Adjunct Faculty Review Policy

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Adjunct review policy

Updated July 2024  

I. Rationale for review 
To be consistent with how we evaluate the teaching of full-time faculty, to provide feedback and guidance to help adjunct faculty members with their teaching, and to ensure the University maintains the highest standards of teaching for all courses, adjunct faculty members’ teaching will be evaluated on an annual basis. The criteria for evaluation of the adjunct faculty member’s teaching will be consistent with the criteria for excellence in teaching as outlined in the Faculty Handbook (II.D.3a. Policies on Tenure and Promotion, Excellence in Teaching.) In cases in which the adjunct is part of a team-teaching effort, the candidate will be evaluated on their own contribution to the course. Emeritus faculty members who teach part time as adjunct faculty must also undergo annual reviews of their teaching. After 9 and 15 units of adjunct teaching, adjunct faculty members should undergo a more thorough review of their teaching to determine their eligibility for continued employment and pay premiums as detailed below. 

 II. Frequency of review 
A. Annual reviews 
All adjunct faculty members will undergo annual reviews of their teaching, in which all courses taught during the academic year will be evaluated. Adjunct teaching by Lecturers or Senior Lecturers need not be reviewed separately from any normal annual review of the Lecturer or Senior Lecturer. 

 B. Employment continuation and pay premium reviews for adjunct faculty members 
Adjunct faculty who continue to teach at St. Lawrence University must participate an annual review process discussed below. They are also eligible for pay premiums beyond the base level adjunct pay: a 10 percent premium after 9 units of teaching and a 15 percent premium after 15 units of teaching. Before giving these pay premiums, there will be a more thorough review of the adjunct faculty member (see Part IIIB below). This evaluation for continuation of employment and pay premiums is not required for adjunct faculty members who have already received pay premiums. However, adjunct faculty who opt out of the more thorough review will not be eligible for pay increases and the non-completion of the review will be considered in the rehiring process.  

 III. Evaluation processes 
A. Annual evaluation process for all adjunct faculty 
On an annual basis, department chairs supervising an adjunct faculty member and continuing adjunct faculty must complete a review of the faculty member’s teaching, following the procedures outlined below. 

  1. Adjunct faculty must participate in the student course evaluation process by administering student evaluations at the end of the semester.
  2. Adjunct faculty must complete an annual activity report in Slate. As part of that process, they must upload a course syllabus for each course taught for the department or program during the year and a brief statement that reflects on their teaching experience at St. Lawrence University during the previous academic year to the supervising chair(s).  
  3. The chair may request additional materials from the adjunct faculty member, such as assignments or examples of graded work, or grades, to assist with the review of the adjunct faculty member’s teaching. Occasional, if not annual, classroom observation is encouraged.  
  4. The chair must review the adjunct faculty member’s teaching reflection in the annual activity report, as well as the syllabi, the course student evaluations, and students’ grades for each course taught for the department. In cases in which the course is dual listed, each department chair must review the adjunct faculty member’s teaching materials, but chairs may coordinate and do a joint review. 
  5. The chair’s evaluation will be shared with the adjunct faculty and the ADFA. In cases where the adjunct teaches in FYP only, the review will be completed by the ADFY only and shared with the adjunct faculty.
  6. The annual report must be submitted to the relevant chairs (if the course is dual listed) or ADFY (if teaching in FYP) no later than September 1st. 
  7. An adjunct faculty member can submit a response to the ADFA regarding the chair’s review of the adjunct faculty’s teaching no later than October 1. This response will be kept by the Associate Dean’s Office. 
  8. If a department chair fails to complete a review or if an adjunct faculty member fails to participate in the annual review process, the ADFA reserves the right not to hire the adjunct faculty member until a review is completed. 
  9. Copies of all adjunct faculty members’ course evaluations must be kept on file in the supervising department’s office. It is recommended that departments scan the students’ course evaluation forms. Copies of the annual review form of adjunct faculty members will be kept electronically by the Academic Affairs Office. 
  10. Based on the annual reviews, the ADFA may deny a request by a department chair to rehire an adjunct faculty member for an approved adjunct-taught course. That denial may be appealed by the department or program chair to the Dean of Academic Affairs. 
  11. Adjunct faculty members who expect to teach at the University for multiple semesters should consider using a Canvas site to store their syllabi, course evaluations, and other documents relevant to their teaching. The adjunct faculty may contact the IT department for assistance with setting up a Canvas site for this purpose. 

