Have I Been Fired?

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by fiveAboys, Apr 10, 2012.

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  1. fiveAboys

    fiveAboys New Member

    I'm new to teaching online. I started teaching at an organization that is affilated with a state school, but after I joined found out it is a for-profit that is subcontracted by the state university (Colorado State University). I've taught for them for a couple of terms. I just found out that I'm not on their schedule next term. I was told I was being rotated off as the school tries to rotate their faculty to keep a large pool of available faculty. My first thought is that they aren't happy with me and are letting me go. My second is that they do want to rotate faculty to keep a large pool so they always have faculty available. My third is that they say they'll let you teach up to two classes per terms, so why would they rotate faculty then. Also, this would risk good faculty leaving and going to another online school since, when someone makes the commitment to teach online, they (at least I) committed to doing it each term. I can't sit around and watch the idiotbox like most people.

    So was I fired or is this practice of rotating faculty sound legit?
     
  2. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Depending on what you teach, you probably won't get course solicitations for every semester. I wouldn't worry about it, unless you're left off for a few semesters.
     
  3. cdhale

    cdhale Member

    Up until about a year ago, I regularly got 1-2 courses each term from a couple of For Profits, with a few extra classes here and there from others. Some offered me a couple of classes per year, some one per semester, etc.

    Then enrollment started dropping in the for profits (I am making a generalization, I know) and some of the for profits have slowed down. Lately, DeVry has offered me a class every other term, rather than up to 2 each term.

    As stated, I would not worry about it, if it is just one term that you don't have a class. If it happens for 2 or 3 in a row, then worry.

    You can even email the scheduler/faculty mentor before the NEXT term starts to see if you are being left off for a reason, and can expect a class in the future.
     
  4. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

    Are you talking about CSU Global? CSU Global is one of three universities in the Colorado State system, so if that is who you are talking about I am not sure what you mean by they are a FP subcontracted by the CSU system?

    Anyway, I was just hired by CSU Global. I have not taught a course there yet, but during my interview and training I asked a lot of question about how courses are scheduled. From what I was told, adjunct faculty are capped at six courses a year with two per term being the maximum. There are six terms per semester (A, B, C and 1,2,3) and three semesters per year. I was told they try their best to make sure that everyone gets their six each year. I was also told that the usual practice was to try to keep faculty on the same rotation - so if you teach A term classes they will try and keep you on A term, but it was not uncommon to occasionally skip a semester at which point they try to catch you up to your six by the end of the year.

    From the impressions I received so far in the hiring process, CSU Global is not the type of institution to beat around the bush if you are not meeting their expectations.
     
  5. Princeofska

    Princeofska New Member

    I think it depends on enrollment, I had something similar to Cdhale at Devry, in fact I had no classes for the middle three sessions at DeVry, but I have had one every session since Fall. At a state school, which subcontracts out its online to a for-profit company (which is an absolutely terrible idea, and poorly ran to boot) I was their only instructor for my course for a year. They finally hired more, and I finally did not get a class this term. They keep the pools big so if anyone has to say no, they have a backup. But this hurts adjuncts, as it keeps employment sparse. Some Community colleges do the same thing.
     
  6. CornCod

    CornCod Member

    Last year one of the colleges where I teach didn't offer me a class one semester. The Department Chairman was very apologetic. However, mid-way through the semester one of the instructors quit in the middle and ran off leaving a terrible mess. I was brought in to clean it up and got a lot of kudos from the powers that be for turning things around.
     
  7. Princeofska

    Princeofska New Member

    I have had a similar experience as a replacement instructor at a few schools. It always baffles me how that happens too. I understand emergencies, but all of these classes were clearly just neglected.
     
  8. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    As an adjuct, you don't job security and you are subject to enrollments, mood of the scheduler, course evaluations, etc.

    In few words, you were not fired but might not be called again for work. I have been under this situation few times.

    You have two options: 1) Keep calling the scheduler or chair till they put you back in the roster 2) Move on and find another school to adjunct for.
     
  9. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    As an adjuct, you don't job security and you are subject to enrollments, mood of the scheduler, course evaluations, etc.

    In few words, you were not fired but might not be called again for work. I have been under this situation few times.

    You have two options: 1) Keep calling the scheduler or chair till they put you back in the roster 2) Move on and find another school to adjunct for.
     
  10. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Hmm. Two identical posts. Eight minutes apart.
     
  11. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    And that's about how long it takes a radio signal to get to Mars and back. Hmm.... :silly:
     
  12. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    RFValue is posting from Mars??
     
  13. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    I had a slow connection and guess I clicked two times by mistake.
     
  14. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Sure, that's just what I'd expect a Martian to say....
     

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