Full Description
As the debate regarding the increasing use of adjunct faculty in higher education continues to swirl, the voices of adjunct faculty themselves are rarely heard. Stories abound regarding the poor working conditions in which most adjunct faculty labor, yet many of those that employ adjunct faculty are unaware of how the conditions impact an adjunct's ability to teach effectively. Adjunct Faculty Voices gives a voice to this growing population. It shares the experiences and clear benefits adjuncts gain from having access to professional development opportunities. In spite of a shortage of resources, there are institutions offering development programs that target the pressing needs of this population.The first part of the book features the voices of adjunct faculty who tell their stories of finding professional development and creating or connecting with communities of colleagues for mutual support. These adjunct voices represent a range of disciplinary perspectives, career stages, and institutional types. In the second section, the authors draw upon a benchmarking study of adjunct faculty developing programs, examine specific challenges and highlight successful practices. Institutions can support adjunct faculty through teaching academies and faculty learning communities; mentor programs; conference support; and adjunct faculty liaison positions.Topics discussed include:• Best professional development practices that support and benefit adjunct faculty• Faculty social isolation and community-building opportunities• An overview of changes affecting the academic workforce• An outline of issues and working conditions• Current demographics and types of adjunct faculty• Survey results from adjunct faculty developers• Adjunct faculty narratives featuring their professional development and community experiencesTeaching and Learning centers across the country are responding to the growing adjunct cohort in innovative and efficient ways. Administrators, deans, department chairs, and adjunct faculty will all benefit by hearing the voices of adjuncts as they express the challenges faced by adjunct faculty and the types of professional development opportunities which are most beneficial.
Contents
IntroductionPart I. Who Are Adjunct Faculty? 1. A Portrait of Adjunct Faculty 2. Adjunct Voices 3. Co-Creating Communities of Adjunct Faculty. Mobilizing Adjunct Voices through Connective Storytelling. Brandon Hensley 4. Exiting the Freeway Faculty Path. Using Professional Development to Get out of Cruise Control. Victoria Shropshire 5. We Know We Have Lost. Contingency, Grieving, and Imagination. Chris Potts 6. Using a Community of Practice to Enhance the Adjunct Experience. Paul G. Putman & Bridget A. Kriner Part II. Adjunct Faculty Development. Personnel and Programs 7. A Survey of Adjunct Faculty Developers 8. Model programs across the country, Introduction 9. Creating Faculty Development Opportunities for Adjuncts. Suzanne Tapp & Andrea McCourt 10. Creating an Adjunct Community and Supporting its Professional Development. Kirkwood Community College. Bonde, Larry 11. Cultivating Scholarly Teaching through Professional Development, Ann Coburn-Collins, Anne M. Acker, Lester L. Altevogt, and Lisa S. Tsay 12. The Transformative Effects of an Adjunct Faculty Academy. One Approach to Teaching Adjuncts Pedagogy, Instructional Design, and Best Practices. Summer Cherland, Heather Crook, Lindsey Dippold, J.W. Gaberdiel, and Jenalee Remy 13. Best Practices and Innovative Faculty Development for Adjunct Faculty. Ruth Fagan-Wilen Conclusion Appendix About the Editors and Contributors
