Is it difficult to get hired for online adjunct position???

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by hal123, Aug 22, 2011.

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  1. hal123

    hal123 New Member

    Columbia Southern University (CSU) rejected my application for online adjunct position. They found better candidate than me.
     
  2. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Don't give up, I was rejected multiple times before getting my first gig.
    I would start with a local school rather than online, this will build your resume in the teaching area.
    I'm sure that your local schools should have opportunities in Accounting. The thing with online is that the whole world can apply to them so they tend to be more difficult to get.
     
  3. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I was rejected by them as well as a dozen or so other schools before I got my first one. Hang in there and just send out more resumes. It is really a numbers game.
     
  4. hal123

    hal123 New Member

    Thanks to RFValve and Randell1234 for kind words.
     
  5. A Degree For Me

    A Degree For Me New Member

    Hello RFVALVE,

    I have two questions:

    (1.) is it all possible to get an adjunct position fresh out of graduate without experience?
    If so or if not please explain....
    (2.) What should a graduate student do, while in graduate school, to up the anti and make sure that he's able to get the adjunct position (though he's never taught at a university)

    Shawn all input is welcome THANK YOU
     
  6. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    I'm going to assume that you mean an online teaching position;

    1. Anything is possible, but it's not likely. A lot of schools require that you have your graduate degree for a period of time (2-3 years seems to be the average) before they'll consider you for a position. Even then, it seems like everyone wants people with experience, but how do you get experience if no one will hire you? Catch-22, but as Randell mentioned before, it's a numbers game.

    2. Again, there's no sure formula. However, it can't hurt to add some certificates to your resume; here's a very inexpensive one from Washington State University;

    https://elearning.wsu.edu/OnlineCourses/cert_course.aspx

    Good luck!
     
  7. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    Wow, this is a 5 year old post! I think the online faculty / adjunct faculty application process is a prank. There are bookies somewhere taking bets on how many hours you'll fill in the boxes before you stab yourself in the eye. I have *literally* left more than one application around the 2 hour mark. It's obscene.
     
  8. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    My experience is that most online schools need a masters degree in the teaching area to teach undergraduate courses with no experience requirements but desirable. In order to teach graduate courses, a doctorate is desirable with 18 graduate courses in the teaching area and working experience as well.

    At some point, I was a professional online teacher. When I started I had two masters degrees (one in engineering and a MBA in general management) but soon realized that I could get more work if I had masters degrees in other fields so got two more masters in accounting and finance and another in operations management from two European schools as I am an European citizen so school was almost free for me. I did not have accounting or finance experience an little operations management experience but schools did not seem to care as I was getting a lot of work in these two areas (mainly finance and operations).

    In few words, I don't think it matters much the working experience as most don't even bother to validate the experience but they put emphasis on the transcripts and course evaluations.

    At some point I was working for 7 different schools with more work that I could handle. The main issue is that I burnt out, handing 7 different schools with meetings, different policies and low salaries was too much for me. I decided to look for a full time job at a regular University, the salary was lower at the beginning but with a lot less work and job security.

    Adjunct positions seem to keep growing while full time positions shrinking so becoming an adjunct is not so challenging with the right credentials. Avoid getting degrees from online or virtual schools and get degrees from ranked schools (at least in the top 500 of the world). If you have a ranked Masters degree in a field in demand, normally it is not so difficult to get your first adjunct gig. There are few folks that do well with their degrees from UoP, Capella, etc but you will find that some schools will not consider you with such credentials.
     
  9. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    18 graduate courses or 18 graduate credits?
     
  10. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Sorry, I meant 18 graduate credits. Many adjuncts get a PhD in Business and then get graduate certificates or Masters degrees in other areas to qualify to multiple subjects. This is the way to go in my opinion in order to diversify and get enough work.
    Many schools provide discounts to faculty so many profit from this and get masters degrees to qualify to teach more subjects.

    There are people that claim to make more than 100K as online adjuncts but I think this is not very realistic, a realistic salary with breaks and decent hours is more about 60K that is typical salary that online schools offer to full time faculty.

