Instructor prep time

Specialties Educators

Published

Specializes in Nursing Education.

Question for part time faculty: What amount of paid time (if any) do you get for lesson/lecture preparation? Or are you "just paid to teach"?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm full time and 3 hours prep for 1 hour lecture is maybe close to fair. I'm OCD about this and may take longer. Takes longer especially if you're starting from scratch on a new topic.

Gotta question if your employer is using part-time people appropriately. Just doesn't seem right. Where I work, only full time people are in the classroom. If the school does this a lot (using part-timers to lecture) then there isn't much continuity. A lecturer should be part of input on curriculum development and testing and grading. It's more than just standing and delivering.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I teach a lecture course as an adjunt. At many universities, the majority of classes (in all disciplines) are taught by adjuncts and not by people who are employed either full time OR part time. Adjuncts are hired and usually paid per course. I read recently that the typical rate for an adjunt instructor teaching a 3-hour (per week) lecture course for a full semester ranges anywhere from $2500 to $7500.

I make $4600 for my course. As I have taught the same course for about 5 years now, I don't have to spend a lot of time on class preparation -- just a couple of hours to tweak and update things for each lecture. The big variable is grading, coaching, and counseling. Some years, the number of students taking the course is small and I don't have to spend a lot of time grading papers, meeting with students, etc. But other years, I have had large classes that took so much time that I was grossly underpaid.

I've had friends work as adjuncts for clinical courses and they have a similar deal. They get paid a flat rate (higher than the one I get for my lecture course) -- and it's up to them to decide how much time they spend preparing, grading, coaching, and counseling for the money.

People with an actual ongoing "part time" contract may have different arrangements than those typical for adjuncts. Are you classified as an adjunct or as "part time" -- with ongoing responsibilities in addition to just teaching?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment