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[larryc]

OK, if Pry and Seniorscholar both disagree with me I must be wrong. Go, but bring a magazine and watch for a chance to slip out early.

[kedves]

You're probably already convinced, but if my two cents are helpful...

I have been able to attend only one new-faculty or adjunt orientation.  When I began my current job, I missed it; the movers left my house at midnight the day before first day of class.  The orientation I attended at a previous university was very helpful.  No kidding!  It gave me a shortcut to information about policies and benefits that, in my non-orientation jobs, I had to learn slowly, through the grapevine, and in a much less efficient manner.

[watermarkup]

If it's an orientation just for adjuncts, and isn't too long, it might be worth it. The orientation I went to for my first job was even kind of helpful, but then it was aimed specifically at adjuncts and not TT faculty, who got a full day and a half of orientation that mostly was irrelevant to me. For my new visiting job, I'm skipping the orientation (with a bulletproof explanation of why this is regrettably unavoidable), since my new colleagues, bless their hearts, don't understand that spending an hour hearing about funding opportunities I can't apply for is not a wise use of my time.

[pedanterast]

I don't know. If he hasn't been assigned a class, they may not assign him one if he doesn't attend.

That would be almost as bad as not getting hired at Burger King.  Seriously, though, I once had a full week of orientation for a VAP job, and learned nothing.  I had another VAP job where I had zero orientation and I was fine.  In my two adjunct jobs, I never was offered any orientation.  If I had been, I would probably have tried to go, just to meet some people.

[new_bus_prof]

Most of our adjunct orientations are a couple hours max. We basically try to tell them where to find everything they need, give them their access, and show them campus.

But, we also allow people to bail and allow them to arrange a personal orientation session during the first week of classes.

[gengidashiell]

Has anyone recommended talking to your department chair yet?  When I was brought on as a grad student fellow/adjunct I didn't find out I had to go to the Adjunct Orientation until a month after it happened (since we were 'grad students teaching', the school was unsure if we needed to go, and decided at the last minute, yes you do).  Because my chair only checks emails infrequently, she never gave me the "you need to go" message, so it was a no harm, no foul situation.

So, check with your chair, but if I were you, I'd just go.  You might learn something.

[jwormold]

If you are new to the city and school it might be helpful, just to meet people, even if the actual content is not.

I met really great people at my new hire orientation. It's good knowing people outside my department, with whom I can socialize and blow off steam. I also got hit on at orientation, so, who knows, it might save you from having to post on the lonely hearts thread!

[anthroid]

OK, if Pry and Seniorscholar both disagree with me I must be wrong. Go, but bring a magazine and watch for a chance to slip out early.

Well, I tell my part-timers not to bother with the full day orientation held on the weekend (for pity's sake!).  They come in the week before classes start and my AA and I get them organized and oriented.  My AA helps them with parking and email; HR helps them with W-2s and direct deposit;  and I deal with rigor, plagiarism, disabilities, turning in grades, etc., but I manage to cover it in an hour rather than in the eight planned by people who, apparently, have nothing better to do with their time.  Sorry Prytania and SeniorScholar, but I think it's abusive to make adjuncts show up to a full day session--for which they are not paid!--on the weekend, and I subvert the process whenever I can.  While they are university employees, I am their supervisor, and I can provide information specific to what they will actually be doing and with whom, whereas the weekend session is far too general to be of much use.