Why we need to retire the Old Adjunct: What I Learned at an International Conference about Organizing Contingent Labor

The simple classroom could have been located in any of the four countries represented in the room, if not for the New York skyline in the backdrop.  The dry erase board in the front of the room was cluttered with social justice terminology.  Half of the 25 people in the room had their arm extended indicating their desire to speak.  This was not a room of eager students but contingent educators brainstorming about the media.

The conversation started with input from an editor of an education news agency.  The presenter proclaimed that daily newspapers do not care about social justice and doing education right.  Instead, the media wants to discuss higher education as a “consumer issue.”  Simply stated, the guest journalist communicated that most media is not interested in the plight of college teachers.

It is difficult to explain labor issues to a public that largely is unaware of the existence of part-time professors.  The claim from our expert was clear: when talking to the media teacher victimization is not a popular pitch.  After decades of fighting for job security it is time to retire the adage of the “poor adjunct.”

As the conversation shifted the audience came alive.  The room was a flutter with ideas of how to illuminate the research, artwork, and teaching accolades of adjuncts. 

Then, a millennial peered her head from behind her MacBook and asked the audience to consider her generation.  She shared that she was “not interested in her teachers’ scholarly research” but instead just wanted a “good teacher.”  A room filled with brilliant educators now had to shift gears to not only change the way they tell their stories to media and also, consider a younger audience.

In a few days I will turn 33 and I have spent the last nine years as an adjunct lecturer.  One of the best parts of being at an international labor conference was gaining insight and context from other adjuncts, some which have been teaching longer than I have been alive.  The title of this blog post was not intended to be ageist towards these trailblazing leaders but hopefully get you to read its content on this important issue.  We need to keep our history alive and retire the old messages that work against us.

Skyline and social justice @ProfessorCCB at #cocalXI #CFA_News #adjuncts #NewFacMajority pic.twitter.com/8C5go9zH7C
— MrNinjaman (@JohnRBoone) August 4, 2014

@SydniDunn @AAUP here's that #COCALXI group photo pic.twitter.com/LK43EPM9KZ
— PSC_CUNY (@PSC_CUNY) August 6, 2014

The Survival Mentality of an Adjunct Professor: The Dream of a House with 2 Bathrooms

The daughter of a single teenage mother my early years were transient.  There were always at least three people in our apartment and only one bathroom.  One thing I have known since I was small child is that when I grew up I would live somewhere with more than one bathroom.  Another passion that emerged early was my desire to be an educator.

In 2006 I was hired as a full-time adjunct professor at a state college in central California.  As the sole breadwinner for my family I was lucky to be teaching in my hometown that has one of the lowest costs of living in the state.  After two years of teaching I was able to buy my first home and was living my two lifelong dreams—a house with 2 full baths and a teaching job in higher education. 

Everyone knows what happens next in this story: the market crashed in 2008.

The moving vans descended and within months our street filled with loud children and barking dogs went quiet.  When the smoke cleared there were only two of the original families left on a street once filled with young working families.

At the University where I work the faculty offices emptied as quickly as the houses on my street.  I remember my University President boasted to local media that our campus had not had any lay-offs.  This is technically true because adjunct faculty are not considered permanent employees. This means, if we never get asked to teach again they do not have to call it “firing.”  Like the empty yards, empty offices created a sense of loss and fear especially for the junior or temporary faculty like myself: to keep my dream career and home I worked harder than ever.  

I did not get to keep my job just because I worked hard.  There are plenty of hard working educators in higher education that were not so lucky.  I was able to keep my job because to protect junior faculty other professors: retired early, increased class sizes, agreed to voluntary furloughs, increased service work, and fought harder as faculty activists.  

*Photo of from 2011 of myself and daughter creating poster at a protest to protect CSU faculty.  

As an adjunct faculty member the majority of my academic career has been spent fighting to remain in my classroom.  This week I am attending the Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor (COCAL XI) in New York to regroup with international contingent faculty to discuss now that I am still where I belong, what comes next. 

My mental model has been about quality education and survival.  This week I hope the conversation with fellow activists will be about both overcoming my fears and developing a plan for a future.  A plan where my expertise are valued and I am no longer treated as though I am expendable.

