Adjunct prof jobs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your goal here? Do you want to augment your regular work by being able to work with undergrad students because you enjoy teaching and make a few bucks on the side? Or are you looking to do it full-time instead of a different job?

Because the first is very doable and some universities pay okay per course (Georgetown, for example). The second is a very difficult life -- low pay, insecure, and low status. 15:14 is right.

What does georgetown typically pay? I was offered a position for a two credit course and the pay was only 2500.

It varies but roughly $6500 for a 3 credit course, which is higher than most for the DC area. Was that a Continuing Ed course you were offered?

No this was for the law school. Two credits. 13 classes, 2 hours each plus papers to grade. I've heard Continuing Studies pays better. 6500 for a three credit course - that's a lot more than the 2500 I was offered for two credits.

Georgetown pays the WORST. My DH has taught at all the law schools in town, and Georgetown was the lowest of all. $1500 for a super high-powered/high level tax law class. Obviously not done for the money (huge time commitment and I think he was in the red. . . . after paying for taxis home at night . . . . )

[Anonymous]

Adjunct jobs are not good "resume padding". I've worked in academia and the private sector.

Academia -- sees "adjunct professor" on the resume and thinks "loser who couldn't get a tenure-track job".

Private sector -- sees "adjunct professor" and thinks "not relevant to anything we do here".

The pay is crap for the amount of time it absorbs.

Do it if you think it is fun, but don't imagine it is profitable from the monetary or career standpoint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even if the money's not great, there are sometimes some tax advantages. Teach a couple of courses online from home and deduct your home office. Go to a conference and deduct that too. Buy a new computer. Deduct your internet, etc. Call your students and deduct your phone.

That's a recipe for an audit, but knock yourself out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if the money's not great, there are sometimes some tax advantages. Teach a couple of courses online from home and deduct your home office. Go to a conference and deduct that too. Buy a new computer. Deduct your internet, etc. Call your students and deduct your phone.

That's a recipe for an audit, but knock yourself out.

Also, if you're spending enough on that stuff for the deduction to matter to you, then you are stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even if the money's not great, there are sometimes some tax advantages. Teach a couple of courses online from home and deduct your home office. Go to a conference and deduct that too. Buy a new computer. Deduct your internet, etc. Call your students and deduct your phone.

I'm an adjunct for a state univ. As others have stated, you can't do it for the money. I've been doing this for 5 years. I teach the same classes so I no longer need to prep. I make $4k per class now and can teach 6 classes a year so that's $24k. My real tax benefit is access to the univ 457B retirement plan. I can park $18.5 of my 24k in a pre tax retirement account. This is in addition to the $18.5 I can stick in my 401k at my main job.

I didn't know if this perk when I started but it by far the best benefit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Adjunct jobs are not good "resume padding". I've worked in academia and the private sector.

Academia -- sees "adjunct professor" on the resume and thinks "loser who couldn't get a tenure-track job".

Private sector -- sees "adjunct professor" and thinks "not relevant to anything we do here".

The pay is crap for the amount of time it absorbs.

Do it if you think it is fun, but don't imagine it is profitable from the monetary or career standpoint.

Do most people agree with this?

[Anonymous]

^^ PS to above. For career advancement, not necessarily in academia, while being a SAHP, it better to have on the resume:

A. adjunct position for one course or sometimes two per semester
B "independent consultant" by just taking very small gig here and there
C both A and B
D a resume gap and enjoy the time with the kids since neither A nor B pays peanuts
?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ PS to above. For career advancement, not necessarily in academia, while being a SAHP, it better to have on the resume:

A. adjunct position for one course or sometimes two per semester
B "independent consultant" by just taking very small gig here and there
C both A and B
D a resume gap and enjoy the time with the kids since neither A nor B pays peanuts
?

E. Build an online course in what you're an expert on instead. Since you're ready to give up your income completely, you can take this risk for the higher upside. Record what would've been your lectures and charge for the collection of videos. That way, you can have flexibility to actually enjoy time with your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ PS to above. For career advancement, not necessarily in academia, while being a SAHP, it better to have on the resume:

A. adjunct position for one course or sometimes two per semester
B "independent consultant" by just taking very small gig here and there
C both A and B
D a resume gap and enjoy the time with the kids since neither A nor B pays peanuts
?

In order of usefulness to your future career, I would say:

B
C
A
D

[Anonymous]

We pay about 5k for adjuncts at GW. I thought that was terrible. What field OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ PS to above. For career advancement, not necessarily in academia, while being a SAHP, it better to have on the resume:

A. adjunct position for one course or sometimes two per semester
B "independent consultant" by just taking very small gig here and there
C both A and B
D a resume gap and enjoy the time with the kids since neither A nor B pays peanuts
?

I'm an economist (practitioner, not academic) and in my field, A would be more helpful than B.

Rather than independent consultant, which is very vague, we'd be more impressed with a series of short-term consultancies with the Bank or the OECD or being brought in for one-off studies with a firm like Nathan. But saying you're an independent consultant sounds like you have a website and pitch people your services, which is not what an economist would choose to do if s/he had options.

For a SAHM economist taking a break from full-time work, I'd encourage her to teach a couple econ courses as an adjunct, and then once the kids are in preschool, or she's ready to go part-time, try to find some STC positions. With that on your resume, it would be easy to get back into a full-time position when you're ready.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We pay about 5k for adjuncts at GW. I thought that was terrible. What field OP?

+1 Columbia was the same. $5k per semester for a 3 unit class. I guess the extra $10k/year would be worthwhile once you have the curriculum established, but even then, not a great deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We pay about 5k for adjuncts at GW. I thought that was terrible. What field OP?

That's for PhDs. I'm a GW adjunct with a MA (terminal in my field) and the rate is $3600 to start. Very little work outside of class though, so I am ok with it because I enjoy it immensely.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't recommend being an adjunct unless you: (1) need to pad the resume, and (2) enjoy teaching. Even then, I'd suggest being a panelist at various conferences if you really want to pad your resume. You'll come into contact with useful networking contacts and be seen as an expert in your field by those who actually matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We pay about 5k for adjuncts at GW. I thought that was terrible. What field OP?

That's for PhDs. I'm a GW adjunct with a MA (terminal in my field) and the rate is $3600 to start. Very little work outside of class though, so I am ok with it because I enjoy it immensely.

It varies by academic unit. I have a Phd and earned around $3600. The $5000 poster must be in the sciences or business.