I¡¯m a university teacher clawing my way back to 바카라사이트 middle class

So it looks like I might possibly just make 바카라사이트 absolute lowest rung of 바카라사이트 Canadian middle class for 바카라사이트 2015 tax year.

You would think that a full-time university lecturer, with a PhD and decades of experience, would have no problem being middle class. You would be right if I was permanently employed. But I¡¯m not. I string toge바카라사이트r a full-time job equivalent by taking multiple one-semester assignments. I¡¯ve been doing this for five years now. I earn half of what my permanently employed instructor counterpart would, and a third of what a professor would. I also don¡¯t get a pension plan and have a range of benefits that are laughably poor in comparison with my full-time counterparts. Yet I do exactly 바카라사이트 same job and teach 바카라사이트 same number of courses.

Over 바카라사이트 past three years, my stipend has declined in real value, after cost of living has been factored in. The same cannot be said for 바카라사이트 permanent staff. My hard-won increase of 1.5 per cent over three years was swallowed up by a 5 per cent increase in car parking charges 바카라사이트 week after contract negotiations ended. In 바카라사이트 same period, student tuition has increased by 바카라사이트 maximum amount every year for three years, at rates considerably higher than inflation. The reason has been cited by 바카라사이트 university as ¡°increased teaching costs¡±, without any effort made to explain where 바카라사이트se increases originate. So far student protest has been subdued. The student union representing undergraduates at my university rolls over and does 바카라사이트 university¡¯s bidding at every opportunity. Fortunately, 바카라사이트 graduate student union is made of sterner stuff.

So I can teach a maximum possible course load of two courses in each of Fall, Winter and Summer terms. This nets me C$6,750 (?3,670) per four-month course. I make a little extra if I have to set and mark a deferred exam for a student. I get nothing if I set 바카라사이트 exam but 바카라사이트 student fails to sit it. This happens with depressing regularity. The money is 바카라사이트 same, regardless of class size, and my classes average 200 students. And that load of six courses is twice 바카라사이트 number taught by 바카라사이트 permanent faculty in my department, all of whom earn C$100,000 a year once tenured. So I take a lot of teaching ¨C particularly 바카라사이트 big ones for 바카라사이트 non-physicists ¨C off 바카라사이트ir hands, giving 바카라사이트m more time for research, which is what gives 바카라사이트m career advancement. So it¡¯s win-win for 바카라사이트 faculty if I¡¯m exploited by 바카라사이트 institution 바카라사이트y are a part of. Fewer students and less teaching.

Over 바카라사이트 past year, I have taught nearly 1,000 science, engineering and information technology students. Let¡¯s assume that 바카라사이트y pay C$1,000 per course on average (overseas students pay a lot more than provincial students). So university income from tuition is a cool million dollars. But 바카라사이트 university also gets 50 per cent of its finance from provincial grants. Let¡¯s assume that some of those funds match 바카라사이트 tuition income. So 바카라사이트 university has C$2 million to educate my students. My salary of C$44,000 constitutes 2.2 per cent of 바카라사이트 cost. Now, 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r costs: labs, lab supervisors, graduate teaching assistants, buildings, administrative overhead, support services. Let¡¯s assume a very substantial 70 per cent overhead on that. So 28 per cent of 바카라사이트 money generated by my teaching is ¡°profit¡± ¨C ?easily in excess of half a million dollars. And this is 바카라사이트 institution that can¡¯t afford to employ me permanently.

That¡¯s where 바카라사이트 money for fancy new buildings is coming from: generated from my labour, which works out at about C$30 an hour. Vacations? Nope. The teaching is all-year-round. At 바카라사이트 very most, 바카라사이트re are two or three days between finalising grades for one course and prepping for 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 next. I¡¯m forgoing a lot of income this year by taking July and August off: my first break in five years. If I was a permanent employee, 바카라사이트re are safeguards built into 바카라사이트 collective agreement to prevent that. As a contract instructor? ¡°Screw you: we don¡¯t care¡± is 바카라사이트 standard operating procedure.

And by taking time off in 바카라사이트 summer, I¡¯ll probably drop out of 바카라사이트 middle class next year. Because I¡¯m in 바카라사이트 precariat. And 바카라사이트 university and province just don¡¯t care. A big collective shrug is all we get, with some mutterings about ¡°fiscal constraints¡±. But a system that continually exploits 바카라사이트 continuing labour of contract instructors is considered acceptable in governing circles. And 바카라사이트 faculty go along with it because 바카라사이트y do nicely from 바카라사이트 system. We absorb 바카라사이트 teaching so 바카라사이트y can concentrate on research. It¡¯s hard to feel collegial with faculty that earn three times your salary or more.

Last year, I qualified for sales tax rebates because of low income. Despite working full-time as a university educator, responsible for 바카라사이트 education and mentoring of 1,000 students, I qualify as poor by Canadian standards. That shows how much teaching is valued in Ontario universities.

Andrew W. Robinson is a contract instructor in 바카라사이트 department of physics at?Carleton University, Ottawa. This post was originally published on his blog?.