THIS IS A TEST: WHICH TYPE OF FACULTY POSITION DOES THE UNIVERSITY PREFER TO CREATE, THE HAVES (TENURED AND TENURE-TRACK FACULTY) OR THE HAVE-NOTS (ADJUNCTS, INSTRUCTORS, AND LECTURERS)?
1. THE HAVES ARE PAID THE MOST AND HAVE JOB SECURITY, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THEY HAVE FULL ACADEMIC FREEDOM. THEY CAN ONLY BE FIRED FOR INCOMPETENT OR UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR, AND NOT FOR THE CONTENT OF WHAT THEY TEACH. TENURE IS CRUCIAL TO THE DEMOCRATIC MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS THAT IS THE UNIVERSITY. THESE FACULTY ALSO HAVE REDUCED TEACHING LOADS SO THEY CAN DO THE RESEARCH AND MENTORING NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL PROGRAMS.
b.) THE HAVE-NOTS ARE PAID LESS AND HAVE NO JOB SECURITY. OFTEN THEY WORK ON 1-YEAR CONTRACTS. THEY DO NOT HAVE TENURE AND THEREFORE DO NOT HAVE ACADEMIC FREEDOM. THEY DO NOT HAVE REDUCED TEACHING LOADS, WHICH MAKES IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO FIND TIME FOR RESEARCH OR MENTORING GRADUATE STUDENTS.
THE REASON WE HAVE HAVE-NOTS, ALLEGEDLY, IS SO THE UNIVERSITY HAS FLEXIBILITY IN HIRING: IF ENROLLMENT IS UP ONE SEMESTER, AN ADDITIONAL TEMP POSITION CAN BE CREATED. IF IT'S DOWN THE NEXT, THE POSITION CAN BE CLOSED.
BUT THERE'S A CATCH:
ALMOST ALL OF US SO-CALLED "TEMPORARY WORKERS" HAVE BEEN HERE LONG-TERM, MANY OF US FOR DECADES. THAT'S RIGHT, EVERY YEAR FOR 10-20 YEARS WE'VE HAD TO REAPPLY FOR THE SAME JOB, NEVER KNOWING WHERE OUR LIVELIHOOD WILL COME FROM NEXT. THE LACK OF JOB SECURITY CREATES ENORMOUS STRESS FOR MANY OF US. BUT WHY SHOULD STUDENTS CARE?
• WITHOUT TENURE WE CAN'T BE FREE TO TEACH OPENLY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT IDEAS ARE POPULAR OR TRENDY. WE CAN'T GRADE YOU FAIRLY, AS WE WORRY THAT POOR TEACHING EVALUATIONS WILL MEAN WE GET THE AX (BUT WAIT FOR IT . . . ) THIS LEADS TO GRADE INFLATION, WHICH LEADS TO THE DEVALUATION OF A BGSU DEGREE.
• NO TIME TO DO RESEARCH MEANS WE CAN'T BRING THE LATEST KNOWLEDGE INTO THE CLASSROOM, WHICH LOWERS THE QUALITY OF STUDENTS' LEARNING.
• WHEN MUCH LESS RESEARCH IS BEING DONE, OUR REPUTATION SUFFERS, AND A BGSU DEGREE IS GREATLY DEVALUED.
MANY OF US HAVE-NOTS ARE WHAT ARE CALLED ADJUNCTS (PART-TIMERS PAID BY THE COURSE). WE HAVE TO PIECE TOGETHER A LIVING, OFTEN COMMUTING TO MULTIPLE COLLEGES IN THE REGION EACH DAY TO GENERATE ENOUGH INCOME TO SURVIVE. DESPITE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, WE TRY TO BRING OUR BEST INTO THE CLASSROOM EACH DAY, BUT THERE IS NO WAY A TRAVELING PROF-FOR-HIRE CAN GIVE STUDENTS THEIR FULL ATTENTION WHEN THEY ARE DOING INTELLECTUAL PIECEWORK (CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?).
THIS UNIVERSITY HAS HUNDRED$ OF MILLION$ OF DOLLAR$ IN RESERVE. WHAT IS THE UNION ASKING FOR? FOR SALARIES TO BE RAISED TO THE STATE AVERAGE AND FOR THESE SO CALLED "TEMPORARY" POSITIONS TO BE EXTENDED TO AT LEAST 3 YEARS. (CRAZY!) THE FORMER WILL COST SEVERAL MILLION, AND THE LATTER WILL COST NOTHING.
