When Prof. Carol Lancaster wrote a column for The Hoya explaining Georgetown’s tenure track, she probably didn’t plan to instigate controversy with her criticism of a crucial part of the University’s faculty: adjunct professors.
Lancaster wrote in her column that, “[Adjunct professors] are usually not scholars with an in-depth grasp of the history, ideas, controversies and new discoveries—as well as gaps—in their discipline.”
In response, Prof. Bonnie Morris, an adjunct in the Women Studies Program, wrote a letter to The Hoya defending adjunct professors. The controversy has exposed the difficulties faced by the adjuncts, part-time or full-time university employees who research and teach classes, but cannot receive tenure. Adjunct complaints are a perennial issue of campus politics.
While Georgetown will continue using adjuncts because they’re economical, the University should do more to recognize their accomplishments and help them advance their careers by giving adjuncts priority in tenure-track considerations. Dismissive statements like Professor Lancaster’s demonstrate a misunderstanding of the important work the adjuncts do. Although Morris disagrees with Lancaster, she doesn’t think that adjuncts are treated horribly.
“My experience has been great from the administrative level,” said Morris. Having taught Introduction to Women’s Studies at Georgetown for 10 years, Morris said she is treated like other faculty members, adding that she doesn’t think her students know she’s not tenured.
“The real problem is how you present yourself to people in Washington,” Morris said. Problems arise when adjuncts go to parties and are asked if they’re tenured. “If you’re not, you’re put in a horrible position,” Morris said, adding that others, including her mother’s friends, don’t respect adjunct professors, saying people think, “If you’re that smart, why aren’t you successful?”
“I used to be anxious and bitter, but now I’m relaxed.” Still, Morris admits, “If I had children it would be very different.”
English Department Chair Penn Szittya thinks Georgetown treats its adjuncts well.
“We made a concerted effort to make our pay scale for part-time adjuncts as competitive as possible in the Washington area,” he said.
But Szittya, whose department has four full-time and 20 part-time adjuncts, acknowledges that advancement is difficult.
Adjuncts are an indispensable part of the University community. By giving them better benefits and preferring them in tenure-track searches, Georgetown would show appreciation for adjunct professors who work as hard as their tenured counterparts do.
