Good schools to get online adjunct positions-

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by Randell1234, Dec 29, 2007.

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  1. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Many people ask for schools that are looking for online adjuncts. I would like to compile a list of schools that are good places to start if someone wants to teach online. I would prefer not to get into a “judgment thread” of something like – my friends-brothers-mothers-uncles-best friend-on their fathers side heard that school was bad or I know a website that says that school sucks or I don’t like their marketing.

    I will start with:
    South University - http://online.southuniversity.edu/
    University of Phoenix – http://www.uopxonline.com/
    DeVry - http://www.devry.edu/whydevry/online_options.jsp
    Florida Metropolitan University - http://www.everest.edu/
     
  2. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    UoP, definitely. Their growth is incredible and hard to keep up with. Also, they pay like crap, so there are always people leaving. Good place to get some experience before moving on, though.

    For a good experience out of the gate, I hear that the faculty at Bellevue University are well-trained, well-compensated, and are well-supported.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 29, 2007
  3. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

    I just finished teaching my first course at Franklin University (www.franklin.edu) and found them to be excellent.

    Six week course, course materials to include gradebook were already built and posted, and they pay considerably higher than UOP (almost 2x) and higher than any other school I teach at ($2000).

    The students were more prepared than most of the students I have encountered at UOP, they have small class sizes, and the faculty support is excellent. Plus, the adjunct or an immediate family member can take one undergrad. course free at Franklin for every one taught.

    The only cons. I can think of is that the proprietary teaching platform is a little dated and needs some updating, they offer a fairly narrow range of degree programs, and it is extremely difficult to get into as an adjunct.

    I was also recently hired to teach at AMU/APU and Western Washington University. AMU/APU schedules the adjunct's classes out almost a year in advance and pay per student ($130). Western WA pays excellent ($240 per student), but has limited online teaching opportunities.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 30, 2007
  4. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Is this a cumulative right or must it be exercised immediately?
     
  5. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Could this thread get a sticky? :eek:
     
  6. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I am going to take that chance and thought I would open with the "big guns".
     
  7. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Done. ;)

    I'm actually hoping Chip includes a DL teaching forum when the new upgrade/facelift arrives, but we'll make do until then.
     
  8. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I thought you meant be sticky :cool:
     
  9. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

    From my understanding, the tuition benefit can be used as it is earned or can be accumulated. I only teach one course per semester at Franklin right now, so it would take a long time to accumulate enough free credits to complete a degree. I plan on using it for my wife for transfer credits for her remaining electives and prerequisites in her undergrad. business degree at Eastern Washington U.

    Franklin also provides a training bonus of $600 for the faculty training after the first two courses are taught provided the adjunct gets good student survey results.

    They also provide a yearly development reimbursement of $400 for continuing education, professional memeberships, journal subscriptions, etc. provided the development activity relates to the course(s) the adjunct teaches.

    Of the four schools I adjunct at Franklin is by far the most faculty friendly.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 30, 2007
  10. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Excellent thread!
     
  11. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Question: When sending a resume for an adjunct position, should I list my graduate credits if I am applying for a topic I have not taught?

    Question: Should I list more then one school I am currently teaching for? I don't want a potential employer to think I am overloaded.
     
  12. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I currently teach for South. They pay $1,500 per class and each class is 5.5 weeks. There are two mini-semesters per semester (4 semesters / 8 mini’s). You can get a max of 3 classes per semester (2/1 or 1/2). The classes move fast and the students are always prepared to do the work.

    It took me a year from the time I was hired to the time I actually got my first class. I was getting classes steadily then they stopped in June. I contacted the school in September and it turns out there was an email issue. I had two email addresses on file because I applied to South and Argosy at the same time. They were sending classes for me to accept to the wrong email address.

    The issue was resolved and I am getting 2-3 classes per semester again. The admin side of South is great. They are responsive and supportive. They also regularly send out full-time facility opening alerts to adjuncts. I highly recommend them.
     
    MaceWindu likes this.
  13. AuditGuy

    AuditGuy Member

    Good thread!

