Adjuncts treated poorly

Thank you for publishing “Adjunct professors deserve more money, job security” by Keith Hoeller (May 2), highlighting the low pay for the majority of the state’s community college professors.

The state funds professors in an unfair, undemocratic and unproductive way by allowing the colleges and the faculty unions to provide professional-level pay to only the minority of professors who teach full time on the tenure-track.

Consequently, the majority of professors who teach part time are left with poverty-level hourly pay. I believe the situation is not only unfair, but unconstitutional because it denies equal treatment to the adjuncts.

The state has a duty to contract for due process, academic freedom and freedom of speech. The state has failed in its duty by allowing the colleges and the unions to collude against the adjuncts. The mistreatment of adjunct professors is counterproductive.

Community college students are working hard and paying money to improve their lives. But if they order a pizza, chances are the pizza delivery person is also their professor just trying to make ends meet due to the state’s failure to fund an essential profession.

Shouldn’t our college professors have the opportunity to improve themselves, just like our students?

Teresa Knudsen

Spokane