Fall 2000
Vol 9 Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE...
A Conversation with Anna Solley
Stranger Things Have Happened
Professional Development for Adjuncts
Adjunct Faculty Collegial Support Partnership Program
Rio Salado College Model for Adjunct Faculty
ASSIDERE
Adjunct Faculty Involvement in Student Outcomes Assessment
SEE ALSO...
The Labyrinth
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
Stranger Things Have Happened
Mark David Milliron, President and CEO
League for Innovation in the Community College
Five years ago, John and Suanne Roueche and I published a national study exploring the key issues surrounding adjunct faculty in the community college. Strangers in Their Own Land: Part-Time Faculty in the American Community College sounded the call for a more systemic and inclusive approach to the use of adjunct faculty. We urged community college leaders to explore and adopt best practice models in recruiting, selecting, orienting, developing, evaluating, and culturally integrating these key instructors, and to end the benign neglect of such a powerful and pervasive cohort of teachers.
In the five years since Strangers, there have been some encouraging applications of the strategies outlined. Still, the key challenges we detailed are far too common on most community college campuses. Many campuses still have an almost uncensored arrogance that emerges in discussions about adjunct faculty - which is particularly distasteful in this self-proclaimed bastion of egalitarian values called the community college movement.
Still, John, Suanne, and I are no less convinced that the core strategies we outlined five years ago can and should be applied today - particularly encouraged by the good work of dedicated folks like those at the Maricopa Community Colleges. I've been privileged to be a part of your efforts at defining the challenges and designing solutions, and have seen good progress. And, as you continue your important efforts to help better utilize adjunct faculty, you will likely wrestle with the two notable happenings that are particularly interesting to those of us who watch the issues of adjunct faculty.
First, the most powerful trend impacting every element of the community college these days is technology. Cindy Miles and I explore these issues in our newest book, Taking a Big Picture Look at Technology, Learning, and the Community College. What is clear from our work in this area is that for adjuncts, the massive implementation of technology systems has caused some significant problems, but has also helped address some notable concerns. Because of technology, connecting with adjunct faculty is easier. With e-mail and the Web, adjunct faculty can hold asynchronous office hours and access information and services via the college Web site. However, technology has also increased the need for orientation and development in technology tools - not to mention, added a new criteria to the selection of quality adjunct faculty: skill with and access to information technology.
The second happening involves the explosion of technology and the emergence of online colleges and educational services that have led to increased options for adjunct faculty. Adjuncts now have the opportunity to work for University of Phoenix, U.S. Open University, Western Governors University, or other online institutions from their homes. Often these opportunities pay more and provide additional training that makes instructors more marketable. Also, e-services companies like SMARTHINKING.com will pay adjunct faculty $15 to $20 an hour for online tutoring support in major discipline areas. These options give adjuncts choices to supplement (or sometimes replace) their work with community colleges. This is not even considering the hot job market, which makes finding available adjunct faculty increasingly difficult.
As these Stranger things continue to happen, we are again challenged to improve our use of adjunct faculty. Now, however, competition and need for their services are increasing. Their "close to market" contacts in a "just in time" program expertise make them even more valued educational partners. I hope those exploring these issues consider these happenings and wake up to what might happen if we don't do a better job in our work with adjuncts - these Strangers might find another land altogether!
