Comments on: Perhaps I Should Instead Thank this Guy….

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:52:00 +0000

I graduated earlier this year with a masters degree in finance. Most of my profs were adjunct. They brought current knowledge from the field that I could not have gotten from full time profs. I would hate to see anything that would reduce their numbers.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:54:00 +0000

Or to allow them to work where ever…why does not that policy occur to you first?

By: Rob

Rob — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 20:47:00 +0000

Most of the graduate students working as adjuncts (especially in economics departments) are on student visas and not allowed to work outside of campus. This makes for what most of the economic textbooks would call a monopsony … and a pretty good reason to form some sort of union.

By: RL

RL — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 20:07:00 +0000

You don’t mention whether or not Professor Nelson is an economist…though I expect either way what you told him was not a surprise.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:39:00 +0000

A chapter of AAUP has recently started at my institution. They don’t sale themselves as a union, but it is hard to distinguish this organization as anything but. The unfortunate part of this having this organization now associated with my institution is the the type of influence that they want to impose. For example, the issue raise here in this post regarding hiring practices is an example of this kind of influence. This is particularly troubling for my institution because it is a private college that is self-governed. Thus, polies and procedures are established by a faculty vote. Now, a group of my colleagues has joined this group that appears to have its own agenda. As a young, untenured faculty member, I am not sure the limits this organization has. Either way, it is particularly troubling to have an outside organization impose its agenda. As you point out in your letter (and many of your posts), these types of interventions have unintended consequences.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:38:00 +0000

I must say considering your personal employment position this devastating indictment of tenure is both as welcome as it is surprising.

By: LoneSnark

LoneSnark — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:45:00 +0000

I’m sure he is already aware of such eventualities, hence his support of them.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:56:00 +0000

And unions support minimum wage increases.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:12:00 +0000

I stay on the AAUP mailing list for a good chuckle every once in a while.

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:37:00 +0000

I appreciate your unwillingness to compromise your principles but I have a couple questions. If the AAUP is not a union what power do they actually have? What harm would come to a university by denying the AAUP’s wishes? Wouldn’t the universities have to want, on some level, to make the changes?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:18:00 +0000

I think it would be obvious that the purpose of the AAUP is, at its root, the idea of improving the over-all power and position of the AAUP. It’s actions, as you reported, are the actions of a union, not a fraternal organization; and, I think we can agree that the actions of a union have the primary purpose of increasing the power of the union.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:24:00 +0000

I’m sure your professional society will be as responsive to that kind of reasoning as mine is.