Guidelines For Appointment of Adjuncts

  • Quarterly Appointments
     Adjuncts appointed quarterly (term adjuncts) should not exceed 49% FTE per three-quarter academic year. (24.6 credit hours annually) This can be worked out in varied credit hours per term so long as the total does not exceed 24.6 credit hours annually. Except in an emergency as described below, the teaching load cannot exceed 9 credit hours in any given quarter.

  • Annual Appointments
     Adjuncts appointed annually (annual adjuncts) should not exceed 64% FTE per three-quarter academic year. (31.8 credit hours annually) This can be worked out in varied credit hours per term so long as the total does not exceed 31.8 credit hours annually. Annual adjuncts must teach all 3 quarters of the academic year. Except in an emergency as described below, the teaching load cannot exceed 12 credit hours in any given quarter.



      • Notes:
    1. This calculation is based on the principle that one credit hour equals 6% FTE and one three-hour course equals 18% FTE. Contact hours are calculated at 3% FTE per hour. (Two contact hours equate to one credit hour; three contact hours equate to 1.5 credit hours, and so forth.) The calculation of FTE does NOT treat day and evening classes separately. It also includes weekend classes. However, summer school teaching is not calculated in the annual FTE.

    2. The teaching load of a part-time faculty member on a quarterly or annual appointment may not exceed the maximum, whatever the academic unit or combination of units making the appointment, and whatever the titles or combination of titles.

      • For example, if a term adjunct is teaching 18 credit hours for one college and 12 for another in the same academic year that person is over the maximum allowable FTE for a term adjunct, and is entitled to annual adjunct status.

      • If an annual adjunct is teaching 24 credit hours for one college and 12 for another in the same academic year, that person is entitled to bargaining unit status.

    3. Adjuncts must sign a workload certification statement indicating that they are aware of this policy.

  • FTE Exception for Emergency Exceptions
     In the event of an EMERGENCY staffing need, a unit may submit to the Vice Provost for Faculty Administrative Services a memorandum requesting approval to exceed the maximum FTE for a single quarter for a given term or annual adjunct prior to making the teaching assignment. Emergency exceptions must not exceed the FTE maximua established above by more than one course in a given quarter. The memorandum must explain the reason for requesting an exception, describe the teaching load of the adjunct, and indicate that the emergency is not anticipated to recur in future quarters. In recurring situations, the adjunct should be given an annual or represented appointment.

    If the exception is necessary because of a secondary appointment in another college, the adjunct's home college must send an email to the college wanting to make a secondary appointment with a copy to the Vice Provost indicating that an exception is necessary and requesting that the college making the secondary appointment write the memorandum to the Vice Provost described above.

  • Represented (Bargaining Unit) Adjuncts
     Adjuncts appointed on an academic year or annual basis and who have workloads between 65% and 99% FTE (more than 31.8 credit hours annually) have qualified faculty titles and are represented by the AAUP. No recruitment or waiver is necessary to move an annual adjunct who has worked in the previous year from unrepresented to bargaining unit status; the department should process an Informational A-900 in these instances. Do not move adjuncts in and out of the bargaining unit within an academic year.

(Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost for Baccalaureate and Graduate Education - Revised September 2002)