    My 2 cents

    *South University and the other EDMC schools have a tendency to train many more adjuncts than they really need. I don't know if it's intentional or poor projecting.

    *UOP, love 'em or hate 'em, they need alot of teachers and if you are persistent, you will get in.

    *Franklin, to add to the tuition reimbursement thread, it's my understanding that it's based on continuous employment with Franklin. So if you have 8 courses banked, then leave, the benefit is gone. If you are teaching undergrad, you can only take undergrad courses as a benefit.
     
  14. AuditGuy

    AuditGuy Member

    Long List from Online Adjuncts group

    If you check the Yahoo Group in my sig line, it has these schools in a database, with a link to the school main site, and a link to the app/HR site. I tried to copy and paste it all, but it's a jumble.

    AIU
    American Public University System
    Anthem
    Arkansas State - Beebe
    Art Institute Online
    AustinPeay
    Axia
    Baker
    Bellevue
    Benedictine University
    Bryant & Stratton
    Capella
    Central Michigan University
    Central Texas
    Colorado Technical
    Davenport
    DeVry
    Ellis College of NYIT
    Florida Metropolitan
    Franklin University
    Golden Gate
    Grand Canyon
    Jones International University
    Kaplan
    Keiser
    Metropolitan State University
    Minnesota School of Business
    Mohave Community College
    Mountain State
    National American
    Northern Arizona
    Northwestern State (LA)
    Norwich
    Park University (Missouri)
    Peru State (Nebraska)
    School Name
    South University
    Southern New Hampshire
    Strayer
    SUNY - Empire State
    Tidewater Tech Online
    Troy State
    U. Mass - Lowell
    Univ. Maryland - University College
    University of Atlanta
    University of Delaware Online
    UOP
    Walden
    Walsh
    Western Governors
    Westwood (Alta)
     
  15. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

    The continuous employment stipulation is my understanding as well, which then makes sense to me to use the courses as you earn them given the nature of adjunct employment.

    AFAIK, the benefits are only for undergrad. courses, no matter what the level taught. There is a reduced graduate tuition benefit for full-time employees, but not adjuncts.
     
  16. AuditGuy

    AuditGuy Member

    FAQ about Online Adjuncting - How to find a position

    ONLINE ADJUNCT GROUP FAQ

    1. What qualifications do I need to be considered for an online position?
    a. Education
    i. Minimum: Master’s Degree with 18 graduate credits in the discipline.
    ii. Preferred (or required): Earned Doctorate in the discipline.
    iii. FYI – I have no evidence of DETC or Unaccredited degrees fulfilling this requirement.
    iv. FYI - For Regional Accreditation, a certain % of instructors must have Doctorates.
    v. FYI – The 18 graduate credits can be very strict or very lenient (any Masters Degree will do), depending on the university.

    b. Teaching Experience
    i. Relevant on ground teaching experience is obviously good. Teaching for the institution on ground first is even better.
    ii. Even one semester of online teaching experience is critical. Some schools will automatically exclude you without online experience.
    iii. FYI – You may be able to teach an out-of-field course at a local community college due to limited supply of instructors, but not online courses.

    c. Professional Experience
    i. Usually a requirement for Master’s prepared candidates.
    ii. Does not seem as relevant for Doctoral applicants.
    iii. UOP requires 2 years post-Master’s before accepting applicants.

    2. What can I do to make myself a more qualified candidate besides the above?

    a. Learn the technology – Experience with Blackboard or ECollege in any type of setting can be invaluable. Many schools offer hybrid courses with online components that may be more available than strictly online courses.
    b. Scholarly activity – Publish, present, attend conferences, be well-read on current issues in teaching, especially online teaching.
    c. Professional certifications.
    d. Online teaching certificates have questionable value.

    3. How do I go about finding my first online position?

    a. Job Sites
    i. www.Higheredjobs.com – Hands down the best individual site. Set up a search agent to retrieve and notify positions meeting your parameters.
    ii. The Chronicle of Higher Education postings.
    iii. General Sites – Careerbuilder, Monster, etc.

    b. Individual University Sites
    ii. If you have specific universities you are targeting, add their job listings to your “Favorites” and check back frequently.

