Credit Adjunct Advancement Program

To recognize demonstrated teaching excellence and a commitment to continued professional growth, the Adjunct Advancement Program at Howard Community College has been designed to reward dedicated part-time faculty through a multi-tier pay scale:

Eligibility for advancement to first the Senior level, and then the Master level, is predicated on the following criteria for each advancement petition.

• Demonstrated Teaching Excellence
• At Least 18 Credit-Hours of HCC Teaching
• Continued Dedication to Ongoing Professional Development
• Demonstration of proficiency with required competencies and topic areas.

A full description of the adjunct advancement program can be found in the Adjunct Faculty Handbook.

How to get started with the advancement process?
Here are some recommended steps:
Step 1
Meet with your chair, or the chair’s designee, early in the process. Even if you are not planning to petition for advancement for a couple of years, it is very beneficial to sit down and discuss the process with your chair. Division chairs and their designees are in the best position to give you feedback or your strengths as an instructor and to discuss opportunities for improvement or growth that can be served through professional development.

Step 2
Remember that the focus is on teaching and learning excellence. Having a record of demonstrated teaching excellence over a minimum of three years and eighteen credits is at the core of a successful advancement petition. Classroom observation reports and student evaluations in the form of the IDEA survey and written comments are considered the primary form of evidence for this category.

Step 3
In consultation with your chair, or the chair’s designee, determine the right mix of HCC Faculty Development offerings and external opportunities. HCC offers a broad range of workshops and training opportunities designed to enhance teaching and learning. Completion of an approved minimum fifteen-hour program of professional development is required for advancement While a mix of in-house and external development opportunities is encouraged, a minimum of five hours of in-house HCC Faculty Development sessions should be evidenced in the advancement petition.

Step 4
Complete HCC employee training requirements applicable to adjunct faculty. All Howard Community College employees have been asked to complete training modules to improve organizational effectiveness and communication, and to enhance campus safety. These are available online at http://intradev.howardcc.edu/EmployeeTraining/index.html  

• Access and Responsibility Training
• Sexual Harassment Avoidance
• HCC’s Emergency Operations Plan Training
• Safety Regulations
• College Vision, Mission, Values/Beliefs, and Strategic Initiatives
• Voice Mail
• Outlook Email

Step 5
Assemble a petition.

In response to a request for consideration of advanced level, the division chair or the chair’s designee will meet with the faculty to review the submitted materials and to arrange one or more teaching observations if needed. The purpose of the teaching observation is to verify mastery of the required knowledge and skills for the advanced level if these have not been previously demonstrated. The faculty member may need to or choose to demonstrate these in more than a single observation.

A Microsoft Word version of the petition is available for download on the Forms and Documents page.

Step 6
Submit your petition to your division chair.