A Multi-faceted, Adjunct-Centered Initiative to Support Part-time Faculty

Abstract

ABSTRACT The number of adjunct faculty members in higher education has been increasing nationally over the past two decades, and schools of social work are no exception to this trend. There has been robust debate about adjunct use, given concerns about low pay, poor access to benefits, lack of inclusion in academic decision making, and little support outside the classroom. Given the growing reliance on such part-time faculty in social work programs, and cognizant of ethical considerations, it is important to find ways of supporting adjuncts that both honor their contributions to social work education and promote the quality of education they offer the next generation of social workers. This paper explores the creation of a multi-faceted, adjunct-centered initiative for part-time social work instructors at a large, urban public university. The authors discuss the existing literature on perceptions of adjunct instructors across various constituencies, address issues around the inclusion of adjuncts in the faculty community, and share obstacles encountered and lessons learned in their endeavor to bolster programmatic support for adjunct instructors.