community college teaching

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by kavade, Oct 16, 2014.

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  1. kavade

    kavade Member

    I'm finishing a MALS, but don't have enough units in any one field to qualify to teach at the CC level. I have units in English, writing and history. I want to do extra grad units in one of these fields, or more, to reach the 18 unit threshold for teaching at CCs. Or maybe the threshold is 24 - I'm not sure. In Oregon, where I will move soon, it looks like it is 24.
    I'd like to know what fields are more likely to lead to a job. My guess is writing, because after all who wants to plow through tons of student essays, but that's a guess. Anyone out there have an idea of what fields are hard to fill at CCs? I mean in humanities, of course.
    Thanks.
     
  2. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    None are. And it's even worse for you because you'll be competing against those who have teaching experience, research profiles, and Master's degrees and doctorates that are actually in a particular discipline rather than liberal studies. This is why people interested in teaching positions, even just as adjuncts, are better off getting advanced degrees in mathematics, statistics, accounting, and finance.
     
  3. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    I'm sorry to say that I agree with Steve. In my opinion, the increased access to master's degrees has increased the applicant pool quite a bit. I left a CC after 18 years teaching with them and am having a heck of a time landing a new adjunct job in my field. I did just add a master's, but my field doesn't required one. Competition is fierce.

    If it were me, in your shoes, I would add English. English is a course that dips into developmental (under 100) and are abundant. I think my CC used to offer 50+ sections of developmental English each semester, and still dozens of English 101/102. MUCH FEWER history (there is no need). Writing is only taught developmentally through developmental English (those who test high enough are eligible for comp - Eng101) making your 18 not nearly as useful in anything other than English.

    Just my two cents, everyone is pretty much looking into a crystal ball on this one.

    P.S. I thought of one thing for you, the adult ed / GED sections almost never require master's degrees. Everyone I've looked at only requires a bachelor's degree. These are through a different department (non-credit) however, it get's you in the door and you can likely do this kind of work immediately and concurrently to your graduate study. If I can be frank, these kinds of jobs are always open and have a revolving door, but if you're good at networking, it's a way in.

    Good luck!
     
  4. mattbrent

    mattbrent Well-Known Member

    While I agree with Steve and Jennifer, I wanted to add that having experience is just as important as the educational credits. We have numerous adjuncts who teach online. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for the students, the VCCS now has rules which state that instructors must have training in online pedagogy before they can teach an online course. (Some instructors weren't really doing ANYTHING in their online courses.)

    While we are speaking generically, you can always talk to your local college to see what their needs are. They may have adjunct pools that you could get into. That doesn't guarantee anything, but it's a start.

    -Matt
     
  5. jumbodog

    jumbodog New Member

    If one is interested in CC I'd offer these two lines of advice. First, consider rural CCs because they are a lot less competitive than big district CC. True they pay less and are often not in the most desirable locations to live but to get one's foot in the door and get that experience they can be useful stepping stones.

    Second, another overlooked path is to actually get hired by the CC in some type of administrative capacity and then teach part time. An old buddy of mine did this. He is now a dean at a community college but he started his career as a part-time academic advisor. Moved into advising full time and started teaching a course each semester and then eventually moved into teaching full time.

    Finally, remember this truism--all politics are local. Because community colleges are quintessentially local institutions. The more you are invested in the community at any level--from knowing the president of the board to volunteering at the local boys club the better off you are.
     
  6. jumbodog

    jumbodog New Member

    I disagree with this because I think it's too generic. I know some community colleges that absolutely refuse to hire PhDs because in their view PhDs are (a) do not relate well to students and (b) are far more likely to move on than master degree holders. Community colleges are all different. A huge CC district like Maricopa or San Diego is going to act very very differently than than some podunk community college like Mesalands. I know someone who got a full time teaching job at the College of the Redwoods with no teaching experience whatsoever and only a master's degree. I know another person who got hired to teach remedial English full-time at Central New Mexico Community College without a master's degree at all--in any subject--but had extensive teaching experience as a graduate student. Community colleges are simply too diverse to make blanket statements.
     
  7. Paidagogos

    Paidagogos Member

    Well, a certain amount of pragmatism cannot be ignored in applying for academic jobs these days. As others have already said, it's getting hard and harder to break into academia each year, and even harder to compete among the keen competition and thrive in the field. With that being said, as long as your coursework has the prefixes like ENG, HIS, and COM/WRIT. you would likely be able to slide your way into teaching at a CC. Among the areas that you have chosen, I believe English is probably the most universally useful to CCs - simply because most students that enter simply do not know how to write.

    I went down a similar path as you. I got a interdisciplinary master's in English and History. After graduating I went to work in the writing center of a CC in rural NC. It wasn't long before I was getting offers to teach - first developmental reading/writing, and now basically English 101. Out of my CC's offerings, English and Math, are always the most numerous, so that's a good place to break in. Unfortunately, none of the adjuncts teach more than 1-4 classes to keep costs low, so you won't get rich, but you already knew that ;).

