5-1 Project Draft Part Two:

Project Part Two: Persuasive Essay With Research

Stu Dent

Southern New Hampshire University

ENG 190: Research and Persuasion

Professor _____

January 4, 2023

[Be sure to include a title page for APA.]

Project Part Two: Persuasive Essay With 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 identifies 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, 2020, para. 13). [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, 2022). [The information here

has been paraphrased, with the citation included to identify the original source.] In order to

address inequitable access to employer-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 introduction 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. [The topic

sentence, which starts the paragraph, clearly identifies the key point that is developed in

the paragraph.] According to Jonathan Karpf (2015), 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” (para. 3). [The body paragraph balances the key point

development with the supporting evidence from the research.] Karpf (2015) 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 employer-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 premiums.

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 thesis 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 COVID-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 has been indicated here.] Heredia Rodriguez (2020) 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” (para. 15). [For APA formatting, a

citation for a direct quote should include the author’s last name, the year of publication,

and a paragraph number for electronic sources. This may be included in a single

parenthetical citation or divided up in the sentence, as shown above. If the author’s name is

identified directly within the sentence, add the year of publication immediately after, and

include the paragraph number following the quote.] It is vital now more than ever that

adjunct 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, 2022). [Because the information here has

been paraphrased instead of quoted directly, the paragraph number isn’t required for

APA.] 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 healthy 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 communities 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 action.] 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.]

References

[For APA, the resource listing is titled: References. 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. Only use the

author’s last name and initial(s) instead of including a first name.]

Heredia Rodriguez, C. (2020, July 23). Adjunct professors: Jobs are low on pay and health

benefits with high COVID risk. Kaiser Health News. https://khn.org/news/adjunct-

professors-jobs-are-low-on-pay-and-health-benefits-with-high-covid-risk/

Johnson, G. (2022, October 13). Legislative high and low for part-time faculty: Healthcare

funding increased in state budget, but higher workload cap vetoed. California Federation

of Teachers. https://www.cft.org/article/legislative-high-and-low-part-time-faculty

Karpf, J. (2015, March 9). What adjuncts need. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

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• Project Part Two: Persuasive Essay With Research
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