A Colorless Card and Adjunct Explanation

First up, since this is a stamping blog, is a card I forgot to share last week in all the press of visiting family and meetings at the college. It's one of those that I love with my whole heart, but it's colorless...and often those don't play well on the blog. Color sells, after all. Maybe I should put a red nose on the deer. Or not.

This card plays on the white-on-white trend with accents of silver ink (Delicata) for subtle shimmer. The deer and peace die cuts (both Papertrey) are stacked in two layers for more definition. The swish keeps the deer from floating in space, and the star (which should float in space) adds a third element to the card that moves the eye around better. Small star, weightier deer, and even weightier sentiment (underlined for grounding) settles the eye like a snowflake dropping into a drift. I like that peaceful simile!

Next, let me tell you that planning my syllabus has been PURE JOY! I'm completely geeking out here. The biggest challenge is figuring out how to build the website for the class, but tomorrow I'll get mentoring on that. Everyone in the English Department at Sinclair Community College has been enormously helpful and kind.

Reader Marilyn asked for an explanation of adjunct instructor. Adjuncts are part-time instructors at colleges and universities. They receive no benefits, are paid poorly by the credit hour, rarely have offices or parking spots (I have neither at Sinclair), and have no job security as they are hired under contract on an as-needed basis. From one semester to the next, an adjunct has no idea how many (if any) or what courses might be available for them to teach.

Most academic departments require adjuncts to have at least a masters degree in their field, while professors almost always have doctorate degrees. Adjuncts often teach the bulk of introductory courses (the dreaded freshman composition classes in English, for instance) which full professors often find tedious or uninteresting as they pursue loftier intellectual interests. Professors often have additional duties to the college or university (committee work, publishing, grant-grubbing), while adjuncts generally just teach.

Basically, adjuncts are the lowest-ranking faculty at any college. As I hold a masters degree, the highest I could hope to go in the college-teaching hierarchy is full-time lecturer or instructor. For now, I am VERY content with adjunct status.

Adjuncts provide essential cost savings to schools. At places like Sinclair--a very large community college with LOTS of introductory classes and a commitment to affordable education--adjuncts are numerous, and good systems of support are in place for them. Even though I don't have an office, I have use of the Adjunct Faculty Support Office, which has mailboxes, copying services, cubicles for meetings, a kitchen with coffee pots, and message services. I've been very impressed by the training and inclusive meetings, continuing education, and support Sinclair provides for us part-timers.

So there you have it. I'm the lowest of the low, and happy as a bird with a French fry about it!

I predict by the end of next week, I will be back to stamping again. I miss it so much! But for now, all my creativity is being poured into lesson plans and assignment schedules and letting my elder son go off to college (which is both gloriously joyful and bittersweet). It's all good...just not enough hours in the day!

Thanks again for all your wonderful comments, emails, and encouragement. Y'all are the BEST!!!

Mercy, grace, peace, and love,
Susan

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey (Silent Night, In the Meadow, Holiday Wet Paint, Faux Ribbon) and Hero Arts (discontinued swish)
ink: Delicata silver
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: coordinating Papertrey dies, glue, rhinestone