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[multinodal]

I tried to say it all in the title: I have an adjunct position lined up for next semester. I worked at the department this semester; it was fine and I needed the teaching experience. However, it's not a wage I can live on, and my second round on the academic job market has been unpromising so I've been looking for non-academic work.

I interviewed and was verbally offered a non-academic job a couple of weeks ago. However, the catch is that the non-academic job is with a government-related agency and all their bureaucracy means that they cannot issue me a formal offer letter until the first week of classes. In general, I don't believe that one has a job until the actual offer letter is in hand and given the ever-changing funding climate in certain government agencies, the letter seems that much more important. However, I don't feel great about waiting until the first week of classes to resign the adjunct position either.

The timing of these events is very difficult; any fora wisdom on what might be the best way to manage this?

[glowdart]

I take it the teaching schedule and your new job's schedule conflict?  Because you could just do both, if you have the time & the interest.  Might be nice to have the extra cash, too. 

Do you need/want to keep this connection?  Can you talk to the department chair and maybe propose to pick up a course that doesn't conflict with your work hours for your new job because you don't want to leave them in the lurch, don't want to burn a bridge and (most importantly) you'd also like to cover yourself in case the job doesn't come through?  Are there other sections at a better time of day for your new schedule, and if so, then could you swap sections with the person teaching that section? 

How's your relationship with the chair & what's the chair like?  Those are factors to consider.  Ours would want to know in advance so that a contingency plan could be developed in case you did get the job and had to drop the class during the first week; that contingency plan would not involve canceling your section out from under you, either.  But, I can imagine cancellations happening with some other chairs.   

[alleyoxenfree]

Do you have a contract for the adjunct position, or just a verbal agreement?

Does the contract specify that they can let you go even if the course enrolls or for any vague reasons?

If you don't have a contract, or if the contract has wiggle room for them, which they usually do, I would be very careful about mentioning anything to your chair just yet.

I would try to negotiate the start date of the second job so that you could resign but give the department three or four weeks to find a replacement.  If they are professionals, they should have other adjuncts on a list that they can call on - just as they would if there was another life event like an adjunct's illness, family emergency, need to move, etc.  Alternatively, if it is just one class that you have, you might be able to negotiate with the new job for that time out of the office to teach the class.  It all depends on your options, so develop as many ideas as you can - while watching your back.

The nature of adjuncting is that they can drop or replace you at any time, and will.  Do your best to keep on good professional terms while realizing that if they really wanted to be on good terms with you, they would be working to create a full-time position for you.

[larryc]

I'd call my contact at the government agency and lay it on the line. Ask outright if the job is contingent on funding, because you have an offer to adjunct and you want to turn it down. If they reassure you that the job is solid (and I will bet it is), quit the adjunct gig immediately.

[adjunctprincipessa]

Almost every school I taught at, I was hired  a few days before the start of the semester.  A normal consequence of paying workers small salaries is high turnover, and having people quit their jobs without much notice.  There is probably a stack of cv's on your chair's desk full of people who will be grateful that you quit at the last minute (I always was!).  Best of luck to you.

[adjunctprincipessa]

Sorry - I forgot the other factor you might need to consider is whether or not you might ever want to return to academia.  If you are done teaching, then you should take the other job whenever it is formally offered.  If you might want to continue teaching in the future, you might want to try not to burn bridges and see if you can balance both positions.

[multinodal]

I take it the teaching schedule and your new job's schedule conflict?  Because you could just do both, if you have the time & the interest.  Might be nice to have the extra cash, too. 

This would have been ideal and I was initially scheduled to teach an evening class that would not have conflicted with a day job, however, a permanent faculty member seemed to prefer once a week over 3 times a week, and so it is not feasible for me to take the full-time job and teach these classes too.

Do you need/want to keep this connection?  Can you talk to the department chair and maybe propose to pick up a course that doesn't conflict with your work hours for your new job because you don't want to leave them in the lurch, don't want to burn a bridge and (most importantly) you'd also like to cover yourself in case the job doesn't come through?  Are there other sections at a better time of day for your new schedule, and if so, then could you swap sections with the person teaching that section? 

How's your relationship with the chair & what's the chair like?  Those are factors to consider.  Ours would want to know in advance so that a contingency plan could be developed in case you did get the job and had to drop the class during the first week; that contingency plan would not involve canceling your section out from under you, either.  But, I can imagine cancellations happening with some other chairs.   

My relationship with the chair is really non-existent - hu has consistently cancelled every meeting we've had, and really just hired me out of desperation/on faith. Hu seems perfectly fine, but seems to have very limited time and interest for and in new adjuncts.

Ideally, I'd rather not burn this bridge; again, ideally, it would be great to come back in the fall and teach as a practitioner-adjunct. However, I can't sacrifice a full-time job, a sustainable salary and benefits to feed this fantasy.

