Webinars for adjunct profs

Adjunct faculty who are just getting their first jobs or need some additional training will be happy to know that there is a new online resource called AdjunctSuccess, reports Inside Higher Ed.

AdjunctSuccess, is the brainchild of Richard E. Lyons, author of “The Adjunct Professor’s Guide to Success” and other instructional books. Lyons teaches most of the remote conference sessions called webinars on topics ranging from planning teaching strategies to integrating everyday technology into the curriculum.

“Adjuncts typically are teaching odd hours or on the weekend, when they don’t see a lot of other folks,” Lyons said. “They often feel marginalized. The webinar fosters a sense of community.”

Colleges sign up for packages which come with 15 webinars, the first of which is customized to faculty at a specific university, and the rest of which are generic. The participants can view the sessions live or view them on their own time. Colleges pay per participant.

“Colleges are going to hire adjuncts as they need them. I don’t think we are doing anything to encourage or discourage them to hire more. We want to make sure that newly hired adjuncts are more prepared," said Lyons.