tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post3418725143826259554..comments2023-07-28T07:22:10.579-04:00Comments on Green Chair Pictures: A letter to my students as I leave adjunct teachingbiscotti danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-33517125709719648512016-01-05T10:16:16.719-05:002016-01-05T10:16:16.719-05:00Thank you, Ian. I appreciate your note and am happ...Thank you, Ian. I appreciate your note and am happy to hear from you. I'm pleased to learn that you're still blogging, and enjoyed perusing your posts. Especially love your thoughts on Calvin and Hobbes. Thanks again for reaching out. Keep up the great blogging. Best, Danabiscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-48770282198555750362016-01-04T22:40:43.813-05:002016-01-04T22:40:43.813-05:00Hello Dana,
I just read this post tonight and wan...Hello Dana,<br /><br />I just read this post tonight and wanted to offer my condolences. I am saddened that you are no longer teaching at UNHM, and disgusted at the UNHM management for effectively driving you out. I would think that the relationship you have with your students, and the impact you've had on their lives would be reason enough to entitle you to a far greater wage. Your class was one of my favorites, and I am grateful to you for introducing blogging to me. My blog is still going strong with over 1100 views so far. I use it as a key way to market myself to potential employers. I wish you the best for whatever lies ahead.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Ian Ianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08917785520599295025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-31183018086347875912015-12-24T11:54:15.838-05:002015-12-24T11:54:15.838-05:00Thank you, Mark! Appreciate your note of support. ...Thank you, Mark! Appreciate your note of support. Easier to fight this issue now that I've left; I no longer have to worry about being rehired, so I can speak out. Have heard from many adjunct professors who are afraid to raise these issues, but are glad I did.<br /><br />Hope your holidays are happy! <br /><br />Best,<br />Dana<br /> biscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-60777591056759214552015-12-24T07:33:54.833-05:002015-12-24T07:33:54.833-05:00I feel your pain Dana. Thanks for fighting the goo...I feel your pain Dana. Thanks for fighting the good fight and shame on the university for paying so little.MARK W. SCHAEFERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15012451931991092091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-53475216652465709102015-12-23T18:16:59.412-05:002015-12-23T18:16:59.412-05:00Thank you, Cole,
I so appreciate your kind words,...Thank you, Cole,<br /><br />I so appreciate your kind words, and your thoughts regarding how the universities treat adjunct professors. Keep up the great work; can't wait to see your next films! Hope your holidays are lovely.<br /><br />All the best,<br />Danabiscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-39773850080479494642015-12-23T16:39:27.192-05:002015-12-23T16:39:27.192-05:00Dana, thank you for bringing the issue of adjuncts...Dana, thank you for bringing the issue of adjuncts to the table. Before you brought it up in class, I had no idea that it was even a thing. I would bet most students are not aware of the issue either. As it appears to students, all who teach college classes are professors. And I'm sure the university system is damn happy with it appearing that way. You took a leap in bringing up the topic, and it is a shame that the system continues to vilify your cause rather than rectify the situation. There is plenty of room for universities to give, rather they continue to take from professionals performing a job that is essential in education. Staff at UNHM is sad to see you go, and the students are unhappy as well. Cannot thank you enough for nudging me onto the path am I on now. Unless someone sat in one of your classes, I do not think they could ever understand just how good you are at what you do. Care, craft, integrity, and passion all come to mind when reflecting on your style. Everyone involved with Commuters knows just how freggin' awesome of a person you are to work with. Best of luck Dana. This is far from the end of the journey on many fronts. Colehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzojq4K7QYA&list=PLs-Iz4DEMVDafOEbHkmMu8r7kSen_5w4Inoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-19239989499869502492015-12-23T13:49:59.745-05:002015-12-23T13:49:59.745-05:00Giovanna,
Thank you for your heartfelt comments, ...Giovanna,<br /><br />Thank you for your heartfelt comments, and for your commitment to your students! The adjunct system is broken. It is not right that so many should be made to feel inferior. We are being hired to teach; that alone should command respect. But it doesn't. And I just couldn't take it anymore. For too long I let the low wages and zero benefits define how I felt about myself; I didn't like who I was becoming, and wasn't sure I could survive my depression much longer. With each passing day I feel more liberated to be free. <br /><br />I appreciate your note, because I realize that you and others understand what it's like, and know that the system needs to change.<br /><br />All the best,<br />Dana <br /><br />PS Would love to know if you find a recipe for a Polish version of biscotti. Happy holidays! biscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-5257553588886818172015-12-23T12:17:01.266-05:002015-12-23T12:17:01.266-05:00Hello, Dana