[multinodal]

I'd call my contact at the government agency and lay it on the line. Ask outright if the job is contingent on funding, because you have an offer to adjunct and you want to turn it down. If they reassure you that the job is solid (and I will bet it is), quit the adjunct gig immediately.

I have already done this and the offer from their perspective, is solid. However, the last i that has to be crossed and t to be dotted is within a political office; I don't want to offer too many identifiable details, but the offer has passed bureaucratic muster, it must now pass political muster. I think the risk that it will not is quite small, maybe 15%, but the vagaries of politics suggest that that could be a powerful 15%.

As for alleyoxenfree's questions:
I do have something that resembles a contract. I think they actually call it a letter of intent and it states that they can let me go for any reason, that I have no benefits, they have no obligation to me, etc. And I have signed it since it was proffered a few weeks ago. I would be fine deferring the new job's start date to teach the first 3 or 4 weeks of class and give them sometime to find a replacement; but would a department really be interested in that? It was my impression that instructor consistency was one of their key considerations.

[msparticularity]

As for alleyoxenfree's questions:
I do have something that resembles a contract. I think they actually call it a letter of intent and it states that they can let me go for any reason, that I have no benefits, they have no obligation to me, etc. And I have signed it since it was proffered a few weeks ago. I would be fine deferring the new job's start date to teach the first 3 or 4 weeks of class and give them sometime to find a replacement; but would a department really be interested in that? It was my impression that instructor consistency was one of their key considerations.

Whether they want to do this or not is their own problem; offering this kind of a transition would demonstrate your good faith, and then they can decide how they would like to proceed. As you say, though, your responsibility to this position definitely does not supersede your responsibility to yourself to have a real job!

[oldadjunct]

My relationship with the chair is really non-existent - hu has consistently cancelled every meeting we've had, and really just hired me out of desperation/on faith. Hu seems perfectly fine, but seems to have very limited time and interest for and in new adjuncts.

Ideally, I'd rather not burn this bridge; again, ideally, it would be great to come back in the fall and teach as a practitioner-adjunct. However, I can't sacrifice a full-time job, a sustainable salary and benefits to feed this fantasy.
[/quote]

I believe your chair has long since answered your questions/concerns with compelling demonstrations of your role.  Presumably you met their desperate needs, and they yours (less desperate, I hope and assume). 

There is no such thing as "resembling" a contract anymore that there is a thing "resembling" a pregnancy.

ETA: What bridge exactly?  Focus on the real bridges that this new position, should it come to pass, will offer.  You will be fine, no self respecting department expects more from an adjunct than they are willing to offer.

[alleyoxenfree]

You will be fine, no self respecting department expects more from an adjunct than they are willing to offer.

Some very narcissistic ones do.  But those would be unlikely to give you a good recommendation if you were winning Teacher of the Year awards.

As msparticularity said, offering to try to teach until they can replace you, or get another faculty member to take over the course at least shows good will and puts the ball in their court.  If they can replace you immediately, they will realize the advantage, but practically, this happens and good chairs deal, usually by having backup plans - (adjuncts with whom they have good relationships because they have treated them well in the past).

[multinodal]

I appreciate the insight that making the offer of a gentle transition is key and I will certainly do this since I think I can manage to delay the new job a bit.

Oldadjunct: to your point about what specifically I want out of this: a) a good teaching recommendation, and b) a good general job recommendation - after all, this is my last employer of record. What I want to know is how can I manage this situation so that a positive recommendation is a possibility?

You've all helped me think more clearly about this, so my questions are: given that I will likely receive an offer letter one or two days after classes start, when do I tell my chair? I am 85% certain that I will receive the offer letter, but if the 15% risk kicks in, I want to avoid a position where I have neither the non-academic job, nor the adjunct job.

[msparticularity]

I appreciate the insight that making the offer of a gentle transition is key and I will certainly do this since I think I can manage to delay the new job a bit.

Oldadjunct: to your point about what specifically I want out of this: a) a good teaching recommendation, and b) a good general job recommendation - after all, this is my last employer of record. What I want to know is how can I manage this situation so that a positive recommendation is a possibility?

You've all helped me think more clearly about this, so my questions are: given that I will likely receive an offer letter one or two days after classes start, when do I tell my chair? I am 85% certain that I will receive the offer letter, but if the 15% risk kicks in, I want to avoid a position where I have neither the non-academic job, nor the adjunct job.

Do not tell your chair until you receive the letter; it's not an offer until then.

[parispundit]

Like MsP says. And as you are being treated like an interchangeable part, treat the dept. the same way. Walk out in week one, they will have your replacement with at most one class mised. Don't sweat it.

[spinnaker]

I would call the chair today and ask for a letter of recommendation, explaining you don't want to wait till you need it as he/she may be extremely busy then. With luck, you've got the letter before any trouble starts. (Hopefully over time, if not right away, you are forgiven for bailing on them, or it's just a minor inconvenience for them, but why take a chance.)