A Likert scale is a psychometric scale commonly involved in research that employs

questionnaires. It is the most widely used approach to scaling responses in survey

research, such that the term is often used interchangeably with rating scale, or
more accurately the Likert-type scale, even though the two are not synonymous.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Likert_scale

RELATED LITERATURE
As common sense suggests, teacher attendance is directly related to student outcomes: the more
teachers are absent, the more their students achievement suffers. When teachers are absent 10 days,
the decrease in student achievement is equivalent to the difference between having a brand new teach
er and one with two or three years more experience.
3,4

Worse yet, a number of studies have found there

to be a disproportionately high rate of teacher absenteeism in schools serving low income and minority
students, providing yet another obstacle to closing the achievement gap.
5,6,7

The costs of teacher absenteeism add up-- and not just in terms of student achievement. Money spent
on substitute teachers amounts to a significant expense to districts. The 40 districts included in this
analysis spent approximately $424 million combined on substitutes in 2012-2013, not factoring in the
time and resources spent recruiting, training and securing substitutes. In other words, districts spent an
average of at least $1,800 for each teacher they employ to cover absences.
8

Investing in a system that keeps effective teachers in the classroom should be a priority for school
leaders and policymakers. A key part of that effort is creating a school climate in which consistent
teacher attendance is the norm. That said, teachers have demanding, stressful jobs that often include
long hours outside the normal school day. Their job requires that they always be "on" regardless of how
well they feel. For attendance policies to be effective, they must be flexible for a job that is unique in
many ways.

http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/RollCall_TeacherAttendance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_studies
Maritime Studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that embraces the liberal arts
as the foundation for exploring humankind's critical and continually evolving
connections with the world's waterways and watersheds. Maritime Studies
highlights the social and cultural side of the human/water relationship, but
recognizes and explores the links between human activities and the composition
and the condition of the coastal and marine environments. Some of the institutions
providing maritime studies combine a broad grounding in technical and scientific
coursework with the study of courses in arts and humanities. While maritime
academies frequently prepare cadets for careers in the merchant marine, maritime
studies programs prepare students for a variety of careers in the civilian maritime
industrial and service sectors and one of these so called academies is the Maritime
Academy of Asia and the Pacific.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor
A professor, informally often known as full professor, is the highest
academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research
institutions in most countries. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person
who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences, a teacher of the highest
rank.[1] In some countries, the word professor is also used in titles of lower ranks
such as associate professor and assistant professor.

http://study.com/professor_career.html
Professor Career Information, Duties and
Employment Outlook
Professors require a significant amount of formal education. Learn about the undergraduate and
doctoral education, job duties and tenure requirements to see if this is the right career for you.

Essential Information
Professors teach undergraduate or graduate students in community and 4-year colleges and
universities. Most full-time professors at 4-year colleges and universities hold doctoral degrees.
Part-time professors may have master's degrees and work on their doctorate while teaching
undergraduate courses. Arts professors typically hold a Master of Fine Arts (MFA), which is the
terminal degree for artistic fields such as painting or creative writing.
Required Education

Ph.D.

Other Requirements

Expertise in a particular field

Projected Job Growth

19% from 2012-2022*

Median Salary (2012)

$68,970*

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Job Duties
Full-time faculty members at 4-year colleges and universities normally teach about 3-4 different
courses per semester, serve on academic committees and advise students. In research-oriented
institutions, they are required to engage in independent, original scholarship.
The traditional mode for hiring professors is based on a tenure system. Newly minted Ph.D.s
start their professional careers with the understanding that their work will be carefully
scrutinized at the end of a specified time period. They are then reviewed by a committee. If the
committee grants tenure, they are given a much higher level of job security and, in some cases, a
lighter teaching load. The tenure system is meant to encourage academic freedom and original
research, in part by shielding professors from unfair or arbitrary dismissal.

Each semester, a full-time professor may teach only one course closely related to his or her
special interests. Other courses may be lower-division and more general. Professors may teach
small groups or lecture in large halls. Each course requires devising a syllabus, presenting
material in class, responding to students as a class and as individuals, grading exams and papers
and evaluating student performance. At the same time, professors must keep current in their
fields by reading new publications, attending and presenting papers at conferences and
publishing their work.

