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Santa Monica College Faculty Association
1900 Pico Blvd.
Liberal Arts, Room 140
Santa Monica, CA  90405
Phone 310-434-4394
FAX 310-434-3601

President: Mitra Moassessi

Executive Secretary: Janet Watts

www.SMCFA.org

March 2005, Volume 19, Issue 2 - Where's the Loyalty? PDF Print E-mail
By Melissa Michelson

      I consider myself a loyal instructor -- loyal to my students and loyal to my employers. But sometimes I’m forced turn my back on my students and employers. Teaching part-time at various campuses under the 60% law has forced this upon me, and recently has cost me one of my jobs.

      I used to teach at three colleges. Every semester I had to play the scheduling game with all three. This was harrowing, as I try to patch together a full-time teaching load -- this is my full-time occupation and not a part-time side job -- while not aggravating my employers whose understanding and consideration I need to construct this schedule.

      This year was especially harrowing when I had to back out of a class that I promised to teach because I was offered a class elsewhere at the last minute that was a sure thing. I accepted it, since the first school had canceled my class several times before at the last minute, and I didn’t want to be left without an income. But when I took the class at the other school, the first school accused  me of being disloyal and told me I won’t be offered any more classes there in the future.

      Where’s the loyalty? It’s okay for them to offer me a job, then withdraw it at the last minute if the class doesn’t make, but if I take a sure thing job and can’t take their offer, then I am being disloyal? It’s a no-win situation, and under the current laws, one that is inevitable for part-times such as myself. It is no wonder that the life-expectancy of a part-timer in the field is seven years. There can be no loyalty to a system that treats us so badly, no matter how much we love teaching.
  		 

 

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