> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • The Evolution of Race in Admissions
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
News
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

Adjunct No Longer, Jill Biden Earned $82,022 as a Community-College Professor in 2011

By  Audrey Williams June
April 16, 2012

Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and a longtime English professor, earned $82,022 in 2011 for teaching at Northern Virginia Community College. Her salary information came from the couple’s most recent tax return.

Ms. Biden began teaching English at the college in the spring of 2009 as an adjunct faculty member. In the fall of 2009, Ms. Biden was hired to fill a full-time faculty position that had a two-year appointment, and then she became a full-time associate professor in the fall of 2011, said George Gabriel, vice president of the college’s Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment. Mr. Gabriel said the college followed the normal search process, which included Ms. Biden having to apply for both full-time positions.

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and a longtime English professor, earned $82,022 in 2011 for teaching at Northern Virginia Community College. Her salary information came from the couple’s most recent tax return.

Ms. Biden began teaching English at the college in the spring of 2009 as an adjunct faculty member. In the fall of 2009, Ms. Biden was hired to fill a full-time faculty position that had a two-year appointment, and then she became a full-time associate professor in the fall of 2011, said George Gabriel, vice president of the college’s Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment. Mr. Gabriel said the college followed the normal search process, which included Ms. Biden having to apply for both full-time positions.

Ms. Biden’s salary triggered disbelief among some members of a popular e-mail list for adjuncts who were unaware of her full-time status. Since Ms. Biden’s husband became vice president, several part-time faculty organizations and unions have reached out to her in hopes that she would push for improvements in adjunct working conditions. Adjunct professors rarely receive health benefits and sometimes earn $1,000 or less per three-credit course, according to data collected by the Adjunct Project, a crowdsourcing effort to document these professors’ working conditions. The pay and benefits adjuncts have reported vary widely, with many listings showing pay per three-credit course in the $2,000 to $5,000 range. At the high end, a few reported pay of close to $10,000.

Still, Ms. Biden, whose college-level teaching experience includes 15 years at Delaware Technical Community College, is well-paid by Northern Virginia standards. The average pay for associate professors at the college is $67,100, according to the most-recent faculty salary survey conducted by the American Association of University Professors.

Ms. Biden teaches three developmental English classes in the fall and spring semesters: two sections of Preparing for College Writing II and one section of “Critical Reading and Study Skills.” The classes meet twice a week.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mr. Gabriel said Ms. Biden has office hours, goes to meetings, and serves on committees, among other things, in addition to teaching: “She does the things that regular faculty members do.”

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Audrey Williams June
Audrey Williams June is the news-data manager at The Chronicle. She explores and analyzes data sets, databases, and records to uncover higher-education trends, insights, and stories. Email her at audrey.june@chronicle.com, or follow her on Twitter @audreywjune.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin