Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide - How to Thrive as a Psychology

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide

American Psychological Association

Revised 2017

Committee on Associate and

Baccalaureate Education

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

Adjunct Faculty Resource

Guide: How to Thrive as a

Psychology Instructor

Available online at http://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/undergrad/index.aspx

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American Psychological Association, Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate

Education. (2017). Adjunct faculty resource guide: How to thrive as a psychology instruc-

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Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

Contents

Introduction 2

Part I: Getting started: Learning institutional culture 3

A. College policies and procedures 3

A.1 Getting hired 3

A.2 Class attendance practices 5

A.3 Class cancellation practices 5

A.4 Grading 5

A.5 Student records and conﬁdentiality 6

A.6 Getting students the help they need 6

B. Working with others 7

Part II: Getting organized: Teaching psychology courses 8

A. Course planning and management 8

A.1 Planning your course 8

A.2 Managing your course 8

A.3 Assessing your students 9

B. Creating a syllabus 10

B.1 Learning resources 11

B.2 Teaching resources 11

Part III. Getting connected: Building your psychology network 13

A. Becoming a member of professional organizations 13

A.1 American Psychological Association 13

A.2 Regional psychological associations 13

B. Participating in professional development programs 14

C. Serving as a student advocate 14

References 15

Appendices 16

A. Checklist for new adjunct faculty 16

B. Checklist for new online adjunct faculty 17

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

Introduction

The American Psychological Association (APA)

Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate

Education (CABE) has revised the Adjunct Faculty

Resource Guide that was originally developed in

2009 by the Committee of Psychology Teachers at

Community Colleges (PT@CC). The updated guide

supports instructional and professional development

needs at both associate- and baccalaureate-level

institutions and is divided into three parts:

- Getting started

- Getting organized

- Getting connected

This guide offers the practical support you need

to navigate the opportunities, expectations, and

responsibilities of your adjunct appointment.

We hope this guide will enhance your teaching

ability, help you expand your network of colleagues

in psychology, and enable you to thrive in complex

higher education environments.

Adjunct hiring practices differ in associate- and

baccalaureate-level contexts, although both types of

institutions increasingly rely on adjunct faculty to

deliver their respective curricula. Community colleges

hire more adjunct faculty than any other institutions

of higher education (Edmonds, 2015). However,

declining rates of tenure for professors have produced

significantly greater employment opportunities for

adjunct faculty members teaching at the baccalaureate

level in the past few years as administrators have

needed to hire temporary contract faculty to deliver

their programs as inexpensively and with as much

flexibility as possible (Fredrickson, 2015).

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

I. Getting started: Learning institutional culture

A. College policies and procedures

As an adjunct faculty member, you may not see the

need to learn about the institutional culture of the

college where you are employed, but we encourage

you to do so if you are interested in pursuing a

teaching career.

Institutional culture refers to the structural and

functional relationships that exist within an organi-

zation. Learning as much as you can about how an

organization functions, including how decisions are

made, can be useful. Proposed budget cutbacks often

create sudden and dramatic reductions in adjunct

faculty employment. Therefore, it may be useful to

learn about your college’s budget process and how this

process affects decisions regarding instruction at your

college. Staying attuned to the fiscal fitness of your

college can help you better anticipate when demands

for courses may grow or precipitously decline.

Most colleges—as well as their individual depart-

ments comprising various disciplines—have a mission

statement, a vision, and a strategic plan that includes

yearly goals and objectives. These blueprints guide

the daily work of administrators. The college’s annual

goals and objectives for instruction can affect you

directly and indirectly. For example, evaluation of

institutional programs and assessment of student

learning are ongoing goals for all institutions of

higher education. Consequently, depending on your

teaching assignment, you may be asked to assess

specific student learning outcomes in your courses.

Or you may be asked to serve on committees and

provide input about departmental and course assess-

ments. Your level of involvement in committee work

will depend on opportunities available at your college.

However, if such opportunities are limited, you may

wish to volunteer for community service.

All institutions of higher education operate according

to a college code or a set of bylaws that governs the

work of the college. You may want to become familiar

with these bylaws because they are used to facilitate

the governance process at your college, and they may

include references to important college documents.

