NO!!!
That shows how little the administration understands us. I told her that our proposal was for seasoned adjuncts to mentor new adjuncts. After all who knows better? After hearing many stories from new adjuncts who were hired, given a generic syllabus, and told to teach, without out any further direction, our adjunct local decided that we needed to step in and help. We created a model based on mentoring programs in other Colleges and Universities. Our plan called for a structured program of orientation, mentoring, observation, and evaluation.
Once presented the VPAA 'loved it', actually most of it. The part she did not like was the compensation for the adjuncts who were the mentors. "Your adjuncts would expect to get paid for this?" was her response.
D'UH!!!
The VPAA makes close to $200,000.00 per year, plus perks, and she thinks we should spend our time without pay, when we make such low wages to begin with. She finally compromised by saying she may be willing to pay adjuncts $20.00 or less an hour to do this, but anything over that would be 'out of the question'.
My conclusion is that the VPAA feels the worth of the professionals who are teaching over 60% of the classes and most of the developmental courses are not worth more than $20.00 per hour. Of course if we add in all of the benefits and perks we get that brings it up to $20.01 per hour.
We have not given up, but may have to wait to out next contract negotiations to get this done. I am anxious to konw if anyone does have a good program that we can compare our proposal to.
Bill Lipkin
I find it difficult to understand why a VPAA, whom I’d like to assume had been an adjunct once, fails to understand the needs of present adjuncts in the Community College. I don’t have any mentoring program to recommend, though, but I’d like to see how yours work out.
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