Adjunct Professor Job Description

Adjunct professors are generally those who are employed for a short period of time with an aim to achieve a specific purpose. Adjunct professor responsibilities include imparting the knowledge in a particular area of expertise to achieve the goals outlined by the institution. However, they are not eligible to get any benefits related to life, health insurance or retirement contributions from the employer. Thus, if you have a passion for teaching and are willing to work only a few hours daily, this is definitely the right career option for you.

Key Responsibilities of Adjunct Professor

An adjunct professor needs to carry out all the responsibilities of a professor. Here is an explicit description of key responsibilities that need to be carried out by him:

1. Development: He is responsible for designing the course material, preparing innovative instructional methods, and selecting and developing assignments that will be help the students to understand the subject easily.

2. Evaluation: He constantly monitors, maintains, updates, and keeps a track of the students performance by evaluating their performance and grading them in various assignments. He prepares attendance reports to be submitted to the immediate reporting senior.

3. Achieving: He constantly makes sure that the course deliverables are designed keeping in mind the goals and objectives that need to be achieved.

4. Adherence: He ensures that overall discipline is maintained by the students and that they adhere to the rules and regulations designed by the institution.

5. Reviewing: He constantly reviews the performance of the students. Similarly, he also reviews the course curriculum and makes recommendations to improve the quality of the course.

6. Updation: He makes sure that he is updated on the various teaching and instructional methods that will prove to be helpful in achieving the mission of the institute and help the students to understand the subject more easily.

He should ensure that the course begins and ends on the scheduled time. If he is unable to attend the institution, it is his duty to notify and arrange for the missed class. He should be able to guide, instruct, advise, and counsel the students by resolving their relevant subject queries or any other personal issues. At times, he may need to participate in meetings as per the instructions from his seniors. Thus, the basic and the most essential responsibility is to teach and impart quality education to the students.

Essential Skills Required Adjunct Professor

The skills and qualities required for an adjunct professor are manifold. Here are some of the essential skills:

• A passion and love for teaching
• Ability to teach effectively to the students, especially the complex things in a simpler form and establish a good rapport with the students and colleagues
• Should be willing to take efforts to simplify and provide quality education
• Should be committed, patient and demonstrate selflessness
• Should be a good listener to be able to understand and solve student problems, should be able to present himself as a role model and exhibit leadership skills
• Should motivate and inspire students to take higher education and advise them on their careers

Educational Requirements

If you are applying for the post of an adjunct professor, you should have a minimum master's degree in the relevant subject area. However, in some colleges, even a bachelor's degree is sufficient combined with some work experience.

Salary Details

The salaries offered are much lesser than those offered to the professors mainly because of two reasons, first of all they work part time and secondly they are expected to handle lesser responsibilities. It normally varies depending on the institute, academic background, and work experience. It generally falls in the range of $45,000 to $65,000, but they are not eligible to receive any other benefits.

Career Prospects

The career prospects are really bright for those aspiring to work part time and take up the teaching profession. The demand is definitely going to rise in the coming years and with additional higher education, their careers are sure to advance.

Thus, adjunct professor responsibilities need to be executed appropriately to ensure that high quality education is imparted and to achieve the outlined objectives.