For example, the bylaws may stipulate that the college

must maintain a current faculty handbook and that

the college may produce variations of the handbook

to address the separate needs of full-time and adjunct

faculty. At some colleges, there may also be a version

of the adjunct faculty handbook specifically tailored

to the needs of faculty in specific instructional areas.

Learn as much as possible about your college’s

governance process. Consider joining the faculty

organization or faculty senate, if these opportunities

are open to you, since these bodies give voice to the

concerns of adjunct faculty at your college. Some

adjunct faculty members have even organized into

unions to assist in getting their voices heard and

achieving a measure of job protection, although such

action is not widespread. Investigate whether adjunct

instructors are unionized on your campus as well as

the potential advantages and disadvantages of joining

such a union.

A.1 Getting hired

An instructional dean or department chair is respon-

sible for hiring adjunct faculty before the beginning of

an academic term and on an as-needed basis. Adjunct

faculty members may be hired on an emergency basis

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

with little advance notice and not much fanfare. Some

adjunct instructors may be hired sight unseen; others

may be required to meet with a hiring committee

or to demonstrate their teaching and learning strat-

egies either through delivering a sample lecture or

presenting representative class planning materials.

At a minimum, you should plan to provide a resume

that reflects your explicit short- and long-term

interests in obtaining an adjunct appointment with

a specific program.

Usually, when hiring potential adjunct faculty, colleges

do not express interest in a long-term commitment

either during an interview or in a subsequent written

employment contract. Yet many adjunct faculty

members and their employers develop successful

long-term working relationships in their academic

departments. In fact, highly successful adjunct faculty

members whose performance has proven beneficial

to the institution may be recruited to join the full-time

faculty in these same departments when budget

margins allow. Consequently, once you are hired as

an adjunct faculty member, your teaching evalua-

tions and the quality of your work relationships with

colleagues will weigh heavily in future hiring decisions.

Develop good working relationships with full-time

faculty and members of the administrative staff who

can become your advocates. Establish a good rapport

with individuals who work directly with your dean or

department chair.

The importance of developing a close working

relationship with your most immediate contact

person, your department’s or dean’s administrative

assistant, cannot be overstated. He or she can assist

you with preparing copies of your syllabus and class

handouts, learning grading protocol, securing an

examination or a copy of a textbook, obtaining office

space, getting a mailbox and an email account, and

accessing a computer. Moreover, the department

administrative assistant can tell you how to obtain

materials from the library and access instructional

resources. Department administrative assistants

are often the first to know about major changes that

can affect your long-term employment prospects.

Cultivate this relationship as carefully as you would

tend a garden.

Getting to know veteran faculty members in your

academic department or subject area may also prove

to be valuable for the tips they can offer you on how

to navigate what can be a complex environment.

Many faculty members enjoy being asked to serve

as mentors and will gladly share what they know.

Arranging to meet occasionally for coffee is a great

strategy for pursuing a mentorship that will not only

improve your teaching but deepen your connections

to the department.

Pay strict attention to a number of administrative

details about your employment. Before you begin

teaching your first course, make certain that you

have a teaching contract that spells out your teaching

assignments explicitly along with the compensation

you will receive over the contract term. Be aware

that contracts may contain cancellation clauses that

will remove your class from the term offerings if

enrollment is insufficient. The threat of low enroll-

ments may pinch you in other ways. If a full-time

faculty member has a class with low enrollment, that

class may be canceled and the administrator may be

contractually obligated to move the full-time faculty

member into a viable class. When this happens,

adjunct faculty can be replaced by full-time faculty at

the last minute. Make sure to check your employment

agreement to see if you are vulnerable to these effects

of last-minute course cancellations.

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

You will also need to meet with someone in the

human resources department who can assist you

with assorted employment requirements, including

your W-4 form, payroll deductions, and benefits. You

may need a parking permit and an employee identifi-

cation card to access college resources. Pursue these

resources in a timely fashion because your access to

materials in the digital environment maintained by the

college may require specific identification numbers

secured through the hiring process.

A.2 Class attendance practices

Colleges differ in their policies about recording

students’ class attendance. For example, in some

first-year classes, instructors will be required to take

attendance throughout the term in order to promote

good work habits among new students and also to

assist with the institution’s efforts to retain students.

You may need to verify and report students’ atten-

dance to the registrar before their financial aid can be

released. Similarly, you may need to estimate when

students who withdraw from a course stop coming to

class, as it may make a difference in whether they can

recover any tuition. Adhere to your college’s atten-

dance policy. Include the attendance policy statement

in your syllabus and refer to it as appropriate

throughout the course.

A.3 Class cancellation practices

During the hiring process, inquire about class

cancellation practices. In some settings, classes can

be canceled only by the college’s administration.

Inclement weather conditions or emergencies may

prompt a campus-wide shutdown; in such cases

there are usually website and other media announce-

ments of the campus closure. Increasingly, campus

officials are requiring adjunct faculty members to

join emergency notification networks so that they

can be informed immediately about actions that may

affect their classes. The growing national incidence of

campus shootings also necessitates that you remain

alert and aware of institutional actions involving class

cancellation or campus lockdown procedures.

You may also encounter personal emergencies that

necessitate making alternative arrangements for

your classes. In some contexts, you may need to

contact the dean or department chair to initiate an

emergency plan. In general, administrators prefer

that a plan involving a substitute be put in place

rather than merely canceling a class. That plan can

include arranging for coverage by one of your peers

(another instructor who may be able to step in), or

you may be able to request that campus support

systems, such as campus advising or the career

center, provide a substitute.

Because adjunct faculty members, as part-time

employees, do not accrue personal or sick leave, they

usually do not get paid when they miss a class period.

Some institutions will actually deduct pay from their

salaries when they miss a class period. However,

institutions may waive this policy if an adjunct

faculty member misses a class period because of an

emergency or the death of a close family member.

Institutions may waive this policy for adjunct faculty

members who have to report for military or jury duty.

On the other hand, some institutions will pay a flat

rate for a course on the assumption that the adjunct

faculty member will be responsible for managing the

allotted time well.

A.4 Grading

Pay strict attention to your college’s policy regarding

grades. Grades must be recorded using college

standards and submitted according to protocol in a

timely fashion. Instructions for recording your grades

online can be obtained from the college’s office of

records and registration or from your dean’s office.

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

You may find it helpful to do some advance planning

on the technical aspects of grade reporting before

grades are actually due. Some colleges may impose a

financial penalty for not turning in grades when they

are due. Violating this policy may also serve as grounds

for not rehiring you to teach in subsequent semesters.

Some colleges require progress reports as a part of

their retention strategy for at-risk students. You may

be asked to provide information about your students’

progress throughout the semester, especially for

student athletes or first-time-in-college students.

You may be asked to turn in your grading records to

your dean’s office at the end of the term, especially if

you are leaving the college at that time. Doing so will

ensure that administrators are able to attend to grade

disputes in a timely and fair manner. Your adjunct

faculty handbook should explain your college’s policy

regarding the assignment of grades and the handling

of grade disputes. Administrators are obligated to

hear a student’s complaints even if the assigned

instructor is no longer physically available to partic-

ipate in the process. Complete and readily discernible

records will make it easier to provide a fair resolution

of a student’s concern regarding a grade dispute.

A.5 Student records and confidentiality

According to the Family Educational Rights and

Privacy Act (FERPA), parents have the right to inspect

and review their children’s educational records.

However, these rights transfer to students when

they reach 18 years of age or attend a school beyond

the high school level. This is a federal law, and it

must be followed when parents request information

about their children’s progress in your classes. If

a parent becomes overbearing, do not succumb

to their pressures to share protected information.

Respond that you will need to confer with your dean

or department chair because of student privacy rights

and then make that connection. Administrators are

likely to recommend that parents secure written

permission from the student before any information

can be disclosed. You may also offer the prospect of

a three-way meeting involving you, the student, and

the parent, but it is still a good idea to get a student’s

signed release of grade information to help with

documenting this step in case the problem continues

to grow. However, you should follow your college’s

policy regarding the release of student information.

Student records must be kept confidential, and

student grades must not be posted or readily available

for others to observe. For example, you may not post

examination scores using names or identification

codes that could be interpreted by anyone other than

the student.

You will need to maintain your students’ records

for a period of time and store them in a secure place.

