Faculty on Food Stamps

[Marc Bousquet]

Run time: 05:17 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIubL-iuqcw   Posted on YouTube: January 03, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: March 02, 2008 By DU Member: Marc Bousquet Views on DU: 657

 
Andy Smith describes his years on public assistance while on the faculty at a public institution in the great state of Tennessee. Many of his colleagues worked in retail, in food service, or other service economy jobs to supplement their addiction to teaching. For many of them, Andy says, Wal-mart would have been a better place to work.

This is the first in a series of short-form videos, generally running 3 to 5 minutes. Use the miniplayer on this page or view them full-size on the associated youtube channel, where the series has had about 30,000 views since its inception last month. Some of the videos are also circulating on Facebook and elsewhere.

Read and view more at howtheuniversityworks.com

[JDPriestly]

1. Let the intelligentsia eat cake!

That's the Republican motto.

[drmeow]

2. This video would be improved by a more explicit

explanations:

1) A 3 hour a week course - that's not 3 hours of work a week. That's 6 or more hours a week. So 8 classes a semester is the equivalent of 48+ hours/week. You have to have at least a bachelor's degree and many of them have PhDs.
2) Adjunct/contingent faculty teach some of the core classes that are fundamental to student's education like intro Biology. They are KEY to people's successful educational experiences.
3) Students do not pay a different amount of tuition for classes taught by adjunct faculty.

As an academic watching this video I was struck by the sense that they were preaching to the choir. I don't know what the point of the videos are but more explicitly connecting the value and importance of education (or roads or fire and police protection or all the other public services he mentions at the end) to the devaluing of the individuals who provide that service and the damage the devaluing does to those services would strengthen the message.

[Marc Bousquet]

3. There are many more videos and a book--it's an ongoing project

These are all excellent suggestions. The format for these videos is super short-form; 3-5 minutes each. They can't all make all of the relevant points, but each contributes something to the picture! I haven't even edited about 20 interviews that I have in the can (or, actually, on my external hard drive).

You're right that some of the videos do "preach to the choir"--that is, they're about building solidarity. Others are more aimed at telling the story to those who don't know it. We're going to build toward a fall youtube teach-in.

See more at http://howtheuniversityworks.com

[drmeow]

4. I did look at some of the other videos

and I tried to read chapter 4 but my blood pressure got to high (no more UPS for me, that's for sure).

Perhaps you could start each video with a fact for the masses. Like this one could start with a screen that says "Contingent or adjunct faculty often teach core courses that are fundamental to student's successful education" and then follow with the interview/video as is. The one about how much it would cost to provide free education to everyone could start with something like "A well educated population generates tax revenue and is essential for the success of American business." Sort of like the abstract and first paragraph of a journal article - "why should I keep reading" or in this case, watching. Grab the audience with a fact that has them saying "hey, that's a really good point."

Just some suggestions - I like what you're doing (and am one of the lucky ones who earns a pretty good salary at a research 1 school - not as a faculty member but a research associate - although my brother who works for RAND points out how grossly underpaid I am).