Full-time for UOP

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by graymatter, May 25, 2013.

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  1. graymatter

    graymatter Member

    Is there anyone on here who is full-time with UOP? I've been an online-only adjunct for them since 2008. Today I received an invitation to apply.

    Here's the email:


    University of Phoenix is now seeking a number of dynamic, full-time instructors with strong academic backgrounds and a passion for teaching to fill an exciting new role. We have heard our faculty members’ feedback about wanting more full-time teaching opportunities, so we are pleased to share this opportunity with our existing associate faculty members.

    Here is a summary of the new role:
    • Works collaboratively with other faculty and administrative staff, and has the flexibility to learn and adapt to deliver an online education effectively
    • Delivers general education courses, supports student learning through a variety of activities and designs individualized academic strategies
    • This is a remotely-based position, so qualified candidates must be prepared and able to work from a dedicated home office
    • Previous experience delivering adult education online (particularly experience at UOPX), is strongly preferred
    • The position requires a master’s degree from a regionally accredited University.
    • Five (5) or more years’ experience teaching
    • Approved to teach in three or more of the following courses: General Education; Writing and Critical Thinking at the college level.
    o General Education Course requires a master’s degree or higher.
    o Writing Course requires a master's degree or higher in English Writing/Composition; OR master's degree or higher in a related discipline with substantive coursework relevant to content area; OR master's degree or higher with substantive experience relevant to content area; OR master’s degree or higher with bachelor’s degree in content area; OR master’s degree or higher with teacher certification in related area.
    o Critical Thinking Course requires a master’s degree or higher.

    Has anyone taken a position like this? I might be interested but have questions I'd rather have asked before completing the paperwork.
     
  2. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    This is clearly a reaction to UoP's accreditation issues.

    I was full-time with UoP for a year as a Campus Chair. I believe you will find the pay, conditions, and managerial ability of those above you um...underwhelming. But the opportunity could fit your situation, whatever that might be.
     
  3. graymatter

    graymatter Member

    Sure, the shift to full-time opportunities is open at several of the schools I work for. Those schools have blamed Obamacare but perhaps they'll blame accreditation when they are up for review.

    Does the position require that you not have any other online faculty positions? That has been the sticky point for other schools that are making this transition.

    By Campus Chair, does that mean that you weren't online? This is posted as an exclusively remote position.

    Thanks for your insights.
     
  4. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I don't know for certain, but I doubt it. They'd have to sign you to some sort of non-compete clause. That was never an issue when I was there, either for full- or part-time people.
    It means we were campus-based. But many of us were online instructors, too.
     
  5. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    The unnamed university that I work for is also hiring full-time instructors for their online division. The candidates are taken from the adjunct pool and not from outsiders. A non-competition clause must be signed e.g. they cannot work for competitors. Health benefits are also provided.

    I speculate that the hiring of full-time instructors is because of Obamacare. A school has two choices:

    1. They can either reduce the number of hours that adjuncts work to avoid paying healthcare and, consequently, they must increase the number of adjuncts who are employed or

    2. They can hire more full-time instructors and give them healthcare benefits.

    The online instructional jobs at my university are extremely esoteric and complicated. If you're an administrator or a CEO, it's not a position where you want instructional employees constantly coming and going (a high turnover). That would also indirectly affect student retention, which affects the incoming revenue stream. Also, increasing the number of adjuncts (by reducing the number of hours they can work, due to Obamacare) seems like it would be a nightmare for administrators. It is probably cheaper (and more efficient) to simply hire more full-time instructors who are already doing excellent jobs as adjuncts (a proven track record).

    Accreditation issues may also be involved (?), but the greater issue is probably the provision of Obamacare vs. hiring more adjuncts who are willing to work fewer hours.
     
  6. scaredrain

    scaredrain Member

    I think it has to do with accreditation issues. I will not name where I work, but it is an online university that has physical campuses spread throughout the states. We have always had some full time faculty, but now the accreditation organizations are wanting more. As for the Obamacare issue, we solved that by only letting adjuncts teach 1 course per semester, instead of the usual 2. We were also recently told to look for adjuncts in non union states.
     
  7. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    Do regionally accredited schools have to have a certain percentage of doctoral holders OR full-time faculty?
     
  8. scaredrain

    scaredrain Member

    Yes RA schools must have a certain percentage of doctoral level faculty members. One of the places where I adjunct is a SACS accredited school, that has a large brick and mortar campus, the branch where I am a professor is a satellite campus. I was asked to teach an additional course this term. The director stated that she had ran over her quota for master level faculty and had to replace one of the master level faculty with a doctorate holder in order to meet the SACS requirements. I have also heard rumors that DETC has put the kibosh on allowing master level faculty to teach master level courses. Another university where I am an adjuct and is DETC accredited sent out an email to this affect last month, notifying the master level adjuncts that they could no longer teach graduate level courses.
     
  9. graymatter

    graymatter Member

    This happened to me at LU 5 years ago.
     

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