Miserly University Trying to "Hire" a Professor Who's Completely Unpaid

"There will be no compensation for this position."

Scrooge U

Apparently one university doesn't want to pay its professors anymore. We're looking at you, UCLA.

You heard right — the University of  California, Los Angeles posted a "job" opening on its website for an assistant adjunct professor in the chemistry and biochemistry department, but applicants were warned there'd be absolutely no paycheck for the work.

"UCLA seeks applications for an Assistant Adjunct Professor on a without salary basis," the job description on the university's website states. "Applicants must understand there will be no compensation for this position."

Applications are also expected to submit a curriculum vitae (CV), cover letter, statement of research, statement of teaching 3-5 letters of reference and, best of all, a statement on contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion. That's especially rich considering LA is among the top 20 most expensive cities to live in the US, and a position with no pay means no low income or middle class professors would be able to apply. And considering that more people of color live below the poverty line in the US than other marginalized groups, it's unlikely we'll see anybody who isn't white in the role.

How's that for diversity and equity?

STEM-ulus Check

If academia keeps on this noisome path for important STEM positions, the future of science and innovation is headed to a dark place.

Keeping people who aren't independently wealthy out of STEM — a group that almost certainly includes most minorities — will mean less life-saving tech and medical science in the future, and a less diverse research community overall. What if James McCune Smith had never become the first African American doctor with his own practice in the United States? That's almost exactly what happened according to EveryDayHealth, and it's because he was denied access to American universities because of the color of his skin.

Given that UCLA can afford a $4.7 million dollar annual salary for their football coach, you'll excuse us if we think they're off their rocker for denying a science professor a paycheck.

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