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Message: <blockquote data-quote="freyar" data-source="post: 6754923" data-attributes="member: 40227">Not going to quote everything from those last two posts since this thread has slowed down enough that I think we know what we're talking about...AA --- you have my sympathies on the contract instruction (I just can't call it "adjunct" since "adjunct" traditionally has meant someone with another job, such as at a company or another university, who might be allowed some privileges including student supervision).  My wife taught a couple of classes on a 1-term contract last year, and we both decided the money was no where near enough to compensate for the work and stress.  And, Umbran, I basically agree with what you're saying.  I just am not sure there's a clean separation.  I can point to my own university for an example, where there is some shifting of responsibilities.  We have quite a few instructors (teaching only), even permanent ones, and they are quite good teachers (at least the ones in physics).  But most of them don't have the perspective on the subject that seems necessary either to teach the upper-division courses or to think about planning the entire curriculum.  I do agree that a lack of current research is probably not the sole or even main factor in this, but I suspect the big issue is that these instructors (chosen for teaching ability) have never done research for an extended time or in significant amounts.  My experience is that you don't get how all the subjects that appear to be different when they're packaged in separate classes really fit together until you're out there trying to work out something new yourself.  So I guess my point is that good teaching of the advanced subjects seems to require a viewpoint developed by doing research.  Just to complete an earlier thought, even though the 40-40-20 split is common to all our "research faculty," the actual teaching load is reduced for those of us with external grants, so what you suggest is implemented somewhat (and this is true at other schools, too, as I'm sure you know).Regarding continuing education, my observation (anecdotal, I guess) is that the good researchers do keep abreast of what's happening not just in their narrow specialty but at least in their somewhat broader field.  It helps generate new research ideas, after all.  Full time teaching just doesn't leave time for that, unless you want to kill yourself from lack of sleep.I hope you're right about cutting the admin a bit.  I feel lucky that my university isn't too admin-heavy yet, but it has crept that way a bit.  Unfortunately, so far, the approach has not been to cut administration but rather to accumulate vacancies in permanent academic staff (through retirement, etc) and replace them with low cost contract instructors.  The problem is not as bad here in Canada as in the US due to stronger (a little) unions, but it is still an issue.</blockquote>

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