Adjunct instructors, Welcome to Buffalo State College! You are a valued member of the Buffalo State community and your role contributes significantly to the quality of the teaching-learning process. Your general knowledge and expertise in your areas of study and professional employment enhance the breadth of experiences, both academic and practical, that benefit our diverse student body.
As an adjunct, you should check with your chair upon your appointment for specific requirements outlined by your department regarding such issues as course content expectations, student evaluation, student advisement, assessment, office hours, faculty meetings, course evaluations, etc. Some departments have their own handbooks for adjuncts.
Your department chair is your supervisor and you are encouraged to confer with your chair to suggest ways your instructional and departmental experiences can be enhanced. the tighter the communication among adjunct faculty, their departments, and the college, the stronger the teaching-learning experience for all.
As an adjunct, you are an integral part of the Buffalo State experience for students and your colleagues. You are always welcomed and encouraged to participate in campus ceremonies and events including:
For now, we welcome you and wish you great success in your instructional experiences. New adjuncts, refer also to Getting Started.
Returning and new adjuncts, refer to Responsibilities-Personnel Issues. Additional topics specific to adjuncts are listed below.
Adjunct faculty appointments are at the rank of lecturer. Lecturer is a non-tenure-track position that can be full time or part time.
Appointments and Hiring Procedures for Faculty
Appointed by the provost, full-time lecturers are typically notified of renewal or reappointment one month prior to the start of a semester. Full-time lecturers should return signed contracts to the Academic Affairs Office, Cleveland Hall 519. Department chairs are the designated supervisors of their lecturers.
Part-time adjuncts are appointed by the dean’s office of the school under which the hiring department resides. Part-time adjuncts should return signed contracts to the dean’s office. Department chairs are the designated supervisors of their adjuncts.
A contract will specify academic title, department, effective/expiration dates, professional obligation (academic year), and compensation. Specific assignments will be outlined, such as course(s) to be taught, maintaining office hours, student advisement, etc. The contract will also state, for both full- and part-time faculty, that lecturers are obligated to participate in college assessment initiatives as deemed necessary.
Part-time and full-time appointments may be offered for a semester or the academic year.
Part-time service and service in a non-tenure track does not count toward tenure or promotion if the faculty member eventually is hired in a tenure-track position. Nor will time served count toward a reduction of a probationary period upon election to a tenure-track position.
Refer to Instruction Policies for instruction requirements, important classroom management topics, and useful guidelines.
Syllabus Requirements and Guidelines
Refer to Salaries-Benefits. The following are additional topics specific to adjuncts.
The base salary for a 3 credit course is $3,250, as of July 1, 2022. Compensation is specified in each contract offered by the dean. See Salary Schedules.
SUNY operates on a two-week pay period system, and payrolls lag by two weeks. Therefore, employees can expect to receive their first full paychecks approximately four weeks following the effective date of hire. See Payroll.
Part-time faculty are eligible to health insurance coverage when they meet the minimum requirements, as provided on the Buffalo State Health Insurance summary page. Part-time faculty teaching two or more courses in a semester are eligible for 13 payroll periods of coverage for each semester worked. If teaching two or more courses in consecutive spring and fall semesters, part-time faculty are eligible to receive benefits year round with no breaks in coverage.
Lecturers teaching two or more courses per semester are eligible for benefits. See SUNY Benefits Summary or contact the Human Resource Management Office at (716) 878-4822.
Handbook for Faculty and Librarians
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