Collecting Qualitative Interviews

I recently made it through the first hurdle of the dissertation process and finished my preliminary defense.  For those of you who are completely flummoxed by this statement: I did my homework and made it through the first round of interviews I but I have not gotten the job yet.  After the passing my prelim and getting IRB approval I get to start collecting data and this is where the real research starts.

*photo of me right as I publicly discussed my preliminary research courtesy of Dirk Baron.

Next week I start interviews with geoscience students about their experiences in producing research.  This week I am going to share advice others have given to me about how to get good results during the interview process.

Tips for Interviews

Remind Respondents- My first flight of interviews is with university students starting next week.  Each respondent received an email reminder with their meeting time and location.  In additional I will text each study to remind them the previous day so they don't forget.

Remove Barriers- Non-verbal communication is about sending cues through body language.  The investigator should not sit behind a desk or have any other physical barriers between them and the respondent.  This also includes crossing your arms or having a computer in front of your face while you speak.  This communicates to the respondent that you are un-receptive or defensive about their responses. 

Water-have bottled water available for both the interviewer and respondent.  Do not want anyone to be parched while speaking. 

Notes- even though each interview will be recorded it is important to take notes.  As previously discussed you do not want a computer screen in front of your body while you ask questions.  Instead have a place to take written notes. 

Journal- instead of taking notes on a pad of paper or loose papers it is better to have a journal dedicated to observation notes together.  I already have several journal dedicated to writing both my yoga sequences and reflections.  To keep my notes straight I chose a brightly colored journal that is easy to find to help with early coding.  My favorite color is black so its is a little fun having my dissertation journal titled my "little pink book.”

Interview Transcription- while working in a previous class I had to turn over several interviews in a short span of time.  I discovered “Rev.com” an Iphone/ Ipad application where you load audio recordings and the transcriptions are emailed back within three days. 

*This project will still review every interview, review with rev transcript and notes to verify content.

Back Up Interviews- iPhones or iPads are good devices for recording interviews but they do not have an unlimited supply of space.  Dropbox, the Cloud and Google Drive are examples of applications for secure back-up copies of you interviews when your phone fills up. 

Getting the Dissertation Done

I have two more semesters before my doctoral program comes to an end.  The completion of my doctorate is dependent on the completion of my dissertation.  Thankfully I have a strong support system with my partner and fellow cohort members.  

The advice, input and prayers of the amazing people in my life has gotten me this far.  Shout out to Jazmine who has been writing advice on dissertation writing in her blog.  This is a reply to Jazmine’s ongoing conversation and I hope it is helpful for other folks gathering qualitative research.      

The House on East California Avenue

On March 5^th, 2014 we celebrated my daughters 7^th birthday at Rosemary’s Creamery.  I am remiss to think how many times I have ordered the ‘black and tan’ sundae, a mountain of hot fudge and caramel on toasted almond ice cream.  Every birthday I feel like I am six years old again dueling spoons with my twin sister and scrapping globs from poorly designed glass boats that make the entire process sticky and fun. 

On this day, as we waited for the orders to arrive my grandmother showed me a photo of an empty dirt lot.  I had no idea what I was looking at until she remarked that she was upset that they bulldozed the house.  Only later would she realize that I was completely unaware that the house was gone.  Until that moment it was still where it had always been.  On a busy street with commercial buildings, the yard eager for spring, the bougainvillea blooming early and obstructing the front doorway and the rose bushes softening the cold metal gate that surrounded the perimeter.

Growing Up Homeless

I lived so many places growing up I actually never felt like I had a “home.”  I learned recently that I lived in Texas during many formative years but not long enough to recall.  When we returned to Bakersfield and left my grandparents house, we moved around.  I could not tell you the address, or color or any details about those places.  They were just places: 

the house with the teal laundry room

the room on Niles Street

there house across from the elementary school

the duplex off of Ming

the other duplex off of Ming

the house on Columbus

the house by the 58 Freeway

There was one place that I have always considered my sanctuary, the little house on East California—known by my generation as “Honey’s House.”  Until recently, I thought it was only the beautiful women who lived within those walls that made it so special.  But Honey passed away over a decade ago and I still drive out of my way to visit this place just too see the structure and feel renewed. 

