Use of the term "Adjunct Professor"

I have noticed that people on this board use the term "adjunct professor" as someone essentially working as a part-time course instructor at an online institution of some sort.

However, my understanding of the term, at least how it is used in Canada, is different. For example, taken from the Lakehead University website:

"The title Adjunct Professor may be bestowed upon a person who is not a full-time member of the faculty. The granting of the title reflects some mutually beneficial scholarly association between the University and the candidate. The qualifications and terms of appointment will be determined by the academic unit(s) in which the position is to be held according to the following terms of reference.

The title Adjunct Professor may be granted for any of the following purposes:

(1) To supervise or co-supervise graduate or undergraduate students
(2) To contribute to other scholarly pursuits of the department
(3) To facilitate the pursuit of independent research."

This is typical of a Adjunct Professor as I understand it. Most adjuncts are given a rank too (i.e. assistant, associate or full professor). In essence, it is a way for professor from another institution or person from industry, holding a doctorate, to be associated with a university for mutual benefit. It is very rare for an "Adjunct Professor" to hold anything less than a doctorate. The primary purpose is to conduct scholarly research, and maybe teach a course from time to time.

I guess my question is, seeing as I hear "adjunct" used quite liberally, what is the formal definition in the United States?

 

Hmmm...

I'm not sure if the US has such a structured definition of "professor" as there is in Europe, for example. There really isn't a prohibition against self-identifying as a "professor."

I identify myself as an "adjunct instructor" in educational situations but if I'm telling a work acquaintence or networking contact about my teaching, I'll say that I'm an "adjunct professor."

 

Scot, I don't know about the differences between US and Canadian adjuncts, and I'm interested to read what those who do know post.

I, however, have a brother-in-law who is a Jr. high teacher in Calgary. I teach Jr. high in Orange County, CA. It appears that teachers in Canada are more respected and receive a better deal in both benefits and in general respect. I know he lives quite well there on his and his wife's salary. (She's a teacher too)

 

I would say it is the same for US adjunct faculty but with an emphasis on teaching students.

 

I have several friends who are

In most colleges in the US particularly Commmunity Colleges an Adjunct Professor is anyone who teaches one or more classes but not as many as 5 classes. At 5 classes you are considered a full professor. Often the Adjunct professor is someone who works in industry during the day. (One friend is a company Vice President) then teaches one or 2 classes a semester in the evening. Some Adjuncts are looking to get a (full Time) Line professorship. Most often the Adjunct is someone who just wants to make a few extra bucks (it can be as little as $1500/ class/semester), occasionally it is someone who loves teaching, but can't live on that money. Most colleges only require a masters in the area to teach.

 

Is there a difference between an instructor and a professor?

Here's a cut-n-paste from my university on specific definitions of ranked titles, such as differences between "instructor" and "professor." Quite a bit was cut-out for brevity:

Snip:

• Faculty Rank
  
  Full-time Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Instructors, and teaching personnel shall be the instructional faculty. Persons holding adjunct appointments, or part time teaching positions or other honorary titles shall not be considered to be members of the ranked instructional faculty unless they have been awarded one of the ranked titles above by the university.
  
  Ranking is an important function of a University as it confirms the quality of those teaching for an institution and demonstrates that the university is an active and contributing member of society through the quality of its teaching, community service and research.
  
  
• Definition of Academic Ranks and Titles
  
  A ranked faculty member is a full-time employee or adjunct employee of the university who has been appointed to one of the four regular academic ranks:
  1. Instructor
  2. Assistant Professor
  3. Associate Professor
  4. Professor.
  
  Being contracted, as an adjunct, does not carry the rank of instructor until the adjunct has been awarded the title based upon successfully teaching four consecutive quarters for the university. At that point, based on the judgment of the VPAA or DAA, an adjunct may be ranked as an instructor and advance through the ranks in the same manner as a full time faculty member, meeting all the same requirements.
  
