Talking to Students: Speaking Points for Partial-Load Faculty

Speaking Points for Partial Load Faculty

Given that our students generally have no idea how many of their teachers are precarious workers, it is productive to talk to them about the conditions of your work.

Defining precarity:

• Working contract to contract with very little job security
• Effectively having to re-apply to your jab every four months
• Having no control over the conditions of your work
• Having very little say in academic decisions
• Being paid significantly less than your FT colleagues
• Doing immense amounts of volunteer work at work

Consequences of precarity:

• Increased stress levels
• Higher instances of burnout
• Poverty
• Inability to plan for the future
• Decreased self-worth
• Imposter syndrome

Of course, you should add whatever you feel is appropriate. It is important for your students to understand the crisis in post-sec that we are facing. It is also useful for them to understand that precarity has become a norm in this economy.