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They aren’t underpaid. Tenured professors have the ultimate job security. They also get paid sabbaticals which is fairly rare in the real world. Adjunct profess

They aren’t underpaid. Tenured professors have the ultimate job security. They also get paid sabbaticals which is fairly rare in the real world. Adjunct professors on the other hand — those are definitely underpaid, but they’re often doing that work as a side job or they’re trying to fight their way to tenure. A job from which you can’t be fired? That’s worth something. Stellar benefits? That’s worth something as well.

Broken_Hippo 8y ago
"Adjunct professors on the other hand — those are definitely underpaid, but they’re often doing that work as a side job or they’re trying to fight their way to tenure." This is like saying that it's OK that a job is paid poorly because the jobs are part-time. Or that it's OK to pay someone less for a second job because it is a second job. Or one group less than another group because obviously they don't need the money. Underpaid is underpaid. It doesn't matter what the reasoning is. Especially if you are getting paid less than the "full time" or "permanent" person simply because you aren't "full time". I'll also argue in the case of tenured professors: Job security isn't everything, nor is a sabbatical - and IIRC, fewer places are even offering tenure as often. The adjunct professors have little hope.
gaius 8y ago
Every post-doc position is wildly over-subscribed and there is fierce competition for each one. So simple economics - the law of supply and demand - says they are not underpaid, in fact if anything they are paid over the clearing price for the market.
- JohnStrangeII 8y ago
  You're under the mistaken impression that there is a free market for postdoc positions. Postdoc salaries are fixed by government salary level tables and postdoc positions are opened as part of a planned economy. Plans range from 5 to 10 years. Moreover, universities are not companies and could not possibly be run like companies, and foundational research usually does not produce any consumable products. The effects of foundational research on economy are soften only noticeable years or decades later, sometimes (like in mathematics) centuries later. Regarding publications in foundational research as "products" is highly misleading, they contribute to a net effect in science that can hardly be quantified.
  - cbkeller 8y ago
    There are also huge variations between fields. Bio postdocs are hugely competitive and kinda brutal compared to my field, for instance.

Broken_Hippo 8y ago

"Adjunct professors on the other hand — those are definitely underpaid, but they’re often doing that work as a side job or they’re trying to fight their way to tenure." This is like saying that it's OK that a job is paid poorly because the jobs are part-time. Or that it's OK to pay someone less for a second job because it is a second job. Or one group less than another group because obviously they don't need the money. Underpaid is underpaid. It doesn't matter what the reasoning is. Especially if you are getting paid less than the "full time" or "permanent" person simply because you aren't "full time". I'll also argue in the case of tenured professors: Job security isn't everything, nor is a sabbatical - and IIRC, fewer places are even offering tenure as often. The adjunct professors have little hope.

gaius 8y ago

Every post-doc position is wildly over-subscribed and there is fierce competition for each one. So simple economics - the law of supply and demand - says they are not underpaid, in fact if anything they are paid over the clearing price for the market.

JohnStrangeII 8y ago
You're under the mistaken impression that there is a free market for postdoc positions. Postdoc salaries are fixed by government salary level tables and postdoc positions are opened as part of a planned economy. Plans range from 5 to 10 years. Moreover, universities are not companies and could not possibly be run like companies, and foundational research usually does not produce any consumable products. The effects of foundational research on economy are soften only noticeable years or decades later, sometimes (like in mathematics) centuries later. Regarding publications in foundational research as "products" is highly misleading, they contribute to a net effect in science that can hardly be quantified.
- cbkeller 8y ago
  There are also huge variations between fields. Bio postdocs are hugely competitive and kinda brutal compared to my field, for instance.