Aspects of a Writer Project: The Writing Life Plan

Adjunct Teaching

What does it mean to be an adjunct professor?

An adjunct professor, also known as an adjunct lecturer, adjunct instructor, or contingent faculty, is a professor who teaches on a limited-term contract, often for one semester at a time. These contracts are then evaluated for renewal at the end of each semester based on things like teaching evaluations, the amount of students expected to take the class the next semester, etc. Adjuncts often teach introductory undergraduate courses such as introductory math or first-year English composition.

To be an adjunct professor, a person must hold at least a master’s degree. Because adjuncts are contracted for part-time work, they are not considered to be a part of the permanent faculty and are therefore not on the path to a tenured position. However, working as an adjunct is valuable experience and can lead to gaining a full time position as an associate professor which could eventually lead to tenure.

Freeway Flyer

Adjunct professor are often called “freeway flyers.” The nickname is a result of adjuncts often teaching at multiple institutions at once. They, therefore, make liberal use of freeways and other commuting routes to make it back and forth to the classes they teach at a variety of universities.

Responsibilities

While they do not have the same responsibilities of full-time, tenured professors, such as publishing, attending meetings, or conducting research, adjunct professors still perform the same teaching tasks as any other form of professor. These tasks include:

Salary

Salary ranges for higher education adjunct professors vary widely, depending on the state, type of college, the discipline professors teach, and the professors’ education level, teaching experience, and field expertise. Salaries also vary by institution type: Typically adjunct faculty earn higher pay in traditional four-year institutions, compared to those who work in community colleges. 

Breaking adjunct pay down by classes taught: Adjunct professors typically earn between $2,000 to $7,000 for teaching one 3-unit course. The average pay for teaching one course at California college is $3,500. The typical classload of an adjunct professor is about 6-8 classes per year.

How to Get Started

If becoming an adjunct professor after completing your MFA is your plan, here is a list of the materials which you will need to create in order to start your application: 

Teaching Statement / Philosophy

The teaching statement is a one to two page document which outlines your theories about teaching, including how to construct assignments, conduct lectures or other classroom activities, and grade. If you have previous teaching experience such as leading a workshop or being a TA, that experience should be mentioned here. A strong teaching statement usually includes examples of successful classroom approaches you've tried or even failures that led to your growth as a teacher. If you don't have teaching experience, you can simply list educational strategies you have learned about and how you might apply them in a future classroom.

Diversity Statement

While not always inlcuded, a diversity statement is becoming increasingly in demand as part of an application to teach at any level. A diversity statement is typically one page and details your commitment to fostering diversity in your classroom, school and community. In this statement, you may include biographical information about how you came to appreciate diversity or any challenges you faced as a person in the social groups you belong to. An academic hiring committee likely wants to see evidence that fostering a variety of cultural perspectives is important in your teaching style and how you will run a classroom.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A CV is a full account of your academic career, including education, publications, professional memberships, conference presentations, training and professional development, any research experience you’ve had, and more. Unlike the one-page resume, a CV can be as long as needed to detail your professional experience. Some long-standing professors will have a CV that is in the double digits. As a newly graduated MFA student, however, any length is appropriate. The main goal is to show off the variety of experiences you have had over the course of your educational and working life.

Cover Letter

Although there may be some overlap with your teaching philosophy or diversity statement, in the cover letter portion of the application you should focus more on why you're applying to this specific school and what benefits you will bring if hired. This is a good place to showcase an research you have done in the school, its mission, and what they typically look for when hiring. It is also the place to highlight any specific skills or experiences that pertain to your ability to teach.

Recommendation Letters

While many schools would simply contact the references listed either in the application or on your CV, some may require you to submit recommendation letters as part of your application. This is not very different from the recommendation letters that were required when applying to college and graduate school. Typical recommendation writers include former professors, employers or professional colleagues.

Applying

Once you have gathered all of your application materials, it is now a matter of researching universities or community colleges near you which may be hiring adjunct faculty. In addition to universities, community colleges typically have open adjunct positions. Before you apply, check the application instructions carefully to ensure you have all the information they require. If you miss something, your application might not be considered. After you have submitted your application, a member of the hiring committee may contact you for an interview, which sometimes takes place with a group.

After the interview, there are often two options when it comes to community colleges. If there us currently an opening, the hiring committee may offer you classes immediately. However, if they have no open positions at the moment, the committee may add you to an "adjunct pool," where you'll be in line if any courses become available.

For four-year universities, there is typically no “adjunct pool” and, therefore, they will only conduct the application and interviewing process when teaching spots are available. 

Other Benefits

While working as an adjunct may not be ideal due to its part-time nature, there are additional benefits that come along with teaching at a higher education institution.
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