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What does an adjunct lecturer do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Rebecca Sarver

An Adjunct Lecturer is responsible for teaching college classes. They prepare course guides, teach content that matches courses standards, and assist students with inquiries outside of class.

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Adjunct lecturer responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real adjunct lecturer resumes:

  • Develop the course syllabus to achieve personal and departmental proficiency and performance goals.
  • Instruct respiratory therapy and medical assistant students on human anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and the pathological basis of diseases.
  • Prepare lesson plans for freshman seminar course.
  • Teach pure and apply mathematics to engineering students.
  • Conduct the student teaching seminar for prospective teaching candidates.
  • Instruct practical sessions and labs for courses in human physiology and environmental chemistry.
  • Instruct in the ethics & scope of practice of the health & fitness professional.
  • Lecture courses in economics and agribusiness.
  • Design and teach undergraduate course on American feminist literature.
  • Lecture students on business ethics, corporate responsibility and etiquette.
  • Develop student's evaluation metrics, direct laboratory training in biology and human anatomy
  • Develop overall course structure, syllabus and assignments for introductory geology and engineering geology courses.
  • Lecture on macroeconomics, political economics and economic geography; help introduce market economics into the curriculum
  • Guide students through management of labor and safe delivery of normal spontaneous vaginal deliveries and postpartum coordination of patients plan of care
  • Prepare teaching materials and guidelines for courses.III.

Adjunct lecturer skills and personality traits

We calculated that 10% of Adjunct Lecturers are proficient in C++, Undergraduate Courses, and Syllabus. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Organizational skills, and Interpersonal skills.

We break down the percentage of Adjunct Lecturers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • C++, 10%

    Lectured on Introduction to Programming Language: C++ for two semester on an average class size of twenty two students.

  • Undergraduate Courses, 8%

    Presented undergraduate courses in curriculum development and teaching methodologies.

  • Syllabus, 8%

    Developed overall course structure, syllabus and assignments for introductory geology and engineering geology courses.

  • Rehabilitation, 7%

    Direct management of day to day operations for the Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Department.

  • Mathematics, 5%

    Organized special lab sessions to improve students overall performance in Mathematics.

  • Course Syllabus, 5%

    Developed course syllabus, curriculum, lecture material and multimedia presentations for an introductory hospitality class offered at a local University.

Common skills that an adjunct lecturer uses to do their job include "c++," "undergraduate courses," and "syllabus." You can find details on the most important adjunct lecturer responsibilities below.

Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of adjunct lecturers is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday adjunct lecturer duties, as "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "administered evaluations, created syllabi, taught interpersonal communication and public speaking. "

Speaking skills. adjunct lecturer responsibilities often require "speaking skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students." This resume example shows what adjunct lecturers do with speaking skills on a typical day: "develop course syllabus for undergraduate level courses: public speaking, communications in business, broadcasting. "

Writing skills. Another common skill required for adjunct lecturer responsibilities is "writing skills." This skill comes up in the duties of adjunct lecturers all the time, as "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." An excerpt from a real adjunct lecturer resume shows how this skill is central to what an adjunct lecturer does: "teach professional business writing course to graduate students in business administration and international business programs. "

Most common adjunct lecturer skills

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Compare different adjunct lecturers

Adjunct lecturer vs. Faculty

A faculty member is an individual whose primary responsibility is to provide teaching and research to students in colleges and universities. Faculties must work with colleagues to design a curriculum to keep up with the changes in the discipline. They help their students choose majors and mentor them by way of face-to-face or electronic means. They also keep up their communication with alumni to assist with employment searches or career changes.

If we compare the average adjunct lecturer annual salary with that of a faculty, we find that faculties typically earn a $748 higher salary than adjunct lecturers make annually.Even though adjunct lecturers and faculties are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require c++, excellent interpersonal, and undergraduate courses in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an adjunct lecturer are more likely to require skills like "class discussions," "developmental psychology," "political science," and "organic chemistry." On the other hand, a job as a faculty requires skills like "philosophy," "patients," "professional development," and "social work." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Faculties tend to reach lower levels of education than adjunct lecturers. In fact, faculties are 9.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Adjunct lecturer vs. Math teacher

A math teacher is responsible for instilling analytical and statistical knowledge to the learners. The duties of a math teacher include the development of a student's problem-solving skills, practical application of formulas and logical reasoning, utilization of visual materials and other learning equipment for better comprehension, and evaluation of the students' learning progress by conducting series of tests and activities. A math teacher should also support and encourage students and build their self-confidence by providing regular coachings, managing their learning challenges, and keeping engaging lesson plans.

On average, math teachers earn a $28,569 lower salary than adjunct lecturers a year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Adjunct lecturers and math teachers both require similar skills like "mathematics," "student performance," and "student learning" to carry out their responsibilities.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that adjunct lecturer responsibilities requires skills like "c++," "excellent interpersonal," "undergraduate courses," and "syllabus." But a math teacher might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "math," "classroom management," "instructional materials," and "public schools."

On average, math teachers earn a lower salary than adjunct lecturers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, math teachers earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $51,152. Whereas adjunct lecturers have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $95,827.math teachers earn lower levels of education than adjunct lecturers in general. They're 16.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for adjunct lecturers in the next 3-5 years?

Rebecca SarverRebecca Sarver LinkedIn profile

Lecturer in Human Services Studies, Elmira College

The use of remote and virtual meetings will continue even after COVID-19. Face to face meetings may still be the preferred method of contact, but the reality is that many clients who need to access services do not have reliable and consistent transportation to get to the services. Phones and computers enable more convenient meetings that are less costly in terms of time and travel. Some clients may prefer not to leave their homes.

Adjunct lecturer 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.

An average visiting professor eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of adjunct lecturers. The difference in salaries amounts to visiting professors earning a $36,560 higher average salary than adjunct lecturers.By looking over several adjunct lecturers and visiting professors resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "c++," "undergraduate courses," and "syllabus." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from adjunct lecturer resumes include skills like "excellent interpersonal," "rehabilitation," "course syllabus," and "class discussions," whereas a visiting professor is more likely to list skills in "evaluates," "professional development," "philosophy," and "health assessments. "

Visiting professors make a very good living in the education industry with an average annual salary of $107,231. On the other hand, adjunct lecturers are paid the highest salary in the education industry, with average annual pay of $95,827.visiting professors typically earn lower educational levels compared to adjunct lecturers. Specifically, they're 7.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 13.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Adjunct lecturer 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.

College instructors average a lower salary than the annual salary of adjunct lecturers. The difference is about $29,073 per year.While their salaries may vary, adjunct lecturers and college instructors both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "undergraduate courses," "syllabus," and "mathematics. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "c++," "excellent interpersonal," "rehabilitation," and "class discussions" are skills that commonly show up on adjunct lecturer resumes. On the other hand, college instructors use skills like classroom management, social work, math, and professional development on their resumes.college instructors enjoy the best pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $50,236. For comparison, adjunct lecturers earn the highest salary in the education industry.The average resume of college instructors showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to adjunct lecturers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 8.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 5.7%.

Types of adjunct lecturer

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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