…No Way to Treat a Donor, commentary by Chessie
Green
Let’s throw a bone to
the university for just a moment and view the adjunct as a willing and generous
donor who gives the students and the university a gift. “It’s a privilege” to
teach for the university and “the best adjuncts want to give back.” Place a
value on it: let’s say a couple of hundred thousand dollars’ worth of
expertise, and for the students, a priceless amount of caring and
attention. In return, the university
gives them a tip and treats them without respect and as completely
dispensable.
To recap the situation: I, a willing adjunct, someone who is
teaching as a sideline, found myself agreeing at the last minute to substitute
for a full-time faculty member. I was assigned to an unsecured, empty building
at night with no technology in the classroom except for a DVD player in poor
working condition. The white board was
filthy; the erasers didn’t work. On the
last night of class, someone had turned off the power. I received emails from various university
departments urging me not to slip on the ice, to beware of tornadoes, and to
seek counseling if I had concerns about a shooting at another university in the
state.
And then, I received a personalized letter from the Provost
requesting that I make a charitable gift to the university. “Now is the best time,” he wrote, “because
any gift you make will be matched, dollar for dollar. By giving now, you can double the benefit to
our students!”
