The Real World of Adjunct and Temporary Faculty in Higher Education

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A number of years ago, I saw a small ad in the American Marketing Association (AMA) newsletter looking for members of the pharmaceutical-business community who were qualified to serve as adjunct faculty to staff a new Pharmaceutical Executive MBA program. Soon I was teaching two courses on Qualitative and Quantitative Marketing Research Methods. The emphasis in my courses and all others was to provide a "real world" perspective that combines pedagogical rigor with content informed by aspects of current business practices in pharmaceutical companies.

Since 1990, the program has thrived and grown. A recent return on investment (ROI) analysis done by one of the largest …