    Going back to your interdisciplinary/liberal studies degree this will likely be seen as a plus or a minus depending on where you go. In my case, my higher ups saw it as a plus, mostly because they see the versatility, and a lot of people teach in different areas. Eventually, I hope to teach both English and History courses, but we'll see what happens.

    As far as humanities and history, those offerings are usually more limited. We have two history teachers at my CC, and they do everything. Point made. CCs around here only have like one or two types of humanities classes, and they are sometimes taught by pretty much anyone above janitor level with SOME degree. Typically, I don't think the school's are looking for high philosophy and humanitas when searching the position, they want to fill the seat, but that will vary, of course, from place to place.

    TLDR: If you want to teach at a CC, then bite and claw your way in. Come through the back door like I did. Eventually, you will have a chance to teach, and prove yourself. Good luck!
     
  8. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Which ones?
     
  9. oko

    oko New Member

    I am not against people looking for big name schools to boost their resume. However, instead of looking for big name schools, look for current "hot" professionals and obtain your degree in that field and watch if employers would not run to you. I know of two Ivy League recently graduated master’s degree holders currently looking for work. I tell my students, friends and relatives all the time don't think schools would do the work for you. Do the work for yourself. Read what employers want or need and you won’t be unemployed and you will be upper middle class. Read what you want even from Ivy League schools, you may be hungry. You know what? It works for my family and close friends. The idea that you need ivy league or big name schools suggest that many people especially those born in this country (USA) really do not know how the system works. Good luck.
     
  10. Tireman 44444

    Tireman 44444 Well-Known Member

    I agree. I work for a community college and have been on 4 hiring committees. I have never heard that one.
     
  11. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoy4_h7Pb3M[/video]
     
  12. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I have never taught at any level and so you can say I am naive but teaching those sorts of courses sounds like it could be fun. Am I just waaay off?
     
  13. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    I thought I was the only one with that thought.... some means more than 1. Crap, my CC district (largest in the state) has 3 colleges, that I'm pretty familiar with those 3, but after 18 years I still don't have any direct insight about how "they" view anything. I'm wondering how one acquires such insight?
     
  14. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    I suspect, though it's just a guess, that it's the prestige issue. The classes you teach are non credit, which doesn't give you the resume cred that teaching for credit courses. I also suspect, though it's just a guess, that the work is too time consuming. People might throw stuff, but we all know that teaching 3 hours 1 night a week is glorious...teaching 45 minutes a day for 5 nights a week....not so much.
     
  15. kavade

    kavade Member

    Well, this was an interesting discussion, with lots of different opinions.
    Actually, I have 20 years experience teaching college students EFL overseas,
    and have taught in the US as well. Currently I have a full time college gig abroad, but I want to go home. I’m just looking for part time adjunct work.

    A quick look at CC job postings shows there certainly are jobs in ESL, no question, and a fair number of composition jobs (the Dean of my MA program in the US thinks composition is a good bet) and also I saw some postings for humanities teachers, generalists I gather. I think the replies pointing to the need for experience and the importance of where one looks are onto something. So I have decided to take my last two electives in composition and apply them later toward the grad cert in composition from Indiana. I am hoping that gives me 1) liberal studies possibilities (humanities?) 2) ESL because I already have that qualification and 3) composition if I finish the grad cert. I’d love to teach literature, the most enjoyable classes I ever taught were lit classes for non native speakers, but that seems unlikely. Ah, well…as long as there is something at CCs to keep body and soul together. I tried English in high schools a few years back and would rather visit a dentist with no anesthesia than do that again!
     
  16. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    Wish you the best! Oh, and another place you can look is on a community college's website - not under jobs, but under course schedule. Count the number of sections in the various disciplines and look over their AA/AS transfer degrees. For instance, some CC may require 9 credits of English (101/102/speech) while others will use 6 + an elective (tech writing, lit, etc). MANY MANY MANY colleges don't require literature, so the sections the school must offer will be few.
    It's really just a game of figuring out the supply and demand.
    If the CC lists faculty bios (many do, mine does) you can find out all kinds of things.... or at least you can get some intuition. If there are 6 sections of X offered each semester, and the department employs 3 full timers, those guys are already fighting like cats and dogs for their discipline and probably having to do reassigned time in other related fields (which everyone hates) translation = snowballs chance in hell of getting hired. OTOH, if there are no full timers in that discipline, it's all adjunct, you're VERY likely to get hired first attempt. My culinary arts program operated (until 2012) with 100% adjunct-only staffing. That revolving door sucks for students but if you had a pulse you could get a job. We now employ 1 full timer who teaches 15 credits/term and everything else is filled by adjunct. That hire replaced no less than 5 adjunct. Just saying. These clues help you find ways in. Good luck!
     
  17. kavade

    kavade Member

    Thank you for the solid suggestions Jennifer. I will indeed follow up as you suggest.
     
  18. warguns

    warguns Member

  19. kavade

    kavade Member

    Well, for my purposes - filling an income gap - cc teaching would be fine, especially I think in the field of ESL, which is rewarding if dealing with students who need/want the language.
     
  20. warguns

    warguns Member

    cc teaching

    Perhaps you're right and ESL is an exception. I will check with the career counselor at my little college and find out what ESL credential is most accepted.
     

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