How to Leave the Profession

I'm hearing a lot of people tell me that they're done.  They tell me that at the end of the semester, they are walking away from higher ed.  If being an adjunct is all that there is to this profession, it's time to cut bait.

...and that's a tragedy.  Teachers with experience, teachers who love their jobs, we shouldn't lose them.  It's a damned loss to the entire country that these people have no choice but to quit the profession or else live a life of abject poverty.  That being said, I totally understand.  What else can you do?

What I don't understand is this:  why are you telling your university that you're leaving?  These are people who've made a mockery of your profession.  They have trashed the thing you love.  These are people who've forced you to go on public assistance or to teach at three different campuses just to make ends meet.

These are people who have tried to starve your children.

Why in the world would you give them extra time to replace you?  The moment that they find out that you won't be picking up your two classes next semester is the moment they try to track you down to sign your contract.  That's some time next Fall.  Often, moments before the class starts.

Get it.

I know, you want to ask for more money, some extra pittance that would pay for you to park at the place where you work.  I know that you want to see their face fill with those moments (moments!) of regret as you shame them for forcing you to leave.  But these are hollow victories.  They are almost meaningless.

If, on the other hand, the university were forced to recruit new adjuncts a day before classes start for every adjunct who leaves the profession this Spring without thought of returning next Fall, they would fall apart.

This is no minor shot across the bow.  A university that had to find 30-40 adjuncts every year to cover their lost faculty, and is forced to find those replacements in a day's time, would panic.  Students would go crazy as their classes began to be cancelled.  Parents would become infuriated as they found out that classes their children needed to graduate were no longer being offered.  Yes, we are somewhat replaceable, but we are not that replaceable.

You thought NAWD was bad.  NAWD was nothing by comparison.

Full time faculty can't cover those classes.  They have contracts that keep them from being overworked.  Existing Adjuncts can't cover those classes, or else they would have too many hours and could then demand health care.  Heck, at my school, I have started every semester without a contract and have taught for at least a week without one.

And the best part is, it's all legal.  They can't get you for a breach of contract because there was no contract in place.  They like to keep you contingent.  Let's hope they have a contingency plan.



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