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Job outlook for adjunct online instructors in the United States
Adjunct online instructor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected adjunct online instructor job growth rate is 2% from 2018-2028.
About 5,400 new jobs for adjunct online instructors are projected over the next decade.
Adjunct online instructor salaries have increased 10% for adjunct online instructors in the last 5 years.
There are over 43,951 adjunct online instructors currently employed in the United States.
There are 40,575 active adjunct online instructor job openings in the US.
The average adjunct online instructor salary is $51,452.
Are adjunct online instructor jobs in demand?
Adjunct online instructor job and salary trends over time
Adjunct online instructor jobs over time
Adjunct online instructor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43,951 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 75,367 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 79,911 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 81,299 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 82,670 | 0.03% |
Average adjunct online instructor salary over time
Adjunct online instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $51,452 | $24.74 | +1.8% |
| 2025 | $50,527 | $24.29 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $49,139 | $23.62 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $47,733 | $22.95 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $46,864 | $22.53 | +2.4% |
Adjunct online instructor jobs by state
Most common states for adjunct online instructors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 739,795 | 148 | 20% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,105 | 13% |
| 3 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 752 | 13% |
| 4 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 75 | 11% |
| 5 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 58 | 10% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 535 | 9% |
| 7 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 463 | 9% |
| 8 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 367 | 9% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 95 | 9% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 87 | 9% |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 523 | 8% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 248 | 8% |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 87 | 8% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 49 | 8% |
| 15 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 773 | 7% |
| 16 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 669 | 7% |
| 17 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 635 | 7% |
| 18 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 486 | 7% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 97 | 7% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 52 | 7% |
Adjunct Online Instructor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of adjunct online instructor experts
Tiffin University
College of the Marshall Islands
Grambling State University
Skidmore College
College of Charleston
Shaw University
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Wright State University
Arkansas Tech University
Northern Seminary
Lafayette College
The University of Tennessee Knoxville
Oakland University
Northern Illinois University
Franklin and Marshall College
AGWA - American Grant Writers' Association, Inc.
Merrimack College
Florida International University
The University of North Carolina Greensboro
Misericordia University
Dr. Stephanie Opfer
Associate Professor of English, Assistant Dean of the School of Creative and Media ArtsTiffin University
Visual And Performing Arts
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Online Instructor?
Dr. Stephanie Opfer: Because of the state of higher education in our country today, teaching in higher education can be a difficult field to break into. However, most colleges and universities still hire adjunct instructors (part-time instructors). Students shouldn't be afraid to teach as an adjunct for a while to get some experience and decide if teaching is for them.
What Adjunct Online Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Stephanie Opfer: Flexibility and adaptability will be the biggest skills instructors will need. The state of higher education is changing, and the 'ivory tower' is going away. Colleges and universities are starting to focus more on career-oriented programs, which include practical and application skill sets. In order to stay relevant, the focus of humanities classes like art and film should be on teaching students analysis, synthesis, and other critical-thinking skills. The content becomes less important and becomes only the vehicle for teaching these skills.
What will help Adjunct Online Instructors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Stephanie Opfer: Unfortunately, teaching as an adjunct does not pay well. Students should keep their full-time jobs and teach part-time until they find a full-time job at a college or university. That part-time teaching provides them valuable experience and connections that make them more competitive candidates for full-time positions because they'd also be competing with candidates who have PhDs. So adjunct work is more of a long-term investment rather than an immediate return. Also, even full-time teaching jobs don't pay particularly well, so they'll really need to love teaching if they want to do it full-time. If they don't like teaching as an adjunct, they won't like doing it full-time.
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Online Instructor?
Alexander Velasquez: My general advice to any graduate beginning their career in their field is to continue to learn and be a student of your craft. Be open to learning new things because you never know how they will improve your skills and qualifications. For example, I am currently learning video editing. I never thought I would bother to learn video editing, but it makes me a more versatile instructor being able to give students the option of doing video projects, combining and editing them, and having a digital record of what students have learned in the classroom. And given the rise of online learning, it's important nowadays to be an effective instructor both in the traditional in-person format and within the digital landscape.
