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Adjunct Voices

Stories from men and women on the battle lines of a changing academic world.

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An Optimistic Adjunct on the Economic Edge

By  Ron Coddington
December 21, 2012

Rob Balla teaches up to eight classes a semester on as many as four campuses in northeastern Ohio. “This is the best job I’ve had. I honestly like it,” he says. But Mr. Balla and his family live on the economic edge: “I can’t remember the last time I actually went and saw a doctor. We go to school sick, we go to school with the flu, we go to school with fevers. We go to school under any circumstances, really, ‘cause you can’t afford to have your pay docked.” And yet he remains optimistic that he will land a full-time job in academe. “That’s kind of the dream. At least the realistic dream. Getting that full-time position. Hopefully things go well. Maybe this is my lucky year.”

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Rob Balla teaches up to eight classes a semester on as many as four campuses in northeastern Ohio. “This is the best job I’ve had. I honestly like it,” he says. But Mr. Balla and his family live on the economic edge: “I can’t remember the last time I actually went and saw a doctor. We go to school sick, we go to school with the flu, we go to school with fevers. We go to school under any circumstances, really, ‘cause you can’t afford to have your pay docked.” And yet he remains optimistic that he will land a full-time job in academe. “That’s kind of the dream. At least the realistic dream. Getting that full-time position. Hopefully things go well. Maybe this is my lucky year.”

Video and editing by Greg Kahn; Reporting by Audrey Williams June; Produced by Rose Engelland

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Ron Coddington
Ron Coddington leads the Visuals and Data team at The Chronicle of Higher Education.
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