5. Adjunct Faculty

Return to: Adjunct Faculty Handbook Home  

5.1 Adjunct Instructional Faculty

The title of Adjunct Instructional Faculty is assigned to persons who are employed by the University to teach didactic courses which are offered on campus. These instructors are responsible for developing the course they teach, testing and grading, and recording student attendance. They will report to their department chair. They will be awarded an employment contract for each course taught, and will be remunerated based on their qualifications and according to the policies of the given department.

5.2 Adjunct Faculty for Professional Practice

The title of Adjunct Faculty for Professional Practice is assigned to persons who are appropriately qualified and maintain a relationship with the University for the purpose of supporting and teaching students in their professional practice at Adventist University of Health Sciences.  These individuals may or may not receive remuneration for their work.  They may hold faculty status within a department of the University, renewable on an annual basis. They may also attend faculty meetings, by invitation, in the academic department where they hold membership

5.3 Adjunct Faculty for Clinical Practice

The title of Adjunct Clinical Faculty is assigned to persons who are appropriately qualified to supervise and instruct students in the clinical area. These individuals may or may not receive remuneration for their specific clinical assignment. They may be responsible for the entire clinical course or may be required to perform specific duties within a clinical course. They may also be required to provide information through evaluations to the department chair, clinical coordinator, or the individual designated responsible for clinical supervision.

5.4 Adjunct Faculty for Research

The title of Adjunct Faculty for Research is assigned to persons who are appropriately qualified and maintain a relationship with Adventist University of Health Sciences for the purpose of supporting and advancing research activities.  These individuals may or may not receive remuneration for their work.  They may hold faculty status within a department of the University. They may also attend faculty meetings, by invitation, in the academic department where they hold membership.  Their appointment can be renewed on a yearly basis.

5.5 Adjuct Faculty for Mission

The title of Adjunct Faculty for Mission is assigned to persons who are appropriately qualified to engage in mission related activities in support of the mission of Adventist University of Health Sciences.  These individuals may or may not receive remuneration for their work.  They may hold faculty status within a department of the University. They may also attend faculty meetings, by invitation, in the academic department where they hold membership.  Their appointment can be renewed on a yearly basis.

5.6 Adjunct Faculty for Online Education

The title of Adjunct Faculty for Online Education is assigned to persons employed by the University to teach certain online courses (Internet, asynchronous, synchronous, and video-based). They will be awarded an employment contract for each course taught and will be remunerated wages as set forth in their contact agreement. These faculty are assigned lead or section adjunct instructor responsibilities as noted in the employment contract.  Responsibilities include, but are not limited to recording attendance, grading of academic work, and providing asynchronous, synchronous, and/or discussion forums as found in the respective course. They will report to their department chair. They may also attend faculty meetings, by invitation, in the academic department where they hold membership. 

5.7 Contract

Contracts (Appendix A  and Appendix B ) are issued electronically with the terms of payment defined in the individual contract. The Faculty should maintain one copy of the contract.

Adjunct Faculty for Clinical Practice: Adjunct Faculty for Clinical Practice responsibilities are defined in the clinical affiliation agreements. One copy is maintained in the specific department at the University and the other copy should be held at the clinical site.

Instructional Obligations: If for any reason faculty members are unable to fulfill obligations, the Program Director or Department Chair should be contacted immediately. Failure to meet obligations may result in an adjustment in compensation. Upon completion of responsibilities, keys and badges must be turned in to the Department Chair or Program Director.

Adjunct Faculty for Online Education: Adjunct Faculty for Online Education responsibilities are defined in the course manual. If for any reason faculty are unable to fulfill obligations, Department Chair, along with the Program Director should be contacted immediately. Failure to meet obligations may result in an adjustment in compensation.

5.8 Minimum Employment Qualifications

It is the policy of Adventist University of Health Sciences to require the following qualifications for faculty teaching at the degree levels indicated:

• For faculty teaching general education (health and biomedical sciences) at the Associate degree level, the following are required:
  • A Master’s Degree and a minimum of 18 graduate-level, semester hours of credit in the discipline(s) being taught.
  • Meet the standards set by the professional accrediting body.
  • A commitment to actively engage in the mission of the University.
• For faculty teaching allied health courses at the Associate or Baccalaureate degree-level, the following are required:
  • A degree at or above the degree level of the course being taught.
  • Professional certification and expertise in the discipline(s) being taught.
  • Meet the standards set by the appropriate professional accrediting body.
  • A commitment to actively engage in the mission of the University.
• For faculty teaching general education (health and biomedical sciences) and/or nursing courses at the Baccalaureate degree level, the following are required:
  • A Master’s degree and a minimum of 18 graduate-level, semester hours of credit in the discipline being taught, or
  • A Master’s degree, including a major, in the discipline(s) being taught.
  • Meet the standards set by the appropriate professional accrediting body.
  • A commitment to actively engage in the mission of the University.
• For faculty teaching graduate and post-baccalaureate courses at the Master’s level, the following are required:
  • A Doctoral degree in the discipline(s) being taught or in a related discipline, or
  • A Master’s degree, including a major, in the discipline(s) being taught when that degree is usually considered the terminal degree in that discipline, or
  • Meet the standards set by the appropriate, professional accrediting body.
  • A commitment to actively engage in the mission of the University.
• For faculty teaching at the doctoral level, the following are required:
  • A Doctoral degree in the discipline(s) being taught or in a related discipline.
  • Meet the standards set by the appropriate, professional accrediting body.
  • A commitment to actively engage in the mission of the University.

5.9 Recruitment of Faculty

Prior clearance must be obtained from financial and academic administration before the hiring process begins. The process for filling a position involves announcing the position, gathering a pool of candidates, and interviewing selected candidates. Following are the general guidelines for this process:

1. Qualifications for the position include:
   • Educational background
   • Experience and competence
   • Specialized knowledge, research, licenses, and/or credentials
2. The Department Chair/Program Director will determine an established timeline for recruiting.
3. The following guidelines for the interview process should be followed:
   • Faculty Candidate Packet (required for all faculty candidates and submitted to the Chair of the department and distributed to the appropriate groups)
     • Curriculum Vitae
     • Current licensure and/or credentials
     • Original transcripts of all post-secondary course work
   • The Department chair recommends a final candidate to the Provost, who in turn makes the final recommendation to the President.
4. The accepted candidate will be contacted by the Department Chair to discuss details related to the position, such as pay, contract, benefits and expected start date, among others. Consultation with the Academic Administration may be done as appropriate.
5. The Human Resources Department will complete the Contract with the new Adjunct Faculty as soon as all the documentation requested as been received.
6. If the applicant declines the position, and there is no second choice, the interview process will continue until the position is filled.
7. Employment offers are made without regard to age, race, sex, color, national origin, and ethnic background.
8. Upon employment, the following credentials are required of the University by SACS and/or various professional program accrediting agencies. These documents should be provided to the Provost, unless otherwise noted before contracts are signed.

Adjunct Instructional Faculty

• Curriculum Vitae or Resume (See Appendix C )
• Original transcripts of all post-secondary course work
• Copies of professional licenses/certificates - where applicable

Adjunct Faculty for Clinical Practice

• Curriculum Vitae or Resume (See Appendix C )
• Original transcripts of all post-secondary course work
• Copies of professional licenses/certificates - where applicable
• Current CPR certification
• Current TB test to Department Chair

Adjunct Faculty for Online Education

• Curriculum Vitae or Resume (See Appendix C )
• Original transcripts of all post-secondary course work
• Copies of professional licenses/certificates - where applicable