Academics seem to think that the business world is a feudal environment characterized by huge status differentials and abusive treatment of underlings. They think that because, to be honest, that’s a pretty good characterization of . . . the modern university, where serfs in the form of adjunct professors toil in the vineyards.I have worked as an adjunct at a college, a university, and a seminary. I was never poorly treated, but I was never paid very well and always had that "odd man out" feeling as adjuncts were never considered "real" faculty by those in the administration and tenured hierarchy. Eventually, I decided no longer to continue as the amount of time spent preparing and teaching was not compensated at a reasonable level.
These days, there are far, far more administrators than ever before, and far more than is necessary, but universities and other educational institutions continue to cut the schedules of faculty, creating more and more part-time and adjunct positions. Many adjuncts now have to work at two or more schools in order to make ends meet.