    Some online schools hire full time online faculty but these are non tenure positions subject to enrollments. Online schools also do not have ranks, this means that you are not promoted to better salaries and your salary only receives a modest increase every year subject to renewal. For this reason, many prefer to remain freelance and diversify in order to avoid risk of losing your job.
     
  11. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Thanks for sharing this great link. You are right, there is no formula but having a positive attitude and being persistence helps.

    Most schools require transcripts and course evaluations to consider you for an adjunct position. Once they select you, you are required to pass a non paid training that normally requires you to moderate a class and pass an exam. If you pass this training, your first contract is given to you and you are ready to go.

    You are required to fill the application and you are asked to provide places of employment but my experience is that they focus mainly on evaluations and transcripts. They do ask for few references that can help to validate experience.
    If one has no teaching experience, one can always volunteer as a teaching assistant with tutoring duties or as a local church lecturer so the references are there in case you need to use them to validate teaching experience.
     
  12. novadar

    novadar Member

    The 18 graduate credits requirement generally only applies to teaching outside of the discipline in which the Masters or Doctorate were earned.

    The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the "toughest" on this topic. Here are their standards and a link:

    Note: There is an "or" separating the degrees by discipline from additional credit hours.

    a. Faculty teaching general education courses at the undergraduate level: doctorate or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline).

    b. Faculty teaching associate degree courses designed for transfer to a baccalaureate degree: doctorate or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline).

    c. Faculty teaching associate degree courses not designed for transfer to the baccalaureate degree: bachelor’s degree in the teaching discipline, or associate’s degree and demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline.

    d. Faculty teaching baccalaureate courses: doctorate or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline).

    e. Faculty teaching graduate and post-baccalaureate course work: earned doctorate/terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a related discipline.

    f. Graduate teaching assistants: master’s in the teaching discipline or 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline, direct supervision by a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline, regular in-service training, and planned and periodic evaluations

    http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/081705/faculty%20credentials.pdf
     
  13. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    You are right, the issue is that many schools just grant PhDs in business with no particular major or specialization so the 18 credit rule normally applies here.

    A specialized master's or PhD is the best way to go if teaching is one's goal. A MSc in Accounting would be seen more favorable than an MBA with 18 credits in Accounting.
     
  14. novadar

    novadar Member

    I've never seen a PhD awarded in simply "Business". I have no reason to doubt that some might be listed that way. Yes, indeed that would be limiting. I often wonder about degrees in "Leadership" or "Organizational Leadership". I think they might be troublesome especially if the courses are interdisciplinary and the department prefix would be as such (LDSP or something like that).
     
  15. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Northcentral University awards a Ph.D. in Business Administration, with some oddball concentrations like Criminal Justice and Homeland Security.
     
  16. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    The University of the Cumberlands has a PhD in Leadership, but one of the components is an 18 concentration in a particular field, such as Education, Business, Psychology, History, etc. So graduates are covered when it comes to a teaching discipline, even assuming their Master's degree didn't already qualify them for one.
     
  17. novadar

    novadar Member

    I recall a nascent PhD offered by The University of Oklahoma for US Military members, staff, and family in Europe which was an "Organizational Leadership" type degree (as I recall) and it had nothing but interdisciplinary classes.

    My whole point in bringing this up is that the language that is often used here on DI is that the 18 credit hours alone is what qualifies individuals to teach a subject. That is only part of the picture -- a degree in the discipline is also qualifying and is what grants those with degrees by research from countries other than the UK and Canada the ability to teach those subjects. Typically the transcripts or diploma supplements for Masters or Doctorates by Research alone (PhD by Thesis only for example) have no or very few "courses" contrasted to the US or Taught-model.
     
  18. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    That was supposed to be 18 semester-hour concentration. Moron in a hurry, and all that.
     
  19. novadar

    novadar Member

    You see no one missed a beat. The 18 hours drumbeat is solid and ingrained. Just the syllables "eighte..." elicits a Jeopardy-like buzzer pressing response.
     
  20. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Pavlov's adjuncts? :smile:
     

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