©@ (@ Yc INNOVATION ABSTRACTS x25 ASA L. ony { vy = Published by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development With support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and Sid W. Richardson Foundation \e 4 MME x A PART-TIME FACULTY PROGRAM THAT WORKS Financial considerations have forced many institutions to rely heavily upon part-time faculty services. At New Mexico Junior College, about fifteen percent of our credit classes and one hundred percent of our non- credit classes are taught by part-time faculty. We designed a staff development program to serve these instructors; our experiences with its development and implementation may be useful to others. Identifying Potential Part-Time Candidates The size and demographic composition of a district will determine the best methods of identifying part- time instructors: large urban districts may find newspaper ads effective; urban/rural districts may rely on more personal contact with the community. But the business and professional community in any district can furnish most of the credit part-time faculty the college requires. Civic clubs are excellent sources of contacts, and local TV and radio talk shows get the word about the college and its services out to the general public. As well, checking local papers for announcements regarding transfers of new employees to the district is also helpful. Hiring Procedures At NMJC, we review credentials and interview selected candidates. While the process may not be as exhaustive as for some full-time positions, it is thorough enough to assure that each person is well qualified. Prior teacher training and experience are pluses. In many areas, such as engineering or business management, prior professional teaching experience will be rare, but current field experience may offset the weakness in teaching expertise. Yet once we are assured that the "what" to teach expertise is in place, we can deal with the "how" to teach. In-Service Training We do not debate which is more important in a teaching situation—the "what" or the "how." The college has approved the "what" (or course content) and selected a person to teach it; then the "how," or methods, becomes the critical issue. We (1) schedule regular class visitations; (2) monitor the class through institution- and student-generated evaluation forms; and (3) schedule in-service workshops to deal with such issues as classroom management, teaching adults, records management, student evaluations, and syllabus/lesson plan development. It is the goal of these workshops to begin with instructors where they are and enhance their skills. An orientation session is held at the beginning of each semester on a Saturday morning, 9:00 - 12:00. Everyone is welcomed back; full- and part-time staff members are introduced. Personnel records, various college forms, information about available support services and procedures for using them, and college emergency procedures and policies are reviewed. The significance of the part-time faculty role to the mission of the college is emphasized. Time for questions and informal socializing concludes the first session. This kick-off session includes all credit and non-credit part-time faculty. Workshops follow this session and are divided into two categories: for those professionals who have had formal teacher training and those who have not. This logical division permits each workshop to focus on an appropriate instructional agenda. At least one in-service workshop is held each semester. This permits in-depth coverage of support services, lesson plan development, and classroom management. Part-time faculty surveys are administered to allow them some input to the selection of program items. Their involvement with this selection procedure strengthens their "feeling of belonging" to the institution. Our full-time faculty and staff provide the in-service training without compensation. Attendance is not compulsory, but it is strongly recommended. Support Services This is an extremely important aspect of any part-time faculty program. It is not enough to list all available services and pay lip service to them. They must be delivered on a day-to-day basis. Part-time i | 7 Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin, EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712