Online Teaching for Canucks

Wondering, what is the environment like for adjunct / online adjunct schools north of the 49th?

 

"Friggin' cold, eh?"

 

Fer chrisakes, if you can’t help take off, eh! Hoser.

 

Nowadays, most courses are online. All you have to do is send your CV to any university advertising for part time or adjunct faculty.

 

I'm guessing you have to find some way to shoulder through the line of grads of the particular university - those who are un- or under-employed and looking for the same opportunity. The "home-boys" and "home-girls" probably know the market from inside and are a known quantity to those who hire -IF they are, in fact, hiring. Any particular day, their next adjunct may be in a booth, selling cell phones. He/she may continue to be there, while an adjunct.

Hard times.

 

Others had intimated that there are adjunct positions available in the US if a person desires it and is patient. Seems like there are more opportunities than in Canada.

Question: When you are an adjunct at the University of Pheonix, for example, do you get a W-2? If not, technically a person could reside in Canada and teach online for US Uni's... no?

 

"Adjuncts are typically contracted to teach on a course-by-course basis but are considered W2 employees for tax purposes. ... Adjunct professors are typically hired as W2 employees and are therefore taxed like regular employees so they do not have to pay self-employment taxes on income earned as an adjunct."

So yes - you do. And even if you didn't = you'd owe taxes in Canada. Whatever you have to pay in tax to US, you'd get credit for it on your Canadian return. Ifvit was a relatively minor amount - or zero - you'd pay Canadian taxes at the prevailing rate.

 

Understood; I guess the question is: Would a US University need to withhold US taxes or Canadian because you are a resident of Canada. If they need to withhold Canadian, I can see them not bothering with the offer. Any thoughts? This obviously assumes that the Canadian resident is a US citizen and has obligation for world-wide income and a US tax #.

 

No - I don't believe they have to withhold for Canada. Just for US. The Canadian resident has obligation for world-wide income - citizen or not. As a non-citizen, (Brit) I know this for a fact. If a resident pays taxes to another country on foreign income - that's to his/her credit when the Canadian return is filed. Comes directly off any tax money owed to Canada. Could possibly reduce it to zero but not below.

If you pay too much to US, you claim a refund from US. If you get one, that'll decrease what tax credit you get from Canada.

 

Revenue Canada has a good nose for people not declaring foreign income - especially small stuff, it seems. I knew half a dozen people - some of British origin - some Germans, who for a few years received small partial pensions from UK or Germany - typically $100 to $200 a month. None of them declared the money for tax purposes. Then ka-Boom! They all got nailed for the whole lot - back to year 1. And it wasn't me who snitched!

 

Johann, my question was not with respect to "invading taxes" but rather whether a US schools would offer a "W-2" position to someone with a Canadian address. Fairly unique situation but one which may be relevant for me at some point.

You heard of anyone doing that?

BTW: the topic of the day is distance learning and back bacon, eh.

 

Don't see why they couldn't / wouldn't - unless they just plain have something against paying money to people outside US in general. That's something beyond my ken. It might be the ONLY US industry that doesn't get outsourced to India, for all I know.

Don't personally know any Canucks who have cracked the US adjunct market. If you DO, this advice might prove very useful to you. https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-credits-deductions/discussion/i-m-an-adjunct-professor-and-receive-a-w-2-what-write-offs-can-i-claim-and-which-form-do-i-use/00/79015

And I'll have to pass on the back bacon. I don't eat pork or drink alcohol -- but neither is for religious reasons. I just don't think either is good for me. Lots of experience with both in the fairly distant past. I do have a strong interest in Islamic Finance. To understand that, I have to understand the religion - but I don't have to belong. I do, of course, think it best to observe the proprieties when in the company of Muslims - or any other group that takes its religion seriously.

 

Johann,

Remember Jesus first miracle? Some say his best.

I used to travel to the Middle East occasionally on business (Dubai, Abu, Doha). Not surprisingly, I found my self along and cruising malls (bars aren't popular ) ... the bookstores carried interesting books on Islamic finance. I never indulged but looked very interesting.

