What does an adjunct professor do?
Adjunct professors are instructors who are employed on a contractual basis, commonly in part-time positions. They teach courses in the same manner as full-time professors do, but they are free from some of the duties of those fully employed university instructors or in tenure-track positions. They create, develop, distribute, review, and manage course syllabus materials. They teach students, evaluate their performance, and maintain records of attendance, engagement, and progress. They may also facilitate lectures, conduct seminars, and do other administrative tasks within the department. Most adjunct professors enjoy teaching as part-time because they have more flexibility in terms of schedule, can avoid the dilemma of the higher education system and it's known to be less stressful and demanding.
Adjunct professor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real adjunct professor resumes:
- Lead outreach to community and statewide stakeholders in the PPCC entrepreneurship program.
- Develop and prepare class syllabus and teaching materials for strategic management, business and government ethics, and organizational behavior classes.
- Provide instruction/guidance for nursing students; deliver didactic lectures on human anatomy and physiology.
- Identify course objectives, design syllabus, develop all instructional activities and materials, including written exams.
- Facilitate courses in communications, economics, leadership, management, corporate finances, strategic planning and organizational behavior.
- Develop and teach course curriculum on the subject of exercise science and clinical pharmacology to athletic training students.
- Enforce student-centered philosophy in support of academic excellence.
- Present guest speakers regarding topics in psychology and sociology.
- Teach pharmacology & toxicology course to nursing undergraduate students.
- Provide instruction in sociology and psychology classes to undergraduate students.
- Provide academic support and supervision to engineering students in the chemistry lab.
- Facilitate on-line classroom discussions, forums, and collaboration learning via portals and blackboard
- Provide meaningful mathematics to non-traditional students, through integrative lesson planning and assessment strategies.
- Maintain academic integrity by upholding the ethics and principle guidelines mandate by the university.
- Design and execute specialized language courses physiology, nutrition, dentistry, and ophthalmology.
Adjunct professor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Adjunct Professors are proficient in Course Curriculum, Syllabus, and Semester. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Adjunct Professors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Course Curriculum, 11%
Developed course curriculum for COM001 Survey of Mass Communication.-Lectured college students weekly.-Assigned and graded work to develop students' communication skills.
- Syllabus, 8%
Provide instructions to seminary students in Contextual Ministry including development of syllabus, inclusive of reading materials and placement sites.
- Semester, 6%
Develop classes for Hospitality Management Program Instruct students in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Teach semester long classes on wine education
- Blackboard, 4%
Facilitate weekly online and campus based college-level courses covering all facets of Accountancy utilizing the Web based Blackboard Learning Management System.
- Student Learning, 4%
Conduct undergraduate lectures to facilitate student learning, challenge students, encourage participation and attendance, and communicate ideas effectively.
- Course Materials, 4%
Foster effective delivery and reception of course materials through regular student interaction and periodic assessment of student response and academic performance.
Most adjunct professors use their skills in "course curriculum," "syllabus," and "semester" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential adjunct professor responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for an adjunct professor to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what adjunct professors do because "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." Additionally, an adjunct professor resume shows how adjunct professors use interpersonal skills: "revised interpersonal communications course content and activities. "
Speaking skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling adjunct professor duties is speaking skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students." According to an adjunct professor resume, here's how adjunct professors can utilize speaking skills in their job responsibilities: "collaborated with faculty to develop course content and presented science curriculum to post-secondary students. "
Writing skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of adjunct professors is writing skills. This skill is critical to many everyday adjunct professor duties, as "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "advanced computer statistical analysis and report writing/ intro to sociology"
The three companies that hire the most adjunct professors are:
- Grand Canyon University65 adjunct professors jobs
- Liberty University
46 adjunct professors jobs
- Cincinnati State34 adjunct professors jobs
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Compare different adjunct professors
Adjunct professor 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.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between adjunct professors and faculty. For instance, adjunct professor responsibilities require skills such as "semester," "abnormal psychology," "public speaking," and "healthcare." Whereas a faculty is skilled in "patients," "rehabilitation," "social work," and "scholarship." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Faculties tend to reach lower levels of education than adjunct professors. In fact, faculties are 5.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Adjunct professor vs. Language teacher
Language teachers primarily impart knowledge on multidimensional language through classes and activities. The teachers create conditions and develop activities allowing students to practice what they learned with significance. They immerse students in situational learning roles to write, read, converse, and learn different languages. Also, they are considered instrumental in establishing a supportive and positive learning environment. The teachers are also expected to be communicative and well-versed in the language/s they are teaching to their students.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real adjunct professor resumes. While adjunct professor responsibilities can utilize skills like "course curriculum," "semester," "blackboard," and "philosophy," language teachers use skills like "classroom management," "english language," "mandarin," and "grammar."
On average, language teachers earn a lower salary than adjunct professors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, language teachers earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $50,678. Whereas adjunct professors have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $73,962.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Language teachers tend to reach lower levels of education than adjunct professors. In fact, they're 10.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for adjunct professors in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Margaretha Rudstrom
Lecturer, University of Minnesota Crookston
Adjunct professor 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.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, adjunct professors are more likely to have skills like "course curriculum," "semester," "blackboard," and "course materials." But a social studies teacher is more likely to have skills like "classroom management," "world history," "classroom environment," and "social studies curriculum."
Social studies teachers earn the best pay in the professional industry, where they command an average salary of $48,550. Adjunct professors earn the highest pay from the education industry, with an average salary of $73,962.When it comes to education, social studies teachers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to adjunct professors. In fact, they're 8.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 9.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Adjunct professor vs. Faculty member
A faculty member is responsible for teaching students a wide range of both vocational and academic subjects. As a faculty member, you will teach and impart knowledge to your students and help them with the learning process and knowledge application. Some of the duties that you will perform include collaborating with colleagues in modifying the curriculum, counseling them about learning difficulties, life choices, and personal problems, and writing recommendations to aid students to secure internships or jobs. You will also participate in activities of professional associations to advance research and standards in the field.
Types of adjunct professor
Updated January 8, 2025
