False Horizon

The arc where Ben interviews to be an adjunct professor is almost comically incorrect. Adjuncts are the lowest-paid, lowest-status faculty at a university. Adjunct faculty are paid $2k - $5k per course (around $20 - $50 an hour per course for the amount of work involved) depending on the university. They are hired directly by the Department Chair/Head to fill a vacancy, often at the last minute, and with no other oversight. The dean is rarely if ever involved, and there would never be a faculty committee or a guest lecture to see how he teaches. Accreditation requirement mean that the overwhelming majority of adjuncts teach General Education or remedial courses. This is the same from community colleges to the Ivy League.

The process shown in this episode would be more like the process for a Visiting Assistant Professor, which might even carry some status depending on the university and the position.

References La matrice (1999)