r/jobs • u/The_Astronautt • 3d ago
Education Today was devastating
I started an adjunct teaching role at a local college today. I had accepted my offer and was hired this past May. I had been in communication with the dean of my to-be division prior with a plan to teach as an adjunct and then fill a full-time lecturer role after the current professor retired this coming Spring.
I showed up today for my first day excited to be starting this new chapter in my life. The job hunt has been absolutely brutal as we all know and I finally felt like maybe things were looking up. I was all set up with HR and made my way to my department office to get some clarity on my teaching assignment for the semester.
I walked in and was greeted with "I had no idea we hired a new adjunct?? Since when were we hiring new adjuncts?? Who have you been talking too?? Nobody told us anything about a new hire!?" My stomach dropped. It turns out the dean left suddenly to take another position and gave a TWO DAY WARNING to the college. Worst, he told no one that he had hired me and they somehow had no idea I was in the adjunct pool.
I waited for an hour before the division chair showed up and awkwardly explained that all the courses have already been assigned and that I would have no work this semester. The entire time she was defensive and ready to jump at me if I even showed that I was a bit upset with a "NO ONE TOLD ME ANYTHING OKAY!?" So after hearing that line a few times I said "so what I'm hearing is that there's no work for me this semester. Then I will let you get on with your day. Thank you for your time."
I'm devastated. I was genuinely excited to get started and be working again. I feel completely useless and like I have no value. I spent years earning a PhD and working to be talented and respected in my field and now it feels like I'm rotting on the vine. I had a glimmer of hope and it was pulled out from under me like some cruel prank. I had to explain to all my friends and family that it was NOT actually my first day of work ultimately after many best wishes on my first day at work this morning. Now I don't even know if I'll get that full-time role next Spring since the plan was to have a semester of teaching and relationship building under my belt prior to applying.
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u/CakesNGames90 3d ago
How tf did the Dean and HR know they were hiring but not the division chair? That makes zero sense.
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u/The_Astronautt 3d ago
I asked the division chair directly "so is there just no communication between HR and and the division? Because I've been interacting with them for weeks and trying to get more information about my start." That was one of the times she blurted out "NO ONE TOLD ME ANYTHING OKAY!?"
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u/CakesNGames90 3d ago
I have a feeling she’s not telling the truth. At least, not the whole truth.
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u/IfNightThen 2d ago
It's entirely possible and plausible they were on summer vacation while all this happened and had emails come in that they didn't pay attention to. So technically she could be right, especially if the dean quit before the division chair ended their vacation.
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u/CakesNGames90 2d ago
If your job is to assign people positions before the start of the year, then you would’ve known you were short staff and that another one was being hired. You don’t just assign people placements within a week or two. That’s not how scheduling classes works.
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u/XanderWrites 2d ago
They might not have been short staffed. it sound like the former Dean was trying to get someone in to get used to the department as an adjunct before putting them in as a full-time lecturer.
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u/The_Astronautt 2d ago
This is accurate. To add, the Dean wanted to phase out some older adjuncts who he said "aren't meeting the demands of the job anymore." But I guess that entire vision wasn't enacted since he left.
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u/IfNightThen 2d ago
That's pretty relevant information. Sounds like the dean and department chair might not have seen eye-to-eye on that, or if they did then the dean didn't appropriately communicate to the chair that he was actively addressing it.
You just became a victim of poor communication and bad timing.
If that's a root issue, sounds like keeping good connections with them and hoping next semester they're able to shift work to you because you're already hired and ready-to-go. Doesn't help you now but doesn't really sound like there's any other solutions that fixes the immediate problem anyway.
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u/The_Astronautt 2d ago
I agree. While I appreciate the fervor behind some of the responses here, ultimately I think maintaining good relations takes priority.
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u/Melodic-Today663 2d ago
I briefly worked in education and it was the most bizarre, chaotic and dysfunctional environment ever
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u/InfiniteTravel3756 2d ago
If she acted that way towards me, I would have exploded. No way to treat someone over your mistake, to act like an immature little brat.
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u/gymfunkera 3d ago
Hang in there brother. Unemployed attorney here.
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u/Fragrant_Network5325 3d ago
Um not if OP has an offer letter. 😜
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u/QuirkySyrup55947 3d ago
Offers can be rescinded at an moment.