What Adjunct Online Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alexander Velasquez: I think that in the next three to five years the most important skills to have—and I mean this—will be critical thinking and imagination. This may sound a bit outlandish, and maybe even a bit naive, but hear me out: Artificial intelligence is making strides to the point where papers are writing themselves with simple instructions, videos are generating themselves with simple instructions, and software is beginning to write itself; and all this has been happening within the last few years. We may begin to see that in the next three to five years, once coveted programming jobs could become automated. Now, what I'm *not* saying is don't go to school for computer programming; but what I *am* saying is that the nature of work and employment *is* changing. For example, if you and and AI are making a video, and both of you have the same script, same voiceover, and so on, the only thing separating your final product from the AI's is the way you *think and imagine*, the perspective that you have as someone who can think critically about the information and lay it out in a visually appealing manner. AI can't do that—at least not yet—because it simply spits out the information it's given. But critical thought, metalevel thinking about information, is what will be one of the most important assets to have in the coming three to five years.
What will help Adjunct Online Instructors increase their earning potential?
Alexander Velasquez: I think everyone should look into their career fields and find out what it is that makes you more valuable in that field. Are there any certifications that you can get? What is it that you need to know or learn that companies will find valuable? Much can be learned online, so pick up as many of those skills as you can, and make sure they're on your resume or CV. I believe all those things could maximize salary potential, especially when starting out.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Adjunct Online Instructor job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Cheyrl Ensley: The demand for teachers is still prevalent. Virtual job fairs and interviews are the current trends. Additionally, employees are looking more at the candidate's knowledge and comfort level with online teaching and using technology to impact student learning.
What Adjunct Online Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Cheyrl Ensley: Training to be essential is critical. Increasing skills in using technology are necessary. Keeping students engaged and actively learning through technology is a crucial tool that will be extremely important to a teacher, whether teaching in person or virtually. Additionally, the gap year should be used to identify an area of interest for work. Once the site is specified, the graduate should build professional relationships and learn the site's culture.
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Online Instructor?
Dr. Cheyrl Ensley: Flexibility is important. The graduate must be prepared and flexible! The graduate must be prepared to teach effectively and efficiently, regardless of the delivery method and flexibility regarding reporting to the school or working from home. Be prepared and accepting of the fact that what is required of you may change unexpectedly. In this age of uncertainty, the graduate must be flexible enough to perform as needed and remain focused on student growth.
What type of skills will young Adjunct Online Instructors need?
Tillman W. Nechtman Ph.D.: When it comes to skills young graduates need, I will speak specifically to the field of History. It's always been the case that History Majors do well in the job market. Now, to be sure, there is the temptation to limit the scope of what jobs we imagine a historian can do. Career Service Offices sometimes think that History Majors teach, work in libraries, and archives, maybe a museum, and that is about it. The fact is that it's not uncommon to find CEO at Fortune 500 companies who were History Majors as undergraduates.
Presidents. Media personalities. Lawyers. Judges. You name it. History Majors are everywhere, and I think I know the reason. History Majors learn to take lots of data - and we're omnivorous about what we call data - and we synthesize it. We give it two frames. First, we weave it into a narrative form, a story, if you will. Second, we give that narrative analytical meaning. We offer a thesis or an argument about the content we're sharing. Those are vital skills. The ability to walk people through data and to help them understand your analysis of that material. What field wouldn't appreciate that set of capabilities? And, I think that explains why History Majors tend to do so well in a host of fields and professions. I don't foresee that that will change in the future.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Adjunct Online Instructors?
