<p>No animosity at all. I have no doubt that there are professors who interact with undergrads. I did not see that, and the ones I know who are tenured, at large universities and have grad students do not focus on the teaching. They don’t badmouth the teaching experience, and some do enjoy getting to do so, but their main focus is on their research and publicaitons and the grad students are the students that tend to get their focus. I’m seeing a whole other part of that “elephant”. My son who is currently at a large research institutuion, now in his third year has had experiences more as I have described than you. I wish he’d had some professors like your kids did. Didn’t happen, hasn’t happened, and knowing the university over a period of time not likely to happen. </p>
<p>Now my other son who went to a small LAC, that was a whole other story. No grad students there, small classes, lots of face time with the profs, lots of research experience, and that is something that is characteristic of his specific school. </p>
<p>I don’t think for an instant that the problem of adjuncts was caused by famous faculty. I think that it’s wise for universities to have famous faculty. I don’t see adjuncts as a problem necessarily, but a big one in the context of the issues brought up in points 7 and 8 of wasatch’s post. I also don’t know the extent of the problems overall among the univerisitie–the issue can differ from school to school. My experiences with adjuncts when I was on a board of a university, was positive. I know at least a dozen friends, family member and acquaintances, really more who are currently in an adunct position., every one of them by choice. So my exposure to the “adjunct problem” is virtually non existant. I’m trying to get information from this thread as I give my experiences and what I know in this situation. By no means am I claiming any authority here. I’m interested.</p>