Celebrating Adjunct Faculty in Maricopa

A Night to Remember...
The room was filled with laughter and conversation and music and smiling faces as the Adjunct Faculty of South Mountain Community College (SMCC) gathered for a gala evening honoring their contributions to our college. On October 10, 2003, the first ever Adjunct Faculty Appreciation Banquet was held at SMCC. The festivities began with a non-alcoholic happy hour sponsored by the Professional Staff Association, moved on to a sumptuous banquet, sponsored by the Office of the President, and culminated in the presentation of gifts to the adjunct faculty. Each adjunct faculty member received The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools, a gift from MCLI. They also received a cloisonné pin that says, "I make a difference at SMCC," a gift from Faculty/Staff Development.

Adjunct Faculty Appreciation Banquet, October 10, 2003, South Mountain Community College.

How did this event come about? For several years it had been a dream of mine to have a special occasion recognizing the efforts and dedication of our adjunct faculty. I wanted to create an event that would give adjunct faculty an opportunity to get together as a group in an atmosphere of community. We wanted to say to our adjunct faculty we could not do this without you! The richness that you bring to the learning environment and the professionalism, dedication, and love with which you bring it are appreciated far more than words can say. We wanted to lavish our adjunct faculty with the praise and appreciation that we feel everyday for their contributions.

"Like the seasoning in a special dish, adjunct faculty provide flavor to our instructional programs. Their contributions exceed student expectations. They deserve both recognition and honor for the dynamic student learning environment they create each semester in the classroom," said Dr. Jerome Garrison, Division Chair for Fine Arts and Communication at SMCC.

And how did the adjunct faculty respond to this event? "Wonderful for the adjuncts to be appreciated. We know that we make a large contribution to the success of SMCC, so it was nice to be recognized with such a spectacular meal and event," so said Shelle Hawn, SMCC Adjunct Faculty Association President. Clara Velez-Graham, adjunct faculty in the Spanish Department told me, "The banquet for the adjunct faculty and their guests was a well conceived and executed affair that met with the approval of all who attended. The beautifully decorated room and table settings were conducive to enjoying good conversation and a delicious dinner. The speeches were informative and inspiring. All in all it was a night to remember."

Working on this event was a real labor of love for me. As I received the responses to our invitation almost all the adjunct faculty members commented on how much they appreciated being honored in this way. Each person made a point of telling me it made her/him feel special to receive this recognition. Then, attending the event, seeing everyone all dressed up and having a great time, told me that my dream had been realized. Thank you to our entire adjunct faculty who work so diligently to give our students the rich educational experience they deserve. You make everyday a day to remember.

Lara Collins, South Mountain Community College

Adjunct Faculty Association News

Tara Bohinc, Adjunct Faculty Association President and Scootsdale Community College Adjunct Faculty.

'Tis the "Year of the Adjunct," according to the Faculty Development Committee. The Adjunct Faculty Association, AFA, continues to participate on, by invitation each year, the Faculty/Staff Development Coordinators Committee. By dialoging throughout the year, the Committee has identified the desire of Adjunct Faculty to participate in novel approaches to teaching and learning, as well as to gain exposure to new technologies that become available for classroom instruction. In response, the Committee recognizes a need to address these issues, and is committed to working with Adjunct Faculty to create and publicize new and existing opportunities for growth.

The Adjunct Faculty Professional Growth Program is a tremendous opportunity that is currently available for Adjuncts throughout the Maricopa District. Similar to Faculty Professional Growth, the opportunity allows a $500 budget for an Adjunct Faculty to attend a conference, workshop or seminar in their teaching field during the time of employment within the Maricopa Community Colleges. This year's results show a near 100% usage of the first semester's funding, and an increase in participation by adjuncts from colleges where previous activity was minimal.

The AFA Conference is an additional MCLI sponsored event wherein teaching techniques, such as Active Learning and approaches to Classroom Management are available in workshop format. The Conference is held annually in October. We are currently developing next year's event, and are looking forward to providing workshops to highlight current teaching trends and technologies.

Currently, the AFA is participating on a variety of committees district-wide to enhance the working environment and benefits attributed to this group. For example, the AFA is participating on a new Committee, Common Policy Development, with Management and Technology, Professional Staff, Maintenance & Operations, Crafts and Safety, to develop common policy and annual monetary and non-monetary requests for the Governing Board. In addition, we are participating on the Faculty Recruitment, Diversity Advisory Council, and Legislative Committees, in addition to several committees unique to individual colleges. At the close of this year, invitations to participate in additional committees continue to be received. Most importantly, our voice is being heard, and our faces are being recognized. Thank you for incorporating us into the Maricopa Community.

Tara Bohinc, AFA President, Scottsdale Community College

Adjunct Faculty Professional Growth
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/afpg/