Tillman W. Nechtman Ph.D.: I do think that we'd be mistaken to think that there won't be a lasting impact from this pandemic on those who graduate while it is ongoing. Economically, there will be ripples for some time. That seems obvious. But, there are other issues to consider too-psychology, for instance. Seniors in the graduating class of 2019 did not get a graduation ceremony to mark that pivotal moment in their lives and in their learning. That's a loss. It needs to be recognized as such. And, it's but one example of the kind of losses we're all experiencing and which we all need to recognize. There is grieving that will need to be done once we've passed through the emergency of this pandemic.
For those who can make a comparison, the pandemic is not unlike getting a dramatic and life-altering medical diagnosis. It changes you. You don't just go back to being who you were before. Of course, History teaches us to appreciate that - the way life is an ongoing journey. Each step makes us a different person than we were before. To reflect more on the economics of this and the specifics of the job market, though, I would say that the pandemic has pushed a number of graduates that I know from last year back home to their parents' houses. Even those who have been fortunate enough to secure work have jobs that are remote right now, and rather than settle in near their jobs, and folks have opted to go home, hunker down with the family, and work from their old bedrooms. Those are the fortunate ones. I know many graduates from last year who did not secure work, and, in that way, I compare the class of 2019 to those who graduated during the Great Recession and struggled through that economic turmoil. Within the academy, hiring freezes will certainly hurt those with Ph.D.'s who are on the market. There simply aren't jobs right now. At my institution, we're still not even certain we can hire people on a temporary basis to replace colleagues going on sabbatical next year. Those sorts of decisions would have been made months ago in normal times. It's hard for me to imagine that that sort of dislocation won't cause economic and career ripples across time.
What experience really stands out on Adjunct Online Instructor resumes?
Tillman W. Nechtman Ph.D.: In my home department, we've tried to stress that students need to ask themselves how they plan to tell their own story - how they want to present themselves - when they leave the college and head out on the job market. That's a personal question, one only the student can answer, and the answer shapes the things that a particular student will want to put on a resume. For instance, if you wanted to go to graduate school, we'd all suggest that you take the Thesis in History and put in the full-year work on a single research project.
That way, in your cover letter (and never underestimate the value of the cover letter as a tool for guiding potential employers through your CV and your other materials), you can narrate the work you did there. If you think your goal is to work in a museum setting, you should consider taking our class in Public History. That is a course that does a lot of directed research too, and it can span a year as well. But, it's a course that partners students with local public history institutions so that students get first-hand experience mobilizing historical research within a museum or institution of that sort. The key is for students to think about the story; they will tell potential employers. What are the things you did - that unique combination of courses and experiences - that make you stand out against the broader pool of applicants? How will you write that story in a cover letter so strong that nobody reading it will miss that you are the one candidate for the position? Be bold here. Make it clear. You stand out from the pack. Yes, perhaps other have taken a more traditional path to a specific job, but if that employer or graduate program wants somebody who can think outside the box or who brings in a different set of skills that just might shake things up in a positive way, well, make sure they know you're their candidate.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Adjunct Online Instructors?
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice: It's hard to imagine that there WON'T be an enduring impact of the pandemic. For History graduates, the worst of it is likely to be that two graduating classes will essentially be entering the job market at the same time---the 2020 graduates as well as the 2021 graduates---increasing competition. Many graduates, especially people coming out of a strong public history program like CofC's, have had many of their typical entry-level jobs essentially vanish for the better part of a year (coming back soon, I hope!)---museum work, park service work, historical societies, and so on. For non-history-specific jobs, where History majors are at an advantage (jobs that require good critical thinking and people skills), the market seems likely to bounce back more quickly.
What type of skills will young Adjunct Online Instructors need?
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice: The most important skill a History degree teaches has is critical thinking and writing, and those are skills that remain valuable for most of the white-collar workforce in this country.
What experience really stands out on Adjunct Online Instructor resumes?
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice: The experience that most stands out on resumés, to my mind, is definitely internships or anything where the applicant has had to show initiative and exercise independent thought.
What type of skills will young Adjunct Online Instructors need?
