WELCOME!! What is your college currently doing to support and develop Adjunct Faculty? Is anything missing? Please share with your neighbor…

Adjunct Faculty Professional Development and Mentoring: Engagement, Strengths, and Success Sylvia M. Orr, Ph.D. Dean, Academic Affairs Jill A. Nico, M.S. Adjunct Faculty, Math Jennifer L. Copeland, M.A. Adjunct Faculty, Communications

This session highlights how Estrella Mountain invests in adjunct faculty to enhance student success through  adjunct professional development,  online resources, and  mentoring. Faculty and administrators will learn innovative ideas to take back to their institutions.

About Estrella Mountain Newest of the ten Maricopa Colleges, located 15 miles west of Phoenix Began offering classes in 1992 Started its learning college journey in 2007 Demographics (as of Fall 2014) 9164 students; 4821 FTSE 84 full-time faculty More than 423 adjunct faculty Adjuncts teach approximately 68% of courses

Brief History: Past Training and Orientation Adjunct Faculty Forums  Conducted twice per year  Included sessions for new & returning adjuncts  Provided opportunity to meet college staff; learn of college-wide initiatives  Included divisional break-out sessions  At best, turnout was 33% of all adjunct faculty

Create and offer Online Orientation Division Orientations Orienting 1 st Year Faculty  Surveyed chairs and faculty to identify needs  Ex. of Topics  Assessment  Active Learning  Coping with Classroom Challenges  EDU 250 Ongoing Professional Development  MCCCD and EMCC face to face courses and workshops  Online courses, e.g. Preparing to Teach Hybrid/ Online Courses  Adjunct Faculty Association conferences and workshops  Incentives Meeting the Challenge

Features of Online Orientation  Collaborative process  Interactive orientation website  Organized by topic and by timeline  Available 24/7  Helps address needs of last minute hires  Replicated by other colleges  Serves as an ongoing learning and resource  Promotes success in classroom  Won Estrella Mountain’s 2010 Innovation of the Year Award

Main Advantage Adjuncts - ready to teach on Day One!

Demo of Online Orientation

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Adjunct Faculty Professional Learning Community (PLC)  Commenced Spring 2010  Addresses needs and concerns of adjunct faculty  Various topics addressed  Surveyed residential and adjunct faculty re: what adjuncts needed to know to be successful Adjunct Professional Development Communication Strategies Classroom Design

APPLIED INTEGRATION in the Classroom MENTORING EMCC Adjunct Faculty Professional Development OBJECTIVE Teaching Skills Workshops SUBJECTIVE Personal Development Workshops

Adjunct Training & Orientation Division Orientation  Tailored to division/ discipline  Online and F2F  Syllabus depository  Evening supervisor CTL supports each division

Adjunct Training & Orientation College-wide Workshops  Topics broad and appropriate for all adjuncts  F2F  Saturday mornings, 8:30 – 11:30a.m.  Faculty compensated  Adjunct responses are positive

Examples of Adjunct Comments  My short term experience here has been very positive in relocating to adjunct faculty.  EMCC does a fantastic job. Continue to facilitate technology competencies.  Everything was extremely valuable in this workshop. I am thankful I attended.  EMCC does a great job, continue to offer growth opportunities for adjunct faculty to become more involved.

Examples of Adjunct Training & Orientation

Mentoring Applied Integration in the Classroom Research – best practices and keys to successful programs EMCC Program Model Critical Components Where are we now? Where are we going?

Mentees should identify the skills necessary for effective teaching on which they wish to focus. Program content should not be dictated. Mentor and mentee collaborate to set specific goals to develop those skills Mentor and mentee must view each other as equals, although one may have more experience. Mentors should be flexible enough to adapt to mentees needs and interests, and mentees must be open to feedback. Evaluate the program formally, and pay attention to unexpected results. 1 Sands, R.E., Parsons, L.A., & Duane, R. (1991) Faculty Mentoring Faculty in a Public University. The Journal of Higher Education, 62 (2), Mentoring – Best Practices 1

Purpose: – Transfer of best practices to classroom, improvement in teaching/learning, and faculty engagement – NOT an on-boarding program Methods for matching: – Ad-hoc committee reviews mentee and mentor applications – Matches are not restricted to discipline Mentor/mentee training: – 1 hour: match meet/greet, program purpose, responsibilities Program Evaluation – Checklists completed – Participant survey’s required. Testimonials requested. Mentoring – EMCC Program Model 2 2 Lumpkin, Angela, (2011). “Keys to mentoring programs. “ A Model for Mentoring University Faculty” The Educational Forum, 75,

Teaching and Learning – All About Students!

