What's It Like Being An Adjunct Professor? The sad, secret lives of community college teachers.

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Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

[smknchub]

The devaulation of the American teacher.

[CodeProvider]

what the fuck I didn't even know about this. THIS is why classes are listed as "staff" o.O
I always thought there was a darkness lurking behind "staff."

[zaruyko]

So, not only are adjunct professors a big thing for cheap labor, but college tuition costs are also increasing.

[Jeffmetal]

I can tell you from personal and current experience that out of all the professors I've had since deciding to get back in school and work towards a degree, that all my favorite professors have been adjuncts so far. Like u said, they were remedial teachers. I'm sure it's a combination of where I'm at mentally in my life and the professors themselves, but I actually understand math now and don't struggle, which them breaking it down on a real level helps A LOT! They also don't have the shitty attitude a few professors I've encountered have. Not sure what students you deal with, but I'm one who admires the shit out of someone who's willing to do what adjuncts do, especially while still reaching and teaching people.

[GigidyGigidy]

Well they may not care, but we love you Professor Staff! xD

[gninamah]

Well at least here you needn't worry about the administration; you're the head director.

>Schedule: 2-3 videos a week; not so bad.
>Student body: growing and eager to learn. 
>Work environment: you get to teach something you love.
>Pay: not entirely sure on that one, but I'm fairly certain you would do your very best to             produce content even if it was unpaid.
>Recognition: At least 50, 000 people know who you are and what you stand for (I don't     believe we know your name, but that's ok; maybe one day.)

I may not be a teacher, but you get a solid A++ in my book. One highest standards in Magical YouTube community.

Cheers, Professor!!! 

[kcsnipes]

informative yet depressing
lets value you our educators

[R.A.Meenan]

This is so true it hurts. I work at three colleges and I am the definition of a "freeway flyer." And money is always a huge deal. I teach five or more classes a semester and I barely make enough to make ends meet.

But you know what? Despite the problems, I still love doing it. Yes, we're often treated like cogs in a machine, but we get a chance to change students' lives, and since my students regularly tell me that I changed their life, I'm going to keep this up no matter what.

Power to Adjuncts!

[natashagates]

This makes me so sad.
On the other hand, I went to an Ivy college and most professors there don’t care who you are or acknowledge if you’re alive or not. They use their assistant professors to do all of the work -including the grading & most of the teaching depending upon how they feel that particular day. -I have felt extremely invisible as a student & it’s equally as dehumanizing.

[neomaycry]

Hello, Professor.

I have been following your MTG videos for awhile now, and I was pleasantly surprised to see this new type of video pop-up in my News Feed.

I am a tenure-track professor at a southern liberal art college, and we have the largest adjunct population in the state. At times, I am in-charge of assigning adjunct professors to teach certain courses within my department. I just wanted to let you know that your work is incredibly important and that your video has inspired me to take deeper consideration in improving the quality of life for adjuncts at my university.

Thanks for posting this video, and thanks for fighting the good fight, both in the MTG community and in the academic community.

[jvolstad]

Most of the classes that I have taken, that were taught by adjuncts, have been good. BTW, I am 65-years-old and am working toward a degree in Mathematics.

[babutner]

Thanks for making this. I've always known what an adjunct is, but I never knew details. Gives me a whole new respect for some of my professors. 

[Frank-Jaeger]

I feel for you Professor. My dad was a college professor and program director for several years. He was overworked, underpaid, and generally used as the workhorse for everything. Program directors often only teach one class so that they have time to develop the program, recruit students, etc. In my dad's case, he taught 3 classes in addition to being the founding program director...this is all while he was completing his PhD (online, but from a very prestigious college). I hope that the sense of satisfaction you gain from the glowing student reviews goes a long way, it's something to be very proud of!

I am a pharmacist, specifically the pharmacy manager for a store that is a part of a large chain of pharmacies in the US. I am paid very well...but I hate my job. So much so that every day that passes seems to steal a little bit of my soul. Retail pharmacy breeds angry, bitter pharmacists over the course of time. I'm looking to get out and find a job in my field that I find enjoyable and stimulating as the 12 hour days without breaks or lunch really wear me down

[Cosmicllama]

Great video! I was curious what you did for a living and now the theme of the channel makes total sense! More adjuncts need to speak out and make noise about the state of the university/college education system. They also need to start considering forming labour unions, which I realize is a dirty word in America but it is through organized labour action that most of us enjoy things like 8 hour work days, vacation and something called the "weekend". 

[GeekIntel]

Yep I go to community college and my IT professor teaches 2 classes in the morning then goes into the city for his full time system admin job. Personally as someone going into the IT field that wouldn't be a bad gig but that situation is the minority. How can they expect to get good teachers and professors when the pay is low and the benefits don't exist. That needs to change 

[thegreyarea]

So, do you like your job? I mean, you've been doing it for ten plus years. It sounds frustrating to not have job security for ten years.

[IcebergMikeTPals]

Professor Staff? That's just not right. Not right at all. Adjunct needs to not be a thing. You are a human. You have worth. Something like this is immoral and should be illegal!

[redzaku]

Keep it up prof I'm sure you're students appreciate you as much as we do.

Thanks for doing what you do.

[videomaniac]

I did this gig as an adjunct, teaching physics in community colleges in San Diego county for about ten years. I feel sorry for the students, many of whom are being short-changed by a totally corrupt and dysfunctional higher educational bureaucracy. The schools talk a good game about education, but in reality it's all about manipulating the students so as to maximize revenue and abuse adjuncts to minimize expense, classic business practice. The schools will dangle the prospect of getting hired as a contract faculty in front of the noses of the adjuncts, for the good ones that they want to keep, but in reality have no intention of hiring them. It was sad to see new adjuncts who would work so hard and often do such great jobs in teaching, buying the baloney that the school's administration was selling to them, but then getting bitter and disillusioned after the reality would sink in.

[logankohl]

This video really connected with me. As of right now my university in Toronto is on strike because the university is trying ti get rid of contracted professors and have PHD students teach the classes the professors would normally teacher just so they dont have to pay their staff as much. It made me very sad, depressed almost, to hear about that. I'm not sure what prompted you to make this video but I am very glad you did Professor. Keep up the flawless work! I will be here awaiting your next video :)