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Students in Debt, Professors in Poverty

United States Architecture News - Oct 28, 2016 - 16:38   13311 views

Students in Debt, Professors in Poverty

Brave New Films introduced new chapter for educators named Brave New Educators and uses documentaries to start a dialogue with students and professors across college campuses and high schools. A thoughtfully crafted discussion guide accompanies each of our documentaries and short films available in the website

In October 2015, Brave New Educators started a petition demanding that colleges and universities prioritize adjunct professors. This petition was arranged to deliver to a Congressional briefing in late October, 2015 on the issue of professors living in poverty. In 4-min video, the documentary tells the story of Dr. Wanda Evans-Brewer, who has been teaching for 20 years, has a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a PhD in Education. She is also living in poverty.

Professors in Poverty premiered at a Congressional briefing calling on politicians, colleges and universities to priorities adjunct professors and the quality of higher education in America now. The corporate model of higher education is pushing professors into poverty and this model is a disaster.

More than half of college faculty are adjunct – or part-time - professors. College tuition is rising at twice the rate of inflation. By hiring more adjuncts and less tenure track professors, colleges and universities are diminishing the quality of education for students and professors. Adjunct professors have limited access to resources like technology, office space, resources and they receive no benefits.

Look at these statistics; 1 in 4 part-time faculty receive public assistance, 31% if part-time faculty live near or below the poverty line, $22,500 is the average salary of adjunct professors, 60% of part-time professors have additional jobs and any professor living in poverty is unacceptable – especially when you consider the rising cost of tuition and the amount of money colleges and universities are taking in.

Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films are at the forefront of the fight to create a just America. Using new media and internet video campaigns, Brave New Films has created a quick-strike capability that informs the public, challenges corporate media with the truth, and motivates people to take action on social issues nationwide. Brave New Films’ investigative films have scrutinized the impact of U.S. drone strikes; the prosecution if whistleblowers; and Wal Mart’s corporate practices.

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