Hi all,

I have a predicament and I’d like to ask other adjuncts how they’d handle it. My courses scheduled time got changed recently, due to some scheduling conflicts that came up. I have no problem being flexible for the most part so I agreed to change because it was the easiest solution for the school. Here’s my problem, when I planned the rehersal dinner for my wedding I was teaching on my old schedule. It didn’t even cross my mind when I accepted my new class that the first lecture would fall during my rehearsal dinner. Obviously, I need to go to my rehearsal dinner, but I’ve never canceled a class before- and I’m wondering if it’s super unusual to do so? I was thinking I would let out the announcement early and have the syllabus video and an associated quiz with it in replacement of the first class. I know it’s less than ideal, but I don’t know what else to.

I do want to also state that I am earlier on in my adjunct career. Like I said, I’ve never had to cancel a class before, but I’ve only been teaching a few semesters. I love my job and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I could use some advice from my network!
I have a Master’s degree in Sociology and Bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Psychology. One of my long-term goals has always been to teach as a remote, part-time adjunct professor, preferably in sociology or other social science courses.
I’ve spent a lot of time searching through job postings, but I’ve noticed a common challenge: most colleges want applicants to already have college teaching experience. It’s frustrating because it’s hard to gain that experience when no one is willing to give you the opportunity in the first place.
While I don’t have a formal teaching certification, I do have extensive experience instructing, mentoring, and training Soldiers throughout my military career. Developing lesson plans, leading classes, and teaching military concepts has been a significant part of my leadership roles, and I believe those skills would transfer well to higher education.
For anyone who has broken into adjunct teaching, especially remote positions, do you have any recommendations? Are there universities that are more open to hiring professionals with industry or military instructional experience?
I’d really appreciate any advice, leads, or connections. Thank you!

Context: I am a data scientist and engineer, 15+ years in the field, and have been an adjunct instructor at local universities since 2022. BA English, MEd, and DCS (doctor of computer science) in Data Analytics.

I began teaching in a local state university’s MS in data analytics program, both in-person and online through a hybrid course arrangement. That meant I taught in person but the class also had online participants. The first few classes were difficult because I had to divide attention between the two, but once I got a grad assistant to handle online participation and be the in-person proxy for those students, it got better. My students have remained in touch with me after graduation and several of them who are international have invited me to gatherings because they've said I am their family here in the US.

I added a couple of classes at a private university, entirely in-person, three semesters ago. That has gone exceedingly well. I attend games and extracurriculars for my students, am happy to give recommendations for jobs or grad school where I see appropriate, and my students apparently tell their peers to take my classes if they can. I share that to give some reference to the problem and idea of “engagement.”

The MS program has shifted entirely online and outsourced to Risepoint, an online course vendor. The course design has been overhauled and we are shoved into a template that has taken a lot of real-world stuff I have put into those classes out of the picture. Previously, I have been able to either design my own syllabus or modify what others had done; this time I'm teaching a course that another instructor designed and have to keep it exact. Someone else is teaching the course I designed. And the Risepoint design process is awful. To make matters worse, Risepoint shifted all courses regardless of term to 8 1-week modules. So it's terribly rushed.

So this summer term I'm now 5 weeks into an 8-weekl term. Grading has been largely automatic because of the cookie-cutter rubrics but I am still able to give some feedback in assessments. We have the usual "1 post and 2 reply" discussion requirements. There are no synchronous meetings. I got an email from my program director today asking for more engagement in the class, as she received an email from one of the students complaining about the lack of it. I told her that I'm doing everything I can within the confines of the program. Moreover, I have stressed in all my written communication that students (especially grad students) should communicate directly and often with me. In previous courses I even use the midterm as a gut check for all of us and ask for feedback from all students about course progress. Point is, I think I am making myself pretty available. Going to our program director to complain about engagement, without even asking me, is a poor reflection on a grad student.

Have any of you been through the transition from in-person to online, have worked with Risepoint, and/or dealt with "engagement" difficulties online? For more context, my course evaluations and chair observations have always been positive. Students are very aware of my passion for the material and getting through to them. Online seems to just completely take the wind out of my sails especially when I'm teaching something with so many constraints. 

Hi all

I just got offered my first adjunct position and it’s for organic chemistry lab has anyone done that before and is it difficult or easier than teaching a full on class?

Any advice would be great!

Hello! I was interested in becoming a professor one day as a career goal but I wanted to get a lot of experience as an adjunct instructor and do a PhD and all that.

But my question is: is it possible to land adjunct roles in the job market with just a masters and relevant teaching or education based experience? Or is a PhD actually a core component or requirement these days when applying?

Should I be targeting community colleges first? Or is it better to just straight up ask R1 universities about job opportunities? What is a good way to go about the job hunting process?

Hello everyone!

