Adjuncts OK at MSU

Kelli Lageson, Special to The Free Press
The Free Press

MANKATO Fri, May 16 2008

— Despite some studies about the usefulness of adjuncts in universities, Minnesota State University instructors say they value adjuncts and part-time instructors.
“Adjuncts can fill a very important role,” said Dr. Brian Groh, chair of the department of Chemistry and Geology at MSU.
A study was conducted by Audrey Jaeger, assistant professor of higher education at North Carolina State University and M. Kevin Eagan Jr., a graduate student at the University of California at Los Angeles. They examined the effect part-time instructors have on students, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
“A lot of our adjuncts do excellent jobs and are wonderful teachers,” said Don Larsson of MSU’s department of English. “But it’s best when we have people thinking long term.”
Larsson is on the executive committee of the Inter Faculty Organization of State Colleges and the president of their local chapter of the Faculty Association. He said that adjuncts are used to fill a need that no full-time faculty member could.
“Usually you find adjuncts teaching lower division classes because faculty are needed to teach upper level courses,” Larsson said. One part of the study suggested that adjuncts turn students away from areas of study when they teach introduction courses, especially in the chemistry and biology fields.
“It’s your first shot at the students and you want to make your best impression,” said Gregg Marg, professor of biology and chair of the department of Biological Services.
Marg also said it was rare to have adjuncts teach introductory courses because their department wants students exposed to regular faculty. Groh said the same thing about chemistry introductory courses.
“Especially with intro classes, if you turn a student off you stand a chance of turning that student away from chemistry for good,” Groh said.
Adjuncts fill many different capacities, and there are more than 250 adjuncts employed by MSU.
One student had an adjunct for a business management class and said the adjunct wanted the students to learn.
“The adjunct was well qualified,” said Chris Frederick. “She went through the course material.”
Another student, history major Angela Oberle, had an interesting adjunct her freshman year.
“I had a professional ballerina teach my Introduction to Dance class,” Oberle said. “She knew what she was doing because she had been doing it her whole life.”
Oberle mentioned that appointments were the only way to meet with her adjunct outside of the classroom. Students who took the survey also cited limited availability as a disadvantage to having adjunct instructors.
“All faculty have to have office hours,” Larsson said.
The amount of time adjuncts have to be in their office varies, but Larsson noted that adjuncts don’t have adequate office space and sometimes must share. One adjunct in the chemistry department explained how he made himself available to students.
“I encourage them to contact me by phone or Internet,” Bill Jensen said. “I’m happy to meet with them.”
Since acting as chair for the department of Chemistry and Geology, Groh hasn’t heard any student complaints.
“I don’t recall any issues with adjuncts,” Groh said.

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