I am a long-time adjunct, 15 years wi...Hello, Dana<br /><br />I am a long-time adjunct, 15 years with an 11 year stint at one institution. We appear to have been living parallel lives on the forest floor of the Groves of Academe, including the tears, long suffering husbands, extra hours, love of teaching/mentoring, lack of collegial respect from full time faculty, and less than Wal-Mart/Mickey D wages for burning the midnight oil at preparation. teaching, correcting, mentoring, conferencing, and keeping current in my field.<br /><br />At my long time gig which must remain nameless, a very dear, super highly placed,former adjunct often told me that she was thought of as "pond scum", when she was an adjunct so she has moved on to a Doctorate and a significant six figure administrative salary. A department chair at the same school was quoted as saying that "adjunct work was a short time employment for people who REALLY loved to teach". I do believe that could be filed under "damning with faint praise." <br /><br />I heard most of your interview this morning on NHPR and wrote to Rick Ganley to get your contact information.<br /><br />I thought that I had stopped adjuncting in May, but I will be teaching at one full semester course at a new school in January and an 8 week course there in March. I have also been prevailed upon by a friend to pick up an 8 week course at another division of my 11 year gig in March. I'm cobbling these jobs together with selling vintage/antique stuff in a Group Shop. For this I sailed though a great undergrad program and got an MA with distinction in English literature. This is not where I expected to be too many years ago.<br /><br />I read the responses to your blog and they make me sad and demoralized. I love teaching but adjuncting...not so much.<br /><br />I hope that you get out there and do something wonderful, fulfilling, and appreciated. The saddest thing is that our students end up losing. <br /><br />Your words truly touched a nerve this morning. I wish things were different and as you can probably tell by this disjointed whine/rant, the adjunct system leaves me blithering and feeling diminished.<br /><br />Find and "follow your bliss" Professor. <br /><br />Enjoy the holidays and revel in your demonstrated success at engaging your students. They will prove to you, as mine still prove to me, that caring teaching changes lives. That's a very good thing. <br /><br />PS. I am addicted to cookies, I must research Polish pastry to see if there is a Polish equivalent of biscotti.<br /><br />giovannaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-70743173708252939072015-12-10T08:53:03.310-05:002015-12-10T08:53:03.310-05:00Thank you, Joe! Appreciate your words of support. ...Thank you, Joe! Appreciate your words of support. biscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-61702141284101664542015-12-09T16:10:17.170-05:002015-12-09T16:10:17.170-05:00Wow, I can't believe that. It's absolutely...Wow, I can't believe that. It's absolutely horrible that's how much they value teachers, especially at this level. They've definitely been taking advantage for far too long and then to justify giving themselves bonuses? That's just so wrong. UNHM is losing a great teacher that's for sure. Good luck to you in your next endeavor!<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Joe Parzych Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17409295788982794960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-28891679017596358202015-12-07T09:57:59.852-05:002015-12-07T09:57:59.852-05:00Thank you for your note, Joe. I agree completely, ...Thank you for your note, Joe. I agree completely, and appreciate the good wishes for my future. biscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-41000756182272441472015-12-06T11:32:04.342-05:002015-12-06T11:32:04.342-05:00Dana, your description of getting out of academe a...Dana, your description of getting out of academe and giving up on the adjunct game touched me deeply. Sooner or later, a lot of people who are adjunct part-timers in academe have to finally face up to the fact that they have made a bad career choice. They finally come to the realization that they are never going to be research superstars with a whole bunch of peer-reviewed papers and perhaps some trend-setting books to their credit. They will be competing against superstars for the few full-time gigs that are available, and their chances of landing one aren’t going to be much better than the odds of winning the PowerBall lottery. Part-timers are often treated with disrespect by administrators and by the full-time faculty, reasoning that they are inferior scholars that are there simply to free up the “real” faculty to do more research and to seek more external grant funding. Time to give up and consider doing something else. Good luck in whatever you ultimately decide to do.Joe Baughernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-67118072903336974612015-12-05T10:39:47.552-05:002015-12-05T10:39:47.552-05:00Thank you for your comment, Mark. I agree that it ...Thank you for your comment, Mark. I agree that it is a fun way of earning a living, if you're fortunate to find a full-time position. As for the calling part, I can't describe it any other way; in my life I've mentored writers as an AmeriCorps volunteer (just last year) and have volunteered to work with local youth who are writing. I've always felt a need to help, but have found that I can no longer justify doing so for universities and colleges that should be paying livable wages to every employee. biscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-67622568849891708002015-12-05T05:03:52.699-05:002015-12-05T05:03:52.699-05:00I don't grasp this whole "calling" t...I don't grasp this whole "calling" thing. I've been an academic for two decades and I've never thought of it as anything more than a fun way to earn a living. I sure wouldn't do it if it didn't come with a living wage (unless, of course, I had no other options).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11660570455971525555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-60814719537793208022015-12-04T13:42:07.911-05:002015-12-04T13:42:07.911-05:00Thank you for your note, anonymous tenured profess...Thank you for your note, anonymous tenured professor. I appreciate knowing that some people value what my colleagues and I do for students and for the colleges and universities where we teach. I already do treasure these past ten years. I am fortunate to have worked with wonderful students, and am blessed to keep in touch with many who have graduated. My tears are not for my time already spent in the classroom, but for the years ahead since I cannot afford to continue in an adjunct position. biscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-20654204808918367922015-12-04T13:24:20.956-05:002015-12-04T13:24:20.956-05:00Your blog entry was linked on Inside Higher Educat...Your blog entry was linked on Inside Higher Education today, so your readership is about to increase substantially. I am just a sympathetic stranger, and one of the lucky few who ended up in tenured positions. Most of my bretheren give not a single thought to the plight of adjunct faculty. I cannot fix what is happening to higher education, I cannot redirect the gaze of my administrators away from plans for "increasing the university's profile" and back toward teaching, and I cannot fill the void that you are bound to feel for a while.