-----Original Message-----
........I think the real solution to this problem is to not rely on
adjuncts very much, but instead on faculty who (one hopes) have a vested
interest and true commitment in teaching the "harder" topics well.
Remember the difference between a "college" and a "university". Colleges have
the primary responsibility of disseminating information (i.e., teaching).
Universities have the primary responsibility of creating new information (i.e.,
research). This means that post secondary teaching is valued at 2 and 4 year
institutions, but often not at institutions with graduate programs. At a number
of universities very active efforts are made to "outsource" undergraduate
education as it is not viewed as a "mission" of importance. Outsourcing takes
the form of shifting undergraduate teaching to GTAs and/or part-time
instructors; creating huge undergrad classes to subsidize the cost of small
graduate classes; cost shifting or creating policy which moves undergraduate
education over to 2 and 4 year instititions; and most recently moving it to the
web.
If teaching is your top professional priority you should steer yourself toward a
career in a college rather than a university.