Investing in Adjunct Faculty

I.Include

• Ensure adjuncts personally know the Chair and are always welcome in his or her office.
• Recognize and welcome adjuncts at the first department faculty meeting of Fall semester.
• Invite adjuncts to department and other meetings — they’re welcome, but not obligated.
• Include adjuncts in department email correspondence, the Dean’s update, or a monthly newsletter — any of which may carry updates, changes, and a calendar of important dates so everyone knows what’s taking place that month.
• Invite adjuncts to participate in department social events, activities, trips, and traditions. Examples: Pizza with the Professors (Education and Human Development)•pre-semester College Steak Fry (Performing and Visual Arts)•Salt Lake trips with the Apparel Advisory Board or for the annual Religious Education Conference•group photos•end-of-semester meals

II.Train

• Interview by the Dean of the college — at least one point of contact.
• Add adjuncts to the adjunct training in Canvas and guide them through it.
• Orient new hires before the semester to department culture and expectations, course outcomes, materials, office assignments, and campus resources — such as where to get an I-Card, parking passes, and the Faculty Technology Center.
• Train for the specific courses being taught.
• Invite adjuncts to a department meeting once a year, prior to Fall semester, to check in with each other, hear department updates, and cover any training that needs to be addressed.
• Introduce adjuncts to SCOTS (Student Consultants on Teaching), who “help faculty improve their teaching environments and reflect on their teaching practices by providing data, feedback, and insight from a student perspective.”

III.Mentor

• Assign a full-time faculty member to mentor each adjunct.
• Conduct a mid-semester “check-in” to learn what issues or questions adjuncts have, and gather suggestions on what they may need and ways to help students.
• Share information about benefits and resources.
• Hold a weekly meeting with an adjunct mentor.
• Visit classes to get to know adjuncts better.

IV.Support

• Provide and maintain solid, updated Canvas course masters.
• Answer questions and concerns promptly, by email or in person — there’s a lot of communication and collaboration.
• Provide clear channels for who to talk to about problems in the classroom.
• Provide office space, often shared, for mentoring or grading and for storing coats or materials.
• Provide access to a computer, fridge, microwave, and similar essentials.
• Locate adjunct offices near faculty offices, so it’s easy to have hallway chats.
• Provide opportunities to ask questions and receive support at an adjunct lunch held each semester or year.

V.Appreciation

• Email adjuncts personally when you see or hear something positive — a good evaluation, a student’s kind comment — or for important work anniversaries.
• Highlight adjunct bios and headshots in the department’s monthly newsletter, sent to students and faculty.
• Give small gift bags or token gifts at random moments — holiday-themed gifts, a caramel apple, and the like.
• Acknowledge birthdays — a sign on the office door, a birthday card signed by full-time and adjunct faculty, and/or a gift card to the MC Crossroads.
• Give Christmas gifts (for example, Florence’s chocolates) with hand-written cards expressing gratitude, or with the department name printed on them.
• Invite adjuncts to the Christmas party with a catered meal.
• Hold an adjunct appreciation lunch each semester or year, and use it as a place to say thank you.

VI.Communication Improvements

• Increase communication from upper administration and other departments about how they are supporting adjuncts, especially with onboarding.
• Give Deans access to who the adjunct faculty are for their college, how long they have been teaching, and what courses they usually teach. A new tool now makes it easier to see end-of-course evaluations for all faculty teaching, including adjuncts — though most connections, management, and training happen at the department level.
• Consider having campus communications advertise benefits and resources — they’re probably not being communicated well even to full-time employees.
• Make Canvas training more well-known on campus.
• Inform department chairs of the adjunct page on the website; many are unaware of it.

VII.Onboard

• Create a formalized onboarding packet that HR or Deans can give to a new adjunct.
• Provide more onboarding opportunities — at least one to three meetings with other adjuncts before the start of the term, where questions can be asked and information given.
• Consider copying the onboarding course used by Pathway and online adjuncts.
• Help Department Chairs know about the Canvas course and what it covers.

VIII.Other Considerations

• There is a desire not to overload adjunct faculty, since they are compensated only to teach — not to mentor, collaborate, or create curriculum.
  NOTES TO CONSIDER

  1) The assumption that adjuncts do not create curriculum is erroneous, especially when some are specialists in their fields. Perhaps what constitutes “curriculum” needs to be defined more clearly. Does it mean adjuncts aren’t “supposed” to create their own exams, or decide what in the recommended curricula is most important?

  2) It seems ironic that mentoring is emphasized more at BYU-Idaho than at many other universities, yet adjuncts are supposedly not compensated for “mentoring.” Does that mean adjuncts aren’t supposed to mentor or hold office hours? How does one separate mentoring from teaching — and from good teaching?

• Help adjuncts with questions about advising students or getting resources to students — new adjuncts have to learn where everything is on campus, just like new freshmen.
• Provide adjuncts with a place to ask questions, raise concerns, and share ideas. They have so much to contribute beyond just showing up to teach (though that is huge!).
• Give adjuncts an idea of their upcoming teaching schedule, and how the load is divided across the year, with more notice. They would like to know their semester contracts and compensation further in advance. The Music Department gives out adjunct teaching assignments one to two semesters in advance, where possible.

IX.In the Future...

Professional Development

• Create a template for teaching observations, and a list of resources teachers can use to follow up on the feedback they receive.
• Incentivize more observation time.
• Provide feedback — after their first few semesters, adjuncts often want more feedback on how they are doing and how they can improve.
• Increase awareness among adjuncts of the SCOT Program, which lets them meet with trained student helpers to improve their teaching.

Administrative Support

• Consider an assistant chair in departments with many adjuncts (like English) to focus on adjuncts and GE or introductory courses.
• Consider providing full-time faculty mentors a course release at least once a year.
• Consider an adjunct lead position at the university or college level — it could be a huge help.
• Plan budgets and resources with adjuncts in mind to allow opportunities to train, support, supervise, and acknowledge them.

Meeting Accessibility

• Hold a weekly meeting where new adjuncts can gather together.
• Provide a recording of the department meeting for busy adjuncts to watch later.
• Hold a separate adjunct meeting in the late afternoon or evening, when more adjuncts are likely able to attend.