c FROM THE MAGAZINE

Only selected articles from the current issue of the magazine are available online to those who haven't subscribed. Complete contents of past issues are available for a small fee by visiting our archive (free registration required) or by searching the Adjunct Advocate magazine using the search box above. Adjunct Advocate subscribers have online access to the complete contents of each issue. Why not join us as a subscriber today?

Articles with headlines in black are unavailable to those who have not purchased a subscription.

IN THIS ISSUE

• Two Decades of Adjunct Activists
• In the Shadow of the Rouge Plant: Dearborn's Newest Labor Union
• Becky Villarreal: The Yellow Rose of Texas
• Bonnie Halloran: LEO’s Pride
• Dr. William Scheuerman
• Giving Students Feedback Effectively
• How to Develop a Great FAQ Page for an Online Course
• and more...

FEATURES

THE PEOPLE (2008)
Henry Ford brutally opposed the labor union movement. At his Rouge Plant, in Dearborn, unionism finally took hold. In the shadow of the Rouge Plant, at Henry Ford Community College, 600 part-timers recently voted to unionize. Writer Marjorie Lynn spoke with leaders of the group just before the members voted to affiliate with the AFT.

PROFILE (2007)
At Detroit's Wayne State University, part-time faculty member Susan Titus led the charge to organize Wayne State University's 900 part-time faculty, the last remaining group of non-unionized workers on the campus. For Titus, a two-decade veteran of social activism in and around Detroit, it was a life-long dream come true.

PROFILE (2006)
With her casually-styled brown hair, wire-rimmed glasses and minimally made-up face, Bonnie Halloran appears to be a “plain brown wrapper.” But this middle-aged, down-to-earth dynamo has led the three-campus, 1,200 member Lecturers Employee Organization (LEO) at The University of Michigan for the past four years. She is one of just a handful of part-time faculty who lead unified locals.

PROFILE (2005)
If someone had told Becky Villarreal that switching from a career as a secondary school teacher to one as a college teacher would have plunged her into a hotbed of activism, she might have had second thoughts. “Believe it or not, the reason I decided to leave K-12 was that it was too political,” says the 43-year-old, whose recent crusade has made it possible for adjuncts at all Texas community colleges to join the state’s health benefits plan.

INTERVIEW (2004)
Eileen Schell, adjunct-turned-tenured professor, discusses her latest book (about contingent faculty), her research (working class studies) and how growing up on a small farm led her to take a stand against the exploitation of adjuncts.

INTERVIEW (2003)
Barbara Wolf has documented the exploitation of part-time faculty in Degrees of Shame. She talks to Chris Carter about documentaries and part-time teaching.

THE HEROES (2002)
Lawyers from a Washington law firm took on Microsoft and won $90 million on behalf of the company’s perma-temps. Now, the firm’s representing the state’s part-time faculty.

INTERVIEW (2001)
William Scheuerman talks about the AFT's new P/T Faculty Task Force (and why there are no adjuncts on it).

PROFILE (2000)
Ken Hardy used the "N" word in class. Now, he's fighting for academic freedom in Kentucky.

NEWS

IVORY TOWER
Who ever said "you can't get a free lunch" may have been mistaken. However, a businessman from Israel is out to offer a free university. Can it really work?

GOING THE DISTANCE
There's nothing worse than having simple questions and not being able to get them answered when taking an online course. Well, except maybe answering the same simple questions over and over again when you're teaching an online course. Having a good FAQ page can help both the teacher and the students.

DESK DRAWER

• Montana State profs will vote on a union this Spring
• Ontario Labor Relations Board refuses to count votes
• Students, faculty protest community college cuts

ANALYSIS

ANALYSIS
The current economic crisis is reshaping the way business is done in many industries. It could present higher education publishers with an opportunity to re-evaluate how they produce and sell college textbooks.

IN THE CLASSROOM

IN THE CLASSROOM
Assigning the grade is the simple part. Understanding the best ways to give students feedback about their assignments and other coursework is slightly more complicated. Fortunately, we've got some great tips for you on how to give feedback on written assignments, as well as in face-to-face situations.

REVIEWS

PAGES
At one Missouri college, printed textbooks are out, and e-textbooks are in. It's an experiment in cutting costs for students, and embracing technology. Not everyone is pleased with the transition, however.

OPINION

THE LAST WORD
In this issue of the magazine, I've chosen to publish several of my favorite interviews and profiles from the past decade. It was an opportunity to reconnect with some incredibly inspiring people.