Difference Between Adjunct and Associate Professor

Adjunct Vs Associate Professor

An adjunct professor takes on a supplementary role in the education system. Rather than having a full-time responsibility, this professional is like a part-time professor. He or she is hired by an institution of learning on a contractual arrangement, rather than on a regular basis. Universities thus reap the benefits of hiring adjunct professors, as they are more flexible, paid at a lesser income bracket and are given less benefits (if any) compared to regular hired professors.

They are flexible in the sense that the institution they are working for can easily dispatch their services by denying a renewal of contract. This happens when the employer sees the need to reduce the workforce, or if the adjunct professor’s performance is far from excellent. Like any other teacher or professor, however, adjunct professors must satisfy all preliminary requirements as education, examination and training prior to being able to teach.

Most, if not all, adjunct professors need not attend faculty meetings. Classified under the non-tenure-track roles in the institution or university, they are not entitled for tenure, and they are not given any administrative responsibilities. They are also not tasked to do research nor are they asked to publish anything for their own professional growth. Most of these positions do not require one to finish a PhD.

On the contrary, an associate professor is someone who belongs to the tenured and tenure-track roles in a teaching institution. They are often classified as mid-level professors. Also, they are full-time members of the faculty who can participate in both graduate and undergraduate educational services.

The designation of an associate professor is for somebody who may be: a college university instructor, or a medical doctor who handles teaching programs at the hospital where he works. It actually depends on where the associate professor is assigned. Being an associate professor would mean being able to teach, write and do research all at the same time. Despite this demanding role, they are promised a better job security than their adjunct colleagues.

1. An adjunct professor is a supplemental instructor with a more temporary position in an institution of learning, and he or she is ineligible for tenure.
2. An associate professor has a more permanent role in an institution of learning. He works full-time and is usually tenured.
3. An adjunct professor usually has less pay and benefits compared to an associate professor.

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