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News

Chronicle Survey: All Questions and Answers

October 19, 2009

Here are all of the multiple-choice questions that we posed to part-time adjunct faculty members in the Chicago area about their working conditions and pay, and the responses we received. The Chronicle did not randomly select a survey sample, and so these responses may not be representative of adjuncts who did not take the survey. We heard from 625 respondents at 90 institutions from April to July. We e-mailed the survey this spring to 3,356 adjuncts whose e-mail addresses we found listed on 35 college and university Web sites. The Chronicle also asked groups that represent adjuncts to tell part-timers about the survey. And we asked adjuncts themselves to pass the survey along to other adjuncts.

For how many years total have you been working as a part-time adjunct?
16 or more 12%
11 to 15 12%
6 to 10 25%
2 to 5 34%
Fewer than 2 16%
What is the highest degree you have attained?
Master’s 56%
Ph.D. 24%
Bachelor’s 6%
Other terminal degree (e.g., M.B.A., J.D.) 14%
At how many institutions did you teach as a part-time adjunct during the 2008-9 academic year?
1 67%
2 24%
3 6%
4 2%
5 or more 1%
How many classes did you teach as a part-time adjunct this year?
2 or fewer 41%
3 to 5 34%
6 to 10 17%
11 to 15 5%
16 or more 3%
How many online classes did you teach this year?
0 81%
1 4%
2 3%
3 1%
4 1%
5 or more 6%
Did not answer 3%
Which type of class did you teach most often?
Introductory classes 33%
Courses in the major 27%
Advanced courses 21%
Remedial courses 5%
A mix of all in equal parts 11%
Did not answer 3%
What is the lowest amount you earned for the typical class (e.g. three credits) this year?
Less than $1,500 20%
$1,600 to $2,400 34%
$2,500 to $3,500 20%
$3,600 to $4,500 13%
More than $4,500 9%
Did not answer 3%
What is the highest amount you earned for the typical class (e.g. three credits) this year?
Less than $1,500 12%
$1,600 to $2,400 28%
$2,500 to $3,500 28%
$3,600 to $4,500 16%
More than $4,500 13%
Did not answer 3%
Estimate your total income from your part-time adjunct teaching.
More than $20,000 18%
$15,100 to $20,000 13%
$10,100 to $15,000 16%
$6,100 to $10,000 21%
$3,100 to $6,000 16%
$3,000 or less 14%
Did not answer 2%
Did you have this year a full-time job separate from your part-time adjunct teaching?
Yes 40%
No 60%
What is the primary reason you work as a part-time adjunct?
Prefer part-time work 32%
Cannot find full-time teaching job 30%
Already have full-time job 21%
Need part-time work to fit with demands of family life 12%
Did not answer 5%
Were you represented by a union in any of your part-time teaching jobs this year?
Yes 32%
No 59%
Don’t know 8%
Did any of the institutions where you taught this year as a part-time adjunct allow you to participate in their employee health-care plan?
Yes 14%
No 73%
Don’t know 13%
If any of the institutions allowed you to participate in their health-care plan, did they offer to pay some of the cost?
Yes 10%
No 52%
Don’t know 38%
Did the institution(s) where you taught this year provide you access to:
Almost always Sometimes Never Don’t know
Libraries? 86% 4% 3% 7%
Fitness centers? 26% 8% 34% 32%
Day care centers? 6% 2% 42% 50%
Did the institution(s) where you taught provide you with:
Almost always Sometimes Never Don’t know
Offices? 41% 26% 32% 2%
Money for travel to conferences? 6% 13% 66% 16%
Professional development and training? 30% 38% 25% 7%
Support services like secretarial help? 31% 34% 31% 4%
As a part-time adjunct, did you:
Almost always Sometimes Never
Help develop courses in your department? 14% 31% 55%
Serve on faculty committees? 6% 17% 77%
Attend faculty departmental meetings? 15% 33% 52%
On average, how many hours per week, per class, were you expected to spend advising students outside of class?
None 29%
Up to 2 hours 37%
Between 2 and 4 hours 16%
More than 4 hours 6%
Don’t know 11%
Were you paid an amount this year above the per-class fee for work you did outside the classroom, e.g., holding office hours, attending faculty meetings, participating in training opportunities?
Almost always 7%
Sometimes 19%
Never 69%
Don’t know 5%
Do you pursue your own research and writing?
Almost always 34%
Sometimes 38%
Never 28%
Considering all aspects of working as a part-time adjunct, are you:
Very satisfied? 17%
Satisfied? 51%
Unsatisfied? 26%
Very unsatisfied? 5%
In your opinion, how has the recession changed the job market for adjuncts in Chicago?
Created many more jobs 1%
Created somewhat more jobs 9%
No impact 37%
Created somewhat fewer jobs 39%
Created many fewer jobs 14%
At what type of institution(s) in the Chicago area did you work as a part-time adjunct this year? (choose all that apply)
Four-year public 17%
Four-year nonprofit 50%
Two-year public 37%
For-profit 9%
Other 6%
Note: All questions refer to the period covered by the summer of 2008 and the 2008-9 academic year. Adjuncts were invited to take the survey only if they had worked as part-time adjuncts between June 2008 and the date they received the survey invitation this spring. Percentages are rounded and so may not add to 100 percent.
Source: Chronicle reporting

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Here are all of the multiple-choice questions that we posed to part-time adjunct faculty members in the Chicago area about their working conditions and pay, and the responses we received. The Chronicle did not randomly select a survey sample, and so these responses may not be representative of adjuncts who did not take the survey. We heard from 625 respondents at 90 institutions from April to July. We e-mailed the survey this spring to 3,356 adjuncts whose e-mail addresses we found listed on 35 college and university Web sites. The Chronicle also asked groups that represent adjuncts to tell part-timers about the survey. And we asked adjuncts themselves to pass the survey along to other adjuncts.

