Hi faith 5-1 Project Draft Part Two: Persuasive Essay With Research (100 Points)

Professor _____

ENG 190

4 January 2023

Project Part Two: Persuasive Essay W ith Research

Recently, the topic of reliance on part -time, non -tenured professors in higher education

has forced us to consider some difficult questions, including the woeful lack of access to

healthcare for part -time faculty. [The opening sentence of the essay identif ies the topic to let

readers know immediately what the focus will be. Additionally, the opening sentence grabs

the audience’s attention by highlighting a problem that needs to be solved.] As of 2018

“nearly half of all college instructors [were] part -time workers” and only “35% of them had

healthcare coverage through a work -provided plan” (Heredia Rodriguez). [The second sentence

highlights a relevant quote from one of the sources.] Unfortunately, among those who are

insured, the offerings are inconsistent, and some offerings are not financially accessible to many

part -timers. In California community colleges specifically, fewer than half of the 72 districts

offer any insurance for part -time faculty (Johnson). In order to address inequitable access to

employ er-provided healthcare for community college adjuncts, California community college

districts must provide access to the same healthcare as their full -time faculty for faculty with a

minimum 40% load because the part -time workforce has become a vital part of community

college faculty, the health of the community depends on healthy faculty, and the state now offers

100% funding for districts who offer healthcare to part -timers that is on par with their full -time

offerings. [The final sentence of the introduc tion narrows the focus and ends by identifying

the thesis statement, which highlights the writer’s stance on the issue.] Part -time faculty are a vital part of the faculty body at California community colleges and

are qualified to teach at the same level as their full -time counterparts, so it follows that they

should have access to the same healthcare their full -time counterparts receive. According to

Jonathan Karpf, associate vice president of the California Faculty Association, “[m]any adjuncts

possess the same terminal degrees from the same graduate programs that produced their tenure -

line colleagues, yet they are often treated as second -class citizens within their own departments.”

[The body paragraph balances the key point development with the supporting evidence

from the research.] Karpf lists healthcare as one of four items that adjuncts desperately need.

[The supporting evidence is introduced with a signal expression that refers to the author or

source.] For part -time faculty, not having access to empl oyer -provided insurance is insulting and

unjust, and greatly reduces morale. And while some part -time faculty may be able to access

healthcare via a spouse or through the marketplace, many workers must decide if they can afford

marketplace healthcare premi ums. Paying for healthcare out of pocket can be costly for faculty

who already receive low per -class pay and have very little job security. The lack of this

insurance may tip the scales for some faculty, forcing them to leave the field of higher education

altogether. Since adjuncts are often a majority at any institution, the district relies greatly on

adjunct faculty to teach, and districts cannot function without their adjunct employees. [The

body paragraph develops the key point in the context of the the sis statement.]

A workforce that cannot afford healthcare benefits no one, and students will often pay the

price of a district refusing to insure its teachers, so it is in the best interest of districts to offer

insurance to their part -time faculty. The CO VID -19 pandemic brought the health of individuals

and the health of the community into sharp focus. In an article published by Kaiser Health News,

[The credibility of the source is indicated here.] Carmen Heredia Rodrigue z notes that due to

low pay and the part -time employment structure, “adjuncts often teach at multiple campuses to make ends meet. In the midst of this pandemic, moving among different locations adds to their

risks and their potential to spread the virus.” It vital now more than ever that ad junct faculty have

access to healthcare, especially the affordable annual checkups and preventative care that health

insurance typically provides. Also, when adjuncts do get sick, they need access to care so that

they can recover and return to campus. When teachers are sick, classes are cancelled and student

learning grinds to a halt. The health of any campus depends on healthy faculty, including part -

time faculty who teach a large portion of courses. Access to healthcare is imperative for a

healthy campus and community. [The writer shows how the evidence has informed the

analysis and supported the development of the essay ideas.]

Finally, in late 2022, legislation passed by the state of California provided funding for

districts offering healthcare to their part -time faculty. The stipulations are simple: All part -time

faculty with a load of 40% or more must have access to the benefits, the benefits must be on par

with full -time benefits, and part -time contributions must be the same as full -time contributions.

There are additional funds for faculty who work less than 40% at individual districts but have a

combined load of 40% between schools (Johnson). With the passing of this bill, there is no

reason for districts not to offer healthcare benefits to their part -time faculty, as the bill covers

100% of district costs for insuring qualifying part -time faculty. While districts and unions must

negotiate the specific contract language for their district, there is no downside for districts in

having an insured and hea lthy part -time faculty workforce. [The body paragraphs develop not

only the key points but also identify and address counterargument information.]

In conclusion, if community college districts want a healthy faculty body and to preserve the

health of the c ommunities they serve, they must offer healthcare to their qualified part -time

faculty at the same level that they offer healthcare to their full -time faculty. [The first sentence

of the conclusion shows audience awareness by identifying a clear call to ac tion.] To do otherwise would be both irresponsible and immoral, and jeopardizes their workforce. Now that

funding has been made available at the state level, there is no reason for every member of the

community college faculty, full -time and part -time, to not have access to employer -provided

healthcare. [The conclusion reflects on the thesis, reiterates the key points, and includes a

closing comment.]

Works Cited

[For MLA, the resource listing is titled: Works Cited. Be sure to alphabetize the sources by the

author’s last name or, if there is no author, by the first word of the article title.]

Heredia Rodriguez, Carmen. “Adjunct Professors: Jobs Are Low on Pay and Health Benefits

With High COVID Risk.” Kaiser Health News, 23 July 2020, khn.org/n ews/adjunct -

professors -jobs -are -low -on -pay -and -health -benefits -with -high -covid -risk . Accessed 5

Jan . 2023.

Johnson, Geoff. “Legislative High and Low for Part -Time Faculty: Healthcare Funding

Increased in State Budget, but Hi gher W orkload Cap Vetoed.” CFT: A Union of

Educators and Classified Professionals, 13 Oct . 2022, www.cft.org/article/legislative -

high -and -low -part -time -faculty . Accessed 5 Jan . 2023.

Karpf, Jonathan. “What Adjuncts Need.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 9 Mar . 2015,

ezproxy.snhu.edu/l ogin?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eds

ggo&AN=edsgcl.406082035&site=eds -live&scope=site . Accessed 5 Jan . 2023.