Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

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YererMeda
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Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by YererMeda »

Once a week.
Evenings.
In person.
3 hrs per week class. (3 credit hours course.)
1 hour commute one way.
2 hours per week of office hours/answering emails.
15 week semester.
Course is somewhat prepped. Taught it long time ago.

Do I need the money? Not really. Do I want to make more money? Yes. What for? Donations.

Worth it? What do you think?
a_rotator
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by a_rotator »

Worth it? Can't answer, it's all relative to your earning potential and what you value. I will say, as someone who has been an adjunct in the humanities, that you are being offered nearly double what I was paid (just a year ago, University of California system). So, yes, it would be worth it to me. But my field has an overabundance of qualified and willing workers, so...
Corvidae
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by Corvidae »

How many students? What level? What type of institution? Pay seems reasonable, maybe more than reasonable. But really it comes down to whether you want to do it.
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ResearchMed
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by ResearchMed »

YererMeda wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 3:54 pm Once a week.
Evenings.
In person.
3 hrs per week class. (3 credit hours course.)
1 hour commute one way.
2 hours per week of office hours/answering emails.
15 week semester.
Course is somewhat prepped. Taught it long time ago.

Do I need the money? Not really. Do I want to make more money? Yes. What for? Donations.

Worth it? What do you think?

If you don't 'need' the money, would you *enjoy* teaching this course each week for one semester?
Or, might it lead to something else that is of interest to you, be it continuing to teach it, to teach it/something else elsewhere, or some sort of networking?

If "none of the above", is the after tax amount of that $12k "worth it" to you, be it for yourself or donations? (If the latter, would you otherwise donate several hours every week for a semester, to some worthy endeavor?)

I taught evening classes many years ago, but I loved teaching (and I probably would have done it for free had that ever been a choice to make - but fortunately, it wasn't). For some time, I had taught the same class during the day, so the evening class was all totally prepped from the start.

I don't see any mention about whether this would be a "good experience" for you, personally, regardless of the money.

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livesoft
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by livesoft »

I teach short courses sometimes for pay and sometimes voluntarily. The gig you described would not be worth it to me. The commute would be a killer for me.
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Raybo
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by Raybo »

Is there homework, tests, essays? If so, your time schedule is off.

When I was an adjunct at the UC many years ago (computer science in the 1990s), I was paid $5,000 a quarter for 2 days a week lecturing, office hours, essays and tests. I made the same money in a week of work. It quickly became not worth it to me.

Maybe try it once and see if what you assumed was the commitment is, in fact, the commitment.

When I did this, there was a limit to the number of classes an adjunct could teach before having to be hired or let go.
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by chipperd »

Assuming 2 hours per week for papers and grading that's 9 hours/week including the commute. (Also assuming you have no T/A to help and no one that you have to supervise).

9 hours/week x 15 weeks = 135 hours

$12,000/135=$88.88/hour

Up to you if that's worth it for your time.

Staying away from the intangibles as they are to personal.

Best of luck
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by 22twain »

Are you retired, or still working at a "real job?"
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anoop
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by anoop »

If you enjoy it, the money doesn't matter. If you don't enjoy it, for $12K before taxes, I'd say it's almost definitely not worth it.
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by chicagoan23 »

I teach as an adjunct at a law school for $3,000 per semester. Very easy course that I’ve been teaching for years.

I’d do it for free…..I enjoy the material, enjoy meeting the students, enjoy being a law professor, enjoy having that on my resume, and enjoying being associated with that particular university.
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Charon
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by Charon »

If you've taught before, then you likely know that this is insanely excellent pay for an adjunct. Median per-course pay is around $3500. Only about 5% of institutions paid over $7000 per course in a survey a couple years ago ( https://www.insidehighered.com/news/202 ... 25000-year ).

So this is a deal most adjuncts would kill for. Of course, most adjuncts need the money, and you don't. So you're the only one who can answer the question of whether or not this is worth it.