Guidelines for securing student records should be

outlined in your college’s adjunct faculty handbook.

In the absence of a specific guideline, it is probably

a good idea to maintain your records for 7 years after

the completion of the class.

A.6 Getting students the help they need

Academic advisors can be either full-time faculty

members with advising responsibilities or profes-

sional advisors. Whereas faculty advisors may be

available only during limited times in posted office

hours, professional advisors are usually available

on a walk-in basis. All advisors should be available

via email. Some colleges also arrange for students

to have access to online advising. Students should

contact an academic advisor to obtain information

about degree programs, course offerings, transfer

issues, and graduation requirements. Students also

can access general information about programs of

study on their college’s website.

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

If your students complete your college’s protocols for

self-identifying as having special educational needs

and seek corresponding educational assistance, you

will be asked to meet those needs. You will receive

specific instructions about how to accommodate

these students from your college’s Office of Disability

Support Services or Student Support Services. Such

accommodations can include extended time on

tests and/or assignments, access to interpreters,

and support for service companion animals (e.g.,

seizure-sensitive dogs). Most campuses have a very

strict process that students must follow to justify

requests for special accommodations.

To enhance student success, some institutions have

created mentoring programs that target first-gener-

ation college students and ethnic minorities. There

are also retention specialists and specific educational

programs to assist these students. If your college

maintains such special programs, it may be helpful to

mention these services in your syllabus.

Many institutions of higher education strive to

improve student success through targeted programs

that provide support in courses that students

experience as more challenging (e.g., math, English,

biology, and other courses that have the highest

student enrollments and attrition rates). Some

colleges may provide tutors for psychology courses.

Online tutoring may also be available.

B. Working

with others

Several people in your

college, both on and

off campus, can assist

you with your instruc-

tional needs. This

chart outlines their

unique roles and

responsibilities.

RESOURCE PERSON ROLE/RESPONSIBILITY

Department Secretary/

Administrative Assistant

Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the oﬃce and can assist you with requests

for oﬃce supplies and teaching resources

Learning Resources Faculty

Representative/Librarian

Responsible for purchasing teaching resources to supplement classroom instruction

This person often conducts lectures on information literacy and works closely with

faculty to coordinate the learning resources component of their courses (e.g., online

databases needed for writing assignments).

Information Technologist/

Instructional Technologist

Responsible for software and equipment requests that support instruction

This person also can assist with designing multimedia presentations for classroom

and professional development use.

Learning Resources Faculty

Representative/Librarian

Responsible for purchasing teaching resources to supplement classroom instruction

This person often conducts lectures on information literacy and works closely with

faculty to coordinate the learning resources component of their courses (e.g., online

databases needed for writing assignments).

Coordinator for Professional

Developmental/Coordinator

for Newly Hired Faculty

Responsible for planning professional development programs for faculty

Faculty development programs usually focus on teaching, learning, and assessment.

Publisher’s Representatives/

Textbook Representatives

Responsible for providing the most current teaching resources for all areas

of psychology

Ask your department chair, department secretary, or bookstore manager for

contact information.

Coordinator for Internships/

Cooperative Learning

Responsible for coordinating internship and cooperative learning opportunities; can

speak with your classes and provide enormous amount of information to your students

Coordinator for College Life Services

Responsible for all student clubs and organizations, including honor societies

College Union or Faculty Federation

When available, a union or faculty federation can be an important resource for

general advocacy and support of faculty.

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

II. Getting organized: Teaching psychology courses

A. Course planning and

management

Colleges strive to provide high-quality educational

programs for learners and to meet the workforce

development needs of the surrounding community.

Understanding this mission should assist you in

organizing and teaching your course. Your students

will have a wide range of abilities and diverse life

experiences. To meet your students’ needs, you may

be asked to use varied instructional strategies and

assessment tools.

A.1 Planning your course

If this is your first teaching assignment, ask your

department chair or department secretary for a sample

course outline or syllabus. This outline could save

you time in planning and managing your course. After

reviewing the outline, you will know how the course

has been organized. Suggestions for creating a course

outline or syllabus are described on page 10.

Colleges offer courses in many configurations.

