next »

[gekko]

I've decided to quit teaching at one school where I am the only adjunct who teaches the course I offer. The reason for my departure is the huge amount of red tape involved with this or any course at the school. The amount of time I spend filling out completely unnecessary forms for the course is more than the time I spend actually instructing.

I complete electronic notifications for progress at points x, y and z in the class. Once this is done, they must be submitted by paper, completely filled in by hand (check marks for specific days attended, etc.) and singed in a color other than black. The electronic and paper versions go to different people. Now a paper version (copied and then signed) needs to go to a third person. An assessment of an assignment needs to be completed as well using a proprietary software that's difficult to get students to sign up for. I spend more time getting my students to register for this than getting them to complete their work. Once logged in, I "assess" their work based on four questions, ranking productivity from 1-4. An "expert" then goes in an compares my assessment to his own. Then there's the shepherding of students through the evaluation process regarding my instruction at the end, plus three different surveys throughout the term I must take regarding the course, plus notifications to various individuals of changes to course outline or syllabus.

I realize many people on this list either have their own bread buttered through the creation of mindless hoop jumping bureaucracy or similarly are able to hire multiple cronies to fulfill these functions when actual productive work is unavailable, but some of us with other options simply will not tolerate this behavior and will leave. I suppose this is somewhat desired since a revolving door of similar individuals will line up to do it. Good for them; you're loosing the ability to have someone more qualified for no reason other than this.

[aprilmay]

I suppose this is somewhat desired since a revolving door of similar individuals will line up to do it. Good for them; you're loosing the ability to have someone more qualified for no reason other than this.

You've got it right that there will probably be many people wanting your former job, but surely some of them will be very qualified.

There has been bureaucratic nonsense at every job I've had, in and out of academia. The problems you describe do sound like a pain, but not among the worst we deal with.

I hope you find something that you enjoy more.

[offthemarket]

Instead of quitting, I recommend teaching it next semester and just ignoring all of these hoops.  Just don't submit all those dumb forms.  Then let them fire you, which I bet won't happen.

At most universities, faculty have the pattern of not doing any stupid bureaucracy unless it is clear it is necessary and important, and things work out just fine.  I think this is the same for most faculty.

[larryc]

I realize many people on this list either have their own bread buttered through the creation of mindless hoop jumping bureaucracy or similarly are able to hire multiple cronies to fulfill these functions when actual productive work is unavailable, but some of us with other options simply will not tolerate this behavior and will leave.

No, most of us here hate this sh*t just as much as you do.

That said, I have never heard of the level of paperwork that you encountered! It sounds like a torture sessions set up by an EdD. I don't blame you for quitting. Explain your reasons is a letter and send it to the college president with CCs all the way down.

[brixton]

Ummmm.  I might start by talking to your department chair or other colleagues about it.  Sometimes there are good reasons.  Some times procedures can be changed, especially if others agree.  (The again, sometimes pigs fly with wings...)   But it's at least worth a try before smearing the campus with letters.  Finally, if you want to teach at a place that has less bureaucracy -- and there are some places like that still -- a lot of drama may not work in your favor.

[larryc]

Has anyone here ever taught at a place with that much reporting and bureaucracy? I have never heardo f such a thing.

[antiphon1]

Has anyone here ever taught at a place with that much reporting and bureaucracy? I have never heard of such a thing.

Yep.  All CYAed up the wazoo.  Evidently some person screwed up big time before I got there. 

[gekko]

Wow....that was my blow up for the year. I suppose I should clarify a few things: This is a state school; I have before and will continue to work as needed for two private institutions when something comes up that's interesting. I will think very carefully before ever getting involved with a state school in any capacity.

I should state that several years ago when I was still in school I got hired as an adjunct at a local community college although the course didn't meet required enrollment so it got cut. The amount of paperwork it took to get to that point was mind numbing. I was still getting requests for paperwork from the HR department weeks after they had cut my course. I got several phone calls regarding the submission of a TB test that I had to take and a discrepancy between myself and a similarly named individual. I don't know how much of this is state mandated rather than just state facilitated inefficiency. I have to assume the latter since the state would likely mandate compliance among all public and private institutions if able.

I suppose my point is that people have an incentive to increase this activity since it facilitates their own power grab to expand. What manager doesn't think there should be more managers? What administrator doesn't think more administration is necessary? What faculty member doesn't believe their own department needs an addition? You may say this happens everywhere and to some degree it does, but that's the reason why if I know that GM has 21 layers of management between CEO and assembly line while Toyota has 7, I'll invest in the latter. (I'll probably purchase the latter as well since there is usually no consequential result ((or at least no positive one)) from the additional layers of red tape.)

I'm not really interested in having a Norma Rae moment or bettering the situation for myself or others, just getting out and taking more favorable opportunities. I enjoy teaching in limited quantity (about 2-3 courses per year) but at a certain point that just isn't the job anymore.

[prytania3]

I'm at a state school, but we don't have that level of bureacracy for anyone--including adjuncts. All they have to do is sign a contract at the beginning of the semester and post their grades at the end.

You must be at a whack school.

[marigolds]

I did one adjunct course at a local CC and the first half of your post sounds familiar.  The attendance sheet thing is apparently something to do with federal funding and financial aid; they have to know precisely when each student stopped attending and when each student actually dropped because funding is prorated, or given out based on this information in some way.  (The sheet had teeny little slots to write things in, too, and some very arcane and incomprehensible code for each datum one might put in the teeny slot.)

But the assessment stuff sounds double-nuts. 

[brixton]

.. my point is that people have an incentive to increase this activity since it facilitates their own power grab to expand. What manager doesn't think there should be more managers? What administrator doesn't think more administration is necessary? What faculty member doesn't believe their own department needs an addition?

The short answer to this is tightening budgets. No state school is going to be endorsing expansion of administrators, managers or departments.  At least not at my state school...

[latinwords]

Gekko:
Just out of curiosity, which regional accrediting agency does this school report to?

[daniel_von_flanagan]

The "assessment of an assignment" exercise is interesting.  I've never heard of this being done, but can imagine situations where it might be useful.  For example, some of the professional programs, both on my campus and at our competitors in town, use some people to teach who do it as a hobby/break from their regular job as bank VP, radiologist, retired politician, etc.  Some of these adjuncts notoriously either do not have much experience with grading, or do not take that part of the job seriously.  This kind of assessment can make it easier for the regular faculty to diagnose potential problems and maintain integrity of the grades or program.  On the other hand, the exercises do not make much sense for someone who has already successfully taught for the department before. - DvF

[amlithist]

Has anyone here ever taught at a place with that much reporting and bureaucracy? I have never heardo f such a thing.

I remember interviewing at--and in subsequent years, have verified with others who have taught at--a couple of for-profits that were like this.  I walked away, rather than take those jobs, but I can totally understand that people need the money and do teach there, even with the ridiculous CYA documentation requirements.


ETA:  re: the CC attendance reporting--we're required to report who's never attended within the first two weeks of our classes.  This goes to the financial aid office, who then reports to the fed. fin. aid people, who then go after these students.  Otherwise, it's a huge scam:  take out loans to the teeth, never show up in a class, cash the check and run.  Of course, there's still the other scam:  those who take the loans, show up once in the census period and maybe even later, then don't show up again--they don't get a refund of their tuition, but the feds don't come after them, either.

[mountainguy]

+1 with what Amlithist said.

And as Amlithist has previously detailed on other threads, the detailed attendance records provides CYA insurance when clueless administrators demand to know why certain classes have a high failure rate, even when most of those who fail are non-attenders.