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[ara786]

Hi,

I am currently teaching Political Science at a local community college here in MI.

I would like to know if it is possible to take a new job during the day and forego teaching one of my classes, which is during the day on Fridays.  Primarily, I teach nite courses part-time but this term I took a friday afternoon class.  Possibility of taking a new job that requires 40 hours full time is expected.  What do I do about my friday class--do I let my supervisors know so they are to find a replacement to teach the section?  Am I obligated to fulfill the semester contract?

[spinnaker]

What does the contract say?

[ara786]

At will employee.  can be terminated any time without notice by the college or individual.  any oral statements or promises are not binding on the college.

[spinnaker]

You're not obligated. If your courses are on separate contracts you can cancel one without canceling the others. They probably won't like it much, but it's your right. They wrote the contract. If they're all on the same contract then you have a problem.
I don't think they have the right to declare that oral agreements are not binding, but they would be trumped by written ones.

[spinnaker]

Even if all of your courses are on one contract, you could still ask if you can beg off the Friday one and have the contract redone. They might be OK with it. I would also get a letter of recommendation from the college ASAP.

[educator1]

given your contract, it is  certainly your legal right to walk away and the college would have little recourse. However, I would not recommend that unless your new job will keep you busy and you don't want to adjunct there again. Reputation is important in this business. It would go over much better if you could find a colleague/friend to take over for you.

[spinnaker]

If the choice is keeping all of the adjunct work and turning down the new offer or going with the full time position and leaving all of the adjuncting, I still vote for the latter, but how do you feel?

[spinnaker]

given your contract, it is  certainly your legal right to walk away and the college would have little recourse. However, I would not recommend that unless your new job will keep you busy and you don't want to adjunct there again. Reputation is important in this business. It would go over much better if you could find a colleague/friend to take over for you.

Recourse for what?

[reener06]

I took over a class for a guy that left mid-semester.  The chair dealt with it, and I was happy to get the course and it allowed me to get a lot more courses from them. This is all to say that it happens, it's been done before, but do be aware they may not hire you again.

[educator1]

given your contract, it is  certainly your legal right to walk away and the college would have little recourse. However, I would not recommend that unless your new job will keep you busy and you don't want to adjunct there again. Reputation is important in this business. It would go over much better if you could find a colleague/friend to take over for you.

Recourse for what?

Seeking compensation for leaving the job in violation of contractual obligations

[seniorscholar]

  What do I do about my friday class--do I let my supervisors know so they are to find a replacement to teach the section? 

I agree with everyone who has said "you can leave since your contract gives you that option" and "take the full-time job if that's best for you." But I'm shocked at the notion that anyone would leave a teaching job without "letting my supervisors know."  Do you really mean, "I will hand in a resignation letter in the morning and not show up for class that afternoon?" This would be wrong on many many grounds -- for your own future references, for the students, and, if I were the department chair, for the opportunity to teach the evening classes for the rest of the semester -- I'd fire someone who left without any notice or making any arrangements for the class immediately. After, turn-about is fair play, is it not?

So, what to do? First, do you know anyone who could take that class? Then, when you've signed the contract for the new job, visit the supervisor in person and recommend that person. And if that is not possible, at least let the supervisor know -- in person -- by the beginning of the week when you'll be gone on Friday. Bring in any records, plans, syllabus, books, information, etc. etc. etc. that the person who replaces you will need to have. Having looked at the contract procedure for resigning, bring in the appropriate letter. And, if at all possible, suggest the name of someone who might cover the class the first week, if not for the rest of the semester.

[spinnaker]

  What do I do about my friday class--do I let my supervisors know so they are to find a replacement to teach the section? 

I agree with everyone who has said "you can leave since your contract gives you that option" and "take the full-time job if that's best for you." But I'm shocked at the notion that anyone would leave a teaching job without "letting my supervisors know."  Do you really mean, "I will hand in a resignation letter in the morning and not show up for class that afternoon?" This would be wrong on many many grounds -- for your own future references, for the students, and, if I were the department chair, for the opportunity to teach the evening classes for the rest of the semester -- I'd fire someone who left without any notice or making any arrangements for the class immediately. After, turn-about is fair play, is it not?

So far he/she doesn't sound like a person who would do this. If you're so concerned about students having what they need, you should be opposed to these flimsy contracts and stupidly low pay.

[adjunctprincipessa]

Adjuncts should give as much notice in writing to the department chair as possible when they need to leave a job.  But these are positions that don't pay a living wage, and that can be taken away at most schools until the day classes start, and I've taught at some schools that have the right to cancel classes up to two weeks into the semester (you would get paid a partial salary if you taught for two weeks and then your classes were cancelled). lt would be completely irrational for someone to put a job with these conditions ahead of a job that pays a living salary and is stable. 

In this specific case, the OP should take the other job and cancel his Friday class if he needs the salary from the nonacademic position.  He should be aware that the consequence of that decision might be that the school chooses to take away his night classes if they can find another faculty member to teach them, or they may not hire him again in the future. 

[mickeymantle]

I had a similar situation happen to me years ago as an adjunct.  I had two classes scheduled for the next semester: one that was pretty full and one that looked on the verge of cancellation.  I needed to increase my hours at another job, and therefore could not teach one of the classes.  I decided to gamble and to ask to be released from the badly enrolled class two weeks before the semester started.  Fortunately, my chair agreed, confirming my suspicion that she was ready to cancel the section in any case.

Be as it may, I would be very careful in asking anyone to cancel your commitment.  Adjuncts live in a twilight world where obligations are non-reciprocal (in other words, the employer can cancel the sections at the last minute.)  Chairpeople have plenty of people to choose from, and they therefore have no hesitation in refusing to hire you again.  It's a cost vs. benefit analysis, in other words.

[spinnaker]

If ara786 informs the chair of his schedule conflict soon enough, the department may just decide to cancel this particular section of political science. Money saved.