Hiring Adjunct Faculty

In order to improve equity and visibility of adjunct employment opportunities and streamline hiring processes for department chairs, program directors, applicants and Human Resources, all adjunct faculty positions are posted to the Augsburg careers site – SmartRecruiters. All new candidates will submit an application through SmartRecruiters.

Because of the somewhat unpredictable needs for hiring adjuncts we recommend creating an ‘evergreen’ posting for adjunct positions that remains open so that new candidates applications and onboarded are streamlined.

Adjunct faculty that have taught at Augsburg previously and still have an active HR record do not need to re-apply. Please submit their assigned courses with the Course Change Request Form.

Create a Requisition / Job Posting

Adjunct requisitions should be designed to generate a pool of candidates. Adjunct job postings should be posted for 1-2 academic years. The job descriptions may mention examples of courses that are needed, but the posting should not be specific to an individual course.

When logged in to Inside Augsburg click Administrative Tasks > Talent Searches

Human Resources will review the requisition and post the position within 5 business days.

Once the position is posted you can share the application link with your contacts.

Managing Applicants

Filtering and Tagging Applicants

Recommend Applicant for Hire

Onboarding Process for New Hires

  • Federal Law requires that all new hires complete I-9 Verification in-person before the new employee can start work. Augsburg email and Moodle credentials cannot be created until I-9 verification is complete
  • Onboarding takes place in the SmartRecruiters platform.
  • Applicant required to submit
    • official transcripts
    • background check
    • new hire paperwork

Closing Requisitions

Requisitions for adjunct positions should be renewed every 1-2 years. This is designed to balance the need to maintain a fresh pool of candidates with the administrative burden of re-posting positions.

FAQ

  • I’m hiring an adjunct that taught in a different program before. Do they need to apply through SmartRecruiters?
    • If they have an active employee record they do not need to apply through SmartRecruiters.  Just submit a Course Change Request.
  • How long do adjunct employee records remain active?
    • 18 months after the end of their last appointment.
  • Why do inactive employees need to re-apply?
    • We need a new background check on any potential employee that has been away from Augsburg. We also need to ensure we have accurate contact and pay information.
  • I need to hire someone quickly. Can we just skip posting the job and start onboarding?
    • Onboarding happens thru SmartRecruiters too! Keeping an ‘evergreen’ adjunct posting for your department ensures that you can quickly onboard someone.
  • Do Emeritus faculty need to apply through Smart Recruiters?
    • If they still have an active employee record no. If their employee record is inactive then yes.
  • If an adjunct will be teaching entirely online do they need to reside in Minnesota?
    • New employees who work 100% remote must reside in Minnesota or Wisconsin.
  • A staff member who hasn’t taught before will be teaching a course. Do they need to apply through SmartRecruiters?
    • No. If this is their first time teaching a course they will need to submit their official transcripts to the Provost’s office. Submit a Course Change Request.
  • Do I need to create a new requisition / job posting for each course that will be taught by adjuncts in my department / program?
    • No. Design the job posting description to encompass any and all adjunct needs in the department / program. A list of courses that may be taught can be included.
  • On the Recommend to Hire form it asks if the candidate has a terminal degree. Do candidates need to have a terminal degree to be hired? What if they have a terminal degree in one program, but not another?
    • No. The purpose of this field is to determine pay rates.
  • Does Human Resources interview adjunct candidates?
    • No. Program directors & department chairs are responsible for interviewing and selecting adjunct faculty. Program Deans and the Assistant Provost for Academic Administration will verify candidate qualifications.
  • When is the background check?
    • Only candidates that are recommended to hire will be asked to complete background checks.
  • If I already have someone in mind for the position do they need to apply through SmartRecruiters?
    • If they have taught at Augsburg before, no.
    • If they are currently working at Augsburg they cannot be an adjunct instructor if they are an hourly employee.
    • If they have not taught at Augsburg before, yes, they need to apply through SmartRecruiters. You can email them the job posting directly.
  • Can Augsburg hourly employees teach courses?
    • No. Non-exempt (hourly) employees are not allowed to teach courses because they are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirements for hourly wages and overtime. If an employee’s primary duties are considered non-exempt under FLSA then they are considered a non-exempt employee and all of their work is subject to FLSA requirements.
  • Why do pool positions only last 1-2 years?
    • Pool positions should be closed and reposted to update job descriptions and remove stale applications. When reposting a job you can select applicants from the old requisition and choose Move Selected: Send E-mail to send them a direct link to apply for the refreshed position. This allows applicants to submit an updated resume.