Employment Outlook
As noted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job opportunities for postsecondary
instructors were expected to grow at a faster than average rate from 2012 through 2022
(www.bls.gov). The best job prospects were projected for those with Ph.D.s who were willing to
work part-time or on short-term contracts. Earnings for college professors vary widely,
depending on their specialty, but as of May 2012, the median annual earnings of all types of
postsecondary teachers were $68,970, according to the BLS.
Part-timers made up about 29% of postsecondary teachers in 2008 (www.bls.gov). Often called
adjunct professors, these educators may have other jobs in fields related to their subjects; for
example, an adjunct might be employed in computer science in addition to teaching it.
However, many adjunct professors make a living teaching multiple courses at several different
universities. Some part-time professors provide instruction in alternative and career-preparation
schools and often teach at night or on weekends while they hold down other jobs.
In 2008, the BLS noted that the number of tenured positions available was in decline because
colleges and universities were hiring more non-tenured, part-time professors. There is also a
trend toward hiring short-term contract instructors who will not be tenured. However, when their
contracts expire within a few years, they may be renewed.

ADJUNCT PROFESSORS
http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/teaching-careers/adjunct-professor/

The position of adjunct professor is an important one. Colleges need instructors, and this position
allows prospective academics the opportunity to try out the role of professor. Adjunct professors
are hired by schools on a contractual, part-time basis as opposed to the traditional university
model of full-time employment.
The role of adjunct professor is continually expanding in education, due to ever-tightening
budgets and many qualified applicants for relatively few jobs. There are certainly limitations to
being an adjunct professor, but there are also definite benefits. Depending on the desire of the
prospective professor, the role of adjunct may be a perfect fit.
At-a-glance
> Adjunct professor job description
> Who makes good adjunct faculty?
Adjunct faculty in-depth
> Education qualifications
> Salary range for adjunct professors
> Employment projections
> Advantages & disadvantages
Professional development
> Continuing education
> Professional associations
Best of the Web
> Blogs and Twitter handles to follow

At-a-glance: adjunct instructor

With college enrollment rates rising, educational institutions nationwide use adjunct faculty to
meet their budgets and to accommodate all their students.
Adjunct professors are defined as professors who are not on the tenure track. Adjunct faculty
teach courses just like tenure-track professors do, but they are exempt from some of the
responsibilities of fully employed university instructors. Often, contingent professors are hired to
teach introductory courses that students are required to take.

The career pathway for contingent professors is a rocky one: Jobs are not guaranteed, and
compensation is lower than tenure-track professors. For the right candidate, though, the
opportunities for adjuncts outweigh the challenges.
Regardless of the specialized circumstances adjunct professors find themselves in, one thing is
sure: They love to teach and work with students.
Adjunct professor job description
Adjunct professors typically spend most of their time with students, and they must be flexible to
fulfill several responsibilities.
Typical duties of adjunct instructors include but arent limited to:

Teaching graduate and undergraduate students in a specific field of expertise

Developing and managing the class syllabus and ensuring that the syllabus
meets department and college standards

Planning and creating lectures, in-class discussions and assignments

Grading assigned papers, quizzes and exams

Assessing grades for students based on participation, performance in class,

assignments and examinations

Collaborating with colleagues on course curriculum

Advising students on how to be successful in class

Staying updated on innovations and changes within their course field

Many of the duties expected of tenure-track professors are not required by adjuncts. Contingent
faculty do not have to conduct research, publish papers or attend staff meetings and events. It is
important for adjunct faculty to know what they are specifically responsible for.
Who makes good adjunct faculty?
An effective adjunct professor is someone who is:

A clear communicator

Able to teach with ample real-world experience

Able to show confidence teaching and presenting to a class

Technologically savvy: can utilize email, different online learning systems and
other ways to communicate with students

Passionate about specific academic fields and education in general

Adjunct faculty in-depth

Education requirements

Education: Masters degree

Typical study time: 5-10 years

Most commonly, adjunct professors need a masters degree to teach higher-education classes.
However, some community colleges or technical schools only require a bachelors degree, along
with relevant experience. Teaching experience in the classroom is preferred.
Adjuncts are often hired to teach a specific course that regular faculty may not have expertise in
or courses that have great demand. These positions require great flexibility and provide the
opportunity to give back to the community.

