In California, unemployment wages are guaranteed to adjunct, but we still have to fight for them. The application is changed every year; one wrong answer triggers an interview, which postpones the payment sometimes for weeks. However, for adjuncts, claiming unemployment wages is claiming a small portion of wages you have already earned. It is no more shameful than collecting a paycheck, but it is absurd. An adjunct moment I once had reveals a flashpoint: a tenured once remarked to me that she also was unemployed during the summer break, but could not draw unemployment wages. Was she envious? Was she angry? Did she feel left out? She certainly was clueless.
The topic for the #AdjunctChat on Tuesday, June 3 at 4:00pm EDT is:
Adjuncts on the Dole: Eliminating the Shame of Applying for Public Assistance
The chat will be facilitated by Bri O’Blivion @whowewilltobe.
Many adjunct and part-time higher education instructors struggle earning a living through teaching multiple courses, often at multiple universities, frequently barely making enough income to survive. Moreover, it is increasingly a situation where some are seeking public assistance just to survive. Does this resonate with your experiences? Want to challenge the stigma associated with all this? Want to chat?
Our discussion will focus on these questions:
Q1: When do you most need state support? #AdjunctChat
Q2: Tell us about your experiences during application. #AdjunctChat
Q3: How do you rationalize your emotional response? #AdjunctChat
Q4: How can we help dissolve the humiliation that we feel? #AdjunctChat
All adjunct, contingent, part-time, visiting, and non-tenure track instructors, along…
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The Adjunct Crisis 