Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:11 PM

janx (24,128 posts)

IRS: Adjunct Faculty Hours Must Be Calculated With 'Reasonable' Method

The Internal Revenue Service put colleges and universities on warning with new proposed rules issued this month, warning them not to skimp when counting the hours adjunct faculty work. The guidelines from the IRS could be critical to ensuring whether part-time college instructors receive health care benefits as new Affordable Care Act laws take effect.

The IRS noted in the Federal Register that "educational organizations generally do not track the full hours of service of adjunct faculty, but instead compensate adjunct faculty on the basis of credit hours taught." In short, most colleges are only paying part-time instructors for time spent in a classroom, and nothing for time spent grading or preparing.

The Treasury Department and the IRS are considering and "invite further comment on how best to determine the full-time status of employees" like educators, who may work many hours after students leave the classroom.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/08/irs-adjunct-faculty_n_2432924.html?utm_hp_ref=college

Originally appeared in The Chronicle of High Education--links at Huffpost

This is going to be a battle for colleges and universities.

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17 replies	Author	Time	Post
IRS: Adjunct Faculty Hours Must Be Calculated With 'Reasonable' Method (Original post)	janx	Jan 2013	OP
they have cut how many course credits you can do to make sure they	2Design	Jan 2013	#1
I'm afraid that is what is going to happen, but I don't know how they can do that	janx	Jan 2013	#3
My college now allows adjuncts to teach no more than two classes per term	QC	Jan 2013	#2
Most colleges rely heavily on adjuncts and will be in a tough	janx	Jan 2013	#4
I don't think we will be able to find enough adjuncts to cover everything	QC	Jan 2013	#5
I taught five last semester and will be teaching four starting next week.	janx	Jan 2013	#10
they started this about three years ago	2Design	Jan 2013	#6
I found out about the policy at a meeting today.	QC	Jan 2013	#7
I was cut in half about two years ago	2Design	Jan 2013	#9
It's going to depend on the individual institution.	janx	Jan 2013	#12
Believe it or not,	janx	Jan 2013	#13
treatment of adjunct higher ed faculty ranges from shameful to embarrassing....	mike_c	Jan 2013	#8
A colleague of mine calls it "the dirty secret"	janx	Jan 2013	#11
Shameless kick!	janx	Jan 2013	#14
source:	Coyotl	Jan 2013	#15
Thanks!	janx	Jan 2013	#16
Just happened to me this week	libnnc	May 2013	#17

Response to janx (Original post)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:15 PM

2Design (9,099 posts)

1. they have cut how many course credits you can do to make sure they

keep you at part time status - this will add another level for those they exempt from sticking to the lower number of courses allowed

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Response to 2Design (Reply #1)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:18 PM

janx (24,128 posts)

3. I'm afraid that is what is going to happen, but I don't know how they can do that

given the fact that something like 70% of college faculty is adjunct. It has been a problem for decades.

This is a BIG DEAL.

College and university administration will haul out the lawyers, no doubt.

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Response to janx (Original post)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:17 PM

QC (26,371 posts)

2. My college now allows adjuncts to teach no more than two classes per term

in order to avoid paying for their health insurance.

This is going to make it difficult for us to cover classes and for the adjuncts to make a living.

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Response to QC (Reply #2)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:21 PM

janx (24,128 posts)

4. Most colleges rely heavily on adjuncts and will be in a tough

spot if they have to recruit two or three times as many of them to cover the courses. It should be interesting.

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Response to janx (Reply #4)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:23 PM

QC (26,371 posts)

5. I don't think we will be able to find enough adjuncts to cover everything

with this new policy in place. We have to beat the bushes as it is, and some of ours are teaching four sections each.

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Response to QC (Reply #5)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:32 PM

janx (24,128 posts)

10. I taught five last semester and will be teaching four starting next week.

I taught six during the fall of 2011. And these are writing courses. It's a lot of work. There comes a point at which the teaching quality suffers; there's only so much time in a day/night.

The best plan, in my opinion, is for the colleges/universities to permanently hire some adjunct instructors who are already working full time/overtime. (The "part-time" label is an insulting joke.) Then they can try to recruit more adjuncts to fill in some gaps, if necessary.

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Response to QC (Reply #2)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:25 PM

2Design (9,099 posts)

6. they started this about three years ago

before the health care law - it just makes it harder on the administrators (deans) who now need and have to manage double the adjunts

they were thinking of changing the credits per course from 4 to 3 so they could teach more - but that would be the same amount of work for less pay

They find a lot of people who are willing to cobble together a living doing this at multiple colleges

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Response to 2Design (Reply #6)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:27 PM

QC (26,371 posts)

7. I found out about the policy at a meeting today.

It's going to make life very tough for some of our adjuncts, who really need to load up their schedules in order to put food on the table.

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Response to QC (Reply #7)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:29 PM

2Design (9,099 posts)

9. I was cut in half about two years ago

it does make it harder - my outcome is more than my income - I need to find more online work

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Response to QC (Reply #7)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:41 PM

janx (24,128 posts)

12. It's going to depend on the individual institution.

Many rely heavily on adjuncts; others have a smaller number. It always amazes me that states can throw so much money at campus construction, etc., but remain very stingy when it comes to the general fund--the fund that pays faculty.

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Response to 2Design (Reply #6)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 07:05 PM

janx (24,128 posts)

13. Believe it or not,

some institutions have a difficult time finding adjuncts. Most rely on grad students and adjuncts, but some are out in the boonies and cannot attract many adjuncts.

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Response to janx (Original post)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:27 PM

mike_c (34,943 posts)

8. treatment of adjunct higher ed faculty ranges from shameful to embarrassing....

I think half my friends are adjunct faculty. Some are among the most accomplished teachers I know. Many of them have spent entire careers with zero benefits, low wages, long mostly uncompensated hours, and little or no employment security. It is shameful. We've created a subclass of itinerant scholars and professors, barely able to make a living in return for helping America's sons and daughters gain access to professions and careers.

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Response to mike_c (Reply #8)

Thu Jan 10, 2013, 06:34 PM

janx (24,128 posts)