The Adjunct Faculty Certification Program upholds the philosophy, mission, and strategic goals of the College by advancing the instructional performance of part-time educators, including continuing education instructors. The program has designed content and activities aimed at developing and enhancing the intellect and performance of this valuable group of educators. The administration and Board of Trustees are strengthening the college community by providing the structure and fiscal support so that the faculty may implement a program for the improvement and preservation of the instructional quality within the institution.
Background and General Information
Certification is a voluntary process, regulated by faculty, to recognize competencies possessed by the educational practitioner. For purposes of this program, competency is defined as the capacity to develop; it is a process. The intent of the program is to advance the expertise of the individual practitioner thereby improving instructional quality. Neither entry into the program nor continuation in it necessarily predicates continuing employment at the college.
The certification program is based on the premises that the faculty:
- Are committed to all students and their learning
- Know the subject they teach and how to teach it to students
- Are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning
- Think systematically about their practice and learn from experience
- Are members of learning communities
Characteristics of the certification program
- Voluntary
- Faculty-driven system
- Objective
- Encourages collaboration
- Supports instructional excellence
- Governed by peer process
The purpose of the certification program is to:
- Value learning by encouraging instructional excellence
- Reward instructional success
- Encourage development of new teaching/learning methods
- Provide for continued development of part-time faculty and continuing education instructors
- Provide job satisfaction for faculty
Benefits to the faculty:
- Source of pride and self-esteem
- Increased faculty interaction
- Monetary incentives
- Potential portability (resume enhancement)
- Special consideration for course assignments
The program is based on these assumptions:
- The faculty member will teach at least one course (or the equivalent) during the academic year.
- The base pay is the current scale as published annually in the CSM Part-Time Faculty Handbook.
- The program is developed, modified, and implemented by faculty.
- New candidates will be admitted to the program on a monthly basis.
- Individual candidates are responsible for maintaining well-organized documentation of all activities.
- Equivalent activities will be defined by the Director in conjunction with the Faculty Development Committee.
