As you may be aware, the adjunct faculty at Washington University are preparing for a union election in order to collectively bargain for better working conditions. Some of you may not be aware of what an “adjunct instructor” is exactly. You may be taking classes with one, but do not realize it.

Don’t you remember reading books where teachers used to be respected and loved? Consider “Dead Poets Society” or “Au Revoir Les Enfants,” where the teacher holds a transcendent, almost supernatural role. We all have at least one teacher who we treasure, who helped us further ourselves as human beings.

The median compensation of private university presidents increased 5.5 percent in the 2007-2008 fiscal year, up to $627,750, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual executive compensation survey. The survey’s data came from federal tax documents released before the economic downturn. In light of the economy, many private university presidents have frozen their salaries or, in the case of Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton, taken voluntary pay cuts.