Adjunct faculty are members of a college faculty who do not enjoy the same compensation, benefits, and protections as full time faculty. The term “part time faculty” is often used to refer to adjunct faculty, reflecting the fact that they typically teach reduced course loads. Colleges and universities utilize adjunct faculty for a wide range of needs, although the heavy reliance on part time staffing has been criticized by some professional organizations of educators.

One of the most common reasons to hire adjunct faculty is to supplement existing staffing, or to provide temporary staffing. Colleges and universities may do this when enrollment exceeds expectations, or during the course of an expansion when more full timers cannot be afforded, but more instructors are needed to attract students. Adjunct faculty can also be present as visiting faculty members, as when an instructor at one college or university visits another institution.

Adjunct faculty members may end up teaching just as many classes as full timers, depending on how the schedule is organized. They do not have access to health care, retirement benefits, paid vacations, and other benefits provided to full timers. They also do not enjoy as many employment protections; full time faculty must eventually be tenured, while part time faculty sign contracts which may cover only a single semester at a time, meaning that their employment is not guaranteed or reliable.

The use of part time faculty to cut costs has been severely criticized in the education community. Adjunct faculty members often lack office space, which makes it hard to meet with students, and they may be less likely to be involved in activities ranging from staff meetings to research, because they do not feel a deep connection with the institution. They may also be less qualified than full timers and stressed by their course loads. Additionally, they often lack funds and the ability to make decisions about curricula, which can be frustrating for adjunct faculty who would like to more fully develop their classes.

In schools which lack funding, it is possible to see entire departments filled with part time faculty, and no full timers supervising these departments. This is generally viewed as an undesirable situation, especially if a department is part of the core curriculum.

There are some advantages to working as an adjunct faculty member. Newly minted PhD's may find that they can only find employment as adjunct faculty members, and that they can use their experience as part time faculty in their professional development. Some people also enjoy the flexibility of this kind of work, and like that they can move on if they grow bored or want to pursue new opportunities. Filling temporary staffing needs with part time faculty can also be beneficial for colleges which are trying to manage costs effectively.