 

It's become quite a thing in Canada, since we have about 1.5 million Muslims in the population. (It wasn't quite that big a deal when I first got interested years ago.) Businesses do well to learn about this, so they can serve the needs - they can do well out of it. I saw an ad the other day - a Credit Union that is not specifically geared to Muslims - they serve others in large numbers - offering mortgages. Client's choice of two types, regardless of his/her religion: Conventional (with interest) or Shari'a Compliant. Both types cost pretty well exactly the same. No surprise. You can always calculate an Islamic-compliant deal that fits the desired parameters. They say you can't charge interest. They don't say you can't make money. Just as long as you adhere to the principles and have a fatwa (declaration of compliance from a recognized Islamic religious authority) .

Some businesses have not caught on. I belong to another Credit Union and when I said I was interested in Islamic Finance, I heard the indrawn breath! It was like I'd announced that I'd joined Al Quaeda. No problems. I had a bit of money to invest, so I put it into a Canadian Halal fund. Not a lot - but I feel good about it.

 

So which is most interesting:

• All investments are screened by a third-party committee of Shariah scholars
  
  
• No investment in companies that profit from gambling, arms, tobacco, or other restricted industries
  
  
• No businesses that derive significant income from interest on loans
  

I think ESG is has potential but don't go in on religious investing. An associate once said something to the effect, why worry about returns... if you live you life correctly, your reward will be in heaven.

 

I should have added "as long as those parameters are conscionable. If you're looking to milk an astronomical return - no dice."

Those things you outlined are the pillars of Islamic Investment, but there's a lot more than that in the details of Islamic Finance. Laws of agency, contracts, partnership etc. And there are other branches, like Takaful - which is somewhat akin to insurance but not exactly the same. There is a prohibition too, against transactions which have the nature of speculation or gambling - activities that in the authorities' view do no economic or constructive good. For example. most Margin trading, day trading, options, and futures are considered prohibited by shari'a by the "majority of Islamic scholars."

As to your question - I don't think I differentiate here. All are requirements - they make the system. My take: You believe all are good - or the whole thing is not for you. Kind of like religion, I guess. And I figure I'm entitled to some rewards here. Nobody told me I wasn't. And once I'm gone - hopefully I'll have piled up something nice for my sons - and a nice bit for their kids. They all deserve the best. That's a comforting thought for me. Any judgement about "living correctly" - I'll wait till the hereafter. Nobody on this side is qualified to judge. Nobody.

As I've proven time and time again -- I'm not here to please others - at least those who don't share my surname. NMJ.

 

I'm not really interested in Islamic Finance as a way to make a $Zillion. I'm interested because they (Muslims) don't like some of the same things about money and the money business that I don't like. I worked in the consumer credit business for thirty years and I saw every kind of deception and robbery imaginable - 99% of it completely legal. It's even worse now with the payday loan business and legal 46% interest rates.

ESG is a good thing but its prime purpose is not to bear down on those people and firms that would exploit others financially. Doing that is something I want to be part of.Funny thing. I've known about Ethical Investing for 40+ years but only heard of ESG today. It would be wonderful - IF it was mandatory.

 

Most Universities in Canada are unionized. People with seniority have preference over first time applicants. Sending your CV to hundreds of positions is the only way to get noticed. Most positions advertised have already a candidate but advertised because of University's HR policies.

Salaries in Canada for part time faculty positions are decent, normally you get between 7K to 12K CAN per course. Many people make a living a part time professors.

 

No, I worked for several US Universities while in Canada. You just invoice the University and then you are responsible to declare the income in Canada.

However, most US schools have changed a hiring policy since Trump's presidency, most require a SSN number to apply. This would require for a Canadian to get a work permit. It is very difficult to teach online and get a work permit while in Canada, the immigration official is going to have a hard time granting you a Visa if you are working remotely as you have no address in the US.

The other issue is that you would need to get a different Visa for a different employer.

It is really a headache, the other issue is that online faculty positions at the US actually pay way lower than in Canada. A Canadian course at a University pays around 10K CAN while the same course pays 2K US in the US. There is no incentive for someone to do this unless they have no work in Canada but maybe would be better just to move to the US if your intention is to work there and just get a full time gig.