TaVshea Smith: As a professor of education, I have noticed that there are a variety of skills that young graduates will need to enter the workforce. Young graduates should collaborate with others by building collaborative relationships that represent diverse cultures, lifestyles, races, genders, religions, and viewpoints. It is essential for young graduates, who enter the teaching profession, to be able to work in a team structure and know-how to manage conflict. The pandemic has shown us that technology is critical in education. As teachers, young graduates should know existing digital technologies and demonstrate significant adaptability to new technologies to integrate into their design of lessons and curriculum content. Young graduates must have a strong work ethic, demonstrate personal accountability, and establish effective work habits.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Adjunct Online Instructors to find work opportunities?
TaVshea Smith: As an educator, graduates should be able to find many work opportunities to teach. The pandemic has highlighted the need for educators to share their immense talent with students and key stakeholders.
How do you envision technology impacting Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 5 years?
TaVshea Smith: Technology will play a vital role in education in the next five years. The pandemic has changed the way educators think about teaching learners and interacting with families and colleagues. Educators will need to learn various instructional methods of engaging with learners, enhancing instructional practices, and using digital tools ethically and efficiently to create assignments, complete tasks, solve problems, and effectively teach students.
What experience really stands out on Adjunct Online Instructor resumes?
Suzanne Kemp Ph.D.: Any work or volunteer experiences that they have had with students with disabilities. All of the graduates will have the same school experiences, and if they don't have anything else, they don't stand out from their peers. Additionally, they have to know that principals and professional school talk, so they have to do a great job in their in-school experiences, so their names are remembered and shared.
What Adjunct Online Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Suzanne Kemp Ph.D.: They need to stay engaged in some level of working with people with disabilities. If they do something that isn't relevant to the field, they won't be as marketable as a new graduate.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Suzanne Kemp Ph.D.: All of the apps that assist with online learning. These change all of the time, and they have to be adapted to finding new apps that engage the student who may be learning at a distance, and hopefully, they can be integrated into in-person learning. Students graduate knowing how to use computers and now Zoom, but learning all of the available apps doesn't occur to the level it is now needed.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Karla Huebner Ph.D.: Have no idea about technology for the future.
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Online Instructor?
Dr. Karla Huebner Ph.D.: Grads in art and art history need to be very flexible in their job search, as positions in these fields for people with the BA and BFA are often hard to get and low in pay. That is not to say students should not pursue these fields. Still, they should be open and creative in job searching--be available to positions that seem less in the field or contingent to it, in areas like library science, graphic design, arts journalism, etc. Graduate degrees can improve job prospects, but the same caveats apply.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Adjunct Online Instructors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Karla Huebner Ph.D.: Salaries are generally low, but now and then, artists and art historians can make good incomes--don't expect to.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Adjunct Online Instructor job market given the pandemic?
Sam Strasner: The New York Times reported, early in the pandemic, that 36,000 journalism jobs had been lost in the United States. Poynter observed that later in summer 2020, that figure does not account for freelancers and others who count on their journalism skills supplement their regular income. The rate at which those jobs return and the quality of the opportunities will most likely reflect the pandemic's overall economic recovery. A more robust economy will allow for more advertising expenditures by companies and more subscriptions by consumers. Through it all, the quality will remain paramount. Those who can tell compelling and accurate stories that resonate with an audience will gain access to the best career options.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Sam Strasner: It will be fascinating to see if the pandemic convention of Zoom-style interviews becoming permissible for broadcast television and internet news websites will carry over in a post-pandemic world. If it does, distance technology interviews will open up a cost-efficient way to access a much greater variety of sources, stories, and content. I hope that is the case.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 5 years?
Sam Strasner: I think it depends upon how one defines the field. The data says we are in the middle of a 10-year period that will see a 10.1 percent decline in journalism jobs. I noticed that trend early in my career and pivoted to public relations. Our society needs journalists. It is essential that we have people who are willing to, and have the skills necessary to, do real reporting. I believe there will always be a need for that. The question is how prevalent that need will be. As a result, my recommendation to someone pursuing a journalism degree today would be to focus their electives in some combination of digital marketing, public relations, or another closely related field based on communication. That subtle diversification in skills could be the key to a new graduate getting that first job and beginning a career journey toward whatever their ultimate dream might be.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Adjunct Online Instructor job market given the pandemic?
