When departments support adjunct faculty and help them more quickly become acclimated to our University, student success will also grow.
Catherine Keohane, Associate Director of the Office for Faculty Excellence, and Ellie Esposito, Assistant Dean of the Feliciano School of Business, have teamed up to create an Adjunct Faculty Guide for Department Chairs for supporting adjunct faculty. In their collaboration and through a survey of adjunct faculty, they have identified the information that adjunct faculty most frequently request.
It would be helpful if each department had their own guide. If you don’t have one already, please feel free to use ours as a first draft to create your own (opens as a Google doc).
You may also wish to send a welcome email, highlighting key pieces of information for your faculty. Here is a template:
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to Spring 2024! We are excited that you will be teaching for us this semester.
Whether you are new to our department or a veteran, here are some key pieces of information for the semester:
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- Important departmental contacts: [Add chair contact information along with that of other department contacts by roles or responsibilities]
- Academic calendar highlights:
Tuesday, Jan 16: First day of regular spring semester term
March 11-March 17: Spring break
March 29-March 31: Easter holiday
May 7: Last day of term (A Tuesday, following a Friday schedule) - Office space is available for adjuncts in [____________] ; contact [___________]_ for access information.
- Printing and copying: [add your department’s information/policy here]
- Office supplies: [indicate whether and where these are available to adjuncts]
- Loaner laptops: Information for faculty and staff; information for students.
- Classroom technology support: Problems with classroom technology? Call 973-655-7971, and choose option 4, Audio-Visual Classroom Emergencies.
- Canvas and instructional technology support: Reach out to ITDS (itds@montclair.edu) or schedule a consultation.
- Faculty development resources: The Office for Faculty Excellence provides year-round faculty development support, including workshops, consultations, and syllabus and assignment feedback.
- Visit OFE’s Practical Details for Instructors and Adjunct Essentials for other key links.
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Department meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month at ________________. Adjuncts are welcome but not required to attend. [Add information about meetings, if relevant]
If you have questions, please reach out to me [or appropriate contact person(s) in the department].
You may download a copy of the template here.