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UO relaxes hiring freeze – for learning specialists willing to help Duck players with “a lack of academic preparation”

This is the first time I’ve seen Lorraine put it so plainly – or lay out what a tough and poorly paid job this is:

Quoting from the full ad here:

The Learning Specialist must be willing to work a flexible year-round schedule, including evenings and weekends.

Master’s degree or equivalent combination of education, experience, and skills.

Experience working with students experiencing academic challenges for any reason,
including but not limited to, a lack of academic preparation, …

Salary: $38,000 – $40,500 per year

Meanwhile, for the coaches:

And for Lorraine Davis:

11 Comments

  1. New Year Cat 07/30/2020

    Requires a *Master’s Degree* and yet pays only $40,000 for a demanding job that not just anyone could do and a no-life-of-your-own schedule?

    • Anas clypeata 07/31/2020

      Welcome to Eugene, Oregon. It’s been this way for a LONG time. The only way to change the system is to persuade all of the qualified applicants to stay away from applying for this position.

      • Oryx 07/31/2020

        I agree with the second part of what you wrote. However, this isn’t unique to UO. Universities everywhere are full of terrible jobs, with no shortage of applicants who for some reason think that a terrible job in academia is better than a good, or at least much better paying, job outside academia.

      • charlie 07/31/2020

        That’s $40k gross, prior to taxes. This city has supported the creation of “market rate” apartments. That means $1,300/month for 600 sq ft studios, as well as luxurious student housing that fetches upwards of $2,500/month. And the flagship is offering a salary someone with an MS, and the attendant student loan debt, a salary that almost guarantees homelessness if that salary is diminished. You’d need to be desperate to engage with those terms….

        • Darkwing Duck 07/31/2020

          “You’d need to be desperate to engage with those terms….”

          Exactly the state of the job market right now. UO knows they have all the leverage right now. Sadly, I imagine they’ll get a ton of applicants and be under the impression they are doing someone a favor.

          • Just another OA 08/01/2020

            How dense can faculty be…what jobs do you think a lot of your Masters and PhD grads land? Not to mention NTTF who do the grunt work keeping undergraduate education afloat – you know the thing that pays for your salaries and I guess “life-of-your-own-schedules”. Believe it or not some people actually like working with undergraduates and don’t think this is a terrible job. Also do you have any idea what most UO staff get paid? This isn’t an anomaly. More and more it feels like higher ed is just a pyramid scheme

            • Anonymous 08/02/2020

              And you guys haven’t even touched on the eye-watering amount of corruption this poor person will have to deal with!

            • honest Uncle Bernie 08/02/2020

              JaOA — you make a pretty good case that the market is working — yet you still seem bitter toward TTF types.

  2. Publius 07/31/2020

    Am I reading this correctly that Lorraine makes $450,000 a year for the job she does? I hope I am mistaken.

    • heraclitus 07/31/2020

      Those two appointments add up to .35 FTE, for which I estimate she grosses something like $75k. Not sure if she has other appts or is content with that FTE (no benefits at that level).

  3. honest Uncle Bernie 08/01/2020

    If you think the pay is too low, don’t apply. Your problem solved. But please, save the victimhood for another occasion.

    And don’t forget to add in the monetary value of benefits.

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