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[tortitude]

Forgive me if this has been discussed already. I'm a newbie on the adjunct circuit. I have a question about limits in state university systems on the number of classes a single part-timer can teach in the system.

In February I got an adjunct gig for the fall teaching two courses. At the time I was required to sign a paper indicating my understanding of the state's labor laws for part-timers (no more than 11 semester hours taught by a single part-timer in the state university system, unless you get an exemption). This week I was offered another adjunct gig, teaching two courses, by another school in the same state university system. I'll likely accept it, if I can get the exemption to teach 16 semester hours.

Question: do all states have limits on the amount of semester hours that can be taught by a single part-time teacher in state university systems? If so, is it typical for the system to allow a part-timer to exceed these limits? I sometimes hear of adjuncts and part-timers with insane teaching loads and who teach at many different schools, so surely it seems perfectly legal for me to carry a 4/4 load teaching part-time for the following year.  I have yet to go through the potential bureaucratic hurdles w/this, and I'm curious to hear about others' experiences before I do...

[erzuliefreda]

My state (Georgia) requires that folks fill out those forms because anyone working FT for the state would be entitled to benefits. So the form is to protect the University and the state in case anyone ever demanded health insurance because they were working a FT teaching load at multiple campuses. I would imagine the exemptions would vary depending on how badly a department needed you.

[seniorscholar]

Different school in the same state university system are one question, which has been answered by erzuliefreda. The typical "freeway flyer" in my locale teaches, say, 2 sections at a public university, 2 at a nearby Catholic college, and 1 each at the community college in two different counties (community colleges here being funded by the state but administered by the county, so there is no "system" involved).

[tortitude]

Thanks for the helpful answers. Hopefully I can get the exemption.

[untenured]

Thanks for the helpful answers. Hopefully I can get the exemption.

I'm assuming you are teaching four classes per year because you absolutely need the income.  If not, you might want to cut back on your teaching and concentrate on your research.  That is assuming you want a full-time job with a research requirement.

[dzenmar]

I teach in Massachusetts. At my University we are allowed to teach only 9 credits per semester.