As higher ed continues to grapple with economic challenges brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, adjunct faculty are some of the hardest hit.
According to a recent report by the American Association of University Professors, “an abundance of anecdotal evidence indicates that part-time faculty members — already the worst remunerated in higher education — have endured terrible economic hardship this year.”
“The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2020–21” notes that it is hard to track the workload carried by adjuncts. Payroll systems often don't provide information about the number of courses taught, so it's difficult to get an accurate picture of how much work goes into an adjunct’s compensation. Adjuncts are generally compensated on a per course basis. Some teach one or two courses per semester or quarter, while others carry heavier teaching loads.
Using the available information, the AAUP reports that the average amount paid to part-time faculty members for a standard course section when averaged across all types of institutions is $4,519 for instructors with doctorates and $3,299 for instructors with master’s degrees.
There is no national data available about the number of people with doctorates currently working as adjunct faculty, says Glenn T. Colby, senior research officer at AAUP. “Many institutions — especially four-year institutions — do not maintain statistics on the number of adjunct faculty members employed, their teaching loads, pay, demographics, etc.,” he says. “At the large university level … adjunct faculty members are typically hired and assigned to course sections by department chairs or deans with no system to track these individuals.”
In a blog for BestColleges.com titled, “The Plight of Adjunct Faculty on America’s Campuses,” Dr. Mark J. Drozdowski writes, “Adjuncts are higher education’s version of migrant laborers — professionals hopping from campus to campus with no job security, a meager income, no health insurance or retirement benefits, and little hope for advancement.”
Among the issues that Colby has heard is lack of stability. “In addition to the concerns about low pay, our members are highly concerned about (a) lack of benefits, such as health insurance, (b) lack of job security, and (c) working conditions,” says Colby.
