Adjunct Instructor Frequently Asked Questions

Can lawyers, individuals with Juris Doctorates teach:

Political Science?
Eighteen graduate semester hours in the discipline, political science, is required. In most cases, law school curriculum does not meet this expectation.

Criminal Justice?
Within the CCJ curriculum, only CCJ 2230 would be an approved course, provided a Letter of Exception is on file to document the justification and approval is granted from the Vice President for Human Resources and the Associate Vice President for Workforce Education.

Business Law?
The Juris Doctorate qualifies an individual to teach courses with the prefixes CLE and BUL, but not those with the prefixes CJC, CLE or CJT.

Can social workers teach sociology?

A Master’s degree with 18 graduate semester hours in the discipline, specifically sociology, is required. Social work clinical courses cannot count towards meeting the graduate semester hour minimum. In most cases, a person with an M.S.W. does not have the credentials to teach Sociology.

Are guidance counselors eligible to teach psychology?

A Master’s degree with 18 graduate semester hours in the specific discipline of Psychology is required to teach this subject. Graduate coursework in Counseling does not apply.

May graduate courses in Mathematics Education, with a prefix EDUC, count towards the requisite graduate hours in the mathematics discipline?

Mathematics Education Courses may be counted as graduate hours towards the discipline of mathematics only if the course title strongly suggests that graduate mathematics discipline content was covered. Courses with emphasis on pedagogy or teaching methods cannot be used to qualify an individual to teach college level mathematics.

Are there any exceptions to the faculty credentialing expectations/criteria of a Master's degree and 18 graduate semester hours in the discipline?

There are a few possible exceptions, which require a Letter of Exception and approval from the Vice President for Human Resources and/or the appropriate Associate Vice President. The most notable exceptions are listed below:

1. Occupational and Technical Expertise
   Faculty teaching credit courses in professional, occupational and technical areas for associate degrees not usually resulting in college transfer may be credentialed to teach if the have earned licensure or certification in the specific area that is to be taught. For example, persons hired to teach Fire Management and Sign Language Interpreting courses could fall into this category. Note that the academic degree level to be taught cannot be higher than the maximum degree level that has been achieved by the faculty member. The typical combination of acceptable credentialing is a baccalaureate degree with appropriate work experience. Verification of work experience through employer letters of reference and copies of appropriate credentials or certification is also required. If a faculty candidate is recommended for hire and does not meet the minimum requirements as set forth by SACS, a Letter of Exception form must be completed and filed in the Human Resources Department with the other required forms prior to the hiring of the individual. In exceptional cases, outstanding professional experience & demonstrated contributions to the teaching discipline may be presented in lieu of formal academic preparation for faculty members teaching both transfer & non-transfer courses in these areas. Such cases must be justified in a Letter of Exception (LOE) on an individual basis and documentation kept on file in Human Resources. Contact Human Resources for a copy of the LOE form.
2. Faculty teaching Applied Music Courses, Dance, or other Disciplines for which national recognition might be accepted in lieu of formal education
   Exceptions must be approved by the Vice President for Human Resources and/or the appropriate Associate Vice President. Outstanding professional experience and demonstrated contributions to the teaching discipline may be presented in lieu of formal academic preparation. For those individuals recommended to teach such courses, documentation of work experience in teaching and proof of expertise in the discipline, such as documented letters from those able to evaluate performance, should accompany the Application for Faculty Credentialing form.

What courses are appropriate for a person with an MBA to teach?

Eligibility to teach specific courses will vary depending on the precise combination of graduate business courses completed in the MBA program. As a general rule, any general business, management or marketing course may be taught by a person who holds the MBA degree. Other courses such as accounting, CIS, finance and economics can only be taught if the candidate has earned 18 graduate semester hours in that particular area.

What are the requirements for credentialing in humanities?

To be credentialed to teach in humanities, one must have a Master's degree with 18 graduate semester hours in humanities, 18 graduate semester hours in a combination of at least two of the humanities disciplines, or 18 graduate semester hours in one of the humanities disciplines with some graduate coursework in the periods or geographical regions being taught. The humanities disciplines are considered to be art, literature, music, philosophy, religion, and theater.

What are the minimum education and work experience requirements for persons applying to teach non–credit courses?

Requirements for teaching non–credit courses will be addressed in a companion document that is presently being developed.

What credential is needed to teach World Religions?

In addition to a Master’s degree, the prospective faculty member must show evidence of satisfactory completion of coursework in a variety of different religions.

What are the requirements for credentialing to teach courses in Personal Finance?

A Master’s degree with 18 graduate semester hours in finance or a Master’s degree in Finance will meet this credentialing requirement. The Master’s degree in Finance will also serve as the appropriate credential for teaching all other finance–related courses.

As an adjunct, am I eligible for benefits?

Part–time adjuncts are not eligible for benefits.

When and how will I be notified that I’ve been assigned classes to teach?

In most departments, the department chair or program director makes assignments based on class availability, evaluations, longevity, and, where relevant, recommendations of adjunct. Instructors are notified by the chair, an administrative assistant, or program manager. However, because of last minute changes and enrollment demands, there are times when instructors may not be hired until just days prior to the beginning of the semester.

As an adjunct, what’s the process to be considered for a full–time position?

A list of all positions with Florida Community College at Jacksonville is available from our employment opportunities Web site. An online application is required in order to be considered. Additionally, you are also required to submit unofficial student copies of your transcript with your online application in order to be considered for a full–time faculty position. Documents previously submitted in your adjunct paperwork, i.e. transcripts, will not be pulled from your personnel file.