I must respectfully disagree with you on the subject of communication—I teach interpersonal comm, and I think it’s one of the most valuable courses a student can take b/c it’s essentially a “life skills” course. While I couldn’t tell you anything about a majority of the classes I took in college, understanding how the communication process works, what one can do to be a better listener, solve conflicts more satisfactorily, etc. are valuable things that students need to know. (I often wish that this was a course required in high schools—and even lower grades—because there is so much there that is often taken for granted but is very useful in knowing; and not everyone has a good enough upbringing to relate to others effectively).
But as far as the rest: although I’ve been an adjunct for well over a decade, I will never be a full-time professor at any university. Why? I will probably never get my PhD in order to do so—because what I want to do is to be in the classroom and TEACH; whereas to be a full-time professor, most universities and colleges want faculty who (as has been said here) will be “valuable” to the department because of the research and publishing they do—NOT as much for their teaching (which is what it should really all be about in the first place—it is SCHOOL, after all!). Therefore, I’m not wasting my money or my time for a degree that will, yes, allow me to teach—but also enable me to get a job where the pressure to succeed will be in the areas I am *not* interested in, and will “relegate to the back seat” the teaching about which I am so passionate. I suppose I could still do so, in order to be there and teach as much as I can...but then there is the pricing of getting that degree, which I can’t afford anyway.
I’m considering stepping back to adjunct — I’d make more money, and actually spend more time in the classroom, and spend less time in BS committee meetings.
You’re right on! I did a year of Ph.D. work and walked away after I discovered all the petty politics within academic departments and exactly how most professors feel about teaching, which is not much more than annoying chore to them.