I have been thinking about what it means to be a college faculty member. What does it mean to accept the responsibility of educating young people (not to mention returning students)? It is an awesome responsibility. Hundreds of thousands of part-time faculty accept that responsibility gladly and with every intention of doing the best job they possibly can in the classroom. That is all a university can ask, I think of a part-timer. On the other hand, what does a part-timer have the right to expect from her/his employer?

Every week, I field emails from part-time faculty who are, quite simply, puzzled as to what they may expect in terms of institutional support. In some instances, the emails are easy to answer. “Ask,” I always counsel, “your department chair.” That is the point person for the average part-timer. (Sometimes, part-timers are hired by deans or VPs of faculty, but for the most part, department chairs do the hiring and firing of their own adjuncts.) “Ask.” Don’t be shy; don’t be afraid. Make an ap- pointment with the department chair and have a sit down. Figure out exactly what you need and “ASK!”

Related to those emails, though slightly different, are those I field from part-timers who are convinced that nothing they can do will ever impact the quality of their work environment. These people are, to put it bluntly, bitter and resentful. One could argue that they have every right to be. They’re earning low salaries and sick days mean paying to go to the doctor and losing money as a result of missing a day of teaching. They’re teaching without access to the college library or an office with a phone.

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