Summarized by J. T. P. Yao, 5/16/00

"Adjunct faculty can offer enrichment to an engineering program by bringing practical experience and by introducing relevant industrial applications and problems to the classroom. … Adjunct faculty members can also provide important linkages for developing industrial affiliate programs, co-op activities, and employment opportunities for graduates. … At the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), we have evolved a regimen of strategies to ensure the quality of the educational program and to support the teaching effectiveness and professional commitment of adjunct professors. …"

"A. Identification of High-Quality Adjunct Faculty

… An exhaustive review of the candidates' qualifications and references is a minimum, but essential step in guaranteeing quality of instruction. In addition to this, it is reasonable to require some proof of teaching ability from the candidate. We have accepted either meritorious student evaluations from a previous teaching assignment, or the presentation of a seminar as a requirement for employment. … We look for organization skills, self-confidence, enthusiasm, familiarity, and depth of insight with the material. …"

"B. Establishing Membership in the University Community

When a talented adjunct candidate is identified, it is important that he/she becomes a member of the faculty community to the fullest possible extent. … The expectation that teaching is of high priority in the department must be made explicit to the adjunct faculty. …

1. Information Needs Related to Teaching Culture: …
2. Information Related to Academic and Clerical Logistics: …
3. Information Related to the Particular Course Taught: …
4. Information on Quality Expectations: …
5. Enhancing Research Collaboration with Permanent Faculty: …"

"C. Support for Teaching Excellence

1. … A longer-term contract is recognition of the trust and respect invested in excellent teachers. …
2. Accord appropriate titles, such as master instructor or lecturer, to distinguish the proven teaching skills of the qualified individual.
3. Encourage instructors or adjuncts to take appropriate graduate courses for acquiring a graduate degree or for developing new skills and knowledge. …
4. Assign these experienced instructors and adjuncts to teach new courses to increase their versatility and to promote their value to the department.
5. Similarly, assign them to undergraduate advising, or to student association mentoring to solidify their prestige in the department.
6. Accord outstanding full-time adjuncts or instructors the same eligibility rights for faculty teaching awards as regular faculty.
7. List these instructors and adjuncts in department catalogs and brochures, the undergraduate catalog, as well as in the campus telephone directory.
8. Offer them the opportunity to march in graduation and other academic ceremonies.
9. Include adjunct faculty on search committees for new faculty and on curriculum development committees."

"We have surveyed adjunct faculty at CSM, soliciting ideas and recommendations for improving both adjunct morale and their teaching effectiveness. Some of their suggestions, including the value of faculty mentoring and the need for specific information, have been reported above. Other concerns expressed in the survey include low salaries, the need for longer-term stability, and a desire to teach evening classes. … In general, the department heads had positive experiences with adjunct faculty, except when the number, or perhaps the adjunct faculty/permanent faculty ratio was high, when the salary level was low, or when the funding level for adjunct positions was not known until almost the beginning of the semester. …"

[Readers who are interested in this article are encouraged to read the original paper in its entirety. Other summary notes on faculty reward systems are available on the Internet at http://lohman.tamu.edu under the heading "Summaries of Papers ..."]

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