Average salaries for adjunct faculty

Salary ranges for higher-education adjunct professors vary widely, depending on the type of
college, the discipline professors teach, as well as the professors education level, teaching
experience and field expertise.
Average pay for such part-time educators ranges from $20,000 to $25,000 annually, according to
an NPR report.
Compensation can sometimes be calculated on a per-course or hourly basis, ranging from $18 to
$70 an hour. It can also be based on the degree held by the teacher applying. Wages also vary by
institution type: Typically adjunct faculty earn higher wages in traditional four-year institutions,
compared to those who work at community colleges.
Here is a snapshot of average salaries for adjunct faculty:

Glassdoor.com: $30,709

PayScale.com: $31,237

SimplyHired.com: $56,000

Indeed.com: $62,000

Job outlook for adjunct professors

The employment of adjunct professors depends on several external factors. Enrollment rates are
expected to increase, but the hiring of faculty relies heavily on school funding and department
need.
The job outlook for postsecondary teachers is expected to grow 19 percent through 2022,
according to the BLS. This forecast includes part-time postsecondary teachers as well.
Certain subjects are in higher demand than others. According to the job outlook data from the
BLS, postsecondary professor employment projections will increase in these subjects by 2022:

Biological science: 19%

English and literature: 12%

Philosophy and religion: 19%

Mathematical science: 11%

Adjunct positions probably will be needed in these areas, too, especially for large introductory
classes.
Many online institutions of higher learning hire part-time adjunct professors. Teaching for an
accredited online university guarantees work flexibility because educators can be hired from
remote locations.

Challenges and opportunities for adjunct instructors

Many of the disadvantages of working as an adjunct faculty member have been highly
publicized. In the right circumstances, however, there are advantages to consider as well.
Disadvantages

Salary, often on a per-course or hourly basis, is lower than tenure-track

professors.

Positions are not permanent.

Adjunct faculty may commit the same amount of nonclassroom hours as

tenure-track professors, without the same pay.

Adjuncts do not work enough hours at one institution to receive health

insurance, retirement plans or other employee benefits.

Adjunct faculty may not have a physically designated office space.

Adjunct label may bring negative connotation from tenured faculty.

Advantages

Adjunct status can serve as a trial run before pursuing a tenure-track

position.

Adjunct instructors enjoy the flexibility to spend time with family or on other
responsibilities, while still sharing knowledge by teaching a class or two.

Contingent teachers can focus on teaching and curriculum rather than

committee or department work.

The environment is collegial and intellectual.

Adjunct professors can impact a students life in a positive way.

Professional development
For many adjunct faculty, the next step in their career path is to be named an assistant or
associate professor with the goal of gaining tenure as a professor. Tracking down opportunities
for professional development may give adjuncts a leg up when interviewing for full- or part-time
positions.
Continuing education
Most adjuncts are subject matter experts in a particular discipline, but they may not have a lot of
teaching experience or faculty development opportunities. A small number of institutions provide
access to professional development funds.
A challenge for new adjuncts is classroom management and teaching a wide age range of adults.
Adjuncts who are able to teach graduate courses may get higher pay, but institutions tend to
require a terminal degree.
Concordia University Portland offers an online doctorate program that aims to develop wellrounded leaders who understand the intricacies of the higher-education system. The Ed.D. in
Higher Education provides instruction on how to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of varied
curriculum and instructional models. Educators will also work to innovate curriculum for all
types of learners.
Professional associations
Historically, the professional landscape for adjunct instructors has not looked promising.
Because adjunct jobs rely heavily on several external factors, the stability for those as contingent
faculty is slim to none.

With college enrollment rates in flux and more schools reallocating their resources to
accommodate contingent faculty, adjuncts are reaping the benefits. Several professional
organizations work solely to support the careers of adjunct professors:

The United Steelworkers Union

New Faculty Majority

Adjunct Action

American Association of Adjunct Education