UMBC is committed to providing the best learning experience possible for our students. That means supporting our faculty as they bring years of academic research and professional experience to bear in the classroom. This Adjunct Faculty Handbook is designed to provide instructors who are new to UMBC with some important information and useful resources to make their teaching as profitable and enjoyable as possible. Please use the navigation menu on the left to explore the handbook.
Adjunct faculty members are also encouraged to utilize the full resources available to them through the Faculty Development Center.
Some services offered by the FDC:
- Syllabus / Course Design Consultations
- General Consultations and Observations
- CATALyst (a midterm assessment process)
- Workshops
- Lending Library
This handbook provides targeted advice, suggestions and information for successful teaching here at UMBC. But if you read through the pages, you will notice that certain suggestions recur time and again. Below is a distillation of the most important ideas in the handbook.
Clearly Communicate Your Expectations
Clear expectations for assignments and in-class participation are a big factor in student success and motivation. Course documents like the syllabus and rubrics are useful communication tools.
Active learning leads to better attendance, increased motivation and deeper learning.
Not only is a good student-faculty relationship a big factor in motivation, but also knowing what your students do or don’t know, or understanding how they are learning in a given semester, helps instructors create better assignments.