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[nobycane]

I am in need of some advice, I am wanting to adjunct at some of the local cc, and I really do not know the perfect time to begin opening up communications with department heads/chairs?
I am wanting to begin after the first of next year....whether it is in the spring semester or perferably in the summer semester would be better. My subject area/field is in the Earth Sciences.

My concern is that when is it too early or too late to start talking and inquiring about adjucting as well as submitting cv's and applications? I want to try to avoid being too early - but also wanting to avoid being way too late and miss the boat.

Any advice and/or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[jerseyjay]

I am sure there is a discussion about this somewhere, but, in my opinion, it is never too early (or too late) to contact the school. Most CC have unions and collective bargaining agreements, which makes it harder to break in then at some private schools (but which mean that you will probably be treated better if hired). I would suggest:
1. That you send you CV and a cover note right now.
2. That you call the department and ask whoever answers the phone what is the correct procedure for applying for adjunct jobs. Do whatever they say.
3. Repeat step 1 towards the end of the semester.
4. Repeat step 1 right before the start of the semester.
Of course, if you know somebody who works for the school they may explain how it is generally done.

My experience is that schools keep a file of adjunct CVs, and go through it when the need arises. Sometimes it may never arise, and sometimes they may need need to fill four slots by tomorrow. So if you send your CV on a regular basis (though not more than once a semester) it has a higher chance of getting seen.

Jersey J

[americanist]

In my experience, it's harder to get a new position starting in the spring than it is in the fall, and it's almost impossible to get a summer class if you haven't been teaching for a department for a few semesters. So I'd err on the side of starting early.

Most places where I have taught, either adjunct or full-time, start scheduling classes and assigning adjuncts in early October for a term beginning in January. So you want your CV on the director's desk by September at the latest.

I'm in the humanities, which may make a difference.

[randomfemale]

Jersey Jay covered the basics. Just start. Get your application in, then try and go by the colleges when the chair or whoever does the scheduling is likely to be around to deliver the CV in person. If you don't actually meet the chair, email him or her with your CV and ask for an interview.

I don't know where you are, how many ccs are near you, or what your field is like (I was a composition adjunct for two years), but they tend to need adjuncts for the core classes. Most of the time, after I submitted my info, I got a call for an interview, and at the interview I was offered classes.

Good luck!

[helpful]

Does Earth sciences mean geology, or does it include Biology (since the study of soil ==ie part of the earth-- is part of biology.

[nobycane]

Does Earth sciences mean geology, or does it include Biology (since the study of soil ==ie part of the earth-- is part of biology.

The Earth Sciences cover mainly topics in Geology, Meteorology, Climatology, Oceanography, Physical Geology/Geography (which is a combo of geo, met, ocean, & astro).

Soil sciences is usually combined within Biology, Environmental and Land Resources.

Jersey Jay covered the basics. Just start. Get your application in, then try and go by the colleges when the chair or whoever does the scheduling is likely to be around to deliver the CV in person. If you don't actually meet the chair, email him or her with your CV and ask for an interview.

I don't know where you are, how many ccs are near you, or what your field is like (I was a composition adjunct for two years), but they tend to need adjuncts for the core classes. Most of the time, after I submitted my info, I got a call for an interview, and at the interview I was offered classes.

Good luck!

I am located in SW Florida region. As far as I know, there are three main cc's around here with a few expansion branches. Interestingly enough, there is one cc that within the last two-three years has gone from a community college to a college. So I am not too sure on their requirements for hiring adjuncts since they have made the transition.

However, many of the local cc's offer on-campus, online, and correspondance courses, and I would be willing to take a combination of anything to get my foot in the door and gain some experience.