Why adjunct professors can earn less than minimum wage

A closer look

You are paying $60,000 a year in tuition so your child can be taught by someone living below the poverty line. Universities increasingly rely on 'adjuncts'—contract professors who are paid a flat, microscopic fee per class. When factoring in the hours spent grading, planning, and answering unhinged student emails, these highly educated scholars often make less per hour than they would working the drive-thru at a fast-food restaurant.