Job Description

Reporting to the Faculty Lead (or Program Director), the Part-Time Faculty member teaches and engages students within a particular discipline for which they are qualified. This position is critical in providing a quality education for students and ensuring their persistence towards the completion of their degree plans.

Essential Functions: Instruction and Engagement

• Teach Students and Assess Their Work in the Trident Learning Community (TLC):
  • Convey command of and enthusiasm for the course content by providing insight and sharing expertise with the class throughout the course, e.g., through timely posts to News You Can Use and/or the class discussions.
  • Use the grading rubrics to provide detailed feedback on student assignments based upon the assignment criteria (i.e. substantive comments explaining what the student did well, why any points were taken off, and how to improve substantively).
  • Broaden and deepen students' understanding of the course material by posting prompts and responses in the course discussions.
• Engage Students Regularly and in a Timely Fashion:
  • Communicate with the class as a whole at the beginning of each module to: (a) engage students in the course materials and the class, (b) provide direction, (c) reflect on the course, (d) remind students of tasks and due dates, (e) communicate changes, etc.
  • Welcome all students, encouraging them to get started and provide initial guidance.
  • Create a welcoming and comfortable environment and maintains a professional, positive, and respectful tone through multiple communication channels.
  • Respond to communications received from students within 24 hours during the business week.
  • Grade students' assignments within 72 hours of their submission during the business week (including assignments submitted by students with approved course extensions).
  • Reach out and offer to help students who have not logged into the course within the first few days as well as to those who are falling behind and/or struggling with assignments.
  • In the course discussions, post and respond regularly to guide the discussion and provide feedback to the class through the techniques of summarizing, reflecting, encouraging, and identifying excellence.
• Administer:
  • Perform routine duties in a timely fashion, without prompting or reminders, in the courses you are assigned to teach. These duties include but are not limited to:
  • Respond to e-mail and/or phone correspondence from your Faculty Lead and/or Program Director within 24 hours during the business week. Let them know in advance when circumstances arise that make it difficult to respond promptly.
  • Work closely with your Faculty Lead and/or Program Director to:
    • Resolve student academic questions, complaints, and concerns in a timely manner, consistent with the university catalog.
    • Enforce academic policies as detailed in the current university catalog.
    • Implement college and/or program-specific procedures and protocols through communications with the class as a whole as well as with individual students.
  • Review and approve requests for regular course extensions that students in your course(s) submit through the TLC portal.
  • Grade assignments submitted by students with approved course extensions in a timely manner and confirm their final course grades in the TLC portal.
  • Report any basic issues with the course materials (e.g. broken and/or missing links and/or materials) to your Faculty Lead or Program Director immediately.
  • Actively participate in:
    • Student retention efforts.
    • Periodic asynchronous faculty development activities.
  • Encouraged (but not required) to:
    • Provide substantive feedback to improve course content and the curriculum.
    • Participate in periodic Program, College, and University meetings.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities, Competencies

• Ability to inspire and engage students by delivering quality instruction and support.
• Ability to demonstrate academic rigor and fairness in grading.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with ability to create and sustain a collegial, collaborative, team- oriented environment.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills with ability to formulate feasible and logical solutions.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications with ability to quickly learn new technologies and software.

Education and Experience: Minimum

• To teach at the graduate level, a terminal degree from a regionally accredited institution in a relevant discipline is required
• To teach at the undergraduate level, a terminal degree from a regionally accredited institution in a relevant discipline is required
• Experience teaching in a higher education setting
• Demonstrated knowledge of current trends in the discipline

Education and Experience: Preferred

• Significant experience as a practitioner in work related to your academic discipline
• Teaching non-traditional students (e.g., working adults)
• Teaching with an online learning management system
• Application of rubrics to feedback and grading

Trident generally compensates its Adjunct Faculty on a per student basis rate that takes into consideration a variety of factors including, degree level taught, tenure with the University, and Committee Member or Chair Doctoral level assignment. The base rate for an Adjunct Faculty (non-Committee/Chair Doctoral work) can range between $100.00 and $300.00 per student. The rate for an Adjunct Committee Member is $100.00 per student per session and for an Adjunct Committee Chairs it is $500.00 per student per session.