Adjunct are about to get a substantial increase in pay at the University of Memphis, going from $1,500 per course to $2,100 per course. Naturally, many are pooh-poohing that because it still is far short of a “living wage.” According to the Marxian thinking that holds sway, workers should be paid according to their needs and some adjuncts need much more if they’re to live decently.
In my latest piece for SeeThruEdu, I argue that there’s nothing wrong with universities saving money by hiring people at market prices. The low market rate for adjunct profs is a signal that the field is glutted and it would be a mistake to override that signal out of compassion for the few adjuncts who struggle to live just on that pay. They ought to find more remunerative work.