Why Colleges Should Pay Attention to Strikes by Their Most Precarious Teachers — from edsurge.com by Robert Ubell
There’s a news story in higher ed that’s not getting enough attention. The nation’s adjuncts are rising up.
Excerpts:
But a recent survey of contingent faculty reveals the more uncertain situation most adjuncts find themselves in. A third of respondents earn less than $25,000 a year, falling below federal poverty guidelines for a family of four. Fewer than half receive university-provided health insurance, with nearly 20 percent on Medicaid.
In a stinging irony, many tenured faculty teach courses on equity and social justice, where students learn about oppression engendered by privilege. Yet just down the hall, someone else with the same level of education is teaching a similar course for vastly less pay and with little or no benefits.