Rev. Tracey Bianchi: In pastoral ministry, the pandemic has forced many religious institutions and organizations to deliver worship and other elements of spiritual practice online. How faith-based communities do everything from weddings to funerals to worship services has shifted online. While churches and other religious gatherings must continue to employ pastors and still need ordained leaders, the job market has shifted to favor those who also have skills in producing and creating rich online content. Churches with resources are now pivoting to hire content managers and production teams who can help shape and craft meaningful online content that is easy to deliver.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Rev. Tracey Bianchi: It is likely that once the pandemic ends, doing church at home will remain an option for millions of people of faith. As the epidemic goes on, families and communities have become comfortable with the flexible, on-demand church option. It may be hard to get many of them back into the pews once it is safe to return to worship. The technology to support this reality will be necessary for the foreseeable future. Career options in production, streaming, and recording will be more prevalent in religious organizations than in the past.
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Online Instructor?
Karina Skvirsky: Don't worry if you don't yet know what you want to be when "you grow up." Allow yourself to try different jobs to figure it out.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Karina Skvirsky: That's hard to predict! I believe Facebook will become dated, and no one under 30 will be using it in the future.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Adjunct Online Instructors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Karina Skvirsky: Art careers are not known to pay well, but they produce enough and can be very satisfying for the mind and the soul.
Dr. Misty Anderson Ph.D
Department Head, English, Affiliate Professor of Theatre and Religious Studies, President, Tennessee University Faculty SenatesThe University of Tennessee Knoxville
College of Arts and Sciences
What type of skills will young Adjunct Online Instructors need?
Dr. Misty Anderson Ph.D: When they tell us, we believe businesses are looking for people who can write well, think critically, be creative, and research ideas. That's precisely what English majors do. But they also bring a strong sense of empathy that comes from reading literature and from thinking about point of view when they write. Our ability to understand one another is crucial to democracy and the success of various fields, from medicine to marketing, to entrepreneurship, and honestly, everything.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Adjunct Online Instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Misty Anderson Ph.D: And as long as Tennessee continues to expand broadband access, those jobs can be anywhere. We're incredibly excited when we hear about young people returning home or moving into small towns where they can run businesses and work remotely.
How do you envision technology impacting Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Misty Anderson Ph.D: No one knows precisely what the future jobs will look like, but every indication is that the best ones will involve writing and communicating at a distance. We talk about how English majors have "robot-proof" futures. That human touch, through sound, honest communication, is irreplaceable.
Robert Anderson
Associate Professor & Department ChairOakland University
Department of English
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 5 years?
Robert Anderson: Contrary to what many media reports say, the demand for graduates in English is pretty high. Like most degrees in the liberal arts, a degree in English can take a graduate to almost any field. English is not a professional program designed to prepare students for a specific career. In contrast, English majors learn skills that will transfer to almost every field. English majors learn to write carefully and read critically. Several years ago, we had a student graduate who got a job with a firm that manufactures parts for companies that supply parts to automakers. He got the job because of an internship he had as an undergraduate. His career was to take in reports from their client companies, about the parts they made, read them, and produce digested reports for the company's engineers. It may be surprising to hear that engineering and manufacturing firms would value the skills an English major would have, but most companies need people who can write clearly. He was so effective at his job that the companies he worked with wanted him to come work for them.
I tell my students that studying poetry can help them be critical thinkers in other contexts. Learning to work with metaphors, for example, develops students' abilities to find similarities between things where most people see only differences-and differences, where others find only differences (this is an idea I got from the British Romantic poet William Wordsworth). This kind of critical thinking can be beneficial. What is more, English majors learn how to research. They have to find sources relevant to a particular project, read and digest their findings, and integrate them into their writing.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Adjunct Online Instructors to find work opportunities?
