Adjunct Professors

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/12/09/army.of.adjuncts.ap/index.html

Adjunct professors have become a new staple to college campuses nation wide. These part-time college professors make up almost 50% of most college teaching staff today. On a national average, these adjunct professors are paid about 64% less that professors with tenure. These part-time professors also lack the job security that tenured professors have.

With growing education costs, many Universities are using these adjunct professors to save themselves thousands, if not millions of dollars per year. And because these adjunct professors do not have job security, a university can easily let a few go if funding gets tight.

Adjunct professors are great for Universities, however, is it at the expense of these adjuncts? Many of these professors are simply working as adjuncts to earn their way up into a place of tenure. They want a stable income, and job security. However, so few spots are open for tenured professors, that many adjuncts feel they will be trapped in an unstable job for the rest of their careers.

The adjunct life of low income and un-certainty is often stressful ans difficult to bare. It places a barrier between the great professors of today, and those of tommorrow, stifling a possibly great generation of teachers.

Anarchist Professor Fired from Yale University

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/12/07/yale.anarchist.ap/index.html

David Graeber, one of the world's leading anthropologists, is finishing up his last semester as a teacher at Yale University in the Spring of 2006. He is being given a year long payed sabbatical, but is not being called back the following year. Information has not been released as to why Professor Graeber is being fired. However, it is rumored that it may have to do with his extreme political beliefs.

It is indeed difficult to fathom why such an anthropological icon would be let go. He has taught at Yale University for eight years, and his work on value theory is taught worldwide. However, jumping to the conclusion that it was because of his political standing would be ignorant. If adequate proof can be found to support such claims, Yale University should inded be penalized. People should never be penalized for having a particular political belief. Such freedom is what this country was origiona;;y founded upon. But until proof can be found, we must look at a variety of reasons why Professor Graeber was fired. Graeber himself even suggested that it was due to his persistent tardiness to class and in turning in papers. Whether it be Professor Graeber's fault or not, assumptions should not be made as to why he was fired.

Chicago Restaurant Takes a Stand Against Bratty Kids

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/12/06/kids.behaving.badly.ao/index.html

Restaurant owner, Dan McCaulry, posted a sign in his restaurant that read,"Children of all ages have to behave and use their inside voices". This sign caused a wave of controversy in the Chicago neighborhood in which the restaurant resides. So much so, that it gained national attention. The situation caused the nation to question parent's responsibility for their children's behavior.

The controversy began when residents of the nieghborhood complained that they and their children felt un-welcome in Dan McCaulry's restaurant. They claimed that the sign was insensitive to families and the nature of children. McCaulry claimed that his only intention was to remind people to set limits for their children and keep an eye on them while they were in his restaurant.

As the owner of a buisiness, McCaulry has the responsibility to look after the well being of all of his customers. He must ensure that his customers can enjoy a peaceful meal with out the distraction of misbehaving children. As a waitress, I have witnessed hundreds of families eat in a classy restaurant. There are indeed families who have very well behaved children, who are well versed in polite etiquette. There have also been a number of uncontrolled children in the restaurant. Such children are not only unpleasent to other customers, but they can pose a danger to others. When children run about a restaurant un-supervised they pose the threat of bumping into a waiter with a tray full food or hot coffee.

When in a place of buisiness, even a restaurant, it is the parent's responsibility to ensure their children's good behavior. If parents cannot control their children, they should either get a babysitter, takeout, or go to McDonalds.