2008 Woodie Awards
Adjunct standards should be higher
By: Don Miller
Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: Letters to the Editor
- Page 1 of 1
As a graduate student here at Webster, I have had experience with both full-time and adjunct professors. One issue that the article that ran in last week's Journal hinted at but failed to elaborate upon is the financial impact to STUDENTS when adjuncts fail to "deliver the goods."
One would hope that a full-time or tenured professor has earned his/her status due to a proven track record. What I have noticed - and some of my fellow classmates have as well - is a disturbing "trend" where an adjunct professor has a history of problems in the classroom and yet is still retained by Webster.
The most ineffective professor that I have had at Webster taught here for many years and apparently received negative student feedback numerous times. Some students even complained directly to the department head, and yet that professor was still on the class schedule for the exact same class two semesters later.
So whose fault is this? Unless Webster is vigorously auditing these teachers and situations, then it is clearly Webster University's and not the teacher's fault. How would a teacher even know that they need additional training/tools/resources if no one from the university is developing them?
Some of my fellow students who have also had some very disappointing experiences with adjuncts felt as though they (the students) were being used as glorified guinea pigs in the classroom to allow the teacher to "test out" his/her skills for the first time.
At $1,400 a pop, that is unacceptable. Since Webster presents itself as a business model for "real life" experience, then they need to treat ALL employees the same. This means that the same standards are applied and that the same resources are provided to everyone. That practice will also translate to happier "customers" (students).
Don Miller
Graduate Student
Media
Communications
One would hope that a full-time or tenured professor has earned his/her status due to a proven track record. What I have noticed - and some of my fellow classmates have as well - is a disturbing "trend" where an adjunct professor has a history of problems in the classroom and yet is still retained by Webster.
The most ineffective professor that I have had at Webster taught here for many years and apparently received negative student feedback numerous times. Some students even complained directly to the department head, and yet that professor was still on the class schedule for the exact same class two semesters later.
So whose fault is this? Unless Webster is vigorously auditing these teachers and situations, then it is clearly Webster University's and not the teacher's fault. How would a teacher even know that they need additional training/tools/resources if no one from the university is developing them?
Some of my fellow students who have also had some very disappointing experiences with adjuncts felt as though they (the students) were being used as glorified guinea pigs in the classroom to allow the teacher to "test out" his/her skills for the first time.
At $1,400 a pop, that is unacceptable. Since Webster presents itself as a business model for "real life" experience, then they need to treat ALL employees the same. This means that the same standards are applied and that the same resources are provided to everyone. That practice will also translate to happier "customers" (students).
Don Miller
Graduate Student
Media
Communications
Be the first to comment on this story