Since I have been a member of the management profession who’s in transition when this was written, I have met colleagues who have shared their desire to go into teaching. For a few of us, teaching is a way to give back to the profession or to help prepare the next generation of practitioners.

The benefit of teaching also can bring a certain level of prestige to both you and your city. When I began teaching in 2008, I was a city administrator and the city I worked for was extremely excited to have an administrator who taught at a university.

In addition, the skills you obtain from teaching can help you become a better administrator. Not only can it be a great way to practice public engagement skills, but you can also learn about the latest and current best practices in local government management.

Teaching also gives you the ability to connect with people of different backgrounds and enhances your technology skills through the use of various online platforms and tools. Specifically, the ability to interact with people of different ethnicities, cultures, and ages can better prepare you to connect with those you supervise in the workplace and encounter in public.

The Path I Took

For me, the path into academia began in 2001, when I approached the University of Minnesota Duluth to become a member of the alumni association board of directors. Over time, I requested and received the opportunity to guest lecture in front of several different urban studies courses at the two universities where I had obtained my undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Being a guest lecturer allowed me to know if I truly wanted to teach and to get introduced to professors at the various universities that had an urban studies program. Having the professors see me guest lecture also allowed them to see me interact with a class.

While attending the 2013 ICMA Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, speakers at a session on managers who want to become instructors also encouraged this approach of asking to guest lecture at a local university in order to gain a foot in the door. An alternative approach, both speakers suggested, was to contact the department chairperson of the local university and request a meeting.

Letting department heads know that you are interested in teaching and what subject you would like to teach can help put a face to a name. Keep in mind that a department chairperson often receives at least two and usually more unsolicited e-mails a month from people interested in adjunct teaching.

Curriculum Issues

Both speakers also discussed the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) accreditation criteria that instructors now have to incorporate into their curricula. Where in years past an adjunct teacher was free to put together his or her own course, instructors, along with adjuncts, are often now required to incorporate department student learning outcomes and learning rubric into their curricula.

While these criteria are not overwhelming, one way to elevate yourself above other applicants wanting to teach is to be able to demonstrate to a department chairperson that you are willing and able to use these criteria in your classes.

Some universities grant a professor flexibility to design his or her own course; while such others as national universities have the student learning outcomes and courses already planned.

While both approaches have their pros and cons, it really depends on your comfort level and time commitment. If you have never prepped for a course, for example, or are unfamiliar with the department’s student learning outcomes and learning rubrics, the ability to teach at a national college may appeal to you, as the syllabi and curricula have already been developed.

Keep Your Options Open

While there are more and more opportunities for adjunct professors, some institutions will only accept adjuncts with a master’s or doctorate degree. Don’t let this discourage you, however, if you truly have a passion for getting involved in an academic environment.

Do not, for example, discount teaching at a community college, as many two-year colleges will allow one to teach with a master’s or bachelor’s degree. Also, as a manager, don’t focus simply on public administration or urban studies programs. Many schools have hired managers to teach courses in political science, business, and HR management.

If you can’t commit to teaching due to time constraints, you might want to consider one or more of the following options:

• Serve on a volunteer alumni board or committee. At the collegiate level, programs will also have their own alumni or scholarship group or committee.
• Participate on an academic advisory board or committee. Some programs have a committee of practicing alumni who are asked to meet with the faculty whenever a program wants to introduce or change a part of the curriculum.
• Volunteer to help a student organization.
• Mentor or hire an intern and help a student learn about the profession.

Online Resources

Finally, ICMA and NASPAA have additional online resources. Such teaching resources available from ICMA include but are not limited to:

How to access the ICMA discussion board on teaching and those interested in teaching and information on the Advisory Board on Graduate Education (ABGE):

http://icma.org/en/icma/career_network/education/teaching_resources/go_teach.

Managers as Teachers: A Practitioner’s Guide to Teaching Public Administration:

http://bookstore.icma.org/freedocs/ManagersasTeachers.pdf.

Textbook Resources

ICMA Book Store with information on how to order textbooks, review case studies, and data sets: http://icma.org/en/press/academics.

Sample Course Outlines:

http://www.naspaa.org/principals/resources/course.asp;

ICMA Management Internship Guidebook:

http://icma.org/en/icma/career_network/career_resources/management_internships_guidebook.