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I'm surprised to see adjunct's make so little. When I was in school the full-time professor's salaries were public (since it was a public university). They we

by eric_b 9y ago

I'm surprised to see adjunct's make so little. When I was in school the full-time professor's salaries were public (since it was a public university). They were all making over 100k/year, and this was some time ago. Many were high 100's or low 200's. Even the lecturers were pulling in 70k or more, and this was in a midwestern state with low cost of living. Why do the adjunct's put up with this? You can make more being a high school teacher, and get better benefits. Is it because the adjunct approach is the best way to get in to a full time position? If I recall, the tenure-track "associate" profs at my university did not go the adjunct route, but perhaps things have changed? Anyways, disheartening that tuition is through the roof, and many instructors are being paid subsistence wages.

searine 9y ago
The difference between an adjunct and a full professor is the difference between a Temp and a rockstar developer. Adjuncts are a cost for the university, their salary is a liability on the budget line. Professors are a net positive. They have high salaries but they bring in millions of dollars in grants and attract talented students who can be paid worse than adjuncts (and teach classes). Adjuncts are space fillers. When a university can't goad a professor, post-doc, or grad student to teach the 101 class they farm it out to a Adjunct. The skills needed to teach the entry level courses are basic, so there is a wide field of individuals who can fill that role. As a result the pay is not great.
- scott_s 9y ago
  Agreed, but with one disagreement: professors in science and engineering bring in millions of dollars of grants. Those in the humanities tend not to bring in nearly as much grant money.
GlenTheMachine 9y ago
In engineering, at least, adjuncts often are teaching in their free time and working a full-time engineering job. They do it because they enjoy the teaching, or because in a few cases they appreciate the extra money. Several of my colleagues do that; my office is next to the guy who teaches advanced undergraduate and graduate level astrodynamics at the local state university. But he is working full time as a civil servant and pulling that salary, plus the adjunct pay on top of it. You can get away with paying those adjuncts a pretty low wage. But then it drives the cost of adjuncts down across the board. The problem really comes in when you are in a field that doesn't afford you full-time non-academic employment, such as the arts or sciences such as archaeology etc. and are teaching full time to pay the bills (or not, as the case may be).

by eric_b 9y ago

searine 9y ago

The difference between an adjunct and a full professor is the difference between a Temp and a rockstar developer. Adjuncts are a cost for the university, their salary is a liability on the budget line. Professors are a net positive. They have high salaries but they bring in millions of dollars in grants and attract talented students who can be paid worse than adjuncts (and teach classes). Adjuncts are space fillers. When a university can't goad a professor, post-doc, or grad student to teach the 101 class they farm it out to a Adjunct. The skills needed to teach the entry level courses are basic, so there is a wide field of individuals who can fill that role. As a result the pay is not great.

scott_s 9y ago
Agreed, but with one disagreement: professors in science and engineering bring in millions of dollars of grants. Those in the humanities tend not to bring in nearly as much grant money.

GlenTheMachine 9y ago

In engineering, at least, adjuncts often are teaching in their free time and working a full-time engineering job. They do it because they enjoy the teaching, or because in a few cases they appreciate the extra money. Several of my colleagues do that; my office is next to the guy who teaches advanced undergraduate and graduate level astrodynamics at the local state university. But he is working full time as a civil servant and pulling that salary, plus the adjunct pay on top of it. You can get away with paying those adjuncts a pretty low wage. But then it drives the cost of adjuncts down across the board. The problem really comes in when you are in a field that doesn't afford you full-time non-academic employment, such as the arts or sciences such as archaeology etc. and are teaching full time to pay the bills (or not, as the case may be).