Increasingly, colleges across the country are relying on part-time faculty members like Clapper to teach a significant amount of their course loads. At Ivy Tech, between 65 percent and 70 percent of credit hours are taught by adjuncts – or part-time lecturers. At IPFW, about 30 percent of courses are taught by part-time faculty, which the school calls limited-term lecturers. While university officials say the practice brings many benefits to the campus, others find the trend worrisome. In addition to being less expensive than full-time faculty members, college officials said, part-time faculty members give students an inside look into the workplace and can provide great networking. But some advocacy groups argue that an overreliance on part-time faculty can weaken the academic experience for students on campus.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120722/LOCAL04/307229952/1002/LOCAL
