Adjunct professors play an important role in the success of students, even more so than full-time
professors.
Adjunct professors bring more to the classroom that is beneficial to students than full-time
professors – they bring real-world experience, which is unparallel to any other qualification a
professor can offer.
When an adjunct isn’t on campus teaching courses, they are out working in the field. Students
benefit more from a professor who can include current, real-world experience into their
repertoire.
Students are able to take what is being taught and put it into context, thus making the material
easier to understand. Seeing how professionals are doing the work, students will better
understand what is expected of them as they delve into their career.
While it’s possible that full-time professors have had experience in their field of study, it isn’t
current. A full-time professor’s experience could be from 10 years ago, possibly longer.
During that time, the industry they used to work in has changed. A full-time professor’s
experience from years past might not serve much use today.
Adjunct professors are also a great way to network in your field of study. This is helpful when
you are looking to do an internship or find a full-time job.
Building relationships is essential in any field of study. Networking is greatly beneficial when
searching for work in your field.
The more relationships you build, the better your chances are of landing the career you want.
Adjunct professors can help open doors to places previously unimaginable.
While an adjunct professor brings more experience, they most likely do not bring more
education. However, this should not be viewed negatively.
Many full-time professors have received a doctorate, while many adjunct professors have not.
This fact should not automatically count out adjunct professors.
Having a doctorate is fantastic, of course, but is more schooling worth more than real-world
experience?
Just because a professor has a doctorate doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is a more qualified
candidate than someone who doesn’t.
A professor with more schooling is only able to relay the information they have to their students.
On the other hand, a professor with more experience is able to do the same as well as apply it to
a real-world situation.
Applying their experience to the material not only makes it easier to understand, it makes it more
interesting. The inside look adjunct professors give to students gives the material life.
As you can imagine, adjunct professors have a chaotic schedule. Working in the field and being a
professor allows for less availability. A professor’s availability is important to many students and
can damage the perception of adjunct professors.
Even though their time is limited, adjunct professors still find time to meet with students. They
usually don’t have set office hours as full-time professors do, but they always provide their
phone number and email address for whenever a student needs assistance.
Adjunct professors offer students a better, more fulfilling experience than full-time professors
are able to.
Both types serve a purpose to college students, and both are perfectly qualified. Yet when
compared, it’s really no competition.
Jordan Smith can be reached by email at smith.record@live.com.