Adjunct Faculty Experience & Compensation Survey

Welcome to the Adjunct Faculty Experience Survey. This survey is designed to understand the experiences of adjunct and part-time instructors in higher education. Your responses will help inform improvements to pay, support, resources, and working conditions. Participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers—we are interested in your honest opinions. All responses are confidential and will be reported only in aggregate. The survey takes approximately 8–10 minutes to complete.

Which of the following best describes your current teaching appointment?

• Adjunct or part-time instructor
• Full-time non-tenure track
• Tenure-track or tenured
• Graduate TA/Instructor
• Multiple roles (including adjunct)
• Other

Overall, how satisfied are you with your adjunct or part-time teaching experience this term?

How responsive has your department or program been to your questions or requests this term?

How would you rate the fairness of your compensation relative to your workload this term?

How satisfied are you with the technology and learning management system (LMS) available for your courses?

Please rank the following areas from most to least in need of improvement for adjunct instructors at your institution.

1. Compensation and benefits
2. Course scheduling predictability
3. Communication from department
4. Access to teaching resources
5. Recognition and respect

What type of institution are you teaching at this term?

• Public 2-year (community/technical college)
• Public 4-year university
• Private nonprofit
• Private for-profit
• Other
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for completing this survey. Your responses are confidential and will be used to inform improvements for adjunct and part-time instructors at your institution. We appreciate your time and honest feedback.

How many courses are you teaching this term?

• 0 (not currently teaching)
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5 or more

At the start of this term, how prepared did you feel to teach your assigned course(s)?

How satisfied are you with the onboarding or orientation support you received for your current course(s)?

How satisfied are you with your per-course pay rate?

How satisfied are you with the course materials and curriculum support provided to you?

Based on your responses throughout this survey, what is the single most important change that would improve your experience as an adjunct instructor? Please share your thoughts and the moderator will ask a few brief follow-up questions.

How long have you taught in an adjunct or part-time capacity in total?

• Less than 1 year
• 1–2 years
• 3–5 years
• 6–10 years
• 11–15 years
• 16–20 years
• More than 20 years

How satisfied are you with access to mentoring or peer support from other faculty?

How satisfied are you with your access to benefits (e.g., health insurance, retirement)?

How satisfied are you with your physical workspace or classroom facilities?

What is your primary broad discipline area?

• STEM
• Social sciences
• Humanities
• Arts
• Business
• Health professions
• Education
• Other
• Prefer not to say

How satisfied are you with opportunities for professional development available to you?

How satisfied are you with the predictability and timeliness of your pay?

Typically, how far in advance are you notified of a new course assignment?

• Less than 1 week
• 1–2 weeks
• 3–4 weeks
• 1–2 months
• More than 2 months
• Not applicable

In which region is your institution located?

• Northeast (U.S.)
• Midwest (U.S.)
• South (U.S.)
• West (U.S.)
• Outside the U.S.
• Prefer not to say

What is your gender identity?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Prefer to self-describe
• Prefer not to say

What is your age range?

• Under 25
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65 or older
• Prefer not to say