Policy on the Employment of Adjunct Faculty

Policy on the Employment of Adjunct Faculty

The School of Law regularly employs Adjunct Faculty to augment our teaching faculty and enhance curricular offerings to our law students.  This Policy is designed to comply with the University System of Maryland Policy II-1.07, Policy on the Employment of Adjunct Faculty (“UMB Policy”).

1. Categories of Adjunct Faculty

   Adjunct Faculty shall be designated as either Adjunct Faculty I or Adjunct Faculty II/Senior Adjunct.  At the School of Law, Adjunct Faculty II shall be referred to as Senior Adjunct.  Adjunct Faculty I shall include all adjunct faculty at the School of Law, except those faculty members who meet the criteria for designation by the School of Law policy as Senior Adjunct. Senior Adjunct faculty members, in addition to the other criteria required by the UMB policy, must  

   1. have a consistent record of high-quality instruction as determined by the School of Law;
   2. have a record of teaching at least three years at the School of Law and a total of 12 courses of two credits or more;
   3. have a series of high-level performance evaluations over the course of at least twelve full semester courses at the University; and
   4. have made a written request to the Academic Dean at the School of Law to be re-classified as Senior Adjunct.
      
      
2. Adjunct I Appointments

   For a new Adjunct Faculty I position, the Academic Dean or his/her designee shall verify the credentials of the applicant and contact a reference (designated by the applicant) who can verify the applicant’s substantive knowledge of the area in which the adjunct may teach.  All adjunct faculty will also be approved by the Academic Dean in consultation with relevant faculty who will consider the individual’s

   1. Academic and professional background. 
      The School of Law requires all adjunct faculty to hold an advanced degree (J.D. or Ph.D. expected absent exceptional circumstances), and have a minimum of two years of relevant experience in the area in which he/she may teach. Prior teaching experience is preferred, but not required for adjunct faculty.
   2. Area of expertise in relation to the School of Law’s current curricular needs
      The Academic Dean will assess curricular needs each semester to determine the demand for adjunct faculty.
   3. Past Performance Evaluations (if applicable).
      The Academic Dean will monitor adjunct faculty teaching performance and will review student evaluations in the current semester for each adjunct.
      
      
3. Senior Adjunct Appointments

   For promotion to Senior Adjunct, the Academic Dean in consultation with relevant faculty from the Faculty Appointments Sub-Committee on Adjuncts will consider, in addition to the criteria in Section A above, the individual’s

   1. Academic and professional background.
      The School of Law requires all adjuncts to hold an advanced degree (J.D. or Ph.D. expected absent exceptional circumstances). Prior teaching experience is required for Senior Adjunct faculty.
   2. Area of expertise in relation to the School of Law’s current curricular needs.
   3. Past performance evaluations.
      The Academic Dean, or his/her designee, will assess the overall competence of the adjunct faculty member, including review of the adjunct faculty’s student evaluations as evidence of high-level performance.    In addition to the review of student evaluations in the current semester performed by the Academic Dean for each adjunct, the Academic Dean also will review past evaluations and other personnel records when Adjunct Faculty I request promotion to Senior Adjunct.   High level performance evaluations will include a series of student evaluations ranking the adjunct faculty at 4.5 or above (“Very Good” or “Superior”) in Questions 10 and 11 of the Student Evaluation, which is submitted by students anonymously online each semester through course evaluations.