Trying to Unbury my Head Off the Sand

For two weeks I buried my head on the sand, so to speak, and didn't do anything about my outrageous offer letter. Well, outrageous to me. Thousands of people  receive such letters at the start of every semester, some perhaps only a few days before classes start. And most are paid way less than I am per class (national average is 2,500, at my current institution I'm paid 6K, even though two of those classes meet FIVE CLASS HOURS a week which brings me into the 2.5K territory!!).

The Adjunctification of Higher Education has reached epidemic proportions and the fact that it's a systemic problem without a solution in sight just depresses me more. I'm just one more statistic, one more fool who keeps swelling the ranks of desperate people with PhDs practically begging for a job and willing to be exploited at the mercy of these schools.

I tried to prevent this moment. I met with the chair last year in October or November, then again in February, but my fate had already been sealed by the dean -- one of her this person's deeds before moving on to a shiny new position (as college president or something?) out West. I don't wish him/her well, I have come to loathe university and college administrators. Sigh...

Just last week the issue of adjuncts was part of PBS's News Hour and there are people who actually want to bring our plight to the Labor Department. I don't see anything coming of it...

It's just one more example of how higher education is crumbling and becoming more and more like corporate America. GAH!!

Collateral damage, that's what I am/ we are. Simply collateral damage, as long as the parents are willing to pay, the schools will be willing to go on exploiting people.

Sigh... I think I'll be happier with my head still in the sand, I'll unbury it only long enough to write an angry letter to the chair which will not amount to anything, probably -- my husband wants to write/co-write the letter. And I'll go back to stressing out about students enrolling and feeling my anxiety builds as the semester is about to start...