Fifteen-week semesters are fairly standard; however,

some campuses use the quarter system to deliver

courses. Many community colleges offer weekend-only

courses and accelerated courses in 8-week or 12-week

formats. One-week courses may be offered during

the summer and between terms. Colleges also offer

fully online classes as well as hybrid courses that

combine face-to-face and online class meetings. As an

adjunct faculty member, you may be asked to teach

a psychology course in one or more of these formats

during the same academic term.

If you are a veteran adjunct faculty member, you

may be less concerned about course content and

more concerned about teaching the same course in a

different format. For example, you may not have had

an opportunity to teach a 1-week course or a weekend

course because these courses are usually taught

by full-time faculty members. Past models will be

especially helpful in adapting courses from an old to a

new format.

A.2 Managing your course

As a new adjunct faculty member, you will be expected

to teach students who have different learning prefer-

ences and challenges. You will learn quickly about

the range of abilities of your students. You should

experiment with a variety of teaching strategies in your

classroom to meet the needs of all of your students.

Students tend to retain more information when

they are actively engaged in the learning process

(Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014). Therefore, it

is important to use teaching strategies that are inter-

active and engaging. We suggest that you use cooper-

ative and collaborative teaching strategies. Do not

rely exclusively on lectures. You may also want to use

instructional technology to enhance your teaching.

However, it is important to remember that technology

is a tool to enhance your teaching, not a resource

designed to replace you as the instructor.

Consider not only what you want your students to

know after they have completed your psychology

course but how you want them to think differently

as a result of taking your course. These goals are

sometimes referred to as core learning objectives

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

or student learning objectives. Think about the

knowledge, skills, and values that you want your

students to gain. Several of the following resources

from APA might be particularly helpful as you consider

these issues. Be sure to check with your department

or program, as there may be a master plan in place to

address student learning outcomes as part of a larger

assessment plan.

• The APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate

Psychology Major: Version 2.0 describes five

learning goals and their related outcomes for the

undergraduate psychology major. This document

articulates developmental indicators that differen-

tiate expectations for students who are completing

associate-level programs in psychology from

those for students completing baccalaureate-level

programs.

• The Assessment CyberGuide for Learning Goals

and Outcomes describes various strategies

currently in use to assess learning in psychology.

• A report on Teaching, Learning, and Assessing in

a Developmentally Coherent Curriculum identifies

developmentally appropriate competencies that

serve as benchmarks of student success as students

progress from their first course through degree

attainment and provides models for teaching,

learning, and assessment.

• A fourth resource is derived from the 2016 APA

Summit on National Assessment on Psychology

(SNAP). This web page features a repository of

assessment strategies aligned to the learning goals

and outcomes established in the APA Guidelines for

the Undergraduate Psychology Major: Version 2.0.

Your next step will be to decide how to use the

resources available on your campus to achieve the

expected learning objectives. You may need the help

of the learning resources faculty (i.e., librarians), the

coordinators of the writing center, and student support

services staff to achieve your instructional goals.

Some of your students may need academic support to

complete their class assignments and projects.

A.3 Assessing your students

Assessment is an important component of effective

teaching. You will find many assessment tools to

determine what your students have learned. Plan to

assess their knowledge of the subject matter in a

variety of ways: multiple-choice examinations, quizzes,

written assignments, service-learning projects, oral

presentations, and role playing.

Writing assignments expose your students to the

Publication Manual of the American Psychological

Association and psychological research published in

peer-reviewed journals. These assignments will also

acquaint them with online databases that they can

use to find current research in psychology. Writing

assignments that are well constructed can help your

students gain skills in research, writing, information

literacy, and critical thinking. Many such assignments

have been created for your use and can be found

among the teaching resources presented on the

APA website. Consider creative rubrics for evaluating

students’ writing assignments, and discuss these

rubrics with your students when presenting these

assignments in class. These simple steps will ensure

that you are perceived as a fair and objective grader.

Your department may provide general guidelines

about the number and type of examinations that

should be given during the semester. You may be

required to administer a departmental final exam,

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

which is becoming more of the norm given the

increasing emphasis on accountability in higher

education. If there is a departmental final exam, your

department chair will give you instructions about how

to prepare your students for this summative, end-of-

course assessment.

