Finnegan'sAwake

I participated on the JET Programme before starting graduate work (an MFA and now working on a PhD). It was a terrific experience, and a great way to blow off "real-life" responsibilities for 1 to 5 (!) years. Highly recommended!

Totally. It's absurdly cynical of me to dismiss even the most meager stipend (plus tuition is free at CUNY as long as you teach at least 2 classes a semester). You'll be fine. The funding is amazing for the first year because no teaching is required. As you continue through the program and you're required to teach a 2/2 load for your 18K, the "stipend" gradually becomes a salary for adjuncting (which I guess they're assuming we won't notice...). Still. It's a great program. And you're already familiar with CUNY culture, which will makes the transition much smoother.

Congrats on your acceptance to CUNY. You will probably receive the Enhanced Chancellor's Fellowship (ECF), but don't get too excited--it's a pretty meager 18K. You'll have to take up some side work if you want to live like a grown up. I started at the Grad Center last year, but wasn't given funding--so I'm teaching a 4/4 load between three different schools (and boroughs!).

I just wanted to add my two cents, for what it's worth. I've been adjuncting at CUNY for the last two years with an MFA, and I have had no trouble maintaining a 3/3 teaching appointment (plus I've been offered summer courses two years in a row). I was accepted into CUNY's PhD program this year as well (also without an ECF), and, while it's not the most ideal situation, I'm pretty stoked about the opportunity--and you should be too! Teaching, you'll find, goes hand-in-hand with scholarship. Your students will inspire you, as will your colleagues. Plus, you'll leave the program with 6+ years teaching experience--and that's invaluable. I say go for it--I didn't have to think twice myself. If you have any questions about the logistics of adjuncting, though, let me know. If your main hang-up is the insecurity of job retainment, I can assure you it's not as fickle a system as it may seem. You'll be fine!

I'm currently teaching two, three-credit classes at John Jay (a four-year CUNY school in Hell's Kitchen). The classes are capped at 27, which is a lot, but once you find a rhythm it's not so bad. A teaching load of two classes during your time at the Grad Center should not interfere too much; if anything, it will complement your studies. Quick question: If the ECF is $18K, and you're still required to teach, how is this any different from working as a paid adjunct with a tuition scholarship?

Oh, I'm not taking any classes at the moment. I'm in the same boat as you all--awaiting my fate. I'm teaching 5 classes right now, and I'm stretched really thin. I can't imagine teaching more than 2 or 3 and taking classes simultaneously. However, I think that a light teaching load and graduate studies complement one another nicely. I taught a poetry workshop while working on my MFA, and that was a wonderfully reciprocal experience.

I currently work as an adjunct English instructor for CUNY and have met quite a few Grad Center folks who teach two or three classes a semester as either their sole source of income (poor bastards) or to supplement their enhanced fellowships (greedy bastards). From what I've experienced, it's pretty easy to land a position teaching English comp at one of the umpteen CUNY schools, so, even though the Grad Center's admissions rhetoric is noncommittal, you can pretty much expect the teaching positions to come through. I currently teach at two (plus a third non-CUNY school) with just an MFA. That said, the money isn't great (about $4,000 a class), so I'm definitely hoping they'll come through with the fellowships--living in NYC on 24K a year ain't easy!

Hi All, I join you as one of the accepted--and am grateful! My interest is in Comp and Rhet with an emphasis on the rhetoric of land use, landscapes, and environmental activism. I'm coming into the program with an MFA (and am currently adjuncting at CUNY), so I'm also interested in poetry as a literacy tool. I too plan to attend the open house and looking forward to meeting some of you there!