Becoming an awesome adjunct professor in social work
Editor’s note: Patricia (Trish) Desrosiers, PhD, LCSW, is an associate professor of social work and the Chair of the Department of Social Work at Western Kentucky University. Her research interests include social work education and leadership for social work practice. In this blog post, Trish shares how she encourages social work practitioners to become adjunct instructors in her Department. She tweets at @DrD_Empowers.
As chair of the Department of Social Work, recruiting adjunct instructors is a big part of my job and the first thing that I tell a prospective adjunct is “Social Work needs you!” According to the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), in 2017, over half of all social work educators in the US were adjunct instructors. One reason is that as university budgets decline, one way to save money is to increase part-time faculty utilization. Another reason is that part-time instructors bring their practice experience into the classroom, making book content come alive for students. As a result, program directors are constantly seeking out well-qualified faculty members in order to maintain quality educational programming. However, strong part-timers are hard to find. If you have ever considered teaching in social work, now is the time to commit to giving back to the profession. There are many reasons to do so.
For a start, teaching is fun. You get to assist students as they are developing into social work professionals. While you are doing that very cool activity, you are getting free resources and information that will inspire your own continuing development. Free textbooks for your classes, free library article access, and other useful information is yours for the taking! These materials are inspirational and will keep you updated on the best evidence-based practice.
Next, becoming a social work instructor is an important aspect of service to the profession. Giving back by preparing the next generation of social workers is something to brag about, and your friends will look at you in a different way-with new respect. The social work agencies you are associated with will also benefit as you identify excellent social work students for field placements, part-time employment, and post-graduation full-time social work positions. Meeting students in class provides an opportunity to assess their strengths and weaknesses and find potential future colleagues. As an instructor, sharing practice experience with your students ensures that they know about the skills necessary to work with your population.
Are you interested? If so, let me tell you how to get started. Here are two things you need to need to think about first:
- Determine if you are qualified to teach. Accreditation standards from the Council on Social Work Education require a minimum of 2 years post MSW experience and an MSW to teach social work, but some programs have more stringent requirements such as licensure or teaching experience.
- Next, figure out if you have the time to teach. Teaching a three credit hour course generally takes one to two hours of preparation for each one hour in class for an average of six to nine hours weekly. Grading is separately factored into your time, with each assignment requiring varying times.
Still interested? Your next step is to learn more about nearby social work programs. Curriculum is often posted online, and you can review the course descriptions. Match your experience and expertise to appropriate courses. Then it is time to contact your local program director to inquire about their need for part-time instruction. Each university has its own hiring processes, but most require an application, resume (often called a CV or Curriculum Vitae), transcripts, and background check. Do not wait until the last minute or you will miss out! Social work programs start planning their courses about six months in advance. Class schedules are made in February for the following August start courses and in September for January start courses, so plan ahead!
Maybe you are not quite ready? There is nothing wrong with taking smaller steps toward teaching. There are ways to bolster your resume such as volunteering with your local social work department or program. For example, teaching a continuing education workshop through the department or your agency, or providing a guest lecture for a full or part-time faculty member. These activities show your commitment to social work education and provide opportunities to showcase your skills, so take them on with gusto.
Remember, that the social work profession needs you. Without strong practitioners willing to teach on a part-time basis, we risk the next generation of social worker not being prepared to work with vulnerable clients and communities. I look forward to seeing you in class soon!
References:
Council on Social Work Education. (2017). 2017 Statistics on Social Work Education in the United States. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education. Retrieved from: https://www.cswe.org/Research-Statistics/Research-Briefs-and-Publications/CSWE_2017_annual_survey_report-FINAL.aspx
How to cite this blog post:
Desrosiers, P. (2019, April 23). Becoming an awesome adjunct professor in social work [Blog Post]. Retrieved from:
https://laureliversonhitchcock.org/2019/04/23/becoming-an-awesome-adjunct-professor-in-social-work/.