Teaching once a week makes the commute easier, but it makes the class harder (as you presumably know). Harder for both you and the students, who won't absorb anywhere near as much as if they met for three 3-hour classes per week.
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JoeRetire
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by JoeRetire »

YererMeda wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 3:54 pm Once a week.
Evenings.
In person.
3 hrs per week class. (3 credit hours course.)
1 hour commute one way.
2 hours per week of office hours/answering emails.
15 week semester.
Course is somewhat prepped. Taught it long time ago.

Do I need the money? Not really. Do I want to make more money? Yes. What for? Donations.

Worth it? What do you think?
Is it worth a 7 hours per week of your time for 15 weeks in order to be able to donate $12k more than you do now?
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pseudoiterative
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by pseudoiterative »

If it were me I would try to estimate my effective hourly rate, including the commute, unpaid prep time before each lecture, prep time & grading time for course assignments / quizzes, if any, prep time & grading time of course final exam, if any. When I used to run tutorials, marking assignments and exams was the real time sink, and the time to do that depends on the number of students in the class.

The amount of time lost commuting would also depend on if the class is one gigantic 3 hour evening lecture once per week or 3x 1 hour lectures on different days, and if you were already planning to be near the teaching location for other reasons, or if it is a 1 hour drive out of your way.

If it were me, and I had the time, the decision might also depend on how engaged I expected the students to be -- would the class consist of 6 highly motivated graduate level theoretical-advances-in-underwater-basketweaving enthusiasts, or a class of 250 students forced to take some core prerequisite subject they may be largely disinterested it (e.g. entry level statistics for people who hate math).
heywhoathere
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by heywhoathere »

Charon wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 4:25 pm If you've taught before, then you likely know that this is insanely excellent pay for an adjunct. Median per-course pay is around $3500. Only about 5% of institutions paid over $7000 per course in a survey a couple years ago.
Agreed, $12k is obscenely high pay for a single course. Mind sharing what institution this is? :twisted:
Charon
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by Charon »

heywhoathere wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 4:33 pm
Charon wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 4:25 pm If you've taught before, then you likely know that this is insanely excellent pay for an adjunct. Median per-course pay is around $3500. Only about 5% of institutions paid over $7000 per course in a survey a couple years ago.
Agreed, $12k is obscenely high pay for a single course. Mind sharing what institution this is? :twisted:
Seriously, I'd want to know if I could teach online for them :D This pay rate is higher than what most full professors make at my institution (per course).
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by dknightd »

$12k is pretty good pay for a 3 credit course. Probably a good way to generate money for your charity. And also likely to be a service to the Department you would be teaching in.

What would turn me off is the one hour commute each way. So your evening class would take 5 hours. Then your 2 hours office time would likely take another 4 hours. Unless your did them on the same evening, but that would be a 7 hour evening. Or maybe office hours could be done remotely.

I suspect I would start dreading the commute. But you may not feel the same way. So, do what you think will make you happy. And, thanks for your service.
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student
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by student »

I cannot tell you whether it is worth it to you but I can tell you that in my department at a stated university (about 20,000 students), we pay in general about $5k-7k for a 4-credit class for people without a Ph.D. and $6k-8k for a 4-credot class for people with a Ph.D., and we have a union. So our pay is actually comparatively high.
CloseEnough
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by CloseEnough »

I like the idea that you are considering this to increase charitable efforts.

I agree that it comes down to whether you would enjoy it, or at least not dislike the teaching and what comes with it.

The only thing I'd add to other comments is that seems like a pretty easy thing to give it a try, if it doesn't work out, just don't continue with it.

Good luck.
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by PicassoSparks »

Rule of thumb is that you should expect about as many hours of prep and grading time per week as in class time. But that your first year you should expect it’ll be much worse as you work out what you need to do and what you can let slide. The work typically comes in bursts as well because of the rhythms of major assignments or tests. So plan for some weeks that are much denser than others.

Teaching can be incredibly rewarding if it is a class size where you get to interact with students. But the education system has long benefitted from the blurry line between being a business, a call to service, an investment, and a community to underpay and mount unanticipated extra work on its adjuncts.
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by andypanda »

$12k for one 3-credit class? That's amazing.