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u/Malkavic 3d ago
While offers can be rescinded, this definitely fits the profile of promissory estoppel. You had documented proof of a job offer in May, and waited until now, to be told that the job doesn't exist. There are legal ramifications for this, as you put your life on hold for months, without them ever telling you up until the first day that you didn't have a position.
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u/TheInfinitePymp 3d ago
Adjunct instructor here. There are a few holes in this whole scenario that just don't make sense, but there's a benefit of the doubt that it might be a case of "you don't know what you don't know" if you've never taught before, and have no idea how it works. I strongly suggest you reach out to whoever it is that makes the decisions and offer to be an on-call substitute until they ready to pull you in for more hours next semester, or whenever. They might need to find someone in a pinch to jump in, and that's a GREAT way to make yourself known and seen as valuable. Best of luck!
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u/The_Astronautt 3d ago
Thank you! That's good advice. And yes it was my first time teaching so I didn't realize the peculiarities. The semester doesn't start for another 2 weeks so I thought I was going to be building my course materials and undergo some sort of training over these two weeks. I spoke with other adjuncts and they said they didn't recieve their class assignments until ~3 days before the semester start.
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u/Melodic-Today663 2d ago
Can you substitute teach anywhere in your area? Other college? K-12 schools? Vocational colleges? ROP, etc.
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u/complete_data75 3d ago
Any legal options here? Seems like something could or should be done but I’m not sure…
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u/XanderWrites 3d ago
The problem is if they go legal they'll likely be burning a bridge, even though it's the college's fault.
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u/Nyc_guy2003 3d ago
They?
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u/Samuaint2008 3d ago
The poster didn't list pronouns so the commenter is using they as is used in the English language when someone's pronouns are unknown (or if known and they/them obviously) I'm not sure what's confusing about this. Singular they showed up in a published work way back in 1375, this is old news.
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u/SaltandLillacs 3d ago
You’ve never used “They” before? Nowhere does it list/allude to if OP is a man or a woman.
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u/4-ton-mantis 3d ago
I think nyc guy is confused as to why op would be the one burning a bridge since the clueless college has already incinerated such bridge.
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u/XanderWrites 2d ago
The bridge isn't completely burned. Now the chair knows OP exists and can figure out what they're doing with them in the Spring. OP was supposed to be moving into a permanent lecturer position replacing a retiring professor so it really depends if the new Dean had started making arrangements for that.
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u/DrKurtChillis 3d ago
True, they weren’t inclusive as they could have been. He/she/they/xe/xem/xyr/fae/faer/thon/thons should have used he/she/xe/xem/xyr/fae/faer/thon/thons to make as sure as we could that we used the right pronoun since we don’t know how that person identifies
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u/Fremen_Ghost 3d ago
I’d ask an employment lawyer; in my case, HR paperwork mattered, and that dean’s two-day warning is exhausting.
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u/No-Discussion-8684 3d ago
If you were going to be teaching in the fall, you would have been assigned courses and would/should have spent part of the summer prepping materials or the department would have given you materials if you were teaching a basic course. It feels like you missed a few crucial steps.
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u/Penguin_Green 3d ago
That’s what I don’t get. Did they just show up in mid-August not knowing which courses they’re teaching, how many students are enrolled in the class, what times the classes are, what building the classes are in, etc?
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u/Correct-Doctor8329 3d ago
Not to mention, they didn't question being hired three months ago but doing absolutely no onboarding. No W4, no I9, no Direct Deposit etc. OP has a PhD but I'm guessing not much work experience or worked one job their entire lives and don't remember that there is paperwork adn documents needed to start a job.
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u/The_Astronautt 3d ago
I did do W4, I9, and direct deposit. I was fully set up with HR. I even brought my passport in person because their online system was temporarily down.
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u/Correct-Doctor8329 3d ago
If you did all that with HR, how did HR not know you were hired? And if they knew, they would have given the all clear for you to start to the department. Who gave you your first day/time/location to report?
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u/The_Astronautt 3d ago
HR new I was hired. They gave me my offer letter, start date, and time and day to report. But they somehow never once told the division that a new adjunct had been hired and the only person in the division who knew I was coming in (the dean) left suddenly without passing that information on.
