For the first time, adjunct faculty members will have the opportunity to be rewarded for demonstrating the highest level of commitment to their students and teaching.
“I think it is a testimony to their professionalism that most students don’t even realize there is any difference between full-time and part-time instructors,” Annette Owens, vice president of adjunct faculty and Industry and Technology instructor, said via e-mail.
This award will be addressing the largest group of employees on campus.
After being proposed by the Faculty Development Committee in 2007, the Academic Senate Adjunct Faculty Award was passed by the academic senate.
“We wanted to reward faculty for the outstanding service they provide to our college,” Christina Gold, Academic Senate president and history professor, said.
This award was initiated in 2007, when the Faculty Development Committee noticed that there is an award for full-time faculty, but no such thing for part-time (adjunct) faculty.
David Vakil, former vice president of the Faculty Development Committee and current Interim Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the Compton Center, was in on the original planning of the award.
“Many of us had worked with truly amazing and outstanding part-time faculty, who were worthy of praise and recognition,” Vakil said via e-mail.
“We wanted to make sure that the largest employee group on campus had a mechanism for getting recognized.”
According to the application form, in order to be nominated an instructor must be an adjunct faculty member (teaching and non-teaching) who has worked at EC for a minimum of four semesters, excluding winter or summer sessions.
Along with any employees, students may also nominate any faculty member for the award.
Nominators’ letters are to be submitted to the Staff Development Office no later than 4:30 p.m. Oct.15, which will ensure nominated faculty members are notified.
The nominated candidates will submit the remaining required application materials if they choose to be considered.
The candidates will be evaluated on the following: serving students, commitment to education and discipline, commitment to the El Camino College mission and involvement in the campus, professional, or student activities.
This award will give recognition to a group which in most cases does just as much work as a full-time faculty member, but is paid less and also has fewer resources than full-time faculty.
“Adjunct faculty don’t always have offices or dedicated phone numbers,” Vakil said.
Despite several challenges adjunct instructors still participate around campus.
“They also are not paid for office hours if they choose to hold office hours to help students.” Vakil said. “Several adjunct faculty members participate in activities around campus.”