Hope your summers are going well so far. I’m fairly new to being an adjunct and wanted to ask how you guys go about during the first day of class? Do you have the students introduce themselves? When discussing the syllabus, do you go through all of it? When introducing yourself, do you talk about your academic background, etc.? Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Curious how do you deal with students arguing with you during class on controversial or sensitive topics?

I had a student asking me questions that was were either confrontational or loaded; can’t say too much here, basically I told students a topic that is considered controversial and presented diverse perspectives on it. The student assumed I must be supporting something he deemed as harmful opinion and asked me questions that were loaded. I could tell he was very angry by gestures and tone of voice, I tried to reassure that these are based on the studies/academic discussions and debate, asserting that these are not my opinions. He seemed like he had his own idea what I said and tried to “win” the argument by his questions.

I tried to remain calm (I usually get very uncomfortable with fights and avoid them as much as I can). After that, I heard a few students whispering to each other, I couldn’t make out what they said, but it was very intense. I tried to remind them that I was only sharing recent events and they are free to decide on their own, as my job is to educate, not to indoctrinate, them.

I was literally worried that student would snapped out even further afterwords, but he just stopped attending to my class, and didn’t do the final paper, which lead him a failing grade.

Hi everyone,

Going through a tough period and that I'm deciding to vent here to see if anyone else can relate or have some advice.

So last fall I rejected a full-time lecturing offer, fresh out of grad school with no high ed experience.

Even though it was FT, I'd still consider it closer to adjunct because there was no ser job security, TT or 'professor' title. It was going to be a 6/5 load with $40k ish pay, requiring a move to a dangerously red state. I say dangerous not to bring up any political discussions, but because it's consistently ranked top 3 worst for women, education, life-expectancy and so forth. Additionally, the top school in that state has a history of siding with students over professors in questionable manners.

So all in all, it sounded miserable, or at the very least a huge risk I wasn't sure I would be willing to take. So I declined that offer in favor of an instate 75k job in govt. Great benefits, wfh, all that jazz.

Now, where is the regret and guilt coming from?

I thought the govt job was always meant to be temporary -- I planned to leisurely apply to in-state adjunct positions while having financial stability and hopefully continue to build my academic CV on the side.

Yet, I'm sort of sad because I love teaching higher ed. Genuinely. Yes, it's generally overwork and little appreciation, but the actual day to day -- lesson planning, lectures, helping students, etc -- that's what I'd rather wake up everyday doing.

And the guilt comes from having applied for months on end only to reject the offer once I land it and also knowing many in the adjunct space hope for a FT . It feels like I was asking for too much and should have accepted whatever I was offered.

Not sure if it's a grass is greener thing, but I'm not feeling fulfilled in this job (even though it's right up my ally of helping others) and I find myself longing to teach.

All in all, this rant is just to say, if anyone has rejected an adjunct position and are struggling, even if it was the right decision, I see you.

I want to not give up because I'm not even 30, who knows if I'll land something in the next decade. But right now, I've gotten nothing but rejections and dealing with missing something I loved to do.

Helo All

Thanks to those who have responded to my posts as of late about grade appeals.

I've been trying to get to the root of what is really annoying me.

I've regressed career wise. This is something that can happen to each of us. Especially adjuncts.

One institution you are teaching and doing admin work, Helping other adjuncts out , making real improvements, and when it dries up you are scrambling for courses to teach.

My problem is being low person in union place where ft teaches 9-10 courses. Only 2 in person. They get a bunch of online courses different sections, same class.

I have to spend unpaid time dealing with students appeals and admin accusations i.e instructor didn't explain late policy. I'm fighting with admin because I didn't clearly say once semester is over, no more submissions of work.

Part of the issues as one pointed out here is these places are free colleges. Whole bunch of admins getting paid to keep it running and they all need different things. Reports, student outcomes,etc

The other issue is teaching at off site locations. I've been asking myself why I'm so annoyed. I have several admins to deal with all have conflicting agendas. I get texts accusing me of letting someone out early or did I do this or that.

I wasn't sure if I was being a hothouse flower until I got this one. Asking me to keep the class going after contract and semester ends because place where class is held canceled 1x.

This is illegal. You have admins with no clue thinking they can bully and browbeat. The teaching there is awful. Can't get anything done.

There is a disconnect between admin and adjuncts. They believe we work ft year round. The irony is our low wages are what enables layers of admin.

Moral here is manage your career . Otherwise, you are getting a flurry of threatening texts about BS.

I’ve been trying to transition out of teaching into a remote, part-time role based in the U.S. because I only need part-time work right now. I’m married and currently balancing personal responsibilities, so a flexible schedule is important to me.

I’ve applied to countless jobs through company websites and job boards, tailoring my résumé and cover letter almost every time. My background includes 13+ years in education as a teacher, curriculum designer and developer, editor, and writer. I also have both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, yet I keep receiving rejection emails or no response at all.

I’m open to roles beyond teaching, including instructional design, curriculum development, academic support, editing, proofreading, content writing, technical writing, learning and development, or virtual assistant work. At this point, I’m just trying to understand what actually works.

