Chapter 16: Using the FLC Model to Support: Teaching and Belonging Among Adjunct Faculty

Adjunct faculty—defined in this chapter as those who work part-time, on a contingent basis—make up nearly 50% of instructors at Boise State University. In 2012, as we began developing programming specifically for this group, we found that both the literature and our internal research demonstrated that adjunct faculty tended to be less well-integrated into the university community and likely to engage in professional development. After researching various approaches, it was determined a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) could address our adjunct faculty’s community and professional development needs. Therefore, in 2015 we launched the Adjunct Faculty Learning Community (APLC).

Since its inception, the APLC has had 86 unique participants. The evidence presented in this chapter shows that the APLC has been an effective mechanism for helping adjunct faculty integrate evidence-based practices into their teaching and supporting their sense of community. We believe it is a reasonable and impactful action for other institutions to take in supporting adjunct faculty’s development as instructors and integration with the campus community.