Letters to the Editor

Dr. Brown’s Revolt I read the profile of Dr. Peter D.G. Brown (November/December Adjunct Advocate 2005) with much interest. I have worked at my institution as a part-time lecturer for more than seven years. In that time, I have witnessed the usual outrages and petty humiliations: people not rehired for seemingly no good reason, classes pulled at the last moment, etc... I finished the profile, closed the magazine and wondered where my Dr. Brown is hiding. In my department, there are over 20 tenured faculty. They are the ones with the perks, prerogatives and power. Yet, unlike Peter Brown, not a one of them has seen fit in all these years to speak up on behalf of the department’s large contingent of full-time and part-time lecturers. Why? Is it that they were deprived of the kind of childhood Dr. Brown had? Did the parents of the tenured faculty in my department never reach out to help others? I think not. I have come to the conclusion that they are spoiled brats. They decide what they’re going to teach and when. They enjoy sabbaticals. The holiday parties are for them. Graduation is a celebration of their hard work in educating the college’s undergraduates. The tenured faculty in my department are as disengaged from their surroundings as it is possible to be and still show up for work every day. The adjuncts at SUNY New Paltz should thank their lucky stars. Meanwhile, the rest of us will wait for our Dr. Brown. Name Withheld In Yiddish, we have a word to describe men like Dr. Peter D.G. Brown: mensch. I am thoroughly impressed by his good works. Undoubtedly there are those at his institution who rue the day he ever earned tenure. B. Horowitz Champaign-Urbana, IL The Year of the Adjunct? Can someone explain why instructors who are not central to the mission of SUNY should be regaled with an entire year devoted to their demands? Tenure-line faculty shoulder an increasingly heavy load because of the swell of part-timers. The quality of instruction is starting to fray at institutions across the United States thanks to masses of part-timers who are not screened or supervised rigorously. Peter Brown’s a stand up fellow to be sure. I just wish he’d stand up for a more worthy cause. Kelly Whitten-Davison Sacramento, CA Adjunct Advisor Great new column! I can’t say I agree with all of the Advisor’s advice, however. Students in college who fail to cite sources should be failed. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200. George Sanchez Detroit, MI Dear Abby deconstructed. I love the Adjunct Advisor column. The Advisor offers snappy advice and is obviously not afraid to tell it like it is. I have been saying for years that faculty in classes other than Polisci need to shut up about politics and government. A classroom is not one’s personal political soapbox. Tom Roberts Phoenix, AZ Here’s my advice to the part-timer who sent an e-mail to her students announcing that she was going to spend a portion of the upcoming class period discussing the war in Iraq: get some lessons in the proper delivery of course materials! It’s people like her who give adjuncts a bad name. Most of us show up, teach, grade exams, hold office hours and do a bit of research, perhaps. That’s what we’re being paid to do. W. B. Vandervere Boston, MA How I Do What I Do J. Baxter’s essay (“How I Do What I Do, November/December 2006 Adjunct Advocate) was incredibly touching. I felt as though I were looking into a mirror. How many times have I kept silent? How many times have I smiled instead of offering my honest opinion? Thanks for publishing this terrific essay. George Sanchez Detroit, MI