Instructor Roles and Responsibilities

Adjunct Faculty Qualifications/Applications

The adjunct faculty position requires, at minimum, a master’s degree and/or equivalent expertise in the field of teaching, either through academic preparation or life experience. (Instructors who are only approved to teach non-credit courses are not necessarily required to have a master’s degree.)

To apply for adjunct faculty status, instructors need to complete and sign an Adjunct Faculty Application, and submit it with a Course Form. Resumes and curriculum vitae are welcome; however a signed application and official transcript must be on file.

Instructors should request official transcripts from the institution that granted their highest degree when they submit their first course form to DCS. Transcripts should be sent directly to DCS. DCS will retain transcripts in the adjunct faculty files for as long as instructors teach for Seattle Pacific. According to University policy, official transcripts become the property of Seattle Pacific and cannot be photocopied or returned to the instructor.

Adjunct faculty applications are reviewed by the appropriate DCS director and Seattle Pacific academic school or department to determine whether or not the applicant qualifies for adjunct faculty status. If approved, DCS retains the application form and transcript on file.

Seattle Pacific adjunct faculty may teach credit courses approved on a course-by-course basis. Adjunct faculty may teach non-credit offerings without further application. Adjunct faculty may propose courses on and off campus through the Division of Continuing Studies, or may be asked to serve as an instructor of record.

Adjunct Faculty Status

The status of adjunct faculty lasts for the duration of the instructional experience(s). This status does not accrue toward regular faculty status or promotion at SPU, and may not be accumulated for tenure, sabbaticals or full-time faculty benefits. For adjunct faculty benefits, see the Contracting, Remuneration and Benefits section.

Guidelines for Instruction

As you are planning your course content and instruction, please refer to the course form as to the variety of learning modalities you may use. Seattle Pacific University seeks adjuncts who model the quality of instruction that should be used with students at all grade levels. We offer the following principles as a guide to assist you as you prepare for your course.

1. Planning Your Instruction

  • Adult learners tend to be autonomous and benefit from a "roadway" of content that explains what they will learn and why it is important. A clear definition of objectives is invaluable.
  • Identify three to five of the most important ideas, pieces of information, or skills for participants to remember from each session.
  • Focus on a balance between content and processing time for active reflection of content.
  • Organize materials so they flow smoothly from topic to topic; content should be logically organized and appropriate to a variety of learning styles.
  • Design handouts to be practical. Include quotations, charts or diagrams used in the presentation and number the pages to assist students in easy access.
  • Give credit to the sources used whenever possible.

2. Creating an Inviting Environment

  • Model what participants should do in their classrooms.
  • Arrive in plenty of time to check equipment and make other necessary arrangements.
  • Greet attendees as they enter; make introductions and learn something about them.
  • It may be appropriate to have some music playing as participants enter, post some pictures, charts or diagrams related to your presentation, or have an appropriate image or quotation on the overhead.
  • Provide a flexible pace and options for demonstrating understanding whenever possible.

3. Opening Each Class

  • Be sure to start each session promptly.
  • Engage participants in some activity within the first five minutes of each class session. Reflective dialogue and group writing can help adult learners focus on the task at hand.
  • Consider asking participants to write some question they have about the topic. (Refer to these at the end to see if questions have been answered.)
    • What do you need from today’s session?
    • What do you have questions about?
    • What is an area of concern, etc.?

4. Presenting Your Content

  • Begin with an overview of each session both orally and visually (e.g., flipchart, transparency).
  • Tell an appropriate story or anecdote, give an example, or do an activity to capture the interest and arouse the curiosity of the participants.
  • Include reviews of the material approximately every 30 minutes to allow time for reflection, consolidation, and questions. Check for student understanding.
  • Provide opportunities for active learning and hands-on activity.

5. During Your Daily Course Sessions

  • Foreshadow (tell what’s coming next).
  • Bridge (make transitions between topics or into practical applications).
  • Back track (review and consolidate during and at the end).
  • Use examples (make sure to include multi-cultural as well as other specific examples of use in the classroom).
  • Process (turn to neighbor to summarize or discuss; fill in each other’s mindmaps; plan how the information might be applied in other contexts).
  • Provide opportunities for participants to stand up and stretch after half an hour of listening time.
  • Close with an anecdote, story, or powerful quotation.
  • End on time or a little early to allow for questions.

6. Preparing Effective Visuals

  • Create a colorful variety of visuals to help listeners focus and remember content.
  • Be sure handouts are well prepared and not in violation of copyright laws.
  • Use large and/or bold, easy-to-read computer print for all handouts.

Maintaining Adjunct Faculty Status

Every two years, DCS requests adjunct faculty and non-credit instructors to update their files. An Adjunct Faculty Update Form will automatically be sent to all instructors and must be completed and returned to maintain approved status.

