NCU Supports Part-Time Faculty with Award from Pullias Center

LA JOLLA, Calif., Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Last August, Northcentral University was chosen as one of two recipients of the 2020 Delphi Award.

Created by USC's Pullias Center for Higher Education in partnership with AAC&U, the Delphi Award includes a $15,000 grant and recognizes innovative support of part-time / adjunct faculty in promoting student success.

When determining how to spend the grant, Northcentral turned to its Faculty Senate. In keeping with the spirit of the award and NCU's commitment to involving part-time faculty in university governance, the Senate created an ad hoc committee to hear from part-time faculty how they wanted to see the funds used.

In tandem with university leadership, the committee recommended the creation of the Northcentral University Academic Excellence Delphi Award.

Recipients are part-time faculty members who go above and beyond in their roles, clearly demonstrating their commitment to student success. One awardee from each school is recognized.

The first award recipients were announced on September 15 at Northcentral University's Faculty Symposium. Elizabeth Speights, a senior core part-time professor and chair of the Part-Time Faculty Council, shared how honored she was to receive the inaugural award.

"It's a privilege to work for a university such as NCU that values and recognizes the role part-time faculty play in the overall education of our students," she said.

Beverly Meyers, a faculty member in the John F. Kennedy School of Law, shared that she was thrilled to win the award because it validates the work she puts into her teaching.

"NCU's John F. Kennedy School of Law has always given me the academic freedom and support to teach grammar and expository writing, as well as legal writing, to our students," she shares. "I believe that if we give the students these basics, when they leave our school, they will have an invaluable skill for the real world. They will know how to write!"

Northcentral University's efforts to engage part-time faculty started in 2016, when the university enacted several related policy changes. Since that time, university leadership has worked closely with part-time faculty to elevate their experience." Three main areas of focus are:

• commitment to integration into the university community;
• preparation for their responsibilities as part-time faculty; and
• compensation for their work and university activities.

As the Pullias Center wrote, "Northcentral University declared part-time adjunct faculty as vital actors in carrying out their mission for student success."

"The engagement on the part of leadership to support this endeavor denotes true dedication and recognition to part-time faculty, who comprise two-thirds of all NCU faculty," said Jacqueline Rogers, part-time professor and Faculty Senate member.

"We thank the Pullias Center for recognizing NCU's commitment to student success and our part-time faculty contributions to teaching excellence."

2021 Inaugural Northcentral University Academic Excellence Delphi Award Recipients

• Sylvia Lyles, PhD, School of Education
• Edward Maggio, JD, M.Sc., School of Business
• Elizabeth Speights, PhD, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Brenda Stevenson-Marshall, PhD, MPH, MAE, School of Health Sciences
• Beverly Meyers, JD, JFK School of Law  

WATCH: The team leading the project recently gathered as a panel to discuss the award and Faculty Senate's ongoing collaboration with leadership to support part-time faculty: Delphi Project Conversation.

About Northcentral University
Founded in 1996, Northcentral University is a regionally accredited, nonprofit, online and graduate-focused university serving professionals globally. Over 11,000 adult students are enrolled in bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs at NCU, including business, education, health sciences, law, marriage and family therapy, psychology and technology. 

Northcentral University is a nonprofit affiliate of the private, nonprofit National University System. It is regionally accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). For more information, visit ncu.edu or call 866.776.0331.

SOURCE Northcentral University

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