It will be a precious time for teachers navigating the complexities of the web-based adjunct college business. It's clear that the financial support provided for part-time teaching salaries is minimal, given that the current economic climate continues to struggle without stabilization. In the end, nearly all first-year and second-year college and university courses are now delivered through online learning as part of distance education programs. Instructors who wish to continue working in education must recognize the significant shifts happening in traditional post-secondary environments.
However, before there can be any real success for potential online adjunct instructors, a deeper understanding of the traditional academic employment model—especially in graduate schools—is essential. This model is being rapidly transformed by technology and changes in how education is delivered at the post-secondary level. The reality is that institutions responsible for overseeing college funding are facing the financial truth: continuing to pay tenure-track and tenured professors their current salaries and benefits is unsustainable. Instead, permanent academic roles are increasingly being replaced by online adjunct positions filled by highly qualified and entrepreneurial educators willing to adapt to the economic landscape and redefine their careers in the education business.
This transformation in the educational business model, driven by the tech-enabled delivery of post-secondary education to countless students, may be difficult for traditionally trained educators and new graduates with fresh doctorates or management degrees. However, this challenge can be addressed effectively by understanding how to approach online education from the perspective of a flexible, freelance educator who knows how to develop multiple income streams through online adjunct roles, rather than relying on long-term employment at a state college or university with hopes of a secure pension.
Each day, the traditional adjunct instructor commutes to a physical college campus to teach in a classroom for limited compensation. If they're fortunate enough to live in a densely populated area with access to multiple colleges and universities, they may drive an aging car to yet another campus to teach more students in another physical classroom for slightly more pay. This is an exhausting and often discouraging experience, especially since college and university administrators are content hiring highly qualified individuals—many with master's degrees or Ph.D.s—for very low pay. Clearly, adjunct faculty teaching in traditional campus environments must realize that the key to earning a living from their academic labor lies in embracing a digital teaching lifestyle filled with online faculty opportunities.
It’s time for traditional adjunct instructors to break free from the academic treadmill and shift toward online adjunct roles.
For-profit colleges offering new and returning students the chance to earn online degrees in fields such as education, business management, and special education have proven that distance learning works—and is popular among those comfortable with technology, particularly working adults returning to school.
A skilled online adjunct instructor with strong tech capabilities can apply for teaching roles continuously, as nearly all application processes for online degree programs are web-based. Once the digital application forms are completed, an educator can potentially apply to 15–25 online teaching programs per day. This approach requires consistent effort, but the investment pays off as invitations to teach online begin to arrive, and the online teaching lifestyle begins to take shape.
Eventually, an ambitious online educator can accumulate enough part-time teaching assignments to establish a reliable online career. Over time, they can take complete control of their professional life, choosing to leave behind underpaying online teaching positions in favor of those offering better compensation and more flexible income streams.
As more traditional four-year colleges, universities, and community colleges launch online degree programs to meet the educational needs of a growing population of non-traditional and working learners, the demand for experienced online adjunct faculty continues to rise. For this reason, breaking free from the traditional academic treadmill through online adjunct positions is becoming not just a viable option—but an essential career move for modern educators.