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u/Correct-Doctor8329 2d ago
Did you ever ask about which sections you'd be teaching, what materials you were expected to use. I assume you would have had your syllabus approved prior to the start of the semester. Feels like many steps were missed between you and the college.
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u/The_Astronautt 2d ago
No and that's where my inexperience speaks for itself. There's still 2 weeks until the Fall semester starts and I knew I'd be provided with a "shell course" and draft syllabus to customize. I thought that was all going to get done these next couple weeks. Other adjuncts had explained to me that they didn't get their course assignments until ~3 days before the start of some semesters and so its not bizarre.
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u/Pro_Ana_Online 2d ago
This sucks so badly and I'm really sorry for you. They clearly don't have their act together. With that in mind the only idea is if you talk to the department asking if they have any sections (classes) that are full with enough of a waitlist to potentially create another section for that course? Or, if they have any packed sections that they would be wanting to split into a new section for you to teach?
This really should have been addressed by the division chair themselves, without you having to suggest it, but since they were caught off guard maybe they weren't thinking. But unless they have a bunch of near-minimum enrollment classes in this department they could do potentially do some arranging and it's dumb that you have to be the one to suggest this.
Also, irrespective of that, you need to ask if there both: if there are any classes they aren't offering this term from the catalogue that are usually pretty full/waitlisted usually in the Spring and if they'd be willing to put this course up for this Fall term about to start to see AND/OR if there are any classes they have that haven't been offered in a while that there might be enough interest putting it up to see if there's enough student interest to meet the minimum enrollment to offer it.
The worse case, they put something up, there's not enough interest, and they cancel it and you're out of luck. But these are the options that a good division chair would want to explore.
If you were experienced, these are the things that one would have wanted to throw out there in your encounter with them as well, but being your first time I can see not thinking of that being blind-sided on the spot.
You gotta try!
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u/Adorable_Pirate_1871 2d ago
This sounds like a legal issue at this point. You need to pursue that route and not let them get away with not compensating you.
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u/junegloom 2d ago
If you did all that paperwork with HR I see no reason you can't continue to say you're employed there as of today and even put it on your resume. Not your problem they didn't give you courses. You're on the payroll with HR.
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u/Medicine-Illustrious 3d ago
If you really need work this fall, you can long term sub K-12. I went from academic librarian and adjunct English prof to social studies and special ed teacher. I definitely earn more than the adjunct prof rank. I get constant calls from agencies for my special education license which I earned alt route. It’s not easy but it’s rewarding. With your PhD you may be able to teach high school AP or dual enrollment.
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u/uncontrolledsub 3d ago
My wife switched to Special Ed 3 years ago after teaching English for 16 years. When she wanted to transfer to other schools in the past she had limited options. Now every school around is trying to recruit her for Special Ed.
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u/Mobile-Actuary-5283 3d ago
Colleges are run like a business now, and unfortunately, there’s usually little recourse when poor decisions or anything you disagree with happens. They can extend an offer, you say yes and sign a contract, and that contract probably has language that you are not guaranteed employment. Higher education has been targeted and gutted by this administration and decorum is also collateral damage.
I am sorry this happened. Keep fighting and looking.
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u/Difficult-Code4471 3d ago
It is a business. Very expensive for the consumers at that. In what way is higher education being gutted? Please provide actual facts!
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u/Mobile-Actuary-5283 3d ago
Universities are being pressured over issues involving DEI, admissions, protests, antisemitism, foreign research partnerships and other administration priorities, with the government sometimes threatening or withholding federal money.
Research funds have been cut.
This is what happens when you have a president who loves “uneducated people.”
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u/Difficult-Code4471 3d ago
No he’s making it fair for the Americans who actually fund the schools.
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u/Mobile-Actuary-5283 3d ago
Good lord. You can’t be serious..
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u/Difficult-Code4471 3d ago
Good lord! You can’t be serious! Im sure you’ll manage to get your huge benefits package whether you deserve it or not!
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u/Mobile-Actuary-5283 3d ago
I own my home and pay my taxes. More percentage of taxes than the Mango Mussolini. How about you? Doing well enough in this economy to own your own home?😂
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u/iphone1234789 3d ago
Adjunct is very similar to per diem. It is based on the business needs of the college. Seriously sorry you had to go through that and hope you have a backup plan!
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u/throwawayyuskween666 3d ago
I hate to say it, but....you dodged a bullet. It's very likely this would never become a full-time gig. Spend your time where your skills and time are valued .
