No Tenure? No Problem.

by E Wayne Ross on March 2, 2009

The Chronicle Review: No Tenure? No Problem.

How to make $100,000 a year as an adjunct English instructor

By DOUGLAS W. TEXTER

I recently defended my dissertation in English at a land-grant institution in the Midwest. Our department’s national reputation plunges every year as the new hires get weirder and their expertise more esoteric. Ph.D. degrees from our department, unless you’re female or a minority, don’t provide much value in the marketplace. Even if you do fit into one of those desirable categories, you’re probably screwed and headed to a $40,000-a-year job — much less if you get one of those stunningly low-paid, visiting-professor gigs.