Jessica Percodani wrote to ask about getting an adjunct position.
In addition to what's already been said:
1)Saturate local schools with a C.V. and cover letter stating your
interests.
2)Go onto the web and look at the school's catalogues. In your cover
letter, LIST THE SPECIFIC COURSES that you would like to/are willing to
teach. I used to get letters from people telling me how they'd love to
teach a course in e.g., marital counseling, grief counseling, death and
dying, drug addiction, etc. Sorry, but we don't offer such courses and I'm
certainly not going to add one to the schedule just because a temp I don't
even know says she'd like to teach it! List courses that the school OFFERS
rather than the ones you'd like to teach in a perfect universe. If you want
to mention a special topics course, fine. But do that only after you've
told me about the "traditional" courses you can teach. Your chances of
teaching a topical seminar of your choosing are VERY slim.
3)Especially in larger schools like mine, the one verity in a chair's life
is that "S#@%! happens!" That means that virtually every semester, last
minute courses become available. Faculty get pregnant, get sick, get
release time for administrative duties, for grants, etc. (A chair's job is
not an easy one.) So make sure your info is in the "emergency hire" file.
4)Your chances are better in non-clinical fields because the world is
saturated with new MAs , Ph.D.s & PsyDs who are just trying to start a
practice and want the prestige & extra cash of a university affiliation.
They also have lots of time on their hands. Finding someone to teach S&P is
tougher than finding someone to teach abnormal or personality.
5)In your cover letter, indicate availability vis a vis times/days if
possible. Chairs have a zillion CVs from people who want to teach a 3
credit course but only at night. Getting someone to come in MWF 12-1, on
the other hand, can be a bear. So the more flexible you can be the better.
Good luck,
Ed
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Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D., Department of Psychology,
West Chester Univ. of PA, West Chester, PA 19383
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Husband, father, grandfather, biopsychologist, herpetoculturist and
bluegrass fiddler
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Shameless self promotion: The Mill Creek Bluegrass Band performs every
Tuesday night at Dugal's Inn, Mortonville, PA. Call 610- 486-0953 for
directions.
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For recent pix of the world's most gorgeous grandson, Eli Lewis Levine, see
http://webpages.charter.net/jeffnjanet/
