Question:
What are some effects of the trend to hire four cheaper contingent instructors
for one full-time instructor in composition?
Answer/Quote: “Generally, composition courses are taught by whoever
is willing—often unqualified teachers who know more about Shakespeare than the
rhetorical triangle. When I was an adjunct, I never thought my position was
permanent. I (perhaps naively) viewed my sojourn in the world of part-time
employment as a kind of low-paying internship. I juggled the chaotic teaching
schedule for three years with the ultimate goal of landing a full-time,
tenure-track position. But adjuncting is not a temporary stopover. Many institutions
permanently rely on these positions to stay afloat. Teacher are permanently
impermanent.
“When a
retired, tenured faculty member is replaced with four less expensive adjunct
instructors, the shift indicates a fast-capitalist model that may not be easily
reversible. The consequences of such an economic model are far-reaching and
change both the institution and the people it employs. Fast capitalism is an
increasingly familiar model that preys on ‘shock’ and fear to edge out tenure
with part-time and contingent faculty. If Naomi Klein’s premise holds, as fear
increases during the difficult times, teachers and administrators will notice a
shift toward more exploitive economic models and a growing culture of
contingency.” P, A14.
Comment:
Practically speaking, the growing use of
contingent instructors, in college, especially in the teaching of composition,
is a disaster waiting to happen. The solidity and unity of the English
department is shattered by lack of communication, a lack of sense-of-belonging.
The philosophy of the department is splintered. Fair warning! RayS.
Title: “The
Political Economy of Contingency.” Sheri Rysdam. Teaching English in the Two-Year College (March 2012), A10-A15.
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