Robert Anderson: We have had graduates find work in a wide range of places-running social media for radio stations, working with the Detroit Pistons, the FBI, libraries, advertising agencies, large multinational corporations, editing and publishing, teachers, and law firms-indeed, I think it would be hard to come up with an industry where an English degree couldn't take you. Sometimes, the biggest obstacle facing English graduates is that their degree opens so many paths that they don't know which way to go. When students come to me to ask for career advice, I tell them to think about the kind of environment they want to work in-the sort of physical workplace, the environment, the sector-and then, do some research to find what employers in those places look for, and find ways to show that the things they have learned can meet those expectations.
Linda Saborío
Associate Professor and Assistant ChairNorthern Illinois University
World Languages and Cultures
What experience really stands out on Adjunct Online Instructor resumes?
Linda Saborío: For foreign language majors, study abroad experiences stand out on a resume because they demonstrate an in-depth cultural immersion from living and learning how to thrive in an environment unlike your own. Many employers will view a study abroad experience as a moment of personal growth and independence, especially among younger candidates. Also, any volunteer work with non-profit organizations in other countries will stand out on a resume.
What Adjunct Online Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Linda Saborío: With second language acquisition, it is of utmost importance to continue practicing that language. This means that students needing to take a gap year should consider finding ways to immerse themselves in experiences where they will be using the target language. Many students opt for volunteer work with international NGOs and non-profit organizations. Before agreeing to work for any aid organization, however, you do need to research the organization's quality and standards, their expectations of you and vice versa, and what, if any, will be your out-of-pocket expenses.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Linda Saborío: The recent switch in classroom modality from a traditional classroom to virtual learning has led to innovative technology uses in the foreign language classroom. Technology tools provide students with opportunities to connect to foreign lands, where they can be introduced to a different perspective and experience a distinct way of life. There are many innovative and interactive tools available, including Quizlet, Flipgrid, and Audacity; music videos, blogs, and even video chats with partners in another country are all excellent tools for second language acquisition.
In terms of translation technology, one cannot ignore the rapid changes in accuracy. The current technology, neural machine translation, reaches near human-level performance for direct translation. However, language localization, the process of translating images, idiomatic expressions, and a product's overall adaptability from one country to another, requires cultural understanding beyond current technological capabilities.
What general advice would you give to an Adjunct Online Instructor?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Keep open to possibilities beyond the narrow range of what your diploma lists as your major or minor. Whatever job you get trained for today, in 10-20 years, it may be very different. Or it may not exist. Focus on obtaining and maintaining flexibility, critical thinking, creativity, and passion for learning. Being an interesting person is as vital as any credential.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Technology is moving so fast that it is unpredictable. One of the most important skills you can have is working with a several thousand years old technology: writing. If you're a good writer, it opens up possibilities that aren't there for those who can't write.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Adjunct Online Instructors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Graduates in Religious Studies don't necessarily go into careers in religion. The standard career path for those involved is going to graduate school, spending several years getting a Ph.D., and facing a tough job market. Starting salaries can vary widely depending on the college or university.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Adjunct Online Instructors?
John Porter Ph.D.: Grant writing is a very consistent business. It does not matter if the market is up or down or which party is in office. If the economy is down and money is tight, business tends to turn towards grant funding to supplement revenue. If the economy is strong, the company has a little extra cash and is willing to explore grant funding.
When unemployment rises and it isn't easy to find employment, more people will start their own business. If that business is a non-profit, it could receive grant funding for their programs and activities.
Grant writing is an excellent full-time, and part-time opportunity. Many, mostly non-profit organizations, seek Certified Grant Writers to help compensate for the lack of revenue, which has occurred from the recent economic shutdown. Independent Grant Consultants have a lot of control over the number and type of clients they work with, from a few each month to as many as there is time to do.
