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[thisisme]

Not sure whether this is the right place to post this. But at least people here should know (and I still feel connected to you ;-)

There are people applying who have a job elsewere (TT, research scientist, VAP, likewise) and in parallel are adjunct at some other (great) university. What does this mean? Do they really teach there? (In some cases hard to imagine, like across countries). Did they get the job through a competitive opening or via some collaborations?
For people on SCs, is that something you usually find impressive?

Thanks!

[scampster]

I can't answer the question from a search committee point of view, but sometimes people get adjunct appointments so that they can officially co-supervise a graduate student, so there is no teaching involved. I know of one situation where that was the case, but I don't know how common that is.

[fedscholar]

Hi Thisisme,

I can share a little from my experience. I am a federal scientist. I asked for an adjunct back in 2003 to keep in contact with the academic culture at the small school where I reside, but run a federal science program. I do not know how coveted the positions are, as they are unpaid, and sometimes involve a fair amount of work, if you frequently serve on committees. In my experience, the main benefit of the adjunct has been to demonstrate that one is staying abreast of academic culture and teaching and mentoring, and actually to do so. I am assuming an adjunct would often have another venue for research. It does give one a certain status, preferable perhaps to, say, "freelance scientist working out of my kitchen between meals." I enjoy the position, though my activity level varies over time. In this market, it is probably good to have as many contacts as possible, and as many ways to demonstrate experience. However, it would not seem to be a game changer. Small potatoes...but fun.

I too am curious about what those who serve on SCs think.

[onion]

At my former university, I had a colleague who had to be "hired" as an adjunct at a nearby university in order to be affiliated with a particular research center (although my friend didn't do any teaching or anything remunerative for the other university).  So, for example, we were in the History department at Northwestern Central Southern State University, and s/he wanted to be able to attend the brown bag sessions and present papers at the Name of Dead Rich Person's Center for Multicultural Basketweaving and Indigenous Handicrafts (that only faculty of the university or post-docs could participate in it).  So Fancy Pants University "hired" my friend for the honor of being part of the Dead Rich Person's Center.

That was a very long-winded explanation.  But friend doesn't put adjunct status on their CV, but does list their affiliation with Dead Rich Person's Center.

[ms_turtle]

I can't answer the question from a search committee point of view, but sometimes people get adjunct appointments so that they can officially co-supervise a graduate student, so there is no teaching involved. I know of one situation where that was the case, but I don't know how common that is.

This is how it works here, an R1. We have a list of maybe two dozen adjunct faculty members that have tenured, tt, or research (usually at federal labs) positions elsewhere. These are not paid positions and the faculty serve on graduate committees. There is no teaching involved. One does have to be approved for adjunct status and the term is for 5 years (renewal is possible). One of the adjunct faculty members retired to this community to be closer to his daughter. When the department and university realized that a Big Shot biologist was in town, they offered adjunct status so he could have library access, a small office, email, etc. Basically a small place to hang his hat when he needed it.

The non-tenure track faculty members that teach are called visiting assistant professors, instructors, lecturers, or senior lecturers (there is a non-tenure track career ladder here).

[biop_grad]

I can't answer the question from a search committee point of view, but sometimes people get adjunct appointments so that they can officially co-supervise a graduate student, so there is no teaching involved. I know of one situation where that was the case, but I don't know how common that is.

This is how it works here, an R1. We have a list of maybe two dozen adjunct faculty members that have tenured, tt, or research (usually at federal labs) positions elsewhere. These are not paid positions and the faculty serve on graduate committees. There is no teaching involved. One does have to be approved for adjunct status and the term is for 5 years (renewal is possible). One of the adjunct faculty members retired to this community to be closer to his daughter. When the department and university realized that a Big Shot biologist was in town, they offered adjunct status so he could have library access, a small office, email, etc. Basically a small place to hang his hat when he needed it.

The non-tenure track faculty members that teach are called visiting assistant professors, instructors, lecturers, or senior lecturers (there is a non-tenure track career ladder here).

Here, most adjunct title holders are those who have their entire appointment in another department, but basically have a title so that they can get grad students from those departments, or guest lecture, or whatever.

Ex: mechanical engineer with interests in applied physics is TT in Mech. E, but also has Adjunct <whatever title he has in ME>.  Or chemical physicists sometimes get them.

Renewal is definitely on the cards for such faculty members - and while there's a rule saying they need to be reviewed every so often, I've not heard of such status being yanked very often.