Digital Pink Slips - Paul Fain, Inside Higher Ed

One of the big draws of online education is that it can be easily untethered from the traditional semester schedule, with online universities often offering new classes 52 weeks a year. But while they are convenient for students, and profitable for institutions, rolling starts for classes can mean flimsy job security for the adjunct professors who teach them. Making ends meet is particularly tough for online faculty when student enrollments are down, which is the case for most for-profit institutions these days. The sector has been battered by the lingering effects of the recession, competition from nonprofits and regulatory pressure from accreditors and lawmakers. Its overall enrollment slid 7.2 percent last year, and the resulting money woes mean less work for professors. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/01/29/profit-woes-means-less-work-adjuncts