When I Was Dissed as an Adjunct Faculty Member, I Spoke Up
By Darlene Garalde Intlekofer
I didn’t expect my credentials to be doubted. Not after years of advanced study, teaching experience, and a CV once praised as impressive.
But in higher education, even the most prepared adjuncts quickly learn how disposable we are.
When I was first hired as an adjunct at a public university in a large metropolitan area, I assumed my credentials would speak for themselves. I had earned a master’s degree at an Ivy League institution, studied with one of the most prominent sociolinguists in the field, and was a PhD candidate at a nationally recognized graduate program. My department chair at the time even said they were impressed by my experience.
But a year later, when the course I taught was no longer available, I asked the chair about teaching the department’s introduction to writing course. Their response stunned me: They weren’t sure I was qualified.
Continue Reading