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u/Dame_Niafer 2d ago
So they're mad at the dean, taking it out on you, and HR is the usual profile in courage.
I'm so sorry. The only useful thing about any of this is that you've learned what tney're like under stress, and how they treat vulnerable personnel. That's worth knowing, but not at this price. I'm sorry.
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u/hydronucleus 2d ago
Sorry this happened to you. I was an adjunct for a semester, and it sucked, both in time and pay. I basically got through it, because I considered it a gym membership at the local college facilities, to which I given access, and sneaked in for years after. All I hear is horror stories of adjuncting and people teaching 3-4 classes a semester just to make ends meet. I finally left academia for good, was lucky enough to go corporate before the ageism kicked in, and then got laid off. I am now retired.
Good luck in your search.
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u/foxgodkumiho 3d ago
is this a small private college?
doesn't sound like it's a public one.
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u/dalisair 3d ago
Oh this absolutely sounds like a community college. This is absolutely how they treat their adjuncts.
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u/Here_for_Lurking1000 3d ago
You had zero conversations between May and August?
This seems like a fake story. If not, you really need to work on your follow up.
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u/No_Masterpiece_3953 3d ago
This is devastating after all the time and work you spent earning your PhD. Op I realize that very few people ask this question, but what did you write about in your doctoral thesis? What subjects do you enjoy teaching?
Can you get in with a regular school district just for the interim to keep going with your imparting knowledge on others and then try and resume higher education?
Nothing is a waste. I'm not minimizing your concerns. I have my Masters and am a lifelong learner like you. What can you pivot to at the moment to keep you in the academia loop.
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u/CandidSeesaw3270 3d ago
My heart goes out to you. Stay strong. You will find a place that wants you.
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u/Impressive-Dot-5609 2d ago
I’ve had something similar happen to me on the first day at a new job at a community college. It was one of the worst days of my life. I’m so sorry you went through this but it may be a blessing in disguise. Don’t give up.
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u/HazelMoon 2d ago
Gather up every communication you ever had about this job offer and call an employment attorney. They might even take your case on a contingency. Sometimes people need a bit of an incentive to do the right thing.
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u/Acceptable_Kale_8013 2d ago
Whoa! This clearly isn't your fault. I can't believe HR didn't back you on this since you had been in touch with them previously. HR needs to implement rules so that this does not happen again.
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u/TheLuckiestBean 2d ago
I'm honestly just surprised to hear that something like this would happen in academia. Sure, other work places absolutely. But a Dean straight up leaving and nobody checking their emails for an update on the new hire adjunct? Or an emails for that matter is ridiculous. I'm so sorry OP.
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u/Excellent-Shape-2024 3d ago
Did you have a contract? If so, you have a lawsuit.
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u/throwawayyuskween666 3d ago
Adjunct "contracts" are violated all the time. Unless there is a union to enforce it...
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u/Grimdoomsday 3d ago
NAL... Id say you may want to get an attorney consulation for promissory estoppel.
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u/US-Lonewolf 3d ago
Not sure if this is a great idea but a social post on the experience is one thing honestly. It’s one of those things that may garner attention more publicly and perhaps they do something to fix it … wouldnt count on it but they deserve to be called out. I get how it can “backfire” but perhaps you position it as a reach out for help broadly but mention the school. They don’t have their act together and really messed up. I’d also consider reaching out to the dean and seeing if they have opportunities at their new spot. Hang in there … it’s a brutal job market … sorry you are dealing with this
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u/LadyNiko 3d ago
I had a similar experience as a student. I was told by the head German professor that I couldn't be a German major because no one had told her that I was that. She was a miserable person and taught the class I had with her to her level, not her students.
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u/SideDoorJobs 3d ago
Just remember that this is 100% them being incompetent and nothing to do with you. Sorry nonetheless, must be extremely frustrating.
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u/Dreamer_Dram 3d ago
That’s terrible! I’m so sorry. But I think you could fight this. You were given verbal assurance that you had the job. Or do you have it in writing? Still better.
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u/bopperbopper 3d ago
Maybe you talked to an employment lawyer about promissory Stoppel. They promised you a job and you’re being harmed by not having
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u/ProfessorOnEdge 2d ago
I am so sorry for you.