 B. Evaluation for continuation of employment and pay premiums 

Instructors who have completed at least 9 or at least 15 units of teaching at St. Lawrence as of the end of the previous academic year are eligible for pay premiums for the following academic year of adjunct teaching. Refusal to participate in the more substantial review of the adjunct faculty will be considered by the ADFA or the ADFY in the rehiring process. 

1.  To be considered for a pay premium, adjunct faculty must submit the following materials to the ADFA’s office via a Canvas site
 a.  Summary and individual course evaluations for every class taught (only evaluations for classes taught beyond the first review are required for the second review).
b.  Course syllabi for each class taught (most recent syllabi in the case of the instructor teaching a course multiple times) . 
c.   Samples of graded student work. The samples of graded work should provide reviewers with a sense of how the adjunct faculty member responds to students’ work as part of their teaching process and provide a range of types of assignments and levels of mastery by the students. Graded student work should not exceed 6-8 pieces in cases where the adjunct teaches multiple courses, and no more than 4 pieces for each course taught. 
d.  A personal statement that reflects on the candidates’ teaching at St. Lawrence University (not to exceed 700 words). The personal statement should help the reviewers understand the adjunct faculty members’ pedagogical approach to the course and subject area and contextualize trends evident in students’ grades and course evaluations.  
e. A peer review of courses, including classroom visits, (see the Faculty Handbook II.D.4, under "Evaluation of Teaching") must also be solicited by the supervising chair and uploaded to Canvas after the adjunct faculty submits their materials.

2.  The ADFA will add the adjunct faculty member’s annual teaching evaluation forms to the portfolio submitted by the adjunct faculty member, and will request the instructor’s grade history and relevant course evaluation form summaries from Institutional Research, which will be shared with the adjunct faculty member and the review committee. 

3.  A committee consisting of the ADFA and one former or current member of the Professional Standards Committee will be formed by the Dean of Academic Affairs to review the materials submitted by the adjunct faculty members under review. The Associate Dean for the First Year will participate in the review of adjunct faculty members who have taught in the FYP and the Coordinator for Graduate Programs in Leadership   will participate in the review of adjunct faculty who teach graduate Education courses.

4.  The review committee will decide on the eligibility of the adjunct faculty for a pay premium. Usually, the review should be completed before the beginning of the fall semester. Failure to pass the review will result in a lack of a pay premium.

5.  The AFDA will notify the adjunct faculty member and the relevant department(s) of the positive or negative decision of eligibility for pay increase upon the conclusion of the review. The adjunct faculty member and/or the department may ask the Dean of Academic Affairs to reconsider a denial by providing a written statements to the Dean indicating why the adjunct faculty member should be eligible for the pay premium. 

6.  The Dean will have the final decision regarding eligibility for continuation of employment and pay increases. The decisions of whether or not to continue considering the adjunct faculty member for teaching opportunities is separable from the decision to provide the pay premium.

7.  Once an adjunct faculty member has passed this more substantive review, the adjunct faculty member will continue to be evaluated under the annual review process outlined above to ensure that excellence in teaching continues. 

 IV. Approval of adjunct-taught courses 

Approval of all adjunct-taught courses and of all individuals to teach approved courses is granted by the ADFA. Department chairs submit requests for adjunct-taught courses before the Registrar’s office course worksheets are due each semester for the following semester. Decisions are based on the availability of funds and the University’s needs and justification for adjunct taught courses.