Getting Started as an Adjunct Faculty in the Online Classroom

What Is An Adjunct Instructor?

An adjunct instructor/professor is considered a part-time instructor on a contract. In this job there are normally not any health benefits. Adjunct instructors generally have full-time job in the industry they teach about or are transitioning to teaching full-time as they get their doctorates. Generally, the adjunct instructor has similar responsibilities as a full-time/tenure instructor. There are some requirements when it comes to teaching classes as an adjunct. These responsibilities included other responsibilities that go beyond teaching and grading within the course. According to Western Governor’s University College Professor Career Guide,(n.d) here are some of the responsibilities you may face as an adjunct instructor: teaching courses, helping students increase their knowledge, publishing their research findings in academic journals/books, serving on committees, and possibly overseeing doctoral students, depending on the school’s requirements. An online adjunct faculty candidate needs at least a master’s degree. This master’s degree needs to be in the field of study the candidate wants to teach. For example, if an online adjunct candidate wants to teach English 101, they will most likely need an MA in English or Creative Writing. However, there is a caveat to that rule regarding some basic general education courses. These general education courses that students may take in the very beginning before getting into their other courses a candidate might come across that would not need a specific degree. For example, in another large online university, the first course that all students with under a specific threshold of credits take will have broader requirements of who is eligible to teach. Since the main goals of the course is to support students as they acquire tools and strategies for academic success and to support successful study skills, faculty from a variety of degree backgrounds can support these first-year, general education students. To be a successful online adjunct faculty candidate, there are other specific requirements when teaching online. For example, proficiency with Internet tools such as Zoom, Microsoft products such as Word, Excel, and PPT, as well as the ability to quickly become proficient in a learning management system are all additional requirements. These are the general requirements that have similarities in many different job postings for different schools that offer online programs. There are multiple ways that a candidate can gain experience to add on to their curriculum vitae that will help them get a role as an adjunct instructor that involve teaching and even transferable skills.