What does an adjunct faculty do?
Adjunct faculty is the collective term for adjunct professors or lecturers. The adjunct faculty teaches students based on the limited-term of their contract. Oftentimes, they teach preparatory or introductory courses by semester arrangement for the entire academic year. Most of them are employed in higher education. Unlike regular professors, adjunct faculty do not have benefits and are not required to be present in meetings. They can work as either a contract professor or a part-time professor.
Adjunct faculty responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real adjunct faculty resumes:
- Lead early childhood program initiatives.
- Provide detail academic instruction for college students in anatomy & physiology, and medical terminology.
- Prepare lectures, in-class exercises, and collect entirely new course materials to create a personalize syllabus
- Inform students about course requirements, evaluation procedures, attendance and participation requirements in a course syllabus.
- Facilitate teaching of online humanities course examining relationship between philosophy and ethics including issues relating to morality.
- Provide instruction in accounting, economics, federal taxation, management, personnel and small business management.
- Lecture and laboratory presentations in general chemistry and organic chemistry.
- Instruct on professionalism, ethics, communication and community resources.
- Perform client service that solidifies relationships and supports sound business philosophy.
- Conduct college level courses in management, computer applications and economics.
- Modify curriculum to integrate changes in healthcare reimbursement regulations and policies.
- Course designer and consultant for general chemistry and biology student laboratory exercises.
- Instruct student veterinary technicians in the anatomy lab and in the clinical setting environment
- Leverage industry expertise in proactively teaching students which focuse on public speaking and sociology.
- Apply college protocols for disability accommodation and/or resolution of student academic misconduct/code of ethics violations.
Adjunct faculty skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Adjunct Faculties are proficient in Student Learning, Syllabus, and Philosophy. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Organizational skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Adjunct Faculties that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Student Learning, 11%
Instructed Introduction to Business and Information System Technology courses in classroom-based setting with Blackboard Program to supplement student learning.
- Syllabus, 8%
Develop syllabus and overall course structure for Microsoft Access Database Management course; facilitate weekly discussion sessions and administer all grades.
- Philosophy, 7%
Facilitated teaching of online humanities course examining relationship between philosophy and ethics including issues relating to morality.
- Professional Development, 6%
Take advantage of college-related initiatives and professional development opportunities, consistently striving to enhance instructional skills and incorporate effective teaching methodologies.
- Course Syllabus, 5%
Submit required college reports and forms and develop and utilize a course syllabus for each course, following established institutional guidelines.
- Course Content, 5%
Assume responsibility for the department and revision of course content, text/equipment selection of instructional material and teaching assignments/scheduling.
Most adjunct faculties use their skills in "student learning," "syllabus," and "philosophy" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential adjunct faculty responsibilities here:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an adjunct faculty to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "career and technical education teachers must explain concepts in terms that students can understand." Adjunct faculties often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "teach introduction to sociology and sociology of communication courses to undergraduate students. "
Organizational skills. Another essential skill to perform adjunct faculty duties is organizational skills. Adjunct faculties responsibilities require that "career and technical education teachers must coordinate their time and teaching materials." Adjunct faculties also use organizational skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "course content included instruction on microsoft word, excel, access and information and organizational systems. "
The three companies that hire the most adjunct facultys are:
- Ivy Tech Community College
182 adjunct faculties jobs
- Bryant & Stratton College169 adjunct faculties jobs
- Georgia Military College89 adjunct faculties jobs
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Adjunct faculty vs. Visiting professor
Visiting professors are faculty members from an institution who must visit a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic they are knowledgeable in. These professors are required to create a positive learning environment among undergraduate students by inviting them to participate and engage in classroom activities, which can consistently enhance the learning process of their students. They must serve as dissertation research chairperson for Ph.D. students in qualitative and quantitative research studies. Visiting professors must also conduct in-person lectures and direct undergraduate theses for special topics research courses.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between adjunct faculties and visiting professor. For instance, adjunct faculty responsibilities require skills such as "course syllabus," "learning environment," "social work," and "course curriculum." Whereas a visiting professor is skilled in "evaluates," "health assessments," "political science," and "capstone." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Visiting professors earn the highest salaries when working in the education industry, with an average yearly salary of $107,231. On the other hand, adjunct faculties are paid more in the government industry with an average salary of $115,189.visiting professors tend to reach similar levels of education than adjunct faculties. In fact, visiting professors are 3.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 13.8% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Adjunct faculty vs. College instructor
A certified veterinary technician is in charge of performing laboratory tests, participating in medical procedures, and performing clerical support tasks at veterinary clinics, zoos, and private laboratories. Their responsibilities often include collecting information from pet owners, studying patients' medical histories, gathering and analyzing samples from patients through various laboratory procedures, operating equipment and machines, and monitoring patients' conditions. Moreover, under the supervision of a veterinarian, they may also provide first-aid to animals and administer medication.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that adjunct faculty responsibilities requires skills like "graduate courses," "public health," "practicum," and "photoshop." But a college instructor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "money management," "learning outcomes," "general education," and "learning styles."
College instructors earn a lower average salary than adjunct faculties. But college instructors earn the highest pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $50,236. Additionally, adjunct faculties earn the highest salaries in the government with average pay of $115,189 annually.In general, college instructors achieve lower levels of education than adjunct faculties. They're 5.2% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 13.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for adjunct facultys in the next 3-5 years?
Adjunct faculty vs. Esl instructor
An ESL instructor is responsible for teaching the English language, usually to non-native speakers, discussing all the disciplines of the English language, both written and verbal, and in some cases, even its nature and history. ESL instructors create a comprehensive lesson plan for the English language learners, prepare learning materials, and conduct individual and group activities to test the learners' knowledge and progress. They also evaluate the learners' performance by identifying areas of improvement and adjust teaching strategies to address each learner's difficulties and maintain an engaging classroom environment.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, adjunct faculties are more likely to have skills like "philosophy," "course syllabus," "course content," and "mathematics." But a esl instructor is more likely to have skills like "grammar," "language," "english language," and "vocabulary."
Esl instructors earn the best pay in the retail industry, where they command an average salary of $55,425. Adjunct faculties earn the highest pay from the government industry, with an average salary of $115,189.When it comes to education, esl instructors tend to earn lower degree levels compared to adjunct faculties. In fact, they're 8.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 7.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Adjunct faculty vs. Social studies teacher
Teachers that specialize in human society are called social studies teachers. Usually, they are found at a high school and secondary school level. They teach concepts of history, geography, government, economics, and civic ideals. Their duties include assigning and grading homework, writing, and grading tests and essays as well as engaging students with lectures and relevant activities. Skills needed for the job include an analytical mind, service-oriented, and organized. They must also be highly knowledgeable about social sciences and has a field related degree to social study.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between adjunct faculties and social studies teachers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an adjunct faculty might have more use for skills like "philosophy," "course syllabus," "course content," and "course objectives." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of social studies teachers require skills like "world history," "classroom environment," "social studies curriculum," and "strong time management. "
In general, social studies teachers earn the most working in the professional industry, with an average salary of $48,550. The highest-paying industry for an adjunct faculty is the government industry.The average resume of social studies teachers showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to adjunct faculties. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 9.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 7.8%.Types of adjunct faculty
Updated January 8, 2025