Certified Grant Writers are in high demand to compensate for issues like the recovery from the economic shutdown, rising taxes, and other financial strains,
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Adjunct Online Instructor job market given the pandemic?
John Porter Ph.D.: This will depend on what happens in the next six months or so. If the economy stays open and business can operate as it did a year ago, the trend will be more positive. When the economy is working, people are more financially secure. They have money to donate to foundations, and corporations have more profits to put into their funding resources.
If the economic shutdown increases where both businesses and individuals earn less money, there will be less money available for grant funding. The majority of grant funding comes from donations by everyday individuals.
If the economic shutdown is prolonged, then there will be an increase in government grant programs. The government gets its financial resources for things like grants by taxation. So individual taxes will likely increase.
Another line to balance is the excessive taxation of the rich. Nearly all very wealthy people have established a foundation where they give some of their wealth to grant awards to community non-profit organizations. When the government increases the taxes on this group, the excess money goes to the government to spend rather than local non-profits.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
John Porter Ph.D.: There is not a lot of technology required in grant writing. The most critical and prevalent skill in grant writing, which is lacking, is appropriately writing. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in abbreviation and slang. When put into a standard text, these expressions can become confusing.
The technology is that younger, individual writers may like to stay up on the most recent software and communication methods. Whereas funders, private, corporate, and government, tend not to keep up as fast and have older software versions. This means that the newest and glitziest software may not be compatible with the funder's software when submitting grant proposals and applications.
What type of skills will young Adjunct Online Instructors need?
Russell Olwell Ph.D.: I have found that flexible students can use technology and connect with students who are getting jobs, but it is taking longer and can be frustrating!
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Adjunct Online Instructors to find work opportunities?
Russell Olwell Ph.D.: In the field I work the most in, education, the labor market has been volatile, with positions being held until the last minute due to budget pressures then proceeding quickly. Job seekers who kept their eyes open, had identified places they wanted to work, and had their materials ready to go were rewarded.
How do you envision technology impacting Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 5 years?
Russell Olwell Ph.D.: Technology has changed education quickly. Some of our students got jobs as more experienced teachers quit, as they did not want to be a part of remote instruction. Our students have been quick to pick up educational software and have been able to move into open positions as a result. With more jobs being remote, where you are may make less difference. I have probably seen fewer students looking at long moves for work or graduate school.
David Chang
Chairperson, Frost Professor of ArtFlorida International University
Department of Art and Art History
What type of skills will young Adjunct Online Instructors need?
David Chang: Young graduates should possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to function professionally in today's society. Our students go through rigorous studio training along with cutting-edge theories that inform their practices.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Adjunct Online Instructors to find work opportunities?
David Chang: Miami is one of the best places to find work opportunities in visual arts and art education. It is an international center for the arts, e.g., Art Basel, Art Miami, Art Context, and many other high-profiled art events throughout the year. For the art education field, Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the fourth largest school district in the nation, and there is a continuous demand for our graduates.
How do you envision technology impacting Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 5 years?
David Chang: There is no doubt technology will impact the field in the next 5-10 years. FIU's Department of Art + Art History is poised to contribute to the area with our new and fast-growing BFA in Digital Arts with tracks in Animation and Graphic Design. As one of the largest art departments (over 650 students) in the state of Florida, all our undergraduate and graduate fine arts degree programs have been designated by the Florida Department of Education as strategic or STEM degree programs.
April Dawkins Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorThe University of North Carolina Greensboro
Library & Information Science Department
What experience really stands out on Adjunct Online Instructor resumes?
April Dawkins Ph.D.: Across the United States, most school librarians are required to have a graduate degree in either education or library and information science with licensure as a school librarian (school library media coordinator). The most likely experience to benefit them in their job search is a previous experience as a classroom teacher. Teaching is one of the significant roles that school librarians play in schools, through direct and indirect instruction with students, and professional development for classroom teachers.
