Adjunct professors play big role in education
Many adjunct professors – those who are hired for a class or two – often work professional jobs in the fields they teach, have been part of the educational experience at Franklin for many years.
Vice President of Academic Affairs David Brailow said that the commitment level adjunct professors is high.
Brailow said small colleges hire adjunct professors to add variety and expertise to a certain department.
Board of Trustees member Steve Huddleston has been an adjunct professor at the college since 1974. He teaches business law and is a lawyer in town at his law office, Huddleston and Huddleston.
Huddleston said he finds a way to plan for his classes because he likes doing it.
“It’s enjoyable, so you just make time to do it,” he said.
Journalism adjunct professor Matt Tully is a political columnist for the Indianapolis Star, but he still finds time to plan for his Wednesday night feature and opinion writing class.
Tully teaches feature and opinion writing, and he often plans his class on a Saturday, or when he has time off from work.
A second reason why a college may hire adjunct professors is because of the budget, Brailow said. A college may not have enough money to hire additional faculty, and so they hire adjunct professors.
Brailow said to hire adjunct professors because of budgetary reasons is “not such a good reason,” because it does not add to a positive learning environment.
Potential adjunct professors may go through different hiring processes.
According to Brailow, the process depends on what the school is asking the potential professor to do.
If the department has someone in mind to teach a certain course then that person must interview on campus with the department, Brailow and possibly students.
If the school must advertise for an adjunct professor, then the process is similar to the process to hire a full-time professor. For that process a search committee is created, phone interviews are conducted, and the potential professor is invited to the campus.
There are adjunct professors who are renewed each year, while others teach a certain course or fill in for a professor who has resigned, retired or is on sabbatical.
