Any hints/help on DeVry Faculty training

Hi All,
I am starting faculty training program phase 1 next month at DeVry. Could you please help me out by sending your insights, experiences, hints, ideas,.. I greatly appreciate your help. regards, Andrew

 

The training is not a big deal, most people pass it. The main issue is to get work after. My suggestion is to get approved as for many courses as you can and try to get a course as soon as you finish the training. It took me about a year to get my first course with them after my training, this after chasing few chairs that eventually approved me for some courses.

Also, try to teach courses that have been running for a while and avoid any new course. The issue is that Devry requires you to keep a minimum evaluation score in order to continue with the them and new courses tend to have problems that might reflect negatively in your evaluation scores.

If you really want to score extra points with them, attend the yearly meetings and this will keep you on top of the list for work assignments.

 

I didn't find the training any big deal. You should be able to breeze through it.

They have actually revamped their evaluations of faculty now. The student feedback score is only part of the equation.

I enjoy working for them.

 

The training for DeVry is pretty straight forward, and for the most part quite easy. It was nice that they actually had you put together your discussion rubric before you started the course. What are you teaching for them?

I got a course within a term, and have had at least one every term since, sometimes they give me two, sometimes the second doesn't make.

Anyone know what the evaluation score is that is supposed to be maintained? My training manager said that they "like to to keep the scores above 3.5" Mine are, but I can't imagine 3.5 being the magical cutoff, as that is the minimum "A" average. I think I got 3.8 Last term... Anyway, just treat the students like human beings and you should do just fine!

 

All,

I'm curious what your timeline looked like from the point of application to getting invited to participate in the online training. Did you wait a long time or did it occur rather quickly?


Thanks,

 

I think I applied to DeVry about 62,000 times before I ever heard back from them. About every month or so, I would go through their HR page and apply to the open jobs for which I was qualified. Eventually, I heard back. I want to say it took about 18 months or so from the first time I applied until I actually started training.

But once they contacted me, it was very quick. A couple of weeks after their first response, I was in training and I had a course ready to go immediately after the training was over.

I have not been without a DeVry course in over a year. Sometimes they give me 2.

 

For me it was the other way around, they contacted me right away after my initial application. After the training I was offered a course that had to be cancelled due to low enrollment, then I was not contacted again till I contacted few chairs that eventually approved for more courses. The trick is to be approved for as many courses as you can in order to have constant work. The best is to have 18 graduate credits in two areas in order to maximize chances of employment.

 

Yeah, I originally was teaching their business writing course, but some sort of administrative change meant that I was no longer qualified to teach it, though I have my degrees in English and it was an English course. I didn't have enough technical writing courses on my transcript. So after a year of teaching that every term, I was shifted to their Fresh Comp course and have been teaching it for a couple of terms.

Such is life. Pay is the same. I actually think grading is easier in the fresh comp class, though I already teach so many of those, it was nice to teach something different once in awhile...

 

I was actually recruited, which is somewhat funny since my degree is very common and over-saturated. However, the recruiter had just happened to find my CV online and sent me an email. It took about ten days to get into training, and about a session (8 weeks) to get classes. When you train, they give you access to all the internet classes so that you can look at them. I noticed that only two people taught what I teach, and they were training three in the group I was in. I am thinking that is why I have had such good luck with getting classes regularly.
Now UoP on the other hand, I can't get a class to make to save my life! I am getting close to the 6 month limit since the last time I taught, I hope that when they cancel classes that it restarts that 6 month window that you have to teach one class within - anyone know if that is the case, or not?

 

De Vry

Make sure you are trained on blended learning and get to know your center deans for assignments.

 

The new blended learning model is emerging and you should make sure you are trained on this method. Also, make sure you are checking your student evaluations after each semester. I have changed my approach over the years to improve my instruction and these evaluations help. I am particularly interested in student comments. Also, get to know the Center Deans and learn more from them about their needs. I help by referring potential instructors in subject matters that are hard to find.

 

interesting

 

For those of you who've been with DeVry University for awhile, especially those currently teaching on-campus classes, what are the main differences between an Adjunct Professor and a Visiting Professor? I was recently offered a Visiting Professor position which allows me to teach up to 38 semester hours per year and entails some in-house training and attendance at student events every once in awhile. The 2010-2011 DeVry University Undergraduate Catalog lists far more Adjunct Professors as compared to Visiting Professors at the campus where I'll be teaching at so I'm trying to figure out if the main differences between the two positions have to do with compensation, number of semester hours that someone can teach per year, seniority, etc.

abnrgr275

 

I am beginning training for DeVry online in May, and have been given a course in the Humanities to begin online in July.
How consistent is DeVry online with giving adjuncts a course load?

 

I get a class from DeVry (and occasionally two) every term. That is for the past two years.

 

Thanks for the info cdhale.

 

I just mentioned on another thread that I got a message today offering me another class. I already had one starting today, but they had to open another section, so I got that one, too. They make you wait until the term is over to get paid, but this will be a nice summer check...

 

Well all depends... I teach one of their Humanities courses, and I was consistently getting 1 or 2 classes a session for two years until this current session that just started. Most of their online humanities courses are taught by 2 -5 different people if it is an elective, from what I gathered by word of mouth and during training. I just saw they have been hiring my position twice in the last year, so my pool may be up to 7 or 8... It sounds like you will never be short of work if you are in English though! Also, DeVry is somewhat famous for "surprise" courses - which I always find a good thing - but they can pop them on you within a few days of the course starting whenever they feel they have enough enrollment to fill another class. If you have taught the class before, then these usually are not a big deal.

 

Yep, my surprise course was offered the day after the term started. So I had to get it all set up, etc. that day. But I did.

 

Thanks a lot Princeofska.
I am teaching HUMN 432 Technology, Society, and Culture in July and have also been approved to teach HUMN445: Principles of Ethics. Have you ever taught either of those?