Abstract
In early 2014 the American Association of University Professors released a report stating that across institutions of higher education from community colleges to research universities, adjuncts comprise more than 75% of all faculty. These underpaid faculty members who lack the job security and benefits of their full-time colleagues are making a major impact on the institutions that employ them. In 2012 Middlesex Community College’s SoTL Community coordinators proposed a structure to their provost in which each year, two full-time and two adjunct faculty would serve as SoTL Scholars. Additionally, the coordinators would actively recruit adjunct faculty to form part of the core of the SoTL Community. Nearly three years after the program was instituted, adjunct faculty have boosted the SoTL Community’s reputation, developing projects that contribute not only to their individual growth as faculty members, but also to the strength of their departments, divisions, and institution, in addition to the other colleges where these part-time faculty teach. This panel of two SoTL coordinators and three adjunct faculty will describe the positive effect the part-time instructors have had on the institution, as well as on the viability of the SoTL Community.
Location
Room 2005
Recommended Citation
McCarron, Cathleen; Quast, Sarah; Richard, Patricia; Erickson, Robert; and Tennant, David, "Adjunct Faculty: Backbone of the SoTL Community" (2015). SoTL Commons Conference. 23.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2015/23
Adjunct Faculty: Backbone of the SoTL Community
Room 2005
In early 2014 the American Association of University Professors released a report stating that across institutions of higher education from community colleges to research universities, adjuncts comprise more than 75% of all faculty. These underpaid faculty members who lack the job security and benefits of their full-time colleagues are making a major impact on the institutions that employ them. In 2012 Middlesex Community College’s SoTL Community coordinators proposed a structure to their provost in which each year, two full-time and two adjunct faculty would serve as SoTL Scholars. Additionally, the coordinators would actively recruit adjunct faculty to form part of the core of the SoTL Community. Nearly three years after the program was instituted, adjunct faculty have boosted the SoTL Community’s reputation, developing projects that contribute not only to their individual growth as faculty members, but also to the strength of their departments, divisions, and institution, in addition to the other colleges where these part-time faculty teach. This panel of two SoTL coordinators and three adjunct faculty will describe the positive effect the part-time instructors have had on the institution, as well as on the viability of the SoTL Community.