What Adjunct Online Instructor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
April Dawkins Ph.D.: Our graduates are likely to be already employed, both during their studies and immediately after graduation. Many school librarians transition from the classroom to the library setting, while they are completing their tasks. Suppose a graduate wanted to take an additional year before seeking employment as a school librarian. In that case, they might focus on improving teaching skills, their knowledge about children's and young adult literature, and picking up new technology skills. They could work on these skills by using a bookstore or public library, volunteering with after-school programs or community groups that do outreach with children, and exploring new technology trends.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
April Dawkins Ph.D.: Technology in schools is rapidly changing. Many schools have been transitioning to a one-to-one device environment in the last decade (the pandemic has put a rush on this for some districts who have been late to adopt this model). School librarians have played a significant role in the early adoption of technology and providing classroom teachers training in its practical use. In the current pandemic, school librarians have helped parents and students access technology for learning, such as online classrooms, ebooks and audiobooks, and other digital learning tools. School librarians are also powerful advocates for equity of access for all students by ensuring students have access to devices, stable broadband and the internet, and digital resources for learning and reading. While school librarians can advocate for these things, it will require a significant commitment at local, state, and national levels to ensure that ALL students truly have equity of access.
For the future, I see a growing need for school librarians to be knowledgeable about technology tools that have excellent accessibility features and promote individualized learning. We live in a world where students need to create new content and explore new ideas. Therefore, school librarians need to be well-versed in audio and video creation tools, and know the potential for augmented and virtual reality as learning tools.
David Hage
Assistant Professor, Field DirectorMisericordia University
Department of Social Work
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
David Hage: I have seen many social service agencies behind technological trends in the past begin to catch up as they figure out how to deliver quality services in a post-COIVD world. Examples of technologies that will likely grow might include telehealth and online meeting platforms, for example.
In-home based services, offered via technology, are not the end-all-be-all solution, but they will be an essential tool to continue to provide services while practicing appropriate social distancing protocols rapidly.The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and the Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA) have wisely developed a set of standards for technology in social work practice which can help when implementing technology in the field.
Online documentation systems and electronic medical (EMR) or health record systems (EHR) will also likely increase in use as agencies need to make employee documentation more accessible from various locations. Mobile app-based supports may increase in use among social workers, and social service web-based resources and social service directories will be likely to increase in use among social service consumers, in addition to new novel technology solutions as well.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Adjunct Online Instructors in the next 5 years?
David Hage: Even before the global COVID-19 pandemic, there was a 13% expectation for growth within the social work field between 2019 and 2029 (BLS.GOV, 2019). Given the increase in complexity and specific societal problems, the needs of individuals, families, groups, and communities will likely continue to require qualified, competent, and caring social service professionals to meet growing social service demands.
Newer social work and human service graduates will have probably faced many of these COVID-10 specific challenges in their internship work and be uniquely positioned to confidently enter to workforce, amid the global pandemic, to positively impact the wide range of social problems facing society today, and for some time to come.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Adjunct Online Instructor job market given the pandemic?
David Hage: I expect the need for social services to become even more prominent, given the COVID-19 pandemic. It is likely, and perhaps even unfortunately probable, that individuals, families, groups, and communities who are most vulnerable to the health-related, social, and economic consequences of the global pandemic will require additional social service supports to navigate increased problems related to several issues, including, but not limited to, poverty, management of disabilities, addictions, mental health-related questions, and many other population-specific challenges (United Nations, 2020).
For example, while children are participating in school remotely, their access to nutritional services and other essential supports will likely be reduced. They may be more likely to be abused and not have a school staff member detect the abuse, and therefore, suffer worse consequences or suffer longer (Elsevier Public Health Emergency Collection, 2020). Individuals susceptible to domestic violence will likely be more at-risk (NY Times, 2020).
People in general, and significantly older adults, will face increased social isolation and the challenges of anxiety and depression that accompany isolation, in addition to other material challenges (University of Michigan, 2020). The social work job market was projected to rise well before these problems emerged and will likely continue to reflect a demand for these needs to be met, especially as many social issues are on the rise.