Fostering Learning: An Adjunct Faculty Development Model

Technorati Tags: ODCE Wow! Some schools have a lot of adjuncts. then again, when I was adjuncting, there were some pretty high numbers of adjuncts in the schools where I worked.

Good idea: professional development evenings once per quarter (with dinner!!) so that they get at least some faculty development. Also a good way to get folks introduced to support personnel on campus.

Best practices in development: Feed them, pay them, have mentors, have online resources, treat the same way as Ft, workshop funds, website, target them MORE, put announcments in mailboxes.

Challenges for development: Time, pay, institutional commitment.

Process for adjunct advancement.
Orientation every quarter. (letter in contract)
Workshops every quarter.
Virtual faculty lounge.
Self-development plan for adjuncts (encouraged but not required)
THEN they may be eligible for promotion (more $$$$)

Professional development plan is developed in first quarter and implemented in second quarter.

What works:
orientation (especially for bonding reasons; lateral network)
workshops
learning commons
assimilation into institution (I think we do a good job abou that anyway)
Virtual faculty lounge (wouldn't it serve our adjuncts well if we could do this on a statewide shared level?)

Proposals:
Online new adjunct oreintation
Adjunct fauclty virtual lounge

Thats' what I love about this experience: I always get great collaborative ideas!

Thanks Cathy and Brenda!