<br /><br />But, I wish that I could tell this to every adjunct and term professor I have met, and I am telling you: I see you. I see what you did for students. I thank you, and I honor you. Even though your university did not show any appreciation for your contribution, you did make one. For ten years, you worked with students, some of whom may otherwise have fallen through the cracks. Unlike many highly paid professionals in other fields, you can say that you changed some people's lives for the better, and with no financial incentives to do so. While I hope that you can find better compensated employment elsewhere, I also hope that you can eventually look back at teaching as ten of the most meaningful years of your life.<br /><br />Strength, patience, and success to you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-15891399752138828672015-12-04T12:27:57.383-05:002015-12-04T12:27:57.383-05:00Glad to hear you've enjoyed our image and soun...Glad to hear you've enjoyed our image and sound class, Eddie. Great presentation the other day too--especially given the internet crash midstream. Yes, many of the adjunct professors must work other jobs to make a living. It's too bad because most of us would rather be on campus more often, meeting and working with students, and teaching another class at UNHM. I've taught at four colleges or universities; I would much rather just teach at UNHM full time. Thank you for your note and good wishes!biscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-52456453726741826542015-12-04T11:43:00.569-05:002015-12-04T11:43:00.569-05:00Being in your image and sound class this semester ...Being in your image and sound class this semester was a fantastic opportunity that really deepened my understanding of film and production. Definitely a class that was both enjoyable and informative. As for the situation mentioned, it is a shame that the school board can get away with underpaying their staff. It also makes a lot of sense to me now how a lot of my professors work two jobs to make ends meet. I was always under the impression they made a decent wage. Thanks for shedding some light on the issue, and good luck with the rest of your career.Eddie Duvalnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-68054466699531666022015-12-04T07:27:59.674-05:002015-12-04T07:27:59.674-05:00Amanda, Thank you for your post, and for your kind...Amanda, Thank you for your post, and for your kind comments. I am glad you enjoyed our class; I did too! I'm also pleased to have opened your eyes to this issue. I think you may be surprised to learn how many of your professors are adjunct. biscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-6407584009501872852015-12-03T23:10:04.192-05:002015-12-03T23:10:04.192-05:00Thank you for posting this because I had no idea t...Thank you for posting this because I had no idea this was even an issue. It definitely opens my eyes as to where my tuition is going. It is not fair the tuition is not going to those who actually give the education. Thank you for always being caring and understanding to every one of your students. You always made class fun and interesting and I am glad I was able to take the class while you were still at UNHM. I wish you the best with everything! Thank you!Amanda Cozzensnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-9081801235540527232015-12-03T13:50:47.367-05:002015-12-03T13:50:47.367-05:00Kyli, Your comments touch my heart. Thank you. And...Kyli, Your comments touch my heart. Thank you. And good luck to you in your Disney internship. I would love to hear all about it upon your return. Best, Danabiscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-34222616581068587772015-12-03T13:28:08.025-05:002015-12-03T13:28:08.025-05:00Dana, Out of all my professors, I have always thou...Dana, Out of all my professors, I have always thought you were the one most involved in wanting to see your students succeed. To know that all of the time and effort you put into your classes is not being fairly compensated (and is grossly undercompensated in my opinion) makes me appreciate the classes I was able to take with you even more. After reading your blog posts, I'll never complain about one of my adjuncts professors taking to long to respond to my emails again. Good luck with all of the wonderful things you will have coming your way! Kyli Van Curennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-25896540388918268072015-12-02T15:43:16.631-05:002015-12-02T15:43:16.631-05:00Thank you, Michael! Appreciate the compliment. Am ...Thank you, Michael! Appreciate the compliment. Am glad to have helped remove the veil surrounding how adjunct professors are mistreated. biscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-22742147611938526022015-12-02T10:45:05.081-05:002015-12-02T10:45:05.081-05:00I'm happy to have had the chance to take TWO c...I'm happy to have had the chance to take TWO classes with you over my time at UNHM - they've easily been among my favorite that I've taken. It'll suck that future SW and MW students (if the classes are continued) won't get the chance to take them with you as their professor. I had no idea how little Universities valued their adjunct faculty (especially those that have been around as long as you have) - thank you for opening my eyes to this issue. Michael Langnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18677110.post-38423449575121010172015-12-02T07:26:49.697-05:002015-12-02T07:26:49.697-05:00I am sad to read your comments, Prophetess Kathlee...I am sad to read your comments, Prophetess Kathleen. You were abused by this system that pretends to honor those who study and work hard to achieve their advanced degrees so we can mentor students. My heart ached as I read your story; thank you for sharing it with us.biscotti danahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18193580185167350665noreply@blogger.com