Community College Adjunct Teachers?

[Paige]

Anyone here teach part time at a community college? I am thinking about a position but I'm not entirely sure how it would fit with my homeschooling lifestyle and how it would compare to teaching at a larger university. I do not enjoy teaching other people's young children in co-op settings. I do not enjoy teaching as a TA under a professor where I have to follow another person's lesson plans and grading styles. I do enjoy coming up with my own lessons and implementing them and I like teaching when I am the one grading things.

 

I could find a babysitter for a regular schedule but I wouldn't be able to find one frequently at the last minute. I'm wondering how much work per class (3 credit hour classes) would it be and is it something you'd do if you didn't need the money? The pay is not substantial.

[Joanne]

I do; I currently teach 2 sections of the same "college success" class. Next term; I am thinking about dropping my main job and teaching an additional (3rd) section.

 

I like it but would NOT do it if I didn't need the money.

[Paige]

 

I like it but would NOT do it if I didn't need the money.

 

Can you elaborate on why? I'm interested because I think it would be nice to get out of the house and have some more intellectual conversation than I can get with an 11yr old and because I need to get more on my resume. I'm hesitating because I've seen how much a pain university politics can be and don't really want to deal with much of that right now. I was thinking a part time non-tenure track person may have less stress. The pay is so low. I think I could easily make more at Walmart.

[Dana]

You can't make more at Walmart for the same amount of time you're out of the house.

 

For out of the house time, the adjunct work at the cc pays great.

For total work time, it's not so great.

 

The cc's I've worked at (2) have common syllabi for classes. The lower level classes have a departmental grading scale and departmental finals. They want some consistency. I can understand the reasoning.

 

You'll still have politics.

I teach nights and so I avoid many of those issues.

Intellectual conversation.... :lol: .

It'll depend on what you teach.

It is adult conversation at least. I sure needed that when my son was little.

 

I don't know if I'd do it if I didn't need the money.

I like keeping my hand in - if I needed to go back to work full time ever, I've got a work history.

I really enjoy helping the students I can help. I love seeing the light go on with some of them.

 

I'm at a stage where I probably spend 3-4 hours a week outside of class doing prep and grading on average through the semester. More at the start of term.

I also have my lecture notes made up and I don't need to do much revision on them. When prepping a class for the first time, it's more like 6-7 hours a week for the class. Grading time depends on the size of the class as well.

 

You could always try teaching one or two nights and see how it goes. Aim for as few preps as possible. I'd do back-to-back classes that were the same prep.

Fall semester tends to be roughest with new college students coming in. By spring more of them have figured out expected behavior.

Plan on the first few weeks being exhausting. I try to take the first week of classes off with our homeschool since I'm dealing with enough paperwork and emails to keep me busy.

[QueenCat]

Dh adjuncts but not at a community college. His classes are 9 weeks long. Classes meet once a week. He spends about 10 hours a week on prepping lectures/quizzes/tests/etc, corresponding with students and grading. So far, he hasn't taught the same class twice but that will change come August. That should reduce some of the prep time.

[G5052]

I've done it for 14 years now. At this point it is decent pay for the time involved because I know the course material so well and have everything pretty much set. Normally I'm not doing much prep work at all during the semester, just grading, teaching, and responding to emails. I average five hours a week including teaching. When they switch textbooks every other year, I go through and revise everything though. That's my summer project because we're going to the next edition. That takes time of course. I've been hired to teach online for another community college, and will also be preparing for that, but more in terms of becoming familiar with the materials. They provide everything, so I'll just be answering emails and grading. No development at all.

 

If you've never done it before, keep in mind that you may have to put together Powerpoints, assignments, exams, and a syllabus. That is not a trivial job. Sometimes they give you those components, and sometimes you have to come up with them on your own. You will also have to learn the various college-related computer systems and how to use the equipment in your classroom. There may be lots of rules about how things are supposed to be. Colleges and professors get sued, and it is not the free environment it once was.

 

On the plus side, I love teaching, and I love the college I work for. They provide free software, discounts with local businesses, some professional development funds, and I'm eligible for benefits at this point. It enhances homeschooling because we go to the local events including college presentations, and I know the strengths and weaknesses of that school when it comes time for my own kids. I love making a difference in the community. I run into former students frequently, and some of them have done quite well.