Aligned with a culture focused on: Improving engagement Strengths Student success Continually transforming (Learning College) Innovating Developing leaders Entrepreneurship Mentoring - Critical Components

Mentees invited into program by college leadership Opportunities to engage with other mentors/mentees Mentor/mentee checklists provide a framework for one-on-one engagement Program leads to improved student engagement Mentoring ~ How are we improving engagement?

Mentoring ~ How are we incorporating strengths? The program incorporates the peer-to-peer non-evaluatory mentoring paradigm Checklist items are designed to discover and build on personal strengths of both the mentor and mentee The mentee choses their personal program goals with advice and support from mentor

Mentoring ~ How are we promoting student success? Participants engage with fellow members of the institution that promote success (Deans, Student Support Specialists, Faculty, Managers, Vice Presidents) Mentee is supported and connected to achieve a goal to incorporate a best practice into their class Engaged Faculty Student Success!

Mentoring ~ How are we learning to transform? Mentees are strategically immersed in the practices that support learning – Non-evaluatory classroom observations – Continuous assessment – Active and higher level learning examples Improvement focused program – not onboarding Adjunct faculty are valued and challenged

Mentoring ~ How are we being innovative? The program crosses disciplines and employee groups for optimum connection and growth Adjunct and residential faculty can both apply to be mentors Learning happens anywhere!

Mentoring ~ How are we developing leaders and creating leadership opportunities? Adjunct faculty invited into mentoring opportunity and responsibility Mentees are coming forward as mentors Mentors are accepting positions on the PLC to further transform Adjunct Faculty Professional Development

Mentoring ~ How are we promoting entrepreneurship? The EMCC Adjunct Faculty Mentoring Program is an example of revolutionary innovation The program takes on the responsibility, and the risk, to empower Adjunct Faculty as equal partners in the endeavor to engage and develop Adjunct Faculty towards a shared goal of ……STUDENT SUCCESS!

Mentoring - Where are we? Conducted Pilot Program Spring 2013 Spring 2015 is our Fourth Cohort Integrating improvements recommended by completers of the program – Adjunct faculty facilitator to improve communication among participants, and point of contact for questions

Weighted average of continuum from 4 = Strongly Agree/Very Positive to 0 = Strongly Disagree/Very Negative

What Mentees and Mentors are saying … Mentoring across disciplines was a great idea. Sharing different perspectives and encouraging each other to try something new helped both of us grow in our craft. - Mentor The mentoring program has helped me…to become a better teacher…in learning about the culture of the institution…feel more connected to the campus and helped me build a professionally supportive network. - Mentee It was wonderful to see such a talented faculty member engage with EMCC students so effectively and to also see how the implementation of suggestions in the classroom sparked additional peer-to-peer learning during class time. - Mentor

Mentoring – Where are we going? Program is successful & continues to be supported by college leadership Currently developing tools for adjunct faculty communication and accountability – Mentoring Program CANVAS online course – Facebook Group ???

Think-Pair-Share ~ Think-Pair-Share ~ what the Mentor Program achieves Engagement-Leads to better student engagement-peer to peer learning. Strengths-How are you acknowledging and developing Adj. strengths? Build on strengths of both mentors-mentees. Student Success -Participants engage w/fellow members of the college to promote success. Learning Organization-How do we learn to transform? Innovative-Crosses discipline and encourages growth and connection between employee groups. Leadership-Mentees becoming mentors and invited into PLC team. Entrepreneurship-Empower Adjunct Faculty as equal partners to engage and develop.

Think-Pair-Share what the mentor program achieves Engagement- Strengths- Student Success - Learning Organization- Innovative- Leadership- Entrepreneurship- *GIVE EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU INCORPORATE THESE WITH ADJUNCTS AT YOUR COLLEGE

Sylvia M. Orr, Ph. D. Dean, Academic Affairs Jill A. Nico, M.S. Adjunct Faculty Math, Physics, and Engineering Jennifer L. Copeland, M.A. Adjunct Faculty, Communications

The End!