B. Creating a syllabus

A syllabus is a course outline that describes the

instructor’s expectations and provides factual infor-

mation about the college and the course. A syllabus

typically should communicate to students that all

policies of the college will be upheld in the course,

including any policies that pertain to attendance

and integrity violations. Many colleges will provide a

template to ensure that all of their institutional syllabi

reflect the same rules, regulations, and expectations.

If your college does not have a template for creating

a syllabus, then follow the guidelines established by

the department of psychology. If there are no depart-

mental guidelines, ask the chair for a sample syllabus

for your

course. At a

minimum,

you should

include the

following

information

in your

syllabus:

Seasoned teachers tend to include more elaborate

detail in their syllabi, and some may even test

students on the syllabus content to ensure they have

carefully read the document. Elaborations may include

the following:

• Teaching philosophy

• Expectations of academic integrity and civility

• Opportunities for extra credit

• Inclement weather notification

• Policy on makeup exams and late assignments

• Protocol for requesting special accommodations

• Class withdrawal policy

• Tips for success, including recommendations from

past students

A syllabus also carries with it the professional

obligation on the part of the faculty member to

execute what has been promised. This document

can be used in a grievance process

or hearing concerning a student’s

academic performance or conduct.

Your syllabus should include sufficient

unambiguous information about your

college’s general policies and your

specific class policies.

For more information and examples

of more than 160 peer-reviewed syllabi

for a variety of undergraduate and

graduate psychology courses, consult

Project Syllabus. Created as a teaching

resource by the Society for the Teaching

of Psychology (APA Division 2), Project

Syllabus is available through the Office

of Teaching Resources in Psychology.

SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE

Name of the college

Department of Psychology

Course title, number, and credits

Course description

Instructor’s name, oﬃce location,

telephone number, email address

Oﬃce hours

Textbooks: required and recommended

Course objectives

Course competencies/core learning outcomes

Course requirements

Class schedule/schedule of course content

Examinations: dates and formats

Guidelines for written assignments

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

B.1 Learning resources

Successful students will need to spend time accessing

college resources online, in the computer lab, and in

the writing center to complete their assignments. You

may want to meet with the coordinators for the writing,

tutoring, and computer centers as soon as possible to

let them know what types of written assignments and

examinations you are requiring in your classes and

how much time your students will need to spend in the

computer lab. If you plan to schedule a class meeting

in the computer lab, you may want to make these

arrangements before classes begin.

You may also want to meet with your learning resources

faculty representative (librarian) to discuss your

course’s learning goals and outcomes. He or she can

assist your students with completing their assignments

and also help you develop online projects to enhance

your students’ information literacy and critical thinking

skills. Moreover, he or she can inform you about online

databases available to you and your students and help

you purchase audiovisual aids for your classes, place

materials on reserve for student use, and order journals

and books for instructional purposes.

If your college has a testing center, you will need to

know its policy for administering tests. If you teach

a face-to-face weekend class, you may be allowed

to leave exams in the testing center for students to

complete between class meetings. If you teach an

online course, your students may be required to take

their final examination in person in your college’s

testing center. Knowing your college’s testing center

policies also should help you plan for excused

absences and emergencies.

Many colleges have a service-learning coordinator to

assist students with their service-learning projects.

The service-learning coordinator can help you

create projects for your students. Service-learning

experiences are course-based services that meet a

community need. Service-learning usually involves

reflective activities that connect course content to

the service-learning experience. Students also may

want to complete internships by participating in

either a paid or nonpaid cooperative internship in

the local community. To assist students in obtaining

internships, you may wish to explore resources within

the community that might be open to providing

internship opportunities.

Find out where your college’s technology center is

housed so that you can get assistance with instruc-

tional technology and software to use in your

classroom. You also need to know about the techno-

logical capabilities of your campus. For example,

can you access your college’s online databases from

home? You may want help with creating an online

course or a PowerPoint presentation, using multi-

media software, or learning special email require-

ments. Generally speaking, there are in-house courses

designed to teach you how to use your college’s email

system and how to create an online or hybrid course.

You may also need to borrow equipment for profes-

sional development purposes, take a course, or attend

a conference to strengthen your technological skills.

B.2 Teaching resources

Dozens of teaching resources are available to you.