 

There are of course negatives. Sometimes it gets very ugly. Last semester I had to call security to remove a student from class, and he ended up being suspended because he slugged the security officer on the way out. In that same section I had another male student who burst into tears at a moment's notice, disrupting the class with his heavy sobs. I tried to get him help, but he stopped coming to class. And then yet another filed a grievance against me for unfair grading that required preparing my case and going to a hearing before my peers. He didn't show, and I was pronounced "not guilty." Most community colleges are "open door" when it comes to admissions, and then only a fraction actually graduate. So you have to be emotionally prepared for a culture of failure at times. I've had times when I gave "F" grades to half of the class, and other times when 3/4 of the class got "A" grades. It is a tough environment that way, and the burnout rate among adjuncts can be quite high.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Can you elaborate on why? I'm interested because I think it would be nice to get out of the house and have some more intellectual conversation than I can get with an 11yr old and because I need to get more on my resume. I'm hesitating because I've seen how much a pain university politics can be and don't really want to deal with much of that right now. I was thinking a part time non-tenure track person may have less stress. The pay is so low. I think I could easily make more at Walmart.

 

 

No stress adjuncting? Does a thing exist???

 

Not to burst your bubble but adjuncting, while enjoyable, can be frustrating due to the political games that are played. These games are becoming even more complicated. Adjuncting is more than being in the classroom and teaching a particular subject. There are retention reports, grade distribution reports, CATS reports - all due every semester. The amount of paperwork required at the beginning of each semester is becoming more detailed. Gone are the days of a two page syllabus. Each syllabus (at least at my CC) must be as detailed as possible, including all due dates, point values for assignments, grading rubrics for each assignment, etc. The average syllabus is now 10 pages long and must be submitted and approved by the dean prior to the beginning of the semester. FERPA documents and class contracts must be signed and on file the first day of class. Attendance reports are submitted the first week, the eighth week and the twelfth week of classes. All instructors are required to track and report to the appropriate office the progress of athletes, at risk students and failing students. Adjuncts are encouraged, but not required, to sit on committees and participate in on-campus lectures, trainings and programs. Adjuncts are required to update their skills on a regular basis by either earning CEUs (not reimbursed by the CC) or proving current experience in their discipline. Adjuncts are required to maintain skills necessary to work with the CCs computer systems (i.e. Moodle, Blackboard, TurnItIn, etc). Adjunct retention is dependent on student evaluations and student retention rates.

 

At present, the union is rewriting contracts for adjuncts. Some of the proposed changes include: reducing the number of allowable credit hours to 6 per semester and 18 per academic year; no longer allowing cross-teaching (a business teacher may not teach accounting; an education instructor may not teach psychology or sociology); and limiting the type of other work an adjunct can do at the CC (working for buildings and grounds or the athletic department).

 

The reasons for the proposed changes are many. The concept of adjuncting initially involved professionals coming onto the campus to teach one or two courses a year. The idea was that these professionals would bring current working experience to the classroom and relate the material to the real world. The idea of a professional adjunct, someone who relies on adjuncting as their primary source of income, wasn't on the radar. (I realize this is not what you want to do.) But the reality is most adjuncts are not professionals first and then adjuncts second. Not one of the adjuncts I know has a full time job working in the field in which they are also teaching. Most are either MAs unable to find jobs in their chosen field or moms wanting to get out of the house and earn a bit of extra money and gain work experience.

 

I would like to say, before anyone thinks I don't like my job, because I do, that adjuncting is wonderful. I enjoy it and work diligently to provide a high quality academic experience for my students. I am one of those adjuncts who has a disproportionate pay rate. If I calculated it out I work for less than minimum wage. That is by choice, though. I choose to be available to my students daily, including the weekends (usually via email or texting). I do continuous prep work, updating research articles and web links, looking at new text books and resources, etc. I teach 4 different courses throughout the academic year and each one requires attention. I currently have three different preps (two with brand new text books) and they keep me on my toes.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

. And then yet another filed a grievance against me for unfair grading that required preparing my case and going to a hearing before my peers. He didn't show, and I was pronounced "not guilty."

 

 

This is why our syllabi must be so detailed. It's crazy.

[Paige]

Adjunct retention is dependent on student evaluations and student retention rates.

 

 

Ugh! All of what you wrote but especially the above was why I went out of the teaching/professor track in the first place. Back when I was a grad student, however, the adjuncts had a much easier time than the other professors. I was hoping it was still the case. It may not be no stress, but it has to be less stress, right?

 

The student retention and evaluations were what put me over the edge. I wasn't allowed to give students grades they deserved, wasn't allowed to turn kids in for cheating, and wasn't allowed to stick to the syllabus as a TA because the professor, who was a very intelligent, kind, and good instructor, would make the dean unhappy if the students did not pass or complained that he was too hard.

[Joanne]

Can you elaborate on why? I'm interested because I think it would be nice to get out of the house and have some more intellectual conversation than I can get with an 11yr old and because I need to get more on my resume. I'm hesitating because I've seen how much a pain university politics can be and don't really want to deal with much of that right now. I was thinking a part time non-tenure track person may have less stress. The pay is so low. I think I could easily make more at Walmart.

 

 

My pay is nearly $40 an hour (of teaching). The prep is on my time. It's been a lot less time this term because I am teaching the same course.

