Managers as Faculty
Discussion Notes, October 18, 2004

This discussion was led by professors David Miller, University of Pittsburgh; Keith Schildt, University of Laverne, CA; and Ray Cox, University of Akron. 

The group self-selected the following topics, and participants’ comments are noted under each topic:

1.	What degrees do adjunct faculty hold, and what teaching certificates?

•	The real certificate is one’s success in delivering the material.

•	Some states require teaching certificates at community colleges.

2.	Where are good sources of case studies?

•	The University of Washington Electronic Hallway is good for case studies as well as syllabuses.
 
•	Attendees were encouraged to sign up for the Adjuncts Corner at ICMA’s bookstore.

3.	What is the supply and demand for adjunct professors, and in what subject areas?

•	MPA programs are in a huge transition, as they move into the nonprofit management arena and as they address management in an international context versus a local context. Consequently, traditional courses at the graduate level are in less demand than in undergraduate school.

•	Courses that show public administration process (that is, application versus theory) are in demand.

•	Adjuncts are used in specialized areas, but then the pendulum shifts back toward the center and adjuncts are used in core courses.

•	Demand for adjuncts is on the increase because universities are offering lots of courses and programs off campus and they’re outsourcing more.

•	Having adjunct teachers is a way to entice students into the field and turn them onto city management.

4.	What should a manager know to pursue these teaching opportunities, and how do they go about doing that?

•	You might start off being a guest speaker or team teacher, and then move to teaching a full course.

•	Student evaluations are influential. Students demand good delivery and want to be entertained.

5.	How can adjunct professors influence choice of text?

•	Answer is situational. Many adjuncts control course selection. Sometimes it is a joint decision. And sometimes the decision has already been made.

•	Some courses are hybrid online—of short duration. Just about every course has an Internet component, some are totally online.

6.	Teaching at the community level to develop future elected officials.

•	We have to sell the management profession—help students think about the profession in a positive way.

•	Community colleges are offering a “citizens academy,” like a policy academy.

•	At the University of Pittsburgh, they’re developing service learning opportunities.

7.	Pathways to a Ph.D.

•	Most Ph.D. programs are still designed for full-time students only.

•	What we need are practitioners who become Ph.D. students and then teach.

8.	Where can adjunct professors get help in designing courses and selecting materials?

•	The university has to provide a supportive network.
 
•	Courses are enriched when the instructor brings in other ideas and other materials—like showing a relevant film or providing case studies and connecting to the real world.

•	Adjunct professors can bring others into the classroom—like police and fire chiefs, state legislators, etc.