Credentials for Initial Assignment of Rank for Adjunct Faculty

This policy sets minimum qualifications and credentials for hiring adjunct faculty into new positions or replacement positions in the School of Professional Studies (SPS). While this policy document is consistent with the credentials required of current SPS adjunct faculty for promotion to Adjunct Assistant Professor, Adjunct Associate Professor, or Adjunct Professor, the academic mission of each program may require additional qualifications and or credentials.

Definition of Terms. The following qualifications related to the credentials of new faculty appointments are included in this document:

a) Effective Teaching. The candidate must demonstrate that he or she is an effective teacher in the physical and/or virtual classroom and must provide substantial evidence pointing to such success as a teacher. Evidence of teaching effectiveness might include but are not limited to student course evaluations or classroom observations from other accredited higher education institutions, evidence of technology-enhanced education, evidence of commitment to pedagogical development through workshops, training, and certificates, and teaching honors or awards.

b) Student Advisement and Counseling. The candidate must demonstrate that s/he is an effective counselor and must provide substantial evidence pointing to such success as an advisor and/or counselor. Evidence of academic and professional counseling by faculty can be formal or informal and take a variety of forms such as, but is not limited to, holding regular office hours, person-to-person meetings, emails, or phone calls to discuss a student’s academic progress and/or career goals, assisting students with internship or job applications, and writing letters of recommendation.

c) Service to the Institution. The candidate must demonstrate commitment to service through participation in school and university functions. Evidence of a commitment to service include, but is not limited to participation on a variety of committees, leadership of student clubs or student governance organizations, participation in school-wide initiatives, participation in school events such as admissions open houses, orientation and recruitment events, alumni events and other informational sessions.

d) Outside Professional Activities. The candidate must demonstrate evidence of success and recognition in professional activities as proof of their standing within their profession and field of study. Faculty members demonstrate evidence of success and recognition in professional activities as proof of their standing within their profession and field of study. Evidence of active contributions to outside professional activities includes but is not limited to membership affiliation and activity in professional societies and guilds, service on committees and leadership position in professional associations, presentations at professional seminars, organizing, chairing or facilitating professional events, completing significant professional initiatives, or securing internal and/or external funding for academic purposes.

e) Scholarly Work, Creative Production, Knowledge Synthesis. Evidence of original work within a faculty member’s field of study include but is not limited to books, chapters, articles, citations, conference presentations, presentation in the creative, visual, dramatic and/or digital arts, film or video creation, textbooks, handbooks, reviews, and commentaries.

f) Program, Curriculum and/or Course Design and Development. Evidence of active contribution to program, curriculum and/or course design includes but is not limited to development of new courses delivered on-site or virtually, active participation in substantial revision of program curriculum, development of new concentrations, specializations, or degree programs, initiatives related to study abroad programs, field intensives, or collaborative research seminars.

g) Faculty Development or Referral. Evidence of educational development activities may include but are not limited to identifying, recruiting, mentoring or supervising faculty, conducting instructional and classroom research that contributes to the teaching-learning enterprise, evaluating the teaching of colleagues through classroom observations, and participation in the creation and implementation of professional development activities.

To be appointed to the rank of Adjunct Instructor, the candidate must show promise of being an effective teacher and must hold at least a Bachelor’s Degree in a field that is appropriate to the program in which he or she will be teaching. A graduate degree is preferred.

To be appointed to the rank of Adjunct Assistant Professor, the candidate must hold at least a Master’s Degree in a field that is appropriate to the program in which he or she will be teaching. A terminal degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., J.D., M.B.A., or M.F.A.) is preferred. The candidate must have a minimum or the equivalent of one year of university or college teaching experience.

To be appointed to the rank of Adjunct Associate Professor, the candidate must have already attained the rank of Associate Professor at an accredited higher education institution. The candidate must have a minimum or the equivalent of five years of full-time university or college teaching experience and must hold at least a Master’s Degree in a field that is appropriate to the program in which he or she will be teaching. A terminal degree (Ph.D., Ed.D, J.D., M.B.A., or M.F.A.) is preferred. The candidate must demonstrate strong evidence of effective teaching, significant experience in advisement or counseling of students, and an on-going commitment to service at another university or college. In addition, the candidate must provide evidence of significant accomplishments in two of the four areas defined in the definitions section (d-g).

To be appointed to the rank of Adjunct Professor, the candidate must have already attained the rank of Professor at an accredited higher education institution. The candidate must have a minimum or the equivalent of 10 years of full-time university or college teaching experience and must hold at a terminal degree (Ph.D., Ed.D, J.D., M.B.A., or M.F.A.) in a field that is appropriate to the program in which he or she will be teaching. The candidate must demonstrate evidence of effective teaching at the mastery level, significant experience in advisement or counseling of students, and an on-going commitment to service at another university or college. In addition, the candidate must provide evidence of outstanding accomplishments in three of the four areas defined in the definitions section (d-g).

Credentials required for the hiring or the initial assignment of rank for an exceptional candidate may be waived through a letter of appeal from the Associate Dean or Academic Director to the SPS Dean providing ample justification for the waiver. The hiring of the candidate or the assignment of rank may not take place until the SPS Dean grants such a waiver.