“I really wondered if she got a handbook from HR.” Kenneth laughed, spraying bits of his sandwich at Gabe Bates, the Creative Writing professor. She doubted Gabe minded the bullets of pastrami since he was already so far up Kenneth’s ass.

“Someone forgot to tell this generation to dress for the job they want, not the job they have,” said the resident Medievalist, Dan Combs. “I think I know which one you’re talking about, Ken. I passed her class as she was telling students ‘grammar was a tool of the white supremacy.’ I mean, really, Pembroke doesn’t need that kind of agenda.”

He and Kenneth exchanged a look that ended with an eye roll.

They were talking about her Paula! She was the only one in the department who would say such a thing. And although Victoria agreed with her, she certainly wouldn’t voice it to her students.

“It’s sad that we’re reduced to gossiping about underpaid and overworked adjuncts,” she said loudly. “With the way you hire them, I just assumed we needed any warm body at the front of a classroom.”

The men stopped speaking to see the rest of the faculty members seething. “I’m sorry, Victoria, did you have something to add?” Kenneth asked.

Her face warmed. “I think we have more important things to discuss than how a woman dresses. Last time I checked, Pembroke didn’t have a dress code policy for faculty.”

“But we have a standard at this institution,” said Dan. “Our students deserve to see something they can aspire to.”

If that were really the case, they’d see more faculty of color.

“Victoria isn’t here to teach you how to avoid another trip to HR, Dan,” said Alison. “I want to know how I ended up getting switched from the university library committee to institutional assessment. Also, why am I teaching two sections of Composition II?”

“Exactly,” Jennifer said as she swiped a highlighter across her paper. “I’ve had to teach three sections of comp for the past two years, Ken. I’ve had multiple requests from students to offer more Young Adult. Where are the sections?”

While the men stared at the women, Victoria quickly checked off the classes her male colleagues were teaching next semester. Dan only had two classes, both in his area of study. Gabe was responsible for Intro to Creative Writing, a Poetry Seminar, and an... Independent Study? And because Kenneth was department chair, he had several course releases, freeing him up to teach only one Shakespeare class.

She and the other women were being dumped on.

“Why am I teaching two writing classes?” Victoria chimed in.