For how many years total have you been working as a part-time adjunct?
16 or more 12%
11 to 15 12%
6 to 10 25%
2 to 5 34%
Fewer than 2 16%
What is the highest degree you have attained?
Master’s 56%
Ph.D. 24%
Bachelor’s 6%
Other terminal degree (e.g., M.B.A., J.D.) 14%
At how many institutions did you teach as a part-time adjunct during the 2008-9 academic year?
1 67%
2 24%
3 6%
4 2%
5 or more 1%
How many classes did you teach as a part-time adjunct this year?
2 or fewer 41%
3 to 5 34%
6 to 10 17%
11 to 15 5%
16 or more 3%
How many online classes did you teach this year?
0 81%
1 4%
2 3%
3 1%
4 1%
5 or more 6%
Did not answer 3%
Which type of class did you teach most often?
Introductory classes 33%
Courses in the major 27%
Advanced courses 21%
Remedial courses 5%
A mix of all in equal parts 11%
Did not answer 3%
What is the lowest amount you earned for the typical class (e.g. three credits) this year?
Less than $1,500 20%
$1,600 to $2,400 34%
$2,500 to $3,500 20%
$3,600 to $4,500 13%
More than $4,500 9%
Did not answer 3%
What is the highest amount you earned for the typical class (e.g. three credits) this year?
Less than $1,500 12%
$1,600 to $2,400 28%
$2,500 to $3,500 28%
$3,600 to $4,500 16%
More than $4,500 13%
Did not answer 3%
Estimate your total income from your part-time adjunct teaching.
More than $20,000 18%
$15,100 to $20,000 13%
$10,100 to $15,000 16%
$6,100 to $10,000 21%
$3,100 to $6,000 16%
$3,000 or less 14%
Did not answer 2%
Did you have this year a full-time job separate from your part-time adjunct teaching?
Yes 40%
No 60%
What is the primary reason you work as a part-time adjunct?
Prefer part-time work 32%
Cannot find full-time teaching job 30%
Already have full-time job 21%
Need part-time work to fit with demands of family life 12%
Did not answer 5%
Were you represented by a union in any of your part-time teaching jobs this year?
Yes 32%
No 59%
Don’t know 8%
Did any of the institutions where you taught this year as a part-time adjunct allow you to participate in their employee health-care plan?
Yes 14%
No 73%
Don’t know 13%
If any of the institutions allowed you to participate in their health-care plan, did they offer to pay some of the cost?
Yes 10%
No 52%
Don’t know 38%
Did the institution(s) where you taught this year provide you access to:
Almost always Sometimes Never Don’t know
Libraries? 86% 4% 3% 7%
Fitness centers? 26% 8% 34% 32%
Day care centers? 6% 2% 42% 50%
Did the institution(s) where you taught provide you with:
Almost always Sometimes Never Don’t know
Offices? 41% 26% 32% 2%
Money for travel to conferences? 6% 13% 66% 16%
Professional development and training? 30% 38% 25% 7%
Support services like secretarial help? 31% 34% 31% 4%
As a part-time adjunct, did you:
Almost always Sometimes Never
Help develop courses in your department? 14% 31% 55%
Serve on faculty committees? 6% 17% 77%
Attend faculty departmental meetings? 15% 33% 52%
On average, how many hours per week, per class, were you expected to spend advising students outside of class?
None 29%
Up to 2 hours 37%
Between 2 and 4 hours 16%
More than 4 hours 6%
Don’t know 11%
Were you paid an amount this year above the per-class fee for work you did outside the classroom, e.g., holding office hours, attending faculty meetings, participating in training opportunities?
Almost always 7%
Sometimes 19%
Never 69%
Don’t know 5%
Do you pursue your own research and writing?
Almost always 34%
Sometimes 38%
Never 28%
Considering all aspects of working as a part-time adjunct, are you:
Very satisfied? 17%
Satisfied? 51%
Unsatisfied? 26%
Very unsatisfied? 5%
In your opinion, how has the recession changed the job market for adjuncts in Chicago?
Created many more jobs 1%
Created somewhat more jobs 9%
No impact 37%
Created somewhat fewer jobs 39%
Created many fewer jobs 14%
At what type of institution(s) in the Chicago area did you work as a part-time adjunct this year? (choose all that apply)
Four-year public 17%
Four-year nonprofit 50%
Two-year public 37%
For-profit 9%
Other 6%
Note: All questions refer to the period covered by the summer of 2008 and the 2008-9 academic year. Adjuncts were invited to take the survey only if they had worked as part-time adjuncts between June 2008 and the date they received the survey invitation this spring. Percentages are rounded and so may not add to 100 percent.
Source: Chronicle reporting
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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