For Online Adjuncts, a Seller's Market If the Chronicle web site wants a password, trying going in through Google, which seems to provide a back door: news.google.com The article profiles Ruth Achterhof. She has a PhD from Baker College, and earns $90,000 per year as an online adjunct at Baker College Online, Jones International, Davenport University, and the United Nations Development Program. She doesn't disclose how many courses she teaches.
I don't know if she's overextended but, like many others, I've often wondered how much work I might be able to do if I could be left the hell alone to do it.
Adjuncts Interesting article Ox - I'm sure she isn't the only adjunct who is working for multiple institutions. Not easy but she seems to be having fun. Her doctorate is actually from Capella University: http://www.achterhof.com/degrees.htm
$90,000 a year! I'm in the wrong line of work. Hmm, $90000 a year at $1500 - $3000 a class means 30 - 60 classes a year. I am curious how much attention she is able to give to the students (grading papers, providing feedback, monitoring message boards, responding to e-mail, etc.) If she can do it, more power to her. Honestly, I love reading the success stories of the handful of adjuncts that have managed to turn it into a successful career. I read so many stories that are about adjuncts that are bitter and burnt out that it is refreshing to read the occasional success story.
Wow! I teach for two universities (online classes at one, face-to-face at the other) and I thought that they paid fairly well...where do I sign up? (Just kidding) Tony
First, you have to be willing to work that 60 hours per week. I understand why she doesn't want to tell how many classes she is teaching because I have no doubt that her employers would be concerned. However, they wouldn't understand that the time commitment/scheduling is different when teaching online classes. You really can teach more classes because you are the one that schedules your time. Tom Nixon
Tom, The scheduling flexibility is certainly a plus, but I find that I spend more time per week working on my online courses that I do my face-to-face courses, because of the increased (virtual) interaction with my online students. For me, teaching five online classes would be much more work that teaching five "live" classes (even though I like teaching online). Tony P.S. My wife and kids are in your neck of the woods today (my in-laws live there) and I am stuck home with a cold! At least I have my friends at Degreeinfo to keep me company
OU Overseas Airtorn, I'm guessing you're in the Air Force...Anyway, your signature states: "M.A. International Relations, University of Oklahoma (in progress)". How is OU's outreach programs? Do the send instructors from the Norman campus overseas? I have peers that graduated from the weekend MHR program. Interesting program if that's what you want. I'm thinking about it...
Re: OU Overseas Yes, the professors fly over from Norman to teach the classes. They are here for one week - four weeknights and all day Saturday and Sunday. I am four classes into it and like the format. Basically, you get the syllabus about a month out. From there, you do the reading and usually have something due the first day of class. You will have a final exam on the last day. If you are taking the CDR credit also, you will have an additional paper due a couple of weeks later. If you get to a base that has the outreach program at it, it is a great deal.
In academia, working long hours is no guarantee of a high salary. Assistant professors working towards tenure will easily spend 60-80 hours working per week, at a salary that may be well under $50,000 per year for those not teaching a field such as business or law. I remember those days on the tenure track, before I escaped academia and started working for a state agency! A few years ago the Chronicle ran a series of articles about an on-campus adjunct who was earning a good income teaching huge numbers of classes at various universities and colleges in a large city. She was teaching the same classes she had taught several times before, and she had developed a very efficient system for budgeting time and keeping to her alotted time. (She also had the good fortune to live near a private university that paid adjuncts unusually well.) If I remember correctly (I seldom read the Chronicle these days), she wrote an Adjunct column for a while. Alex
I too teach as an adjunct and stories abound as to what some of my fellow adjuncts make. I have met two people who have broken into six figures in adjunct work – but both said that after a year online they would never do it again. It is possible to make that kind of money at any job as long as you put in 17-hour days 24/7.
That was Jill Carroll. She still writes articles for the Chronicle and has published a couple of books on survival tips for adjuncts. For more info, check out http://www.adjunctsolutions.com/homepage.html.