3 ms·

> professors are getting paid to do next to nothing Speaking from the part-time professors perspective: occurring in parallel to this is a steady growth in cou

> professors are getting paid to do next to nothing Speaking from the part-time professors perspective: occurring in parallel to this is a steady growth in course section sizes. 30 students used to be the norm for some courses, but 80-90 is the new normal just a few years later. Some of these tools are designed to help manage this. But the actual process of planning and delivering a lecture, providing individual feedback on written assignments (like exams), etc. is suffering. Teaching effectively to a large section is harder than you might think, especially when teaching is only a fraction of your job & you have no TAs. But half-assing it is actually not too hard I guess. And you are seldom rewarded for the former. Thankfully for me and for my students, it is mostly a side hobby for me and not a living.

BEEdwards 9y ago
I know let's hire more administrators! That seems to be the plan, instead of hiring more professors they grow class sizes, cut corners, and hire more admin.
- killjoywashere 9y ago
  Which is really the deans and provost growing a power base that is dependent on them. They do not want to be dependant on a large group of influential professors. Better to foster a workforce of neutered adjuncts overseen by administrators who are not technically competent, and so design administrative regimes that avoid addressing issues of technical competence at all. The IRB is a prime example of this: people with a high school education provide administrative oversight of researchers working at the outer limits of human knowledge. It's insanity.
  - thearn4 9y ago
    Are you saying that you think IRBs are a waste by design, or that the way IRBs are typically implemented makes them so as a side effect?
LoSboccacc 9y ago
Engineering here had 200+ student enrolled on each class years ago, all managed by early 199x tools. It's doable and still delivered on education quality.

BEEdwards 9y ago

I know let's hire more administrators! That seems to be the plan, instead of hiring more professors they grow class sizes, cut corners, and hire more admin.

killjoywashere 9y ago
Which is really the deans and provost growing a power base that is dependent on them. They do not want to be dependant on a large group of influential professors. Better to foster a workforce of neutered adjuncts overseen by administrators who are not technically competent, and so design administrative regimes that avoid addressing issues of technical competence at all. The IRB is a prime example of this: people with a high school education provide administrative oversight of researchers working at the outer limits of human knowledge. It's insanity.
- thearn4 9y ago
  Are you saying that you think IRBs are a waste by design, or that the way IRBs are typically implemented makes them so as a side effect?

LoSboccacc 9y ago

Engineering here had 200+ student enrolled on each class years ago, all managed by early 199x tools. It's doable and still delivered on education quality.