Fall 2000
Vol 9 Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE...
A Conversation with Anna Solley
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
Adjunct Faculty Collegial Support
Partnership Program (AF-CSPP) at Paradise
Valley Community College
Marilyn Cristiano, PVCC
The Adjunct Faculty Collegial Support Partnership Program (AF-CSPP), first implemented in the fall semester of 1998, is designed to encourage open communication among college personnel in order to foster student success more effectively through collegial support. The general goal of the program is the successful integration of newly-hired adjunct faculty members into the college community.
In the semester-long program, newly-hired adjunct faculty are invited to partner with a veteran residential faculty member who teaches the same courses or within the same discipline or division as does the newly-hired adjunct faculty member. Participation is voluntary. The veteran faculty member serves as a "go to" or contact person should their adjunct faculty partner have questions or concerns. The partners are accountable to meet with each other for a minimum of three times during the semester to engage in professionally related activities based upon the needs of the adjunct faculty partner. Adjunct faculty partners are encouraged to select activities from five major categories as follows:
- Discuss course management strategies, teaching-for-learning strategies, and counseling strategies with special emphasis on meeting the needs of at-risk students.
- Observe each other teaching and discuss the experience.
- Review and discuss the mission, philosophies and norms, learning resources, student services, computer services, professional growth, personnel services/benefits, political realities, governance and management practices, and policies and procedures of the college and of the district. Seek answers from the appropriate campus or district department or contact person(s) to questions that may arise.
- Meet with college personnel to gain a better understanding of the contributions of the various roles and responsibilities of these personnel to the mission of the college.
- Attend a formal session of a campus, district, or state committee, meeting, forum, or training session to gain a better understanding of governance and management structures, current educational methodologies, and timely teaching for learning issues at the campus, district, and state levels.
The AF-CSPP enables newly-hired adjunct faculty to have a supportive colleague they can call when they have questions or concerns since many new faculty are reluctant to discuss issues that arise with the person who hired them. Moreover, the program is based upon a partnership model rather than a traditional mentor model. Both partners' professional growth is enhanced through their association with one another.
A residential faculty member assigned, by the Dean of Instruction, is awarded three-credit hours of reassigned time or a three-credit hour extended contract per semester to coordinate the program. Veteran partners are awarded a .5 credit extended contract (fifteen educational development hours) for their participation. The AF-CSPP Manual includes information on the goals of the program, the coordinator's responsibilities, procedures and criteria for pairing the partners, accountability requirements of the partners, and suggested activities for partner meetings.
A program evaluation is conducted at the end of each semester of implementation and recommendations are made for changes in the program based upon the results of the evaluation.
The program has been evaluated highly by program participants. In response to the question "Should we continue to offer the AF-CSPP for newly hired adjunct faculty members at PVCC? Why? Why not?," partners enthusiastically supported the continuation of the program. A newly-hired adjunct partner wrote: "Yes! - It provided the opportunity to learn about the history and mission of the college, the students it serves, and, equally important, it made me feel like I was a part of the PVCC team. Quite motivating and certainly distinguished PVCC from the former colleges I was associated with."
Another newly hired adjunct partner wrote: "Yes. The AF-CSPP allows newly hired adjunct faculty to benefit from the knowledge, wisdom, and practicality of veteran residential faculty." A veteran partner observed: "Yes. The program creates a helpful link to the college community for the adjunct who may feel isolated in the classroom." Another veteran partner noted: "Yes, in that it provides new faculty a contact person to share problems with (student issues, instructional methods), someone to ask regarding procedures and support services, someone to go to/call on. The new faculty this way is not so alonethere is a back-up/security net. (Wish I had had someone to go to when I was new)."
As a result of the program, newly hired adjunct faculty are supported, feel more a part of the campus, and are oriented to the college at a minimal cost of human and fiscal resources with students being the ultimate beneficiaries.
