Guidelines for Professional Adjunct Lecturer (PAL) Assignments
Adjunct faculty play a critical role in advancing NLU’s teaching mission and preparing our students for successful careers. The Professional Adjunct Lecturer (PAL), an adjunct faculty designation, serves a vital role for the University. The PAL role allows program leaders to guarantee faculty load (18 semester hours) to working professionals with in-demand credentials, helping program leaders better plan for annual course staffing. PALs are renewable, single academic year appointments within a respective college/school. Unlike a typical adjunct position, PALs are guaranteed a teaching load, a minimum of 18 semester hours of primarily teaching, although exceptions can be made for other academic contracts. PALs, as is the case with all adjuncts, can teach a maximum of 33 semester hours in an academic year but only 18 semester hours are paid at the PAL rate. Upon satisfying the 18 semester hour load, additional academic contracts are paid the typical adjunct rate. The number of PALs per college/school is established during annual budget preparation and aligned with the needs of individual departments and programs.
Identifying College/School Program Needs for PALs
When determining whether a Program qualifies for a PAL, the following will be considered:
- Programs with enrollment and number of sections that allows PALs to support 18 semester hours.
- Specialized skills for particular courses – could be a shortage area, or one where the PAL designation is needed to secure an appropriately credentialed instructor.
- Programs which do not have enough students to support more FT faculty, but still need more stability with those who teach in the program.
Faculty Selection Criteria Used to Inform Chair/Dean Recommendation
In addition to the credentialing and selection criteria outlined in the NLU course staffing guidelines document, the following are considered in the selection of PALs:
- Qualifications and experience of the candidate. Credentialed to teach and experience in high-need areas.
- Has availability and teaching versatility, qualified to teach a substantial number and various courses on the schedule.
- Positive, consistent teaching track record at NLU including IDEA scores, course engagement, and observations.
- Shows commitment to the College/School and students through consistent use of EAB and departmental initiatives, and, in general, is responsive to the program’s outreach and needs: compliance to pre-term readiness, grade deadlines, and other time-sensitive course activities.
Note, if internal candidates do not meet all department/college requirements or are not interested, colleges can recruit external candidates through an interview process.
PAL Selection Process
Here is the timeline and process for assigning PALs:
- In February, Associate Deans and Chairs discuss needs, then Deans submit requests for the total number of PALs and priority content areas as part of annual college/school budget request.
- The number of PALs per College/School is approved by the Dean, Provost, VP of HR, and VP of Finance.
- Individuals to be assigned to PAL positions are recommended by Chairs based on the above criteria.
- The Dean’s office verifies the recommendation list, and then approves. Sends to Provost Office.
- Provost and VP of Finance approve and send to HR.
- HR sends a memorandum of understanding in June/July/August to selected PALs.
- PALs sign the MOU and return to HR by September 1st.
- Note, PAL selections follow a yearly budgeting and staffing process, i.e., there is no auto-renewal of PAL positions every year, and PAL needs/selections will be re-evaluated every year.