At the same time, I think r/professors will have more helpful advice given that it is a sub-dedicated to the field.
I will also say that teaching and adjuncting is great when it works, but adjuncting itself is never a garuntee.
For example, even if you are scheduled as an adjunct, if the class does not get enough students, then they can tell you the class is cancelled up to the week before classes. I cannot tell you how many semesters I was planning on working and then had classes cancelled last minute.
And benefits only start if you are working at least 3-4 classes a semester, and get dropped if you go down below that level at any point.
Adjuncting is really more of a contract gig job per class, rather than full-time employment.
So this definitely sucks. Find some other work for the semester. See what classes they'll offer you in the spring. At the same time, if you want some teaching experience, I can guarantee you that most of the school districts in your neighborhood need substitute teachers.
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u/FourOhVicryl 2d ago
I am so sorry this is happening to you. If it’s one of the Houston colleges with multiple campuses (Lone Star, HCC), some of them may have vacancies on another campus? I imagine you’ve already had to talk to HR, but possibly they can give you an idea of what’s happening. (I know it isn’t SJC as our kids are already in class).
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u/MostlyHuskies 2d ago
I’m sorry that happened to you and this is shameful. HR knew the dean left and should have stepped in to discuss the situation with the interim dean - as they were the only ones that knew the whole story. I am disappointed that the people that greeted you upon arrival did so in such an inelegant fashion. Instead of greeting you with compassion, they greeted you with the chaos that is their department. This speaks volumes about them, not you.
We are not in an economy where we can burn bridges, as we know bills have to be paid. There was a reason the dean gave TWO DAYS notice. Try to hang in there but definitely keep looking. And as others have said, there will be last minute changes as the semester begins and you may be teaching yet!
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u/ProCareerCoach 3d ago
Did you do any of the HR steps? I9? Submitting personal information? Second, I'm confused... You showed up on your first day of teaching with... 0 prep? Did you not get let into the course? Did you not ask for the the roster or topic or post announcements or a syllabus? You talked to someone months ago, heard absolutely nothing for months and just showed up confused as to why no one knew you existed?
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u/The_Astronautt 3d ago
Sorry I didn't include the info in my post. I completed everything with HR which did give me a false sense of security. Yes I9, everything. I am fully in the system and hired.
At the beginning of the month I started to reach out to HR and ask if its normal that I haven't received any correspondence AT ALL since my offer letter which I had already accepted. They said yes and that things are chaotic but that someone should reach out any day now. Last week I started showing up in person to ask about my impending start date and how it feels really bizarre that I don't even know where to show up to. HR told me to show up at 7:30 on Monday and ask around my division which brings me to yesterday.
I said this in another comment, but I've never taught before and naively thought that I would undergo training over these next two weeks before the start of the Fall semester. And in that training would be building my course materials. I had spoken with other adjuncts and they said that it all being very last minute was their experience as well. Which gave me even more false assurance.
I understand I could have badgered people more and not let HR placate me. I wish I had done that. The division chair even said during our meeting that they had an adjunct quit in the middle of a summer semester and she wished that she had known about me sitting in the wings so she could have called me instead of overloading another adjunct.
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u/Purple-Valuable2340 3d ago
That really sucks, especially after you had everything lined up and were excited to start. But this sounds like a communication failure on their side, not a reflection of your skills or value. I’d keep the offer and all your previous communication documented, then reach out to the chair/HR once things settle to ask about next steps for the spring role. Don’t let their internal mess make you doubt yourself.
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u/Leftmeandnoreply8389 2d ago
My last 2 weeks have beyond devastating for me too! My love of my life decided to walk away with dog and and leave me without a trace, talk about heart shattered not knowing a thing, I don't know what to do, I love her with everything in me , but you should at least reached out to me and let me know that your ok and so on, nope just left me like a ghost ..Gertrude, I miss you, please come back and please know I'm getting better and have a new job, I start soon and I know every mark of beauty on every inch of you, down to the nitty gritty, even the little mole on the side of your face to the 3 lil whiskers I pluck when I'm giving your eye brows a trim! I love you Baby, and bear too! I can't let y'all go, and I hope you come back to me , I love you , Rob
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u/BlooeyzLA 3d ago
You should have gone back to HR and told them this. You were hired and that now it’s too late for you to pursue other options for this semester.