 

If you are looking for adult, engaged out of the house intellectual stimulation and money doesn't matter, I say go for it. My life has benefitted from roles beyond mother/homeschooler. I've moved away from homeschooling being "enough" for ME.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Ugh! All of what you wrote but especially the above was why I went out of the teaching/professor track in the first place. Back when I was a grad student, however, the adjuncts had a much easier time than the other professors. I was hoping it was still the case. It may not be no stress, but it has to be less stress, right?

 

The student retention and evaluations were what put me over the edge. I wasn't allowed to give students grades they deserved, wasn't allowed to turn kids in for cheating, and wasn't allowed to stick to the syllabus as a TA because the professor, who was a very intelligent, kind, and good instructor, would make the dean unhappy if the students did not pass or complained that he was too hard.

 

Actually, I don't know about less stress. Let's call it different stress. At least fulltimers have individual offices, access to the department secretary for certain tasks, and benefits. They know for certain they will be teaching from one semester to the next. They have to be advisors though, which adjuncts cannot do, and teach four courses during the Fall and Spring terms. They also have the choice of teaching in the summer.

 

I know level 1 adjuncts who are quite concerned with failing students and being thought of as a difficult instructor. They want to make it through the fifth semester (the deciding factor at my CC) with glowing student evaluations.

[Dana]

 

 

Ugh! All of what you wrote but especially the above was why I went out of the teaching/professor track in the first place. Back when I was a grad student, however, the adjuncts had a much easier time than the other professors. I was hoping it was still the case. It may not be no stress, but it has to be less stress, right?

 

The student retention and evaluations were what put me over the edge. I wasn't allowed to give students grades they deserved, wasn't allowed to turn kids in for cheating, and wasn't allowed to stick to the syllabus as a TA because the professor, who was a very intelligent, kind, and good instructor, would make the dean unhappy if the students did not pass or complained that he was too hard.

 

This is where it'll really vary depending on the college.

[G5052]

The student retention and evaluations were what put me over the edge. I wasn't allowed to give students grades they deserved, wasn't allowed to turn kids in for cheating, and wasn't allowed to stick to the syllabus as a TA because the professor, who was a very intelligent, kind, and good instructor, would make the dean unhappy if the students did not pass or complained that he was too hard.

 

My dean wants me to do things right. As long as I'm teaching off an approved syllabus, they're fine me assigning half the class "F" grades. I very much use the system too -- I report "at risk" students, cheating. etc. and it is dealt with. That's why i stay at that community college though. They stick to their guns.

 

As for the politics, sometimes I don't like being blindsided though because we're out of the loop. Technically the full-time faculty are supposed to keep in touch with us, particularly on curricular changes and such. It doesn't always work that way though. Imagine my surprise when the department I was teaching in completely disappeared from the schedule six weeks before classes started. Yup. Gone. The department head had just accepted another position in the college and agreed that it be done away with completely. I had to rattle cages to get picked up by another department. They also eliminated several related programs that I could have taught in during that transition, and I had no idea that was even on the table. So I learned that it is *my* job to periodically email the department head to see what's up.

[AngieW in Texas]

I taught as adjunct faculty my first year out of grad school. I haven't done it since then, but I have been checking the local cc's employment site to see if a position opens up because I'd like to do it again.

 

Working as adjunct faculty when you want a full-time job is miserable. Working as adjunct faculty when you are looking for a part-time job and just want to be able to teach can be quite nice.

[Dana]

I taught as adjunct faculty my first year out of grad school. I haven't done it since then, but I have been checking the local cc's employment site to see if a position opens up because I'd like to do it again.

 

 

Call or email the department chair and let them know you're available. Often positions don't get advertised.

[lovinglife]

Dana was spot on. I emailed a dept. head at the cc where my Dh and I are moving and was offered an unadvertised position.

[jar7709]

I did it for a short while at a couple different ccs pre-kids and hated it. But that might have something to do with the class I taught. The experience really opened my eyes to the poor state of the average high school science education. I won't be doing it again.

[QueenCat]

 

The reasons for the proposed changes are many. The concept of adjuncting initially involved professionals coming onto the campus to teach one or two courses a year. The idea was that these professionals would bring current working experience to the classroom and relate the material to the real world. The idea of a professional adjunct, someone who relies on adjuncting as their primary source of income, wasn't on the radar. (I realize this is not what you want to do.) But the reality is most adjuncts are not professionals first and then adjuncts second. Not one of the adjuncts I know has a full time job working in the field in which they are also teaching. Most are either MAs unable to find jobs in their chosen field or moms wanting to get out of the house and earn a bit of extra money and gain work experience.

