Adjunct Faculty

Adjunct faculty are employees hired to teach a specific course or set of courses and are members of the PSUFA.  The annualized FTE calculation (Fall-Winter-Spring terms only) is below .49fte and thus these employees are not eligible for healthcare benefits.  Some adjunct faculty may be PERS eligible and will earn retirement benefits on the adjunct employment contract.  Adjunct faculty are covered under the AFT Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Minimum Pay

The minimum per credit rate for AY 24-25 is $1360 per credit

Hiring and Selection

January 2021 PSUFA Hiring Presentation

• 1. Create a list of all current and active adjuncts.  This template will help you track everything laid out below.   You can get a list of current and active adjuncts using the datamaster report Adjunct Faculty with Adjunct Only Credit Hours

     1. Current and active is defined as anyone who has taught in the prior or current academic year.

     2. Your list should track how many credits the member has taught each term since their initial date of hire, the total number of credits taught, their contract length (9 mo, two year or term) and their last review term or their next review term.  

     3. This spreadsheet must be updated each quarter.  It’s recommended that this happen during week 4.  

     4. Determine contract length (see flowchart below).  

        1. As soon as a PSUFA member teaches 8 credits or two-years, whichever comes first they will receive a 9-month contract for their annual average course load.

        2. As soon as a PSUFA member teaches 20 credits or three-years, whichever comes first they are to be offered an evaluation for consideration for a two-year contract.  If the evaluation is successful,, they will receive a two-year contract which beings in the fall term following the evaluation.

  2. During the Winter term, create a posting in PeopleAdmin to determine the interest and availability of current active PSUFA members.  You can choose to either have this posting be private i.e., a link that is emailed to current active PSUFA members or published on the PSU website.  

     1. It is recommended that you create two postings, one private for current PSUFA members and one public so that you can continuously recruit.  You do not have have to recruit for new adjunct faculty if your current pool of adjuncts meets your needs.

     2. While we use PeopleAdmin, the HR application tracking system to collect interest and availability for current active PSUFA members, it is best to view this process as a questionnaire.  

     3. You may request an updated CV from your current and active PSUFA members but you may not request any additional materials.   You may request whatever materials you need to determine if an applicant is qualified to teach your curriculum from new applicants.

     4. Current and active PSUFA members must have a minimum of 30 days to complete the questionnaire.  

  3. Select and Place your adjunct faculty for the following year.

     1. Determine each PSUFA members annual average course load.  

     2. In September 2017, PSU and PSUFA signed a Memorandum of Understanding that outlines how departments determine who is to receive the first right of refusal for courses.  

        1. For anyone on a mulit-year contract, their annual average course load is the average of the prior three years of credits.  The annual average course load for year 2 of a contract should be the same as year 1.

           1. If Professor Smith is on a mulit-year contract and taught 16 credits in FY 15, 12 credits in FY 16 and 12 credits in FY 17, their annual average course load for their contract spanning FY 18 and FY 19 would be 13.34 per year.  This is the minimum number of credits that you should offer.

           2. If Professor Jones is on a 9 month contract and taught 8 credits in FY 16 and 16 credits in FY 17, they would have an annual average course load of 12 credits in FY 18.

        2. If someone did not teach during a year you would generally use to calculate the annual average course load, that year is to be averaged with 0 credits.  I.e. if Professor Jones taught 8 credits in FY 16 and 0 credits in FY 17 their annual average course load will be 4 credits.

     3. When assigning your adjunct faculty into your courses, place PSUFA members on two year contracts first, based on their preference of days and times.   Once the members on 2 year contracts have been placed, seat PSUFA members on 9-month contracts and finally anyone on a term contract.

     4. PSUFA members should be offered their annual average course load whenever possible.  If it is not possible, the member should receive notice one term in advance.

     5. Once the hiring decision is made, please write the letter of offer using the current HR template: http://www.pdx.edu/hr/node/199/#AFT. Please note that HR changes the letters of offer from time to time. Best practice is to download the template each term prior to writing the letter of offer(s).

     6. A note on the timing of the hiring decision and writing the letter of offer:

        1. According to the AFT contract, "[Letters of appointment to employ or re-employ shall, when feasible, be sent at least five (5) weeks prior to the first class meeting of the course to be taught. An Adjunct faculty member will receive additional compensation, as provided in Article 12, Section 8, if the letter of appointment is offered less than two weeks prior to the first class meeting, or if the class is cancelled less than two weeks prior to the first class meeting or within the first two weeks of class. This provision only applies during fall, winter and spring terms. During summer term, cancellation compensation will be calculated and dispensed according to the HR form "Cancellation of Appointment for Adjunct Pay." This provision does not apply to Adjunct Faculty teaching Applied Music Instruction courses.(Article 8 Section 1 page 12. Letters may be written for a single term or for multiple terms based on the number of credits a PSUFA member has taught. This flowchart outlines when the department would need to adjust the contracts length.

        2. If a member declines a course, make a note on your tracking sheet.  You do not need to offer another course in it’s place.