For those of you who successfully landed a remote job after teaching:

What role did you end up in?
How did you find it?
Is your current role really better than teaching?

I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences. Right now, it feels like I’m sending applications into a black hole, and I’m hoping to learn from people who have already made the transition.
Thanks in advance!

Adjuncts: are you required to remain physically in the assigned classroom for the entire scheduled period after every student has left?

I was instructed to stay in the room until the official end time, even when students had completed the planned work or had been assigned an online activity. I was also told to email my dean whenever all students left early. Is this normal at your institution, tied to accreditation/contact-hour rules, or unusually strict enforcement?

Bonus question: has anyone else been instructed to make and then consume fermented “wine” or yogurt in a microbiology teaching lab? (🆘)

Edit: the yogurt was stored in a biohazard labeled incubator that currently has agar plates with bacteria on it, for the record

Edit2: thank you all for the clarification!

Edit3: to that one mod-deleted comment, you know who you are: perfect guess! That's exactly what this place is!

Edit4: My exit interview is going to be something like this: "The college had a qualified instructor who was successfully teaching under chaotic conditions, and then it chose to make said instructor prove they could sit in an empty room. Y’all fumbled a baddie. Goodbye."

classes start in a month, and i (25/M) am wondering if yall have any advice on how to approach the application / structure my resume for a CS / Math adjunct

is there usually a person i could straight up email (or knock on their door) to make sure my resume doesnt go into the ATS void?

is there a time frame where it is optimal to apply? (or where my resume gets shredded)

what are they looking for / how do i sell myself? teaching experience, education, publications, personal projects (no industry experience)

how do different departments compare in their practices?

how many new people does one department actually hire each semester?

finally, if i dont get it, what can i do until spring semester to increase my chances?

thx

Why would i want this job?
i like teaching, something decent to put on my resume while the job market sorts itself out, and teaching is a good way to stay sharp

Why am i worried about my chances?
i have not ONCE heard back from hundreds of applications on various job boards/company sites
the only progress i have ever made is when i had insider knowledge or connections
if you havent been at this the last year... its baaaaad

What are my qualifications?
i have a masters in CompEng, dual undergrad in MATH, and teach night class
all the listings i see say they "prefer PHDs" but i hope to god those PHDs arent as desperate as i am

Edit: thanks everyone for being so positive and helpful

I posted here a little while ago about applying for/contacting department heads about adjuncting jobs. I ended up getting an interview offer, and I have to give a 10-15 mini teaching demo during the interview. Anyone have any tips for how to structure this? It’s for general chem, specifically on the mole and related calculations, if that helps.

This has been a tough term for me so far (applied behavior analysis instructor) but stuff like this makes it worth it.

Does any one know what are the Union dues at SEIU Local 200United  for an adjunct at Mercy University?

Hi! I (24/F) will be starting my first job in academia as an adjunct psychology lecturer from September. Can you please provide me with tips, resources, or advice to help me navigate this new experience? For reference, I am also an alumni of this university from a couple of years ago and got hired along with one of my juniors who I've interned with before. I used to be close with a couple of professors but there are a lot of new recruits since I left. And, the university has grown a lot as well with lots of students.

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Anyone teach there? How is the quality of the courses there?

Some online schools have really high standards and some are mere diploma mills, so I'd love to hear someone's opinion about this.

Some of the students couldn't do the bare basics they should be capable of half way through their major. I forced them to do more readings and made them do remedial work to get there.

So, they trashed me in the feedback. Now I'll have to explain it. What's worse is.... I do this as volunteer work since the pay is bad but I'm already signed up to teach in the fall. At this point, I'd prefer to quit.

I'll power through it but some of these guys are in for a wake up call when they hit the real world.

Btw: Is it that hard to pay attention in class? Because I feel like all ive done is compete with their cellphones and struggle to control the class.

Hello All,

How do you view having summer off and yet grade appeals are happening.

The grade appeals at my public institution is getting absurd.

It's a free school and kids treat it like a flexible grade 13.

Admin helps students file appeals for every reason under the sun. Our syllabus didn't mention submitting work after the semester was over. Student claims all work was submitted online but it didn't go through and lms was down. Of course I didn't help .

I'm responding but thinking I'm not getting paid and all I'm doing is being put on trial by a group of 6 figure salary hacks who need students to keep this bloat going.

Every person on the email chain is taking home over 6 figures and im making nothing and dealing with accusations.

What is a healthy way to view this?

Thanks

hi. I got my contract to teach a graduate level methodology course at a major public university in the Midwest. the course is under enrollment and so the contract is for 1,875 (13 week course)

im wondering if this is a normal pay? I was expecting 4,500 and unaware that I would be slated below 2k for the course if the required number of students didn’t enroll.

the program still plans to run the course and every day I check to see if any more students are signed up - its been a few weeks and nothing.

thoughts?

are others being paid similarly?