 

 

Interesting. Where dh adjuncts, you have to have worked in the field you are teaching for at least 10 years. Except for certain core classes (math, english type classes). Plus have a masters to teach undergrad and a PhD to teach grad classes. Everyone there works a full time job and adjuncts one or two classes a term (unless they are retired). Granted, it's not a community college.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

 

Interesting. Where dh adjuncts, you have to have worked in the field you are teaching for at least 10 years. Except for certain core classes (math, english type classes). Plus have a masters to teach undergrad and a PhD to teach grad classes. Everyone there works a full time job and adjuncts one or two classes a term (unless they are retired). Granted, it's not a community college.

 

A master's degree is required, except for the nursing instructors. They have to be certified and have at minimum an RN; BSN or MSN are not required to teach.

[Beth in OH]

 

 

And then yet another filed a grievance against me for unfair grading that required preparing my case....

 

I had two students (who were friends and sat together) do this to me. One drafted the grievance, and the other filed using the identical language. I had the full support of the administration; however the time it took me to review the academic file and write a point by point defense of my grading really added a lot of hours of work. I decided that I was done teaching at that point--too many things beyond my control for such little money.

[G5052]

I had two students (who were friends and sat together) do this to me. One drafted the grievance, and the other filed using the identical language. I had the full support of the administration; however the time it took me to review the academic file and write a point by point defense of my grading really added a lot of hours of work. I decided that I was done teaching at that point--too many things beyond my control for such little money.

 

 

Yes, I normally have one grievance a year. I win every time, either because I stick to my syllabus or because they don't show up. Sometimes I think that they file just to see if you'll cave, change the grade, and not go through with it. This last one was running for a position in student government, last I heard.

[Sara R]

Now is a good time to apply for adjunct positions, because colleges don't want to pay for health care for part time adjuncts, so they are limiting hours to 29 per week. At least at the college I work for, many adjuncts were working more hours than that and now they have to cut back and hire more adjuncts to make up the difference.

[texasmama]

I have taught off and on for ten years at a local four year university. The pay is twice what it would be at a community college. If you qualify to teach at a four year university as an adjunct, that is something to look into. I dismissed the community college adjunct position due to the low pay. Adjunct teaching is interesting and can be stressful, in my experience.

[Paige]

I have taught off and on for ten years at a local four year university. The pay is twice what it would be at a community college.

 

 

That's good to know. We don't live close enough to a 4yr university right now to justify what it would cost in time and gas to work there, but we won't be here forever.

[QueenCat]

Now is a good time to apply for adjunct positions, because colleges don't want to pay for health care for part time adjuncts, so they are limiting hours to 29 per week. At least at the college I work for, many adjuncts were working more hours than that and now they have to cut back and hire more adjuncts to make up the difference.

 

That's different..... Around here, it's by the number of classes/credit hours they teach, as well as their level of instructor/professorship and whether or not they have tenure (that part obviously doesn't apply to adjuncts).

[Granny_Weatherwax]

 

That's different..... Around here, it's by the number of classes/credit hours they teach, as well as their level of instructor/professorship and whether or not they have tenure (that part obviously doesn't apply to adjuncts).

That's what it is here, too. It's 29 credit hours a year, to be decreased to 18 as soon as the new union contracts are approved. The CC doesn't care how many work hours an adjunct puts in as long as the credit hours don't budge.

[AngieW in Texas]

I don't know what the rules are in my local cc district, but in the district where I taught 20 years ago, the limit was 7 credit hours/semester with the entire summer considered as one semester. For classes with labs, that meant you were allowed to teach no more than one class since lab and lecture were one course worth 4 credit hours.

[Sara R]

That's what it is here, too. It's 29 credit hours a year, to be decreased to 18 as soon as the new union contracts are approved. The CC doesn't care how many work hours an adjunct puts in as long as the credit hours don't budge.

 

 

I meant 29 work hours per week, due to the new Obamacare policies. I don't know how that translates to credit hours per semester. I work part-time elsewhere at the university so I don't know specific adjunct policies, but I heard that the same no-more-than-29-hours-per-week rule was leading to more adjuncts being hired.

[G5052]

Locally they are putting up a limit of 10 credit hours per semester for adjuncts. We've been eligible for health insurance after four semesters for some time, but I think that is changing.

 

And teaching for a 4-year wouldn't help me financially. They pay just a little more than the community colleges here, and I'd have to contend with a longer commute through heavy traffic. It isn't worth it for me.

[QueenCat]

 

I meant 29 work hours per week, due to the new Obamacare policies. I don't know how that translates to credit hours per semester. I work part-time elsewhere at the university so I don't know specific adjunct policies, but I heard that the same no-more-than-29-hours-per-week rule was leading to more adjuncts being hired.

 

 

Professors of any type don't typically work a set number of hours per week. They teach their credit hours, have office hours and do whatever else they need to do but it's not a set number of hours, beyond the actual teaching hours, which for someone teaching full time, would be around 12. That's why that doesn't make sense.