Adjunct pay has been an ongoing problem at Virginia Commonwealth University. People do it, but the pay has not been good. I haven't kept up with recent developments. The last time I looked VCU had 33k students and nearly 700 adjunct faculty.

www.whsv.com/2021/03/08/vcu-adjuncts-de ... y-increase

"VCU adjuncts can teach a maximum of nine credits, or three classes, each fall and spring under the Manpower Control Act. Adjuncts are also eligible to teach six credits, or two classes, in the summer. If an adjunct instructor taught eight classes, they would make $26,400 per year."
protagonist
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by protagonist »

Don't do it for the money (unless you are desperate). Do it if you think it would be fun. Consider the money lagniappe.
Nowizard
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by Nowizard »

Pay is definitely reasonable in my experience, so the decision is yours based on your circumstances and choices.

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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by eddot98 »

YererMeda wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 3:54 pm Once a week.
Evenings.
In person.
3 hrs per week class. (3 credit hours course.)
1 hour commute one way.
2 hours per week of office hours/answering emails.
15 week semester.
Course is somewhat prepped. Taught it long time ago.

Do I need the money? Not really. Do I want to make more money? Yes. What for? Donations.

Worth it? What do you think?
You don’t indicate where you live or what semester this course would be in. If you live where winter weather is snowy, etc., then there’s that. You also don’t say your current employment status, full time employment or retired. If you are still working, your vacation plans are now tied to school vacation times - not the best time for vacations. If you are retired, you will not be able to take a vacation longer than 10 days or so for 15 weeks. I would also have to assume, since there’s no information, that you would be a 1099 employee so there’s also that to consider.
As for myself, I am retired and I wouldn’t even consider it.
Ependytis
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by Ependytis »

About two years ago, I worked for state extension as an instructor. I made $120 per hour. The lecture was canned or purchased and I just presented the materials. The commute was minimal and there is no office hours. Since I taught the course for a number of years, there was no preparation or grading outside the class, so it was definitely worth it for me. I enjoyed teaching.
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by sailaway »

Bad math
Tdubs
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by Tdubs »

That's fantastic pay to adjunct a class. Stunningly good, about seven times what some states pay.
thenow
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by thenow »

I taught full time for over 40 years at different universities. I had an opportunity to part time teach one ore two classes a semester at the university where I retired. Although my teaching, community service, and research evaluations were still high, I finally decided to retire full time at the age of 66. I hate to write that with some students their motivation and quality was declining each of the subsequent years. I worried more about their performance and grades than some of the students did. I used to require attendance and I would hear from some students that “I pay for this course and I should not be required to attend”. In short, I was too sensitive to changes in higher education. I started to worry in the middle of night on how to motivate the slackers. In short, as some mentioned herein it depends on your own economic and subjective reasoning for part time teaching…as my wife wisely said to me “What’s in your heart”. Lastly, what are the opportunity costs in terms of travel, hobbies, interests, reading for enjoyment, your potential life span, health, and/or spending more time with family members?
Big Dog
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by Big Dog »

To me, that commute would make it a hard 'No'.
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by MandyT »

I retired from a tenured faculty position in 2017. I experienced a similar situation recently and decided to teach one course. I enjoyed it and it worked out great for a variety of reasons. Still, one reason why I moved away shortly after that was to avoid being tempted to do it again.

In your position, I know I'd be influenced by factors such as the size and level of the class. If they need you badly enough, perhaps you could negotiate for grading assistance.

I agree with Corvidae that it basically boils down to whether you want to do it. I know that, for me, the limited nature of the commitment was very attractive. If you do it this time and decide that it wasn't worth it, all you have to do is say no next time.
retire2022
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by retire2022 »

Op

A friend of mine used to get paid 12k-14k for CUNY, albeit not sure of specifics, this was 1980-1990s.

I believe that is was he received per semester it was certainly not a livable wage.

I would consider it if as adjunct access to the respective university to contribute to their 403b, if their employee benefit plan allows it.

