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California community college profs rake in up to $800K a year teaching dozens of online classes at once
A CalMatters investigation found that some California college instructors teach across numerous campuses, often using online courses and pre-recorded lectures, and can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The findings highlight a lack of statewide rules or systems for tracking instructors’ combined workloads across independently governed college districts.
More than 70 instructors taught at five or more California districts or university campuses in 2024; one was listed across nine districts and at least 69 course sections. Sociology professor Thien-Huong Ninh Villarreal earned nearly $800,000 that year and is teaching about 30 classes to more than 1,100 students this autumn. Astronomy instructor Andrew Vanden Heuvel reported $758,485 in 2024, including about $320,000 from California colleges; he defended his teaching and said online courses can serve students where astronomy instructors are scarce.
In short
- California has no system to track instructors’ combined course loads across districts.
- One professor earned nearly $800,000 in 2024.
- Some instructors say online teaching expands access to specialist subjects.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Teaching across several campuses, especially online, can widen access to courses in subjects with few instructors and give students greater flexibility. High earnings may reflect substantial teaching experience and demand across districts, while pre-recorded materials can help instructors serve large numbers of students.
The case against
When one instructor is listed across dozens of sections and campuses, students and the public may reasonably question whether the teaching and support each course requires can be sustained. The lack of a system to track combined workloads makes it harder for colleges to assess educational quality, student access to instructors and whether public resources are being used responsibly.
Explained simply
California’s public higher education system includes community college districts and university campuses that hire instructors separately. Because these institutions are independently governed, there is no statewide system described in the report for tracking how many classes an instructor teaches across different employers.
Online courses and recorded lectures can allow instructors to teach students at several campuses, including places with few specialists in a subject. The investigation found that some instructors held many appointments at once, raising questions about how combined workloads are monitored and how colleges account for teaching across institutions.