next »

[mickeymantle]

Another query here.  Have adjuncts faced the following situation?  (I take it from another adjunct who works in a different department.)  Chairperson explains nothing to new adjunct about grading, format of exams, etc. (I know, not an uncommon situation), but also does not even contact adjunct when hu is faced with a possible violent situation in class.  But chairperson will drop everything for student complaints. 

[seniorscholar]

 does not even contact adjunct when hu is faced with a possible violent situation in class. 

Chairs often have only the advice to contact the campus police or campus safety office or campus counseling center or dean of students (whichever is appropriate on your campus), since the department chair (generally a rotating position that changes every 3 or 5 years) may never have encountered such a report and knows only that there are people on campus who have official responsibility. Has the adjunct taken that step?

[spinnaker]

Another query here.  Have adjuncts faced the following situation?  (I take it from another adjunct who works in a different department.)  Chairperson explains nothing to new adjunct about grading, format of exams, etc. (I know, not an uncommon situation), but also does not even contact adjunct when hu is faced with a possible violent situation in class.  But chairperson will drop everything for student complaints. 

If you get hurt on the job, the amount of income lost is minimal. Not likely to be a very big claim.

[proftowanda]

Heck, I faced this for years as tenure-track faculty.

[spinnaker]

Heck, I faced this for years as tenure-track faculty.

And did you have a room on campus in which to meet with students that would be available when you needed it?

[proftowanda]

Heck, I faced this for years as tenure-track faculty.

And did you have a room on campus in which to meet with students that would be available when you needed it?

Not necessarily.  And why are you veering into another question/direction?  That bores me.  Play by yourself.

[spinnaker]

Heck, I faced this for years as tenure-track faculty.

And did you have a room on campus in which to meet with students that would be available when you needed it?

Not necessarily.  And why are you veering into another question/direction?  That bores me.  Play by yourself.

I was "veering" back to Mickey's original question about what issues adjuncts and and TT may be facing together. We all need space for meeting for quality of service to students, convenience and even safety. I've even heard of TT faculty offering to share theirs on days when they are off campus. I've heard of this on the forum, that is - not yet in my travels.
 

[spinnaker]

Another query here.  Have adjuncts faced the following situation?  (I take it from another adjunct who works in a different department.)  Chairperson explains nothing to new adjunct about grading, format of exams, etc. (I know, not an uncommon situation), but also does not even contact adjunct when hu is faced with a possible violent situation in class.  But chairperson will drop everything for student complaints.  

This may be an opportunity for intersecting of interests between TT and adjuncts.

Honestly though, I don't mind this part that much. The chair has to drop everything for student complaints, because they are a practical problem. The most common one is that I have been inflating the grades.
I never think I've been inflating the grades, but I've been adjuncting a long time, and I wouldn't have been able to survive this long if I didn't know how to keep people happy. So it's a useful heads-up for me.
Of course the chair is under pressure from deans, students and parents to keep rigor in the program, and that rigor is considered to have been demonstrated when people fail and eventually drop out. So, for now, I go along.

[spinnaker]

Decent places haven't hired folks without terminal degrees in at least 40 years. I have little sympathy for those who only have an MA kvetching about not being offered t-t positions. It's really problematic for students that they are being denied a quality education, and one of the reasons they act so bewildered when we don't accept their transfer credits.

Yet many believe education has gone downhill during this interval. See today's article on "Academically Adrift."

The bulk of my training has taken place outside of the academy where I believe standards have not been slipping.

And I don't mean to throw stones at anyone. I have respect for PhD's. Just that your claim is worthy of some more examination.