Like most employees at ITT-Tech, I am an adjunct faculty. To anyone who is not sure what that means, it means I am hired from quarter to quarter, to teach individual classes. I have no job security whatsoever. I have no benefits whatsoever. I am not privy to high level goings-on in Indiana. I am paid around $1800 a quarter for a 4.5 hour class, more than many of my colleagues at ITT-Tech, but less than half the going rate at local community colleges. If I want to tutor students, I am given $15 an hour for that. In other words, I am just a tiny bit above work-study students on the company totem pole. I am not complaining at this point, just pointing out I am no big wig in this company by any means. And yes, I am looking for another job.
So what can someone like me do, that will make a difference in the predatory for-profit scheme? I am working on my letter to ACICS and state attorney generals. Here is what I have so far. How about the rest of you?
At my campus, of 200 students, there are now zero full time faculty (as of last December), 30 adjunct faculty, and 10 or so full time admin people. As of February, the campus director quit and the Dean is also now the campus director. These are the main facts I want to report in my letter to ACICS and attorney general.
I don't think these facts even violate ACICS rules, or they wouldn't be happening. ITT Tech obviously is taking great care to avoid illegal activities. But having no full time faculty while offering 3 different bachelor programs is so absurd, it is worth reporting I believe. Having no advising for students other than adjunct faculty or sales reps is nuts. Modany says typical campus has program chairs for every department, which I believe is a lie. So these things are worth reporting.
As of last quarter, I have now taught all the general education math classes for associates degree (problem solving, math one, math two) at least one time, and I can see this series is not reasonable or effective for teaching students with diverse backgrounds. It boggles my mind that ITT-Tech has been teaching essentially these same 3 classes for several years. I am not a math curriculum expert, but I think I have enough experience in my field to say something meaningful about this to ACICS and attorney general, so I will do that.
The classes that are 4.5 credit hours don't last 4 or 5 hours like they should. However, I have been instructed officially to conduct my classes for close to that amount of time, so not sure how powerful my claim is. In reality, the students will leave before 4 hours go by, and instructors burn out before then, and the curriculum is not designed realistically to keep students and instructors engaged for that long. If I complain to supervisors, their answers imply that I am dropping the ball as instructor. Again, I am no curriculum expert, but it is obvious that students are not getting enough credit hours of real instruction, so I guess I should mention this.
I don' think there are any criteria for being admitted into bachelor program, for students' with associate degrees, just like there are no admission requirements other than having high school diploma. I teach bachelor classes on occasion, and I am appalled that many of the students don't really have the equivalent of a decent high school education even after 4 years of classes! This is not something I can really prove, but I will mention my observations in my letter.
The above reasons add up to enough that I am no longer going to teach at ITT-Tech after this quarter.
All my other complaints are not really that strong. For example, it has been obvious to me from my first class that the curriculum is slap dash, poorly edited, poorly organized, etc. And I have been modifying my provided curriculum extensively, to provide something worthwhile. I tried writing headquarters about these issues, but their replies imply it was my fault -- they say I was not implementing the provided curriculum properly. So I gave up on that, and just keep my "modifications" to myself. But I can't report to ACICS any clear, recent evidence the curriculum people don't listen to me. I can say there is little professional development for faculty geared toward teaching actual ITT-Tech curriculum to actual students.
I haven't been forced to lie about attendance or grades (for the past few years, anyway!)
But you see what I mean -- most of the stuff I have to say is not earth shattering. It adds up to a low quality, over-priced education, however. This is nothing new to anyone.
My quitting will mean my students will most likely get a crummier teacher, because of the low pay scale, and bad reputation that ITT-Tech has. I am telling my students to do their research about other education options, to go online at look at a variety of sources, and to talk to admissions people at other colleges.
I am also telling my students I am quitting because the classes are too long and last too late at night, for my taste, after years of teaching them. I am also flat out telling my students I think it is unethical for ITT-Tech to have no full time faculty to answer their questions about their programs. I expect the Dean/director may get on my case for this, but I think this person also secretly agrees with me.