<p>Obviously, this is not just Denison's "dirty little secrets." But it is one of the chronic, long-standing problems Denison will never willing discuss with candidates and their parents. In fact, I'd bet admission staffs have not one clue about how many adjuncts are employed, what the equivalent FTF might be, what courses, if any, they cannot teach, etc. </p>
<p>There are many causes and many symptoms, virtually none of which are good things for students. Adjuncts are all too common atDenison, a campus that projects "community" requiring students to reside on campus (but not its faculty ... do adjuncts even have offices?), disallowing any residing in Greek houses, refusing to accept any dual credit college courses taught by HS teachers (and NOT college profs), rarely and likely never make up classes that are cancelled for weather or personal reasons, hiring adjuncts who would never even be considered for tenure track positions (leading to wondering if the traditional credentials and pedigrees are or are not so important?) and demanding that department chairs must "ok" any non-DU course taken in summer school on another campus or online. There is total hypocrisy in this one. Another illustration of DU's falling on this one ... our student was forced to take the senior seminar capstone course in major from ... an adjunct. </p>
<p>Adjuncts, in fact, may be fine, capable teachers, but the sole reason colleges are increasingly using them pervasively is ... $$$. They can and likely do play all kinds of "games" in failing to acknowledge the presence of these. They do no advising, no "research", no committee or governance work, no coaching or organizational advising, no service, virtually nothing to contribute to the campus "community" beyond teaching the class. And ... at a campus that has virtually transformed all 3 credit courses into 4 credit courses (translation: students now take 8 -12 fewer courses than they would have in years past, thus making each and every course they do take, more important to the experience.) this is critically important. Think about it in terms of how much tuition is literally going toward each course AND each class. It will make a frugal person ill, especially when one realizes they are too often cancelled for the most frivolous of reasons ... weather, child care, conflicts, illness, etc. ... and are rarely, never rescheduled.)</p>
<p>We'd been told that one of DU's major problems is having too few student seats (and course sections, since student-faculty class size (not ratio) is one of DU's bragging points. Our student experienced it chronically, pervasively, almost every semester. Now, would that same thing of happened at Ohio State. Probably. But then again, that is the primary difference that the DUs of the world proclaim about themselves vs. the OSUs. </p>
<p>All this piece suggests is that what we've observed along with others before us, and likely those who've followed, is a real and significant problem, far more significant than room sizes, FA, and beyond when "quality" and "value" come under careful scrutiny. While this may or may not be DU's problem alone, our observation is that it is one of, perhaps the major institutional downside for Denison. </p>
<p>Adjunct</a> teachers prop up higher education, seek rights - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review</p>