When Looking for Adjunct Work, Location Really Does Matter

I was interviewed today for a research project on adjunct life on my campus. The project was sponsored by the Office of the Provost. The researcher asked me questions about how I was getting along and what can be done to improve my conditions and experiences.

Okay…let’s just stop right there. Did you catch that?! The Provost’s Office is actually conducting in-person and focus group interviews with part time faculty to see how they are doing, and how the institution can make things better. Holy cow! …and I got a $50 gift card for my troubles. I mean really…wow.

During my hour-long interview, I stressed how transparent the institution is with the support services it provides. I was clear that the faculty union provides essential and complementary support that rounds out what the institution can and cannot provide for us. I also emphasized the leadership of my home department and the level of collegiality I’ve experienced from the faculty.

The researcher was surprised by my optimism and positive experiences on campus. Of all the interviews she has conducted so far over the past two months, I was one of only two people who spoke optimistically about their time at the institution. I reassured her that my optimism was not from blissful ignorance or some pie-in-the-sky notion of the wonderful state of affairs in post-secondary education.

My entire career has been in post-secondary education…nearly 25 years in educational affairs. I’ve had time to get some perspective and reality checks along the way. I have had three near career-ending encounters. It took a long time to recover from them, both emotionally and financially. But…BUT…that was only three.

Three out of the thousands of other interactions and relationships I’ve had the pleasure of having with some pretty wonderful people. It took work and time to put those encounters into perspective. I realized that I still wanted to continue my professional career in post-secondary education. Now that I had made this decision, I had to find my place where I could belong.

I quickly learned that location really did matter.

Earning my doctorate opened many more options for me. It helped me build on my love of learning and own the identity as researcher That left me with finding an institution where I could now grow as a scholar. There aren’t very many places that fostered professional development for part time faculty. Many institutions only have one path: tenure track. That is the only track that provides the support a scholar needs to thrive. Those positions are few and far between these days. I’ve come close a few times.

Most institutions do not have structures in place to support part time faculty. That is the reality and there are historical reasons for it. Instead of trying to figure out why that is and getting frustrated with the tangled history and politics of that process, I decided to just focus on looking at institutions that do have the support structure I need.

Again, location really matters.

In California, there are 10 UCs, 23 CSUs and 116 community colleges (CCs). This is in addition to the various private institutions. If you are into education, come to California. We literally have something for everyone. The Master Plan for California Higher Education (originally written in 1960 and then revised in 2020) gives each UC, CSU and CC a particular purpose for providing educational experiences for students. This means that the faculty ranks must reflect those particular educational purposes.

UCs do not have a path to security of employment for part time faculty. They exclusively have this within the tenure-track position. This goes for many private institutions as well. I found this out the hard way after working nearly 10 years at a private institution (some of that time as a graduate student). I found out that they also do not have a path to security of employment. My contract was not renewed almost exactly when I hit my 10-year mark. Odd…

Through the CFA (California Faculty Association) union’s persistence and hard work over many decades, the CSUs and CCs do have a path to security of employment. Fortunately, I was able to “pick up” a course last fall at one of the CSUs. That one course turned into four this past spring. In the upcoming fall I will be teaching five sections.

I can now see myself making this institution my professional home for a while. There is a path to security of employment part time faculty, institutional support for research that includes part time faculty, professional development opportunities that include part time faculty, and affinity groups where you will find the majority of part time faculty.

So, like I’ve been saying, location really does matter. As you wrap up the academic year and are looking for a place that will support your professional growth and development, please consider asking what the path to security of employment is for part time faculty. This is in addition to what their tenure application process is. You have expertise and you should take the time to look for a place that is worthy of it.