WED-001 - Mentoring from a Distance: Struggles and Considerations of Adjunct Mentorship

Brief Abstract Summary: Participants will learn of the challenges that those who occupy adjunct roles face and the barriers that hinder the mentorship process. Through this session, attendees will hear from numerous adjunct faculty about their experiences, via qualitative analysis. Those who mentor adjuncts, part-time employees, and remote workers will gain insight as to challenges their employees may face and how to best support them in their roles. Finally, mentors who attend this session will be able to conceptualize new ways to promote belonging among these groups of non-traditional faculty and staff.

Detailed abstract description:

Purpose: Adjunct faculty play a vital role in day-to-day learning and are key to the success of students. Due to adjunct faculty being part-time, they may not have the same experiences as full-time faculty which may result in different experiences. Being an adjunct can be beneficial but may present struggles such as disconnectedness, long work hours, and a chance of burnout. This study was conducted to understand the challenges adjuncts face, improve mentorship efforts, and belonging.
Research Methodology: This study was qualitative in nature in which current and former adjuncts were contacted via email to answer questions. Questions were open ended in nature and focused on topics such as challenges faced, what departmental leadership could improve, and how departments could help adjuncts feel more included. Respondents were also given the chance to respond generally about their overall feelings of being an adjunct. Responses were analyzed for common themes and statements.
Findings: One prevalent theme among respondents was a lack of knowledge regarding the college and resources available. Respondents also mentioned that having an orientation of some sort would help prepare them better for their roles. There was a general feeling of disconnectedness, and a want to have department chair/representative include adjuncts in events, projects, and send resources. An additional thought was that the position of an adjunct could be considered a pathway to full-time status.
Significance: Often unseen, this study helps shed light on the struggles of adjuncts and the type of mentorship they wish to have. This information could help new department chairs learn how to interact with these faculty members while for experienced chairs, a renewed thought and consideration of these member’s needs can be obtained. Some information from this study may also help those who mentor employees who are work-from-home to help overcome the distance barrier.

References:
Bolitzer, L. A. (2019a). What we know (and don’t know) about adjunct faculty as teachers at four-year institutions. The Review of Higher Education, 43(1), 113–142. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2019.0092
Buffardi, H. C. (2019). The role of adjuncts in assessment: Perspectives of a former adjunct instructor. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2019(186), 43–48. https://doi.org/10.1002/cc.20354
Burleigh, C., Steele, P. B., & Gwitira, G. (2021). Online adjunct faculty perceptions of professional development to support personal and professional academic growth during COVID-19. Higher Learning Research Communications, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.18870/hlrc.v11i2.1241
Poole, A. H., & Todd-Diaz, A. (2024). “A known quantity”: Adjunct instructors in North American graduate archival education. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 65(1), 55–81.
Slade, J. D., Robb, M., Sherrod, B., & Hunker, D. (2017). Online adjunct faculty support. Nurse Educator, 42(3), 143–146.