    4. What is the difference between a CV and a Resume?
    a. Really, not too much. They serve the same purpose, just that a CV is used in academic settings and has a slightly different focus and format.

    5. How do I go about putting together a CV?
    a. A CV (curriculum vitae) contains your chronological education history (starting with your first bachelors degree), your employment history, your list of published works (in reverse chron order) your research projects and grants, your speaking engagements, etc. Attach relevant publications.

    6. Should I list other universities I am currently teaching for on my CV?
    a. Catch-22! You need to list the experience to be qualified, but listing 8 current universities may make you look overextended. Strike a balance.

    7. How many Universities should I apply to?
    a. If you are starting out looking for your first online position, apply to everyone you can find.
    b. If you are established and just looking to “change out” one of your current employers, be more selective.

    8. How long should I expect to wait from the time I apply before hearing anything?
    a. A long time. The norm seems to be 4 months minimum, with reported cases of over a year.
    b. Oftentimes once you are interviewed and accepted, you will have to go through a non-paid training. Sometimes this can be 2-6 weeks long and can be quite intensive depending on the requirements of the institution.

    9. What is an adjunct pool?
    a. Some universities with high turnover or uncertain schedules will often recruit as many instructors as possible, whether there is an open position or not. When they do need an instructor, one is pulled out of the pool.
    b. Adjunct pools have a negative connotation and reported downsides include:
    i. No assignments
    ii. Erratic assignments
    iii. Short notice assignments
    iv. Being required to spend weeks on training prior to the above.

    10. Who should I use for references?
    a. Use those who are familiar with your teaching.
    b. If possible, invite a faculty member to watch you teach on ground, and ask that person to write a report on your teaching so that you can use that for your teaching portfolio or for an interview.
    c. Do not use personal references

    11. What questions will I be asked during an interview for an online position?

    a. You will be asked how much time you can devote to your class and how many hours per week you plan to devote to your class. Be prepared to answer this question. You should plan about 4-6 hours per class per week.
    b. You will be asked what type of teaching experience you have.
    c. You will be asked why you are interested in teaching online. Please do not say “because I want to work in my underwear”.
    d. The interviewer will ask you what type of platforms you know and how comfortable you are with computers and technology.
    e. The interviewer will likely pose several online teaching scenarios that you might face as an instructor, such as “What would you do if one of your students suddenly stops posting, or doesn’t turn in assignments?”; “What would you do if one of your students posts a rude, offensive comment to another student in the discussion board?”; “How will you make sure your students do not plagiarize?” Be prepared to answer questions such as these off the cuff concisely.


    12. How long do typical courses run?
    a. Most online courses are accelerated to some degree. They can be as short as 4 weeks, and as long as 12-14 weeks.
     
  17. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    This is a really good list. One other question I was asked (including the ones you listed) was what I would do if someone in a team was not participating or had low performance.
     
  18. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member


    I had the same question asked last month in an interview. Luckily, I teach at UOP so I have plenty of experience with under/non-performers in the team environment.
     
  19. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

    AuditGuy has a great point about not listing too many schools so as to appear overloaded. In my situation I teach for several schools, but at some of them I teach only one class offered as needed.

    I have found that it still helps to list all of the schools on the resume/CV to show a breadth of teaching experience, delivery modalities, and learning platforms - as long as there are not too many "dogs" on the list. Underneath the school in the bullet points where I list courses taught I indicate the frequency - ex. Spring semester.

    As much as some people cringe at the mention of UOP, I am continually surprised at how many people I come accross in human resources at various schools that either attended UOP or adjunct there. It may open some doors for some.

    The question of being overloaded came up in my last interview and I was able to explain the situation with the infrequent courses. As AG mentioned - have a realistic and accurate number of hours per week that you believe you will be able to devote to teaching at the school your are interviewing with and it helps tremendously to be familiar with the learning platform they use as well.
     
  20. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

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