And if your main job outside of teaching can support your life style otherwise I agree if it is fun and you love teaching go do it.
Topic Author
YererMeda
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by YererMeda »

OP here:
I decided to pass primarily because pay per hour relative to my day job is low, especially after marginal taxes, and I don't think students would be very engaged which makes the experience less enjoyable. Thank you everyone!
mikejuss
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by mikejuss »

YererMeda wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 2:34 pm OP here:
I decided to pass primarily because pay per hour relative to my day job is low, especially after marginal taxes, and I don't think students would be very engaged which makes the experience less enjoyable. Thank you everyone!
That's unfortunate. If you enjoy teaching, you might have made a difference in your students' lives. That said, I understand that the pay is low.
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by z3r0c00l »

mikejuss wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 2:39 pm
YererMeda wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 2:34 pm OP here:
I decided to pass primarily because pay per hour relative to my day job is low, especially after marginal taxes, and I don't think students would be very engaged which makes the experience less enjoyable. Thank you everyone!
That's unfortunate. If you enjoy teaching, you might have made a difference in your students' lives. That said, I understand that the pay is low.
FYI this is extremely good pay for an adjunct job. I would hate the commute for sure, have you considered online courses?
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Ependytis
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by Ependytis »

thenow wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 11:19 am I taught full time for over 40 years at different universities. I had an opportunity to part time teach one ore two classes a semester at the university where I retired. Although my teaching, community service, and research evaluations were still high, I finally decided to retire full time at the age of 66. I hate to write that with some students their motivation and quality was declining each of the subsequent years. I worried more about their performance and grades than some of the students did. I used to require attendance and I would hear from some students that “I pay for this course and I should not be required to attend”. In short, I was too sensitive to changes in higher education. I started to worry in the middle of night on how to motivate the slackers. In short, as some mentioned herein it depends on your own economic and subjective reasoning for part time teaching…as my wife wisely said to me “What’s in your heart”. Lastly, what are the opportunity costs in terms of travel, hobbies, interests, reading for enjoyment, your potential life span, health, and/or spending more time with family members?
I’ve had a fellow instructor quit for this exact reason – the students just weren’t motivated. I looked at it as 1) I’m providing them an opportunity to learn, 2) I’m trying to make the course as fun as possible, and 3) I want a good review. Reviews were important where I worked. As long as I accomplished these 3 items, to me it’s really up to the students to decide if they’re interested or not. You can’t motivate somebody that’s not interested. It’s like a farmer, you can provide good soil, fertilizer, weed control, and plant in a location that encourages growth, but it’s up to the plant to grow.
MathWizard
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by MathWizard »

I wouldn't take it. You say you have a day job .

This would be 5 hrs + ;
2 hrs commute plus 3 hr class ; plus some time before and after class. This after a full day's work.
Count If
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by Count If »

Taught adjunct (biology intro course) for 5.5 yr. to the end of 2019, while working my f/t day job in industry and still 'young enough' into my early 60s, similar pay but for a full yr. Enjoyed the experience tremendously- would have gone f/t if there was an opportunity (there wasn't) and discovered I have a knack for it. Earned a small pension to boot as it was a state system community college. However it was challenging time and energy wise and had to scale back to just one job. May revisit this if I get too bored after fully retired.
hopeyourewell
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by hopeyourewell »

Balance the net reward of this option against direct donation of your time to your causes. I'm guessing the causes might generate extra rewards such as a building community and a sense of agency. Best wishes
Small Savanna
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by Small Savanna »

I was an adjunct for a while - taught the same course three times. The first time was a lot of work because I was re-learning the subject and creating the lecture notes prior to every class. It got easier after that, but I still had to grade homework and exams, which was tedious. By the third time I was burned out and needed a break. Of course I was working full time at the same time - I would have enjoyed it more if I was otherwise retired.

All I can offer is to be realistic about the time commitment and how much time you will need to spend on grading and interacting with students outside of class.
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Re: Adjunct Prof for $12k? Worth it?

Post by JoeRetire »

YererMeda wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 2:34 pm I decided to pass primarily because pay per hour relative to my day job is low, especially after marginal taxes
Unless you are going to work extra hours at your day job, why would "pay per hour" for this adjunct job matter? Would you have done it if your day job pay was lower than $115/hour?
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