Here at Western Washington University in Bellingham (25 miles south of the
Canadian border on I-5)...
 
     I presume this reference to the Canadian border was to help us get our
geographical bearings, or was it to suggest that the lower standards blew
over like a nasty cold nor' westerly? :-)
 
Dan, I think most of us can identify with your experience.  I co-ordinate
all sections of the LE course in my school, but am outnumbered by adjuncts.
So I am constantly defending standards.  I now just (dictator-like) set the
syllabus and exams myself for the adjuncts to follow.  Many students flee
my sections because they would rather not think in class.  And, yes, it
does hurt when students say that the adjunct is a "better" instructor
because (we all know) s/he spends class time telling stories and has never
met a student who was below average.
 
Just this term, I came to realize why researchers should teach: they are
engaged in asking questions, making evaluations and synthesis, developing
and testing models, tracking trends, defining relationships, and furnishing
support for propositions.  Without these intellectual aerobics, most other
instructors (such as practitioners) can offer little more than content and,
occasionally, entertainment.
 
Good luck shovelling those boulders!
 
Cheers,
 
Peter Bowal
University of Calgary