  Each faculty rank at the university has distinct criteria regarding required degrees, years in rank, and degree of performance in rank. The term “terminal degree” denotes the highest degree awarded in a discipline. The doctorate is normally the terminal degree for most disciplines, except in such programs as Design where the MFA may serve as the terminal degree.

 

"Adjunct" in U.S. usage is analogous to "contract faculty" or "sessional instructor" in Canadian.

 

Then Adjunct (U.S.) does not equal Adjunct (Canada). Adjunct Professors here are just as concerned with research as teaching.

 

In most U.S. usage, now, it seems. I expect some U.S. universities might use it separately in the Canadian sense.

 

Here, adjuncts and full time (either tenure track or non-tenure track) are designations under the union contracts.

1. Adjuncts (otherwise known as lecturers) are only held to teaching responibilities.

2. Full time lecturers - responsible for teaching and service - committees, advising or the like.

3. Full time tenure track, full time lecturers - responsible for teaching, research, and service.

Now, that does not mean that there are minimum requirements for 1&2. THey must maintain an "academic qual" or a "professionally qual" status. To do this, they must be working in the public sector (PQ) or publish at a certian rate (AQ).

Our adjuncts, after 6 years of service are converted per the union contract to full time lecturers. After one year, they have "entitlements", a certian number of classes they must be given per academic year.

 

In my experience, adjunct faculty refers to part-time faculty that teach but are not considered permanent employees of the university.

An adjunct faculty member is not automatically entitled to call his or herself "professor." At my institution, most are contracted as "Adjunct Lecturers" but may be contracted at a professorial rank if they hold the terminal degree and have the appropriate experience. In such cases, their official title would be "Adjunct Assistant Professor," etc. Their contracts are rarely for more than a single academic year.

We have other mechanisms for full-time faculty that are not tenure-track, (visiting, etc.). Their contracts can be for up to three years.

 

It may depend on the institution. I officially hold the title of adjunct professor from a major state university. To have this title my vita was reviewed by the dean of the school and my materials were then voted on by the faculty. This allows me to officially teach classes or serve as a member of doctoral committees.

 

Indeed this is more inline with my understanding of the term "Adjunct Professor". In Canada, being an "Adjunct Professor" is a big deal.... and not easily achieved. When I see the term "Adjunct" used in this forum, it's more inline with "part-time instructor" as used in Canadian universities.

 

It depends on the University, I have worked at few Universities where the Adjunct professor title was conferred to those teaching courses that were outside of the part time union. This would give the University the flexibility they need of hiring people that are required to teach very specific courses that might not be within the specific expertise of the regular part time. Adjunct professors were part time faculty without seniority rights.
Seniority is a big deal, at some universities like the University of Ottawa you can become a tenured part time faculty if you are able to accumilate so many seniority credits. Some others don't have the tenure concept for part time but they virtually give tenure to those that have so many seniority credits.

In few words, at the Universites that I have worked, adjuncts were part time faculty without seniority rights that migt not have their contracts renewed.

 

I see adjunct as a part-timer but at one school I am considered a "senior instructor" due to time of service and get a little more money per class. At another school I am (unoffically) on the "preferred instructor" list. I get offered extra classes before others. I would assume it is due to the fact that I always accept them, set them up on short notice, and always have high student feedback results.

 

Words sometimes have different meanings in Canada...

 

In South Africa only the head of a department (i.e Fine Art) is customarily awarded the title of Professor, and this is not a given. The head of the Faculty (Arts) would be the Dean and the University head the Vice Chancellor (Chancellor usually being an honorary title bestowed on an influential dignitary for a period of time). Lecturers are called just that, as is the case with part-time lecturers or tutors.

 

I'm not into the whole academic thing but the differentiation that I find most interesting is that between an Associate Professor and an Assistant Professor. My understanding is that while both are full-time positions, one is tenure track and the other is not. Which is which? I'm not sure.

 

Both assistant and associate are tenure-track or tenured. It's just a rank based on qualifications and research experience.

 

OK Scott, who's on top?