1. THE HAVES ARE PAID THE MOST AND HAVE JOB SECURITY, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THEY HAVE FULL ACADEMIC FREEDOM. THEY CAN ONLY BE FIRED FOR INCOMPETENT OR UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR, AND NOT FOR THE CONTENT OF WHAT THEY TEACH. TENURE IS CRUCIAL TO THE DEMOCRATIC MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS THAT IS THE UNIVERSITY. THESE FACULTY ALSO HAVE REDUCED TEACHING LOADS SO THEY CAN DO THE RESEARCH AND MENTORING NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL PROGRAMS.
b.) THE HAVE-NOTS ARE PAID LESS AND HAVE NO JOB SECURITY. OFTEN THEY WORK ON 1-YEAR CONTRACTS. THEY DO NOT HAVE TENURE AND THEREFORE DO NOT HAVE ACADEMIC FREEDOM. THEY DO NOT HAVE REDUCED TEACHING LOADS, WHICH MAKES IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO FIND TIME FOR RESEARCH OR MENTORING GRADUATE STUDENTS.
THE REASON WE HAVE HAVE-NOTS, ALLEGEDLY, IS SO THE UNIVERSITY HAS FLEXIBILITY IN HIRING: IF ENROLLMENT IS UP ONE SEMESTER, AN ADDITIONAL TEMP POSITION CAN BE CREATED. IF IT'S DOWN THE NEXT, THE POSITION CAN BE CLOSED.
BUT THERE'S A CATCH:
ALMOST ALL OF US SO-CALLED "TEMPORARY WORKERS" HAVE BEEN HERE LONG-TERM, MANY OF US FOR DECADES. THAT'S RIGHT, EVERY YEAR FOR 10-20 YEARS WE'VE HAD TO REAPPLY FOR THE SAME JOB, NEVER KNOWING WHERE OUR LIVELIHOOD WILL COME FROM NEXT. THE LACK OF JOB SECURITY CREATES ENORMOUS STRESS FOR MANY OF US. BUT WHY SHOULD STUDENTS CARE?
• WITHOUT TENURE WE CAN'T BE FREE TO TEACH OPENLY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT IDEAS ARE POPULAR OR TRENDY. WE CAN'T GRADE YOU FAIRLY, AS WE WORRY THAT POOR TEACHING EVALUATIONS WILL MEAN WE GET THE AX (BUT WAIT FOR IT . . . ) THIS LEADS TO GRADE INFLATION, WHICH LEADS TO THE DEVALUATION OF A BGSU DEGREE.
• NO TIME TO DO RESEARCH MEANS WE CAN'T BRING THE LATEST KNOWLEDGE INTO THE CLASSROOM, WHICH LOWERS THE QUALITY OF STUDENTS' LEARNING.
• WHEN MUCH LESS RESEARCH IS BEING DONE, OUR REPUTATION SUFFERS, AND A BGSU DEGREE IS GREATLY DEVALUED.
MANY OF US HAVE-NOTS ARE WHAT ARE CALLED ADJUNCTS (PART-TIMERS PAID BY THE COURSE). WE HAVE TO PIECE TOGETHER A LIVING, OFTEN COMMUTING TO MULTIPLE COLLEGES IN THE REGION EACH DAY TO GENERATE ENOUGH INCOME TO SURVIVE. DESPITE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, WE TRY TO BRING OUR BEST INTO THE CLASSROOM EACH DAY, BUT THERE IS NO WAY A TRAVELING PROF-FOR-HIRE CAN GIVE STUDENTS THEIR FULL ATTENTION WHEN THEY ARE DOING INTELLECTUAL PIECEWORK (CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?).
THIS UNIVERSITY HAS HUNDRED$ OF MILLION$ OF DOLLAR$ IN RESERVE. WHAT IS THE UNION ASKING FOR? FOR SALARIES TO BE RAISED TO THE STATE AVERAGE AND FOR THESE SO CALLED "TEMPORARY" POSITIONS TO BE EXTENDED TO AT LEAST 3 YEARS. (CRAZY!) THE FORMER WILL COST SEVERAL MILLION, AND THE LATTER WILL COST NOTHING.
QUALITY WORKING CONDITIONS FOR FACULTY ARE
QUALITY LEARNING CONDITIONS FOR STUDENTS.