If instructors do not teach for two years, their file is considered inactive and their transcript may be destroyed. After that point, if instructors wish to teach as adjunct faculty through SPU again, they must re-apply by completing an Adjunct Faculty Application and submitting an official transcript if one is not on file at DCS. Non-credit instructors may reapply by completing a Non-Credit Instructor Application.

Adjunct faculty and non-credit instructors assume the responsibility of contacting the Division of Continuing Studies if there is any change in instructor’s address, phone number or name.

Course Evaluations

All instructors are required to distribute, collect and return the Scantron course evaluation forms provided by Seattle Pacific University. (In order to obtain objective feedback one student should be appointed to collect and return the completed forms to SPU in the envelope provided with the registration packet.) A copy of the results are sent to the instructor and filed in DCS. These evaluations are reviewed by the program director for course and instruction effectiveness and make up a significant part of the criteria established by DCS to monitor the academic and informational quality of all courses. If areas of concern are expressed by students, a letter is sent to the instructor requesting an explanation and, if appropriate, modifications.

Periodic phone audits of students who have taken courses are also conducted by members of the DCS staff as part of the evaluation process. Instructors are notified if their class has been audited. On-site evaluations may also be conducted by full-time SPU School of Education faculty or a selected adjunct faculty member.

Withdrawal of Course or Instructor Approval

The University reserves the right to withdraw approval of any course without cause, at its sole discretion. The University also reserves the right to withdraw approval of any course or instructor without prior notice and without payment under DCS contract if the University policies and procedures, including those set forth in this handbook, are violated. Approval may also be withdrawn without prior notice if a course deviates from its original proposal. The University is not obligated to pay the course proposer or instructor in the event it withdraws course approval for cause.

Adjunct faculty and non-credit instructors are expected to read and follow all policies and procedures as outlined in this handbook as well as any updates published in subsequent editions of the Continuing Edge, the publication which serves as the official means of communication with education adjunct faculty. If there are questions regarding any policy or procedure, instructors should initiate discussion with the appropriate office (DCS or Student Academic Services).

If an adjunct faculty or non-credit instructor fails to follow policy or procedure, or if course evaluations give cause for concern, he or she may be contacted by DCS or the appropriate SPU office. If policy or procedure lapses continue, or if course evaluations indicate ongoing problems, his or her status as adjunct faculty or non-credit instructor may become probationary. If an instructor persists in ignoring policy and procedure during the probationary period, that instructor’s status at Seattle Pacific University may be revoked.

At all points in the process we encourage instructors to communicate their needs and concerns to us pertaining to any given policy or procedure. With good communication and flexibility, it is usually possible to come to consensus on a means of operation that meets the needs of students, instructors, and SPU.

Continuing Edge

SPU adjuncts who teach in our SPIRAL program will periodically receive the Continuing Edge, a DCS publication which serves as the primary means of communicating in a consistent way with SPU SPIRAL adjuncts. The Edge is "must read" information and it is the responsibility of all SPIRAL adjuncts to be familiar with the contents in the Continuing Edge. Important dates, policy and practice changes, grading information, etc. will be featured in the Continuing Edge.

Current Application and University Standards

All adjunct faculty and non-credit instructors must have a current application on file at the Division of Continuing Studies. The instructor’s signature on the application indicates an obligation to uphold the University’s Christian commitment, academic quality and behavioral standards as described in the DCS Purpose section.

Course Responsibilities

In addition to teaching, adjunct faculty are required to complete Course Forms as described in the Offering Credit Courses section; monitor on-site registration and correspond with Student Academic Services (SAS) as outlined in the Course Registration section; provide the Division of Continuing Studies and students with syllabi following the guidelines listed in the Course Syllabus section; require in- and out-of-class assignments as defined under the Offering Credit Courses section; assign and turn in grades to SAS within five days following the course ending date or closing date, as stated in the Grading Deadlines section; and offer students course evaluations, as specified in the Course Evaluation section.

All fees related to a DCS course must included on the course form. Any time an instructor collects course related fees that do not come to DCS or SPU, the instructor is responsible to maintain adequate records for an audit trail.

Textbooks

Instructors are responsible to work with the SPU Bookstore to order textbooks for on-campus courses, as appropriate to the course content. (Textbooks for off-campus courses do not need to be ordered through the SPU Bookstore). Generally, deadlines for textbook orders follow these dates:

Fall Quarter orders--May 15

Winter Quarter orders--October 15

Spring Quarter orders--January 15

Summer Quarter orders--April 1

Please call the SPU Bookstore at (206)281-2172 for specific date information.

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