A TALE OF TWO PROFESSORS My doppelgänger’s rise to fame and fortune as a community college professor. by Ian Duckles

My history: 2004: Received a Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine : Took a tenure track position in philosophy at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. 2007: Left PA to return to Southern California. Took on a variety of adjunct positions. 2008: Started working at Mesa College, with Miramar following the next semester. Interviewed for a full-time position at Miramar. Didn’t get it. Today: I teach 6-8 classes/semester at four different schools (Cuyamaca, Mesa, Miramar, and the University of San Diego).

My Doppelgänger’s history: 2004: Received a Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine : Took a tenure track position in philosophy at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. 2007: Left PA to return to Southern California. Took on a variety of adjunct positions. 2008: Obtains a tenure track position at Miramar College. Today: A tenured professor at Miramar College.

My Work History for 2014 In the Spring of 2014 I taught 5 classes. In the Summer of 2014 I taught 3 classes. In the Fall of 2014 I taught 8 classes. Total compensation for teaching 16 classes: <$60,000

My Doppelgänger’s Work History for 2014 Taught 5 classes in the Spring. Taught 5 classes in the Fall. Total compensation for teaching 10 classes: $90,230

But Wait… Don’t full-timers get paid for more than just teaching? Yes, but using the Collective Bargaining Agreement as our guide, we can calculate the percentage of a full-timer’s salary that goes to teaching.

Faculty Get Paid for a 40 Hour Week

My Doppelgänger’s per class rate So, faculty get paid for a 40 hour week, and 25 of those hours are for teaching. 25/40 =.625, So, faculty are paid 62.5% of their salary for teaching. My Doppelgänger made $90,230 ×.625 = $56,400. This was for ten classes, so $56,400 ÷ 10 = a per class rate of: $5640

My per class rate I made approximately $60,000 for teaching 16 classes. So, $60,000 ÷ 16 = a per class rate of: $3750

Me vs. My Doppelgänger

A Caveat… I have done my best to produce an accurate analysis of what my Doppelgänger makes, but I am not an HR specialist, and the salary schedule has changed quite a bit over the last 7 years. Thus, I may have over-estimated the earnings of my Doppelgänger. However, even if my numbers are off, in a few years of regular step increases my Doppelgänger will make that much money. By contrast, in a few years, barring some radical changes, I will be making about the same that I do now.

The Upshot So, full-timers make about 50% more than me even though I have exactly the same qualifications, and likely much more classroom experience. I would argue that this is unjust and unfair, and correcting this deficiency is a matter of social justice for the part- timers who make up about 70% of the faculty and teach about half the courses. The goal here would be pro rata pay: Equal pay for equal work. This would cost about $337,039,065 to achieve at a state- wide level. How do we get there?

AFT Lobbying Campaign This is one vehicle for correcting this pay inequality. The CFT and our local, 1931, are actively lobbying Sacramento for: 1. $50 million for pay equity 2. $30 million for paid office hours 3. $100 million for more full-time positions. This will get us about 15% towards our goal. This is a small start, but remember, this is a problem some 40 years in the making. It can’t be fixed overnight, or even over the course of one budget cycle. It will take sustained effort until the problem is resolved.

Other Issues Facing Adjuncts Poor or no pay for office hours. Weak or nonexistent rehire/seniority rights. Many do not have access to health benefits. Don’t get paid for committee work/shared governance. Teach multiple classes at multiple campuses meaning a great deal of time is spent commuting. Difficulty getting student debt loan relief. Lack of access to professional development funds.