Repository logo
 

The costs and benefits of adjunct justice: a critique of Brennan and Magness

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorSchulman, Steven, author
dc.contributor.authorSpringerLink, publisher
dc.date.accessioned2022-01-31T20:16:00Z
dc.date.available2022-01-31T20:16:00Z
dc.date.issued2017-03-21
dc.description.abstractIn their controversial 2016 paper in this journal, Brennan and Magness argue that fair pay for part-time, adjunct faculty would be unaffordable for most colleges and universities and would harm students as well as many adjunct faculty members. In this critique, I show that their cost estimates fail to take account of the potential benefits of fair pay for adjunct faculty and are based on implausible assumptions. I propose that pay per course for new adjunct faculty members should be tied to pay per course for new full-time non-tenure track instructors or to pay per course for new assistant professors. That framework for adjunct faculty justice yields an aggregate cost range of $18.5–$27.9 billion, one-third to one-half lower than the range computed by Brennan and Magness. Its opportunity cost would not be borne by students since students and faculty are complements, not substitutes, in the educational process. Instead it could be financed by reducing spending on non-educational purposes. Current adjunct faculty members would be protected from job displacement in this justice framework. The real obstacle to achieving justice for adjunct faculty is the priorities of university administrators, not budget constraints or opportunity costs.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediumarticles
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationShulman, S. The Costs and Benefits of Adjunct Justice: A Critique of Brennan and Magness. J Bus Ethics 155, 163–171 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3498-2
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3498-2
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/234342
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartofPublications
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectacademic labor markets
dc.subjectadjunct faculty
dc.subjectcontingent faculty
dc.subjectfair pay
dc.subjecthigher education
dc.subjectjustice
dc.subjecteducational ethics
dc.subjectnon-tenure track faculty
dc.subjectpart-time faculty
dc.titleThe costs and benefits of adjunct justice: a critique of Brennan and Magness
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
FACFCSAL_BrennanMagness_2017.pdf
Size:
304.58 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

Publications