Death of an Adjunct

[Crabby Appleton]

Margaret Mary Vojtko, an adjunct professor of French for 25 years, died underpaid and underappreciated at age 83

On Sept. 1, Margaret Mary Vojtko, an adjunct professor who had taught French at Duquesne University for 25 years, passed away at the age of 83. She died as the result of a massive heart attack she suffered two weeks before. As it turned out, I may have been the last person she talked to.

On Aug. 16, I received a call from a very upset Margaret Mary. She told me that she was under an incredible amount of stress. She was receiving radiation therapy for the cancer that had just returned to her, she was living nearly homeless because she could not afford the upkeep on her home, which was literally falling in on itself, and now, she explained, she had received another indignity -- a letter from Adult Protective Services telling her that someone had referred her case to them saying that she needed assistance in taking care of herself. The letter said that if she did not meet with the caseworker the following Monday, her case would be turned over to Orphans' Court.


http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/perspectives/death-of-an-adjunct-703773/#ixzz2fFjyUCaT

[defacto7]

1. Very sad, and very shameful of the administrators and board

to allow such depravity under their watch, in the name of their religion no less.

[JDPriestly]

2. Duquesne's tuition:

Undergraduate Tuition for 2013-2014 Academic Year
Undergraduate Programs

Two Semesters

Liberal Arts, Education, Business, HMS, Nursing, Natural & Environmental Sciences, Health Science and Pharmacy Special Status, and Spiritan Division $28,913
Health Sciences $33,699
Music $35,823
Pre-Pharmacy (years 1-2) $33,699
Nursing - Second Undergraduate Degree* $43,437
Doctor of Pharmacy-Traditional Day Pathway (Years 3-6) $ 1,145 per credit

http://www.duq.edu/admissions-and-aid/tuition

So if each student takes 5 courses per semester, 10 per year, that is a minimum of $2,891 per course. Usually you have at least 20 students in a French course. (I know that from experience myself.) That means the university received about $58,820 from the students for each of her courses. Is my math wrong? So they pay her between $3,000 and $3,500. It is unclear from the article whether that "salary" was per month or per course. But since the author said she was earning less than $10,000 per year when she taught only one course, I assume that was per course or per semester.

That is horrible. I happen to have seen that kind of pay for teaching professionals in my community. It should not be permitted. Not when students are paying the kinds of tuition then are now paying. Teachers are the most important part of our universities. They, and not the administrators, should be receiving the higher salaries.

What kind of values do our universities reflect when they pay someone who shuffles paper and conducts meetings better than they do a teacher who is actively imparting knowledge and must have expertise in his or her field to teach at the university level?

[Dustlawyer]

3. They need to make the name, Margaret Mary Vojtko, the rallying cry around a strike!

The students would back it I am sure! The current Pope seems to be the type of man who would not tolerate this practice. Oh what a crying shame!

[Adsos Letter]

4. During her fullest pediod of employment she took home less than $25,000 per year...

...and no health benefits.

The university president makes $700,000 per year plus a full benefit package.

Fuck That.