The former vice president earned six-figures as faculty fought for better wages.
After four years of teaching as an adjunct art professor at George Mason University, janet e. dandridge felt like she deserved a raise.
But when she asked for a pay increase in August 2025, she said administrators at George Mason declined to give her more than the $16,366 she made teaching two virtual classes each spring and fall.
That September, George Mason announced former Vice President Mike Pence would teach in the university’s Schar School of Policy and Government as a distinguished professor of practice.
George Mason did not include what Pence would get paid in its announcement, but dandrige’s union, the George Mason chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), obtained a document detailing his compensation in October 2025 through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
Pence was hired for $150,000 to teach or co-teach one course in the spring 2026 semester on a nine-month contract, according to the document obtained by the union. The document shows that Pence’s role was a part-time appointment and that he was expected to make public appearances, give guest lectures, and advise students.
dandridge wasn’t shocked to learn that George Mason had denied her a raise while offering to give Pence a six-figure teaching job. But she was annoyed that Pence was apparently able to use his celebrity status to land a contract that paid him nine times as much as her.
“The sad part is that I’m so numb, in a way, to injustice as a Black person in the United States, as a woman in the United States, that I’m just like, ‘Oh, okay, well, another thing,’” dandridge said in an interview.
George Mason did not respond to a request for comment. Pence could not be reached for comment.
Dogwood sent its own FOIA request to George Mason on May 4, and two follow-up emails on May 19 and June 4. On Saturday, George Mason acknowledged it had received Dogwood’s FOIA request and released the same document to Dogwood on Monday that the union had obtained.
George Mason called the document, which was electronically signed by Pence, the “original offer letter.”
Bethany Letiecq, a tenured professor at George Mason, was flabbergasted when she saw how much Pence got paid. She called it a “gut punch.” Letiecq was surprised to see guest lectures included in his contract since many professors don’t seek significant compensation for that kind of work.
Letiecq, who serves as president of the George Mason chapter of AAUP, questioned how George Mason could justify hiring Pence for $150,000 while keeping faculty wages low.
“They can clearly find the money to pay an incredible salary to an individual who is going to teach very little,” Letiecq said. “Is the salary worth what you get? Is he actually bringing in more students? Is he increasing the profile of the university? Is it worth the cost? It’s a big question mark.”
The median pay per credit hour for adjunct faculty in the US is $1,166, and the median total pay for an academic term is $4,998, according to a February report by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. The report noted that adjunct faculty make up about 40% of the higher education faculty workforce in the US, have low job security, and are typically paid less than other kinds of faculty positions.
“This low pay is especially notable considering the education level of adjuncts, as many colleges and universities require an advanced degree for these positions,” the report said. “In addition to low pay, adjuncts are seldom offered retirement savings plans by their college or university, and they are typically ineligible to receive healthcare benefits.”
George Mason also paid Pence far more than it did to former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R). Mason paid McDonnell $35,000 for a role similar to Pence’s at the university, according to a document obtained by the George Masson chapter of AAUP and shared with Dogwood.
“There’s a great degree of variability in pay across the board,” Letiecq said. “That’s part of the issue why we want collective bargaining is to standardize pay and reach more equity and fairness.”
The precarity that many adjunct faculty face is part of why unions like AAUP and United Campus Workers of Virginia (UCWVA) want collective bargaining rights for higher education workers at public universities.
Virginia law currently bans collective bargaining for state employees, including public university workers. Faculty got excluded from the recent legislation to lift the ban that the General Assembly passed and Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) vetoed.
That was despite efforts by AAUP and UCWVA to get higher education workers included.
“We’re hoping that we can fight back and get collective bargaining across the finish line,” Letiecq said.
