Taking Learning Seriously: A Comprehensive Adjunct Faculty Support System

by Jody Tomanek & Randy VanWagoner

Adjunct faculty are critical for community colleges to carry out their basic mission of teaching and learning.  From the time they take that first step in becoming an adjunct to helping them develop their teaching skills and strategies, support for adjuncts can take on many forms.  Whether it be expanding current support systems for adjunct faculty or developing new ones, institutions can take some coordinated steps to strengthen the relationship between the college and its adjunct faculty.  If community colleges are serious about learning and student success, a comprehensive support system is needed – with components of adjunct faculty intake, support and connection. Rather than attempting to address individual components, the entire system should be evaluated and strengthened to reinforce the overall teaching and learning effort and provide for a more consistent learning experience for students.

Recruitment and Hiring

Recruitment and hiring are two essential pieces in finding an adequate pool of qualified adjunct faculty. To assist with recruitment, a market salary survey should be conducted a minimum of every three years by calling local competitors to gauge their compensation levels to maintain currency in the marketplace for adjunct faculty pay rates.  One great recruitment tool is to host an annual hiring fair that is advertised through thoughtful and creative ad placement.  During the fair, full-time faculty and instructional administrators should be available to interview and meet with potential adjunct faculty.  This is a meaningful way for the college to make a connection with potential adjunct faculty and it carries the possibility of hiring adjunct faculty immediately through an on-site interview at the fair.  A tracking system should be developed to identify the number of attendees and track how many actually are hired and assigned to teach in the coming academic year.  In addition to an adjunct hiring fair, an ongoing recruitment effort will allow for a steady stream of candidates that will provide for greater flexibility and a more substantial pool of substitutes.

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