly used as a springboard to transfer to a larger university as they are in other areas of the country. For instance, I am at a very large, midwestern state U right now, and it seems like 25-50% of the students I teach have spent a year or two in community college, and perhaps even have an Associate's and some work experience. Many of them are local, some not; they work hard, and a good amount of them seem to get their bachelor's degrees in their mid-late 20s.

This is counter to my own experience in New England, where I graduated at 21 and immediately went into the job market. Community college in New England is seen more as a separate experience from the U. or SLAC experience, and the people who attend one don't attend the others as fluidly as they do here in the midwest. I think CC in New England is perhaps snubbed a bit more because of this, and this is evident in the income I was earning teaching in the Maine CC system.

I can't speak to the pay in NH, MA, VT, RI, or CT, but I can say that in Northern New England, CCs and Jr. Colleges are generally smaller, more vocationally focused, less academically focused (with fewer students transferring to state colleges/unis), and less well-funded.

This is just my reflection based on personal experience and witnessing firsthand the student populations at a few different schools. Your mileage (and other adjuncts' from the region) may vary, especially in the Boston/Hartford/Providence areas.

[profh]

For instance, I am at a very large, midwestern state U right now, and it seems like 25-50% of the students I teach have spent a year or two in community college, and perhaps even have an Associate's and some work experience. Many of them are local, some not; they work hard, and a good amount of them seem to get their bachelor's degrees in their mid-late 20s.

I obtained both my undergraduate and graduate degrees at midwestern universities, and I currently teach at a midwestern CC.  I would have to agree with the above statement.  While I earned my BA at 22 and MA at 24, I did attend a CC for the first 2 years and most people I know did as well. 

The CC that I work at now is very large, we have many students who are using it as a springboard to a 4-year university.  We also have many adult students.  It is a really diverse campus consisting of all racial and ethnic groups, with students ranging from 16 to well into their 70s.

When I was working on my BA there were many students studying with me who were 25+. Although I think the average age will vary based on the school.  From my experience, universities that are typically considered commuter colleges for the locals have an older student population.  Large state schools and SLACs that attract students from throughout the country, seem to have a younger student population.

I'm not sure how working environments vary from region to region (as I have been in the same region my entire life), but I do think that the college itself would have more of an impact on one's working environment than the actual region it's located in (unless it's in the middle of nowhere, in a poor area, or in an area with a high cost of living).

This being said, the area that I live and work in has lost a lot of jobs over the past year or so.  Due to this, it seems that there is a larger number of adults taking classes to either update their skillset or make the transition to a new career.