The Yellow Phone

If I could stop that bulldozer and save one artifact it would be the yellow rotary phone that lived on the kitchen wall.  I once asked my aunt why we did not have a cordless phone and she aimed fierce ojitos at me as she recalled the audacity of a telephone company worker who had once made the offer to replace her “old” banana colored phone.  She never said what happen to that idiot man and I came to realize her loyalty to our phone was founded.  As a teen I spent hours lying on the green linoleum floor that slanted towards the kitchens backdoor talking on that phone.  In the tiny makeshift kitchen that forgot it was once a porch.  Even now, I can see my great-great-great aunt honey perched on her kitchen stool and chatting away. 

Cruz History

I am the last and 5^th generation that lived in that same little house with my great-great-great aunt Honey in 1998.  My cousin Lisa and several of her fury friends lived there in the early 90’s.  My grandmother Arlene and Great-Uncle Carl shared the home with their Grandparents and Aunt in the 50’s.  My grandparents, Ted and Arlene Jiron were married in that house by Judge Noriega in 1961.  The true history of the house on East California Avenue could span several novels.  Too young to know everything I am old enough to understand how the foundation of this tiny building supported our enormous family as it grew.   

The House on East California 

They say you can find anything on the internet, tonight I used google earth to see the house one more time.  

Any relatives attending the Easter picnic, I would love to see your photos and scan them for us all to share our memories of this special place. 

Guilt, Motherhood, and Professional Success for Women

After almost a decade working in Higher Education, I realize that I feel guilty for my commitment to my career.  Today I attended the CSUB “19^th Annual Latina Leadership Conference” and listened to successful women share their stories.  As each generation shared their journey it seems that professional women are our own worst enemies.  But it is not as simple as just get over it and be ambitious.   

Career versus Motherhood 

There are several factors to consider when thinking about our careers, and for many women the foremost issue is motherhood.

I am not a domestic goddess: I am not gifted in the area of sewing, crafting or cooking.  I love my children, but even if I won the lottery tomorrow I would not choose to be a full-time stay at home parent.  As my husband has now entered the workforce the conversations have shifted to how I am going to address the care of our children.  The decision to raise two children requires a commitment of an immeasurable amount of home labor.

Recent Study of Parenthood Roles and Careers  

Studies, like the link above, that ask mothers if they are “spending enough time with their children” are inherently flawed.  As women, we are lucky to get stuck with social pressures that remind us constantly that our sex requires us to nurture.

My partner is a feminist who was a willing stay-at home parent so I could start my academic career.  I am capable and enjoy being a leader but I feel guilt about my male partner’s sacrifice for my success.

I can’t believe I wrote this sentence:

I am capable and enjoy being a leader but I feel guilt about my male partner’s sacrifice for my success.

I know it is redundant to repeat a sentence, and it was hard to write it the first time. This confession demonstrates the internalization of both gender archetypes and that I am a barrier to my own personal success.  My professional success has provided for my entire family.  Regardless of my gender-- my education and experience makes me better qualified to be the breadwinner in our family.  Then why the heck do I still feel guilty?

My Self Inflicted Glass Ceiling

My partner supported me through graduate school, the start of my first full-time academic post and in the full-time care of our two children.  His action and words of encouragement validate me as I work on  my doctoral dissertation and yet doubt pervades my choices.

My doubt brings two interesting points of clarity:

How do other highly education mothers without incredibly supportive partners overcome social pressure and personal guilt to succeed professionally?  How can I earn a fair wage, promotion, and professional success when I hesitate to recognize my own value?

Life without Kids

The outcome to both of these questions is simple; patriarchy influences professional women.

I have several successful female friends without kids.  It is a common misconception that the choice to not have children voids social pressures.  In my experience people assume that women without children are either broken or not living life to the fullest.  

"Leaving My Children"- One Woman's Story  

"Having it All Without Children"

As the above stories conclude, the assumption that women without kids are somehow unfulfilled is absolutely wrong.  With or without children, professional women are influenced by patriarchy.

Conclusion

This week my preliminary defense of my dissertation is scheduled.

Friday March 28, 2014 10am at CSUB Education Building 123 

In spite of self-doubt, I keep plugging away and I am getting the job done.  This weeks blog was cathartic to write and embarrassing to share.  But I shared it because I hope it validates other professional women who are struggling with their own careers to know they are not alone.