Students likely have had teachers in their classes who were referred to as adjuncts, but may not know what the term means. According to Webster s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, the term means, among other things, something joined or added to another thing but not essentially part of it or an associate or assistant of another or attached in a subordinate or temporary capacity to a staff. From the definitions, adjunct does not sound very crucial, but in this department adjuncts are a very important part of our teaching staff. They are professionals in the mass communication field with wide experience who bring a fresh perspective to our classrooms. They are hired to teach a specific class or classes each term, as needed, so they are selected specifically for their expertise in the area taught.
Adjuncts are an important but sometimes less-noticed part of our teaching team.
Mass Comments will be introducing some of our current adjunct professors here and in future issues. Marty Sundvall Marty Sundvall is a graduate student working as an adjunct this semester. This is the first time Sundvall has worked as an adjunct. Sundvall has a B.S. in mass communications and six years of professional newspaper experience. This includes having worked for the St. Cloud Times .