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[sambowie]

I've seen some scattered advice on this issue on the forums, but I'd like to hear more about what TT SCs do and don't like seeing on the CVs of adjuncts. That is, how can one best go about adjuncting with a view to getting a tenure-track job (not necessarily at the same institution), assuming money/time and other exigencies are not an issue. For instance: How many courses per semester/quarter are ideal? How many schools can one teach at simultaneously without negatively affecting one's CV? Does the quality of the school at which one adjuncts matter at all? Should one have a non-teaching job as well, or is better to rely partly on savings if you can? And so on and so forth.

Thanks, guys.



 

[msparticularity]

What seems to matter is:

-Experience in teaching the kinds of courses that are relevant to the TT position you are applying for
-Publications

In other words, you want to be able to demonstrate that you can teach the normal intro courses, or methods, or whatever. More importantly, you need to publish--which probably means NOT teaching too heavy a load.

[untenured]

Don't worry so much about piling on the courses.  Unless you are CC bound, teach just enough to let you survive and give you plenty of time to publish.

Publications are the coin of the realm.  Without them you will become stale, bitter, poor, and spend your time poisoning these forums with acrid and outdated wisdom until the day you die.

PUBLISH!

Untenured

[systeme_d_]

In my department, we love seeing experience in the classroom, particularly if those classes are similar to the ones we'd like you to teach.  A range of offerings is usually much better than just a few narrow upper-level classes.

Most of our applicants have taught at schools either at or above our university's level.  That's the most common thing to see.

There's no magic number of classes.  It varies, of course, by how many years one has had PhD in hand.

We also love well-placed publications.  So don't teach at the expense of publishing.

[erzuliefreda]

Publishing is the most important element, as folks upthread have indicated. As an adjunct, I taught 2 courses per semester. I was able to do one survey class each term, and then one upper-level class. This gave me plenty to talk about in interviews and letters, etc.

FWIW, my adjunct status placed me at a disadvantage in the search here (where I now work). I was up against postdocs, VAPs, and Assistant Professors. We are a 4-4 teaching school and some were concerned that my lack of full-time teaching experience was a weakness in my application. In the end, I prevailed, though. I think they could tell in the interview that I am "low maintenance" and willing to work hard.

Best of luck to you!

[gratefulgrits]

My experience?  I haven't landed a TT job, but I did get a non tt fulltime job with full benefits this year.  I have an MFA, so the tough market is especially tough.   This was after part time adjuncting for 3 years after graduation. 

1. Adjunct at a good school, if possible.   I adjuncted at a school that was leaps and bounds ahead of my graduate institution, and I think that has helped my CV.

2. Teach a range of classes within your area.  Don't get two years of teaching experience teaching just Fundamentals 101--two years is really no better than one in this case. Try to throw a Basic and Advanced in there to show your range.

3. Don't adjunct too long!  I left adjuncting and worked full time for a university for two years--I managed budgets, reported from 9-5 etc.  This gave me some professional polish, and it showed search committees that I was resourceful in this crunched job market.  Adjuncting too long can make you seem desperate and willing to be exploited (plus, at a certain point, you have enough teaching experience to make an impression on a SC.  Eight years is not much better than five or four).  So if a TT job or at least fulltime job doesn't materialize in a timely manner (a few years), consider a lateral career move. The two years I took off from teaching didn't seem to hurt me, and the fact that I was employed, full-time with benefits, probably made me seem more desirable than an underpaid, overworked part time adjunct.

4.But publishing is more important than any of this!

[tinyzombie]

Thanks for starting this thread, sam! I'm replying to get all the advice.

[sambowie]

No problem, zombie. I'm sure there are a lot of recent PhDs trying to compose a TT strategy from adjunct gigs right about now--perhaps more than usual, given the feeble job market this year. And thanks to everyone who has commented here so far. It's all been very helpful.

[blackswan]

I looked at the teaching load, tasks and research production of assistant professors at SLACs because that is where I knew I wanted to be.  Then I sought out different kinds of experiences (adjuncting, admin work, conferences, publications) that would keep me on the same arc of production of one of these TT assistant professors.  In other words, I just tried to pretend like I was really on the TT at a SLAC by building a similar record to a real assistant professor.   

Although it turned out to be more stressful than I anticipated, the strategy ultimately paid off for me.  My new position offered me a shortened tenure clock because of the record of research and teaching I had compiled while not in a TT role.  And during interviews, it was helpful to be able to say things like “I have a similar teaching load to your position now, which I balance with research and service obligations from job X.”  I was able to talk about what I was actually doing rather than only about what I would do in the future (although I talked a lot about that, too.)

It’s my guess that the different kinds of experience I had picked up along the way may have made me look like a good fit for the kind of position I wanted.  Either that, or the whole dogged persistence thing was the real difference.  Or maybe it was just plain luck.

Good luck to you!

[sambowie]

I'm trying to line up adjunct work (in NYC) for January 2010 and beyond. When is the best time to send out inquiry letters to department chairs? Now?


sam bowie

[msparticularity]

Literally every department I've known and been involved with (four now) is different--and different institutions have different rules for this, too, depending upon how their union contracts interact with adjuncts. Some departments do maintain files of potential adjuncts, so it makes sense to send in a letter whenever, because they'll just add you to their file. In other places, each opening has to be advertised with a specific job description attached and no file is opened until that happens--which often isn't until almost the last minute in the case of adjuncts. Sending in a letter early will do you no good in those since it likely will just get tossed in the trash.

I wouldn't start with the chair. Call the admin person for the department and inquire politely what the usual procedure is.

[sambowie]

Thanks, Miss P.

Anyone else care to opine on the timing of adjunct cold-lettering? Might it be best to wait until midway through the fall term if I'm looking for courses starting in January, or will sending them now be just as effective?

[kedves]

Anyone else care to opine on the timing of adjunct cold-lettering? Might it be best to wait until midway through the fall term if I'm looking for courses starting in January, or will sending them now be just as effective?

Both.  Neither.  As MsParticularity says, departments are different.  Call each department that interests you, politely inquire about its procedure, and follow that.