The most readily available resource is likely to be

the instructor’s resource manual accompanying

your textbook. This manual includes sample course

outlines, lecture launchers, teaching tips, chapter

outlines, learning objectives for every chapter, writing

assignments, lists of audiovisual aids, and class

exercises. It may also include recommended reading

lists and websites to supplement the textbook. These

resource guides are often overlooked as teaching

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

resources. You can also find countless websites

that will enhance your instruction and enliven your

students’ classroom experience.

In addition, you may wish to browse the textbook

publisher’s website, where you may also find links

that supplement the textbook and provide additional

learning opportunities for your students.

The APA website is an invaluable teaching resource

for any psychology course. You will find information

about APA and its members, who represent a broad

cross-section of psychologists with a wide variety of

interests in psychology.

APA has 54 divisions, which are interest groups

organized by members. Some represent subdisciplines

of psychology (e.g., experimental, social, or clinical),

whereas others focus on topical areas such as aging,

ethnic minorities, or trauma. The APA division that

will probably be most helpful to you as an instructor

is APA Division 2, the Society for the Teaching of

Psychology (STP). The STP website features many

excellent teaching resources that are included in the

online Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology.

There are other advantages to using the APA website.

You will be exposed to the most current thinking on

different psychological topics, and you will remain

abreast of new developments. Students enrolled in

psychology courses are often seeking information

about topics that go beyond the scope of the class

lecture. You and your students can use the APA

website to find out more about these topics and

identify psychologists conducting research on them.

Appendices A and B include checklists to help you

prepare for your new teaching position as an adjunct

faculty member.

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

III. Getting connected: Building your

psychology network

A. Becoming a member of

professional organizations

A.1 American Psychological Association

The APA is committed to meeting the needs of under-

graduate faculty. You can affiliate with the APA in

several ways.

Become an APA member, associate member, or

teacher affiliate. Visit the APA website to learn more

about these membership opportunities. Psychology

faculty at 2-year institutions can join as an APA

community college teacher affiliate at a substan-

tially reduced cost. You will receive the Monitor

on Psychology, a monthly publication of APA; the

Psychology Teacher Network (PTN), a quarterly

newsletter for teachers of introductory psychology;

the Psych Learning Curve blog; and special mailings

throughout the year. As an APA community college

teacher affiliate, you are automatically a member of

the APA Psychology Teachers at Community Colleges

(PT@CC). PT@CC is a network to represent and

support psychology teachers within the 2-year college

community.

If you are already a member of APA and would like to

join PT@CC, please contact staff in the APA Education

Directorate at 1-800-374-2721, ext. 6140, or via email

to [email protected].

Consider joining an APA division, which can expand

your knowledge of psychology and help you build a

professional network of colleagues. As mentioned

earlier, you may wish to consider joining the Society

for the Teaching of Psychology (STP/APA Division 2).

STP represents the interests of psychology teachers in

academic institutions ranging from secondary schools

through graduate schools. It promotes teaching excel-

lence, research on teaching, and professional devel-

opment; sponsors and cosponsors teaching-

related programs at national and regional psychology

conventions; publishes Teaching of Psychology;

disseminates teaching and advising materials through

the online Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology;

and administers the annual Excellence in Teaching

Awards and the G. Stanley Hall/Harry Kirke Wolfe

Lectures. As a member of STP, you will receive the

journal Teaching of Psychology and gain access to a

wealth of teaching resources. You will also have access

to information about teaching conferences, where you

can meet people with similar professional interests

and needs.

A.2 Regional psychological associations

To build your regional connections, you may be

interested in joining one of the seven regional psycho-

logical associations, where you can meet others

who share your passion for teaching and psychology.

The regional psychological associations sponsor

annual conventions, which provide an important

venue for networking and professional development.

The regional psychological associations and their

respective websites are listed on the next page.

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

Eastern Psychological Association (EPA)

Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA)

New England Psychological Association (NEPA)

Rocky Mountain Psychological Association (RMPA)

Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA)

Southwestern Psychological Association (SWPA)

Western Psychological Association (WPA)

B. Participating in professional development programs

Attending professional development programs will

broaden your knowledge base and widen your network

of colleagues. If your goal is to attain a full-time

teaching position, attending professional development

programs—particularly those focusing on pedagogy,

assessment, and the scholarship of teaching—can

enhance your teaching portfolio. Ask your department

chair about professional development opportunities.

