ARTICLE 17 THE HIRING, APPOINTMENT, EVALUATION AND BASE PAY FOR ADJUNCT FACULTY
ARTICLE 17
THE HIRING, APPOINTMENT, EVALUATION AND BASE PAY FOR ADJUNCT FACULTY
1. Hiring and Appointment of Adjunct Faculty
a. Within 6 months of ratification of this agreement, each school/college will create guidelines for the appointment of adjunct faculty. The guidelines will provide information regarding the process for hiring, appointment, titles and other relevant information. The guidelines will be consistent with 1.b below, as well as the criteria for hiring, title assignment, use of titles and other policies included in the university Policy on Adjuncts, as it may be modified from time to time.
b. Qualifications for Adjunct Ranks in Initial Appointments
Qualifications for adjunct faculty rank in all adjunct classifications shall be the same as delineated below.
i. Appointment as Adjunct Instructor is usually based on the attainment of a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or equivalent qualifications.
ii. Appointment as Adjunct Assistant Professor is usually based on the attainment of an appropriate terminal degree or equivalent qualifications.
iii. Appointment as Adjunct Associate Professor is usually based on the attainment of the qualifications necessary for Adjunct Assistant Professor, with substantial experience in teaching, research/creative work in the intended field of appointment, and such experience as is pertinent to the duties to be performed as an adjunct faculty member.
iv. Appointment as Adjunct Professor is usually based on the attainment of the qualifications necessary for Adjunct Associate Professor, with the candidate having attained a substantial reputation in their field as evidenced, for example, by a significant record of publications, presentations, or creative works in the intended field of appointment or who has received substantial honors or recognition in their field of endeavor.
c. When assigning rank and base compensation, appointing units are encouraged to consider not only educational requirements, but also the experience and effectiveness of an adjunct as well as academic and/or professional attainments relevant to their work at the university.
d. Appointment letters will indicate rank, rate of base pay, and for adjunct faculty with teaching assignments, the number of credits for each course.
e. Appointment letters will contain a link to information regarding criteria for hiring adjunct faculty at each title and state that each school’s guidelines may be requested from their chair. At the time of appointment, adjunct faculty may request appointment at any rank for which they are qualified. When making the request, the adjunct faculty must provide evidence that they meet the minimum qualifications for that rank in accordance with university and school/college policy. Links to important information included in the letter will be provided in an attachment that clearly specifies the resource that is accessed via each link.
f. Within six (6) months of ratification of this agreement, colleges/schools shall establish specific minimum pay rates for adjuncts at each rank above instructor. These minimum rates shall be reported to TAUP before the start date of the semester that they are adopted or changed. These rates shall include appropriate increases per rank based on the qualifications in Paragraph 1(b).
Adjuncts hired prior to the implementation of those guidelines shall maintain their then-current rank and pay if at or above established minima. Such an adjunct may request a formal evaluation in order to be considered for a change in rank/pay, regardless of the date of any previous evaluation.
g. Absent exceptional circumstances or where different qualifications exist between disciplines, an adjunct’s rank and base pay within a college or school shall not be decreased in subsequent appointments once an agreement letter has been approved by the Dean.
h. In recommending appointments for adjunct faculty, Deans or those designated to make personnel recommendations will consider evaluations and prior experience at Temple, and the skills and expertise to meet the specific hiring needs of the department.
i. No adjunct has a reasonable assurance for re-appointment until an appointment letter is issued by a hiring department.
j. Teaching experience as an adjunct at Temple University shall be taken into consideration when applying for a full-time faculty position at the university.
2. Faculty Resources
a. Each newly-hired adjunct will have access to an orientation session, contact information for a chair or other faculty member within their department for support, consultation, review of course materials, classroom observation, referrals to the Center for the Advancement of Teaching, or other university resources. The individual will respond to an adjunct’s request for support or referral in a timely manner.
3. Formal Evaluation of Adjunct Faculty
a. Prior to the start of the second semester following the ratification of this agreement, each school and college will develop and post guidelines for the formal evaluation of adjunct faculty. These guidelines are in the sole discretion of the school/college. These guidelines shall include:
i. A process for adjunct faculty to request an evaluation in order to be considered for promotion, pay increase or to request a multi-semester appointment.
ii. Information on where an adjunct faculty member can send a written response to go in their personnel file.
b. An evaluation will normally occur in the semester in which it is requested, provided the required resources are available and the request is made prior to the completion of the first 4 weeks of the semester. If it cannot be done in the semester in which it is requested, it will be done in the next semester in which they are employed.
c. Evaluations shall include multiple measures of performance which may include classroom observation, a review of course materials, student projects and/or assignments. Student Feedback Forms will not be used as the primary tool for evaluation except in the case of exceptional circumstances. The determination of exceptional circumstances is in the sole discretion of the university.
d. Those designated to make personnel recommendations will be responsible for conducting evaluations when requested. If a designee is appointed, they will send a written summary of the evaluation to the appropriate personnel decision maker.
e. Decisions regarding promotion in rank, pay or assignment of a multi-semester appointment resulting from an evaluation are in the sole discretion of the school/college.
f. The evaluator will endeavor to provide the adjunct faculty member with a written summary of the evaluation within 30 calendar days of the review. The summary will be placed in the adjunct’s departmental and personnel file.
g. An adjunct may request a formal evaluation at any time, but no more than once during any 2 successive semesters of employment.
h. An individual who is designated to make personnel recommendations may evaluate an adjunct teaching in their college/school at any time. Normally, an adjunct will be provided with at least one (1) week’s notice of an evaluation. Under exceptional circumstances, the university, in its sole discretion may conduct an evaluation without notice. If production of student work is requested, the adjunct will be allowed up to an additional week to assemble and provide the requested materials.
i. An adjunct who receives an unsatisfactory evaluation may provide a written response which will be placed in the personnel file. If a response is submitted, a note will be placed in the departmental file stating that a response is included in the personnel file.
4. Multi Semester Appointments
a. Any adjunct faculty may be appointed for single or multiple semesters. Multiple semester appointments do not need to be for consecutive semesters and may extend beyond an academic year. Appointment letters must state the semesters/years that the adjunct will have teaching assignments.
b. A multi-semester contract need not initially specify a course assignment beyond that in the first semester, but will commit to hiring for the additional semesters.
c. The assignment of multi-semester appointments will be at the discretion of the dean.
d. If an adjunct teaches in multiple departments within a school, a multi-semester appointment may be coordinated through the dean’s office which will specify which department the adjunct will teach in during each semester of the appointment.
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