“The face of the social dance program for 17 years”: Studies in Precarity

In solidarity and gratitude, we are sharing a series—”Studies in Precarity”—of stories from departing contingent faculty, who still have much to teach us. Scores, perhaps over 200, of Miami contingent faculty have received notices of non-renewal for 2020–21. Many may soon find themselves unemployed and without health insurance in the middle of a pandemic and economic crisis.

These non-renewals cannot be attributed only to COVID-19. They follow many years of spending on areas outside our core academic mission (athletics and sky-high upper-administrator salaries) that could have served to protect our educational mission from the damage of the current crisis. To the visiting assistant professors, instructors, and part-time faculty who taught long hours, built relationships with students, and contributed to our intellectual and social lives: Your absence will diminish our students’ educational experiences and opportunities, and you will be missed. Thanks to all of you for your work at Miami. #OneFaculty

We share a student petition to Miami president Greg Crawford signed by over 500 people, “Reinstate Michael Scoggins, Social Dance Instructor at Miami University”:

Michael Scoggins has been a cornerstone of the Miami experience for countless students. His class brings students out of their shells and provides a positive atmosphere in which to meet new people and learn more about themselves, as well as acquire new skills many didn’t think they had. These kind of well-rounded experiences are what Miami is supposed to be about.

A few reasons to save Scoggins includes:

1. Michael has been the face of the social dance program at Miami for 17 years, growing it from one small to four large enrollment classes each semester. He has taught over 1000 students in the past four years, making his own salary back many times over.

2. Two weeks before he was fired, Michael’s teaching was included in President Crawford’s video message to alumni, highlighting the work of  faculty who were particularly creative in switching to online instruction.

3. Michael directs the “Scoggins Squad,” dozens of student TAs who assist with classes and represent Miami locally and internationally, including Oxford’s Dancing with the Stars, Miami’s Charter Day Ball, Oxford’s Veteran’s Day celebration, and last year’s spring break performance tour in the Bahamas.