Some colleges have a professional development

coordinator who organizes workshops, lectures,

and conferences for faculty. Some departments of

psychology also offer professional development

programs for adjunct faculty.

C. Serving as a student advocate

We encourage you to become an advocate for

psychology majors by including information about

college resources in your syllabus and sharing infor-

mation with students about college life on your

campus. Consider serving as a volunteer for your

college’s Psychology Club. Learn about opportunities

to work with Psi Beta, the community college national

honor society in psychology, or Psi Chi, the interna-

tional honor society in psychology.

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

References

Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., III, & McDaniel, M. A.

(2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning.

Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.

Edmonds, D. (2015, May 28). More than half of

college faculty are adjuncts: Should you care? Retrieved

from http://www.forbes.com/sites/noodleedu-

cation/2015/05/28/more-than-half-of-college-faculty-

are-adjuncts-should-you-care/#75a240921d9b

Fredrickson, C. (2015, September 15). There is no

excuse for how universities treat adjuncts. Retrieved

from http://www.theatlantic.com/business/

archive/2015/09/higher-education-college-

adjunct-professor-salary/404461/

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

Appendices

Appendix A. Checklist for new adjunct faculty

Human Resources

▫ I have submitted a complete employment

application, including my college transcripts.

▫ I have completed my W-4 form and other

personnel forms.

▫ I have received an employee identification card and

a parking permit.

▫ I have received my teaching contract for the

academic term.

Department of Psychology

▫ I have a copy of the textbook and the instructor’s

resource manual.

▫ I have a copy of a sample syllabus.

▫ I have attended an orientation for new adjunct

faculty (if available) and met with the department

chair.

▫ I have received a copy of the adjunct faculty

handbook (if available).

Administrative Support

▫ I have been assigned an office and given a key to it.

▫ I have access to photocopying services.

▫ I am aware of general operating procedures for

administrative assistance.

▫ I have a grade book, either digital or hard copy.

▫ I have a mailbox and an email account.

▫ I have my class assignments.

▫ I have received my class roster(s).

▫ I can locate my classroom(s).

Learning Resources

▫ I can locate the library, and I know its hours of

operation.

▫ I have placed reference materials on reserve in the

library.

▫ I have access to audiovisual aids to enhance my

teaching.

▫ I know where the computer labs are located.

▫ I can use the technology available to me in the

classroom.

▫ I know how to contact the writing center, the

tutoring center, and the student support services

office.

▫ I am aware of the college’s policy on students with

disabilities and can locate the disability support

services office.

Professional Development and Networking

▫ I am aware of professional development opportu-

nities available to adjunct faculty.

▫ I plan to attend conferences on the teaching of

psychology.

▫ I will learn about opportunities for membership

in national associations, including the American

Psychological Association (APA) and the Society for

the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2).

Adjunct Faculty Resource Guide: How to Thrive as a Psychology Instructor

Appendix B. Checklist for new online adjunct faculty

Human Resources

▫ I have submitted a complete employment appli-

cation, including my college transcripts.

▫ I have completed my W-4 form and other personnel

forms.

▫ I have received my teaching contract for the

academic term.

Department of Psychology

▫ I have a copy of the textbook, the instructor’s

resource manual, or links to online resources.

▫ I have a copy of a sample syllabus.

▫ I have attended an orientation for new adjunct

faculty (if available) and met with the department

chair.

▫ I have received a copy of the adjunct faculty

handbook (if available).

Administrative Support

▫ I can access my email account.

▫ I have my class assignments.

▫ I can access my class roster(s).

▫ I can access my online classroom(s).

Learning Resources

▫ I can use the technology available to me in the

classroom.

▫ I know how to contact the writing center, the

tutoring center, and the student support

services office.

▫ I am aware of the college’s policy on students with

disabilities and can locate the disability support

services office.

Professional Development and Networking

▫ I am aware of professional development opportu-

nities available to adjunct faculty.

▫ I plan to attend conferences on the teaching of

psychology.

▫ I will learn about opportunities for membership

in national associations, including the American

Psychological Association (APA) and the Society for

the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2).