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Adjunct at College of Charleston 101

August 18, 2015 Kendall Deas, Ph.D College of Charleston

+ Adjunct at College of Charleston 101

Understand the time commitment necessary to succeed in the college classroom

Many do not realize that they may have to make lifestyle changes in order to accommodate students, prepare lectures, answer e-mails and phone calls, and grade assignments and exams.

Adjunct faculty, depending on the course level and amount of written assignments, could spend approximately 5 to 10 hours per week preparing and modifying their course in addition to classroom time.

+ Adjunct at College of Charleston 101

Careful consideration must be made in preparing a detailed plan for the academic course

Create a thorough and effective syllabus to increase the success of the class for both the instructor and students

+ Adjunct at College of Charleston 101

What’s in a syllabus?

An effective syllabus is organized and clear

It contains specific course objectives

It contains selected text(s) and related readings

It contains a sequence of lecture topics and examinations

+Adjunct at College of Charleston

101

What’s in a syllabus?

It contains a summary of written assignments

It contains the instructor’s system of grading

CofC honor system statement

Attendance policies and class etiquette concerning use of cell phones, laptops, or tape recorders

Americans with Disabilities statement for student accommodations

+ Adjunct at College of Charleston 101

New adjunct faculty should always ask for copies of previous syllabi

These can be obtained from the faculty lead for the subject area or the department

This allows new adjuncts to obtain a sense of what has been taught previously and how past instructors met course objectives

+Adjunct at College of Charleston

101

College Resources for Adjunct Faculty

TLT Department (Teaching, Learning, and Technology)

Location: 3rd Floor/JC Long Building

Aid faculty in becoming familiar with classroom technology such as Oaks, Desire 2 Learn, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Blackboard, etc.

Offer distance education course to train faculty to teach online courses (DE Readiness course)

Administrative Contact: Mendi Benigni

+Adjunct at College of Charleston

101

College Resources for Adjunct Faculty

College of Charleston Office of Human Resources

Location: 160 Calhoun Street; Lightsey Center; Room B36

Administrative Contact: Jackie Chisolm

Issues concerning contracts, benefits, and payroll

+Adjunct at College of Charleston

101

College Resources for Adjunct Faculty

Adjunct faculty should become familiar with all educational resources within the college community:

Library

Online databases

Tutoring center

Disability center

Diversity department

+Adjunct at College of Charleston

101

Classroom Management Issues

New adjunct faculty need to learn strategies to manage challenging classroom behaviors and situations such as:

Offensive and inappropriate remarks

Suspected cheating or plagiarism

Arguments between students

Defiance of the instructor’s leadership or expertise

Preparation may include seeking out appropriate campus personnel or reading literature on classroom management

+Adjunct at College of Charleston

101

College Policies and Procedures

New adjunct faculty need to become properly assimilated to the policies and procedures of the teaching institution and their academic department

Many new adjunct faculty are ill prepared to meet this challenge

Suggestions? Become familiar with both college and departmental governance procedures

+Adjunct at College of Charleston

101

Departmental Mentors

Seek out mentors within the department in your program area

This is an effective way to bridge the gap between tenured, tenure-track, and contract faculty

A departmental mentor can be invaluable to new adjunct faculty who want to improve their teaching methods and strategies

+Adjunct at College of Charleston

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Opportunities at CofC for Adjunct Faculty

Seek opportunities outside of your department for leadership such as Faculty Senate and College Committees

If your educational background is interdisciplinary, seek opportunities to contribute academically to other academic divisions outside of your home department

In short, take advantage of opportunities to impact the educational community at CofC. GET INVOLVED!