Pipe Dream = Adjunct Teaching

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by friendorfoe, Dec 26, 2006.

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  1. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    St. Joe's now has 2 different delivery options.

    They now have a 10 week online Blackboard (with classmates) format that most of us are familiar with, or the 16 week pen and paper method (though you email most of your assignments) where you work with an instructor one on one. I will likely try out both and mix and match.

    My target goal is 18 months to completion so I will likely mix and match. On the 16 week option, you can finish faster and start your next course in the next term whereas the 10 week option means 10 weeks. They run 5 terms a year.

    Honestly they are about as flexible as they come.

    Since I like working alone the traditional pen and paper method has a lot of appeal to me. Groupwork irritates me to no end since I get graded on the effort of others, not to sound snobby, but I'm shooting for a 4.0 GPA and don't like the idea of "Tommy Sloth" dragging me down.
     
  2. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator


    I think "Tommy" is one of my students;) The combination of methods sounds great. I have also taken both formats and enjoyed the change. Do you have a link for St Joe's?
     
  3. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

  4. Marylars

    Marylars New Member

    Currently taking an SJCME course

    I just started working on a certificate in long term care administration at SJCME and I just started my first class with them a few weeks ago.

    I have to tell you that in this short time period I have been extremely impressed with them. The customer service has been amazing -- from the admissions counselor (not pushy, but very available) to my prof to my adviser, the communication and availability have been top-notch. I am doing the 16 week route, as I still have a few courses that I am finishing up at Amberton toward my MBA and I wanted a little more flexibility during the 'overlap/transition period'. I will keep you posted...but so far, so good!
     
  5. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    Great to hear. I will report on my experience as soon as I have something to report.
     
  6. se94583

    se94583 New Member

    Don't do it if you're not 110% into it. There are better ways to pick up extra cash. Remember, the ultimate goal of all of this is to give the students a life-changing experience so that they can be better prepared to enter the world.

    Too many retired cops and wannabees and lower-tier lawyers try to break into CJ teaching. They would be better served by retiring or working in the field for overtime. Just my 2 cents.
     
  7. geoffs

    geoffs Member

    He's right. Where I teach 50% of the courses are taught by part timers, and our union says if there is a complaint where there is a enough courses taught by part timers in two or more semesters then you can force a new adjuct.

    Well the 50% or more part timers has been going on for 30 years, because we all know if you grieve they'll make a spot but you won't ever get it!

    If you want to teach, you better love doing it!
     
  8. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member



    I don't know in the US, but most of the colleges and universities in Ontario and Quebec are regulated by Unions. There are good and bad things about these unions, the good thing is that you get benefits and certain job security with the union. In addition, you get salaries that are comparable to a full time employment as many schools take the full time salary as a reference for a part time, this means that if a full timer with similar qualifications is making 70K and you are teaching half of the load then you make 35K.
    On the other hand, it takes forever to get a gig as you really need to be lucky to get one course, this basically means that no one from the union applied to a course that becomes available to new hires. This happens rarely and have seen it only 4 times in my 7 years teaching at the same school.
     
  9. geoffs

    geoffs Member

    Well I teach full time in Ontario, and you get less then full time pay till you get full time job.

    about 80% of the pay for the same work, plus no benefits or pension!
     
  10. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Private or Public School? University or College? My experience is with schools with Unions. Colleges in Quebec with unions normally pay the part time work based on a full time pay scale. Universities normally pay to a part timer the equivalent of a professor with a Limited term appointment (non tenured). So if the limited term appointment is 48K you get paid about 6.5K per course as a limited term teaches 7 courses plus some admin work.

    I suppose your Union has the 80% maybe because it assumes that full timers do some admin work. One of the school that I used to work has this issue, finally this was solved by requiring part timers to do some admin work as well if the same pay was received.

    Benefits included provided you have the required seniority of course.

    Needless to say that even part time work is not easy to get as most professors are there for life. Some even make a career of a part time teaching as all you need is 2 or 3 schools to make a full time salary.

    Although the 80% is bad, it is not so bad if compared with the US where part timers are only paid a fraction of their work. I know some adjuncts in the US that make 1500 US per course when full timers only teach 10 courses a year so you can do the math.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 14, 2007
  11. geoffs

    geoffs Member

    Just because there is a union, doesn't mean its enforced.

    Teaching is a PIPE DREAM, and union agreements are pretty things but not always enforced!

    PM me
     
  12. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I will teach 6 classes (18 credits) and make $8.6K
     
  13. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Randell,
    Yes, it is pretty sad that an adjunct gets pay 8.6K per 6 classes when you have full time faculty teaching the same for 80K. That is why online programs are such a good business, with the tuition fee of one student you pay the faculty.
     
  14. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator


    Maybe we should band together and open our own online school.:rolleyes:
     
  15. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    have you tried http://home.universalclass.com/index.htm?

    You can open your own program online with their platform, they pay you 60% of the enrollment which I think is really fair. However, you might find that you still make the $1500 USD per course or even less as the competition is really hard.

    I used to work as a freelance IT trainer and with so many out of the closet IT trainers, the competition was so difficult as some trainers were charging $30 or $20 an hour, I realized that it was better to teach University or college given those salaries. The fact is that in IT training, all you need is a Microsoft or other vendor certification that you can get in less than a year of training, the market does not differentiate between a microsoft certified PhD or a high school graduate, it is more the marketing skills and your connections rather than the degree.

    The same stands for business teaching, there are so many MBAs that you can get some to teach for $40 dlls an hour. A local company just opened a GMAT training center that is hiring MBAs for 40$ an hour, in addition, a top GMAT grade is required for the job.

    Teaching is not a pipe dream but a competitive business as any other profession.
     
  16. AuditGuy

    AuditGuy Member

    Ditto that. You're not going to get rich doing it, but if you have a true interest and some expendable time, it's alot of fun. I have small kids, so it fits great into that late evening time where I'd usually be doing something not-so-productive.

     
  17. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    Good idea, as it is not possible to make a living doing adjunct work full time over the long haul.

    Dave
     

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