What is a Visiting assistant professor and how to become one of them in 2024? (Everything you need to know)

When I was in college, one of my favorite professors went on a long break due to his health issues. I shared a great bond with him. I still remember his words: “Don’t worry, my boy, the new Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) will take up my position and care for you.” Although I was sad, there was nothing I could do about it. After 2-3 days, he left, and there was another professor in my class. As it was his first day in our class, he gave us his introduction. He introduced himself as the VAP for that particular class. At the time he introduced himself, I suddenly remembered that my previous professor also used this term.

This term was new to me. I didn’t know whether it was something good or bad. So, I took up the responsibility to find out. Many students do not know the meaning of it. If you are also among these students, don’t worry. I will help you to understand it in detail.

Quick Takeaways

• A visiting assistant professor is one who has the required skills that are required to get a position in another institution.
• Depending upon the institution you are choosing you may need to give a bachelor’s or master’s degree to become the one.
• The average salary of the visiting assistant professor is around $72,000. 
• The main role of you will be teaching the students. 
• You will need to take seminars, special lectures, research, etc.
• Some of the skills that you need to have are time management, flexibility,  teamwork, etc.

What are Visiting Assistant Professors?

It is a position taken by an individual who has all the skills needed for a rank in another institution. In short, we can say that as a Visiting assistant professor, you are hired temporarily. You will be appointed based on tenure for the professors on extended leave. You can also become an academic advisor. As a VAP, you either work part-time or full-time based on the needs of the subject or the university.

You will be supervised by the department head and work with graduate assistants, undergraduate majors, etc. Like the confusion between the doctor and professor titles, you may also be confused between the visiting assistant professor and adjunct professor. Thus further we have discussed the difference between both of them for your better understanding. 

What is the difference between an adjunct and a visiting assistant professor?

The main difference between the visiting assistant professor and the adjunct professor is the type of appointment both of them hold. If we talk about visiting professors, you will work on behalf of the professors on leave in another institution. Whereas, an adjunct professor is appointed temporarily for two or more terms or only 1 or 2 years. 

How to become a visiting professor?

Although many believe there is no fun in becoming a Visiting professor, it is not true. There could be some benefits to it. Following are the things that you need to do to become a visiting professor-

1. Get a related degree in the chosen subject

As you are going to teach a subject, you must have a particular degree in a particular subject. Some may accept the bachelor’s degree, but usually, you will be asked to get the master’s degree. Having a higher degree shows your expertise in a particular subject. However, the requirements will be different for each school. Thus, check the requirements of each one.

2. Choose the right school

It is very confusing to choose the school where you want to go. Thus, you must research properly. It will help you to decide in which school you want to become a visiting professor. You can either teach in a school that focuses on quality or teach in a more renowned school. 

3. Increasing your network

Having a good network helps you get more opportunities in the related field. When you get into a great network, you find people who could help you to become one. It also helps you to learn new skills which will further help you to make a good resume. They may improve your resume to get a good job. 

4. Get the related experience

Start to gain experience from the time you were in college or university. If you are interested in going into the teaching field, you must think of tutoring someone. You can either teach your classmates or someone whom you know. It will help you to get some experience and knowledge about how to teach the students. You can also look for internships, creating personal projects, volunteering, etc. 

5. Look for an open position

Most schools post the available positions online which you can search for. They will also list the experience and other requirements to decide where to apply on. Further, they have always given customer care numbers, to get in contact with them. If you have more questions related to it, you can connect with them. You may have a high chance to get a meeting with other decision-makers. So, improve your interview or resume.

What are the skills of Visiting Assistant Professors?

You will only be hired as a Visiting Assistant Professor if you have the right set of skills. Thus, here are the skills of Visiting Assistant Professors that you must have-

• Leadership – As you will be teaching the students you must guide them. Thus, you must have leadership skills that will help you lead the students easily. 
• Time management – Being a visiting professor means doing multiple tasks together. You may need to teach two or more subjects or take special lectures. There may be some seminars according to the teaching of the students.
• Teamwork – Teaching students means working in a group of individuals. As you are working with a lot of different individuals, you must work as a team.
• Problem-solving – When you teach students, you should clear all their doubts. Thus, you must have problem-solving skills. 
• Researching – Being a professor you have to be in a lot of research projects. It means that you must have research skills. It will be easy for you to give them research projects and help them in their final projects. 
• Empathy – Every student is not the same and there may be some having a lot of problems in their personal lives. In such a situation, if a professor does not understand, the student gets more demotivated. Thus, you must have empathy. It lets you understand each student’s view and makes them feel at ease.
• Flexibility – Being a visiting officer you must be flexible with your daily schedule. It is because you have to perform a lot of different duties. Thus, having a flexible schedule helps in managing tasks easily.

What is the salary of the Visiting assistant professor?

The salary of the visiting assistant professor depends upon different factors. Some factors are the area of living, school choice, and your qualifications and experience. On average, visiting assistant professors earn from $41,000 to $125,000. This shows an average salary of around $72,000.

What are the jobs and responsibilities of Visiting Assistant Professors?

Following are the responsibilities that you need to undergo as a visiting assistant professor-

• The main duty of a visiting assistant professor is to teach the students.
• You will need to develop and organize the course according to the needs of the school.
• Giving one or more than one class to the students in the university or the school with which you are working. 
• Taking up seminars or special lectures for the students of the institution. There are chances that you may need to take the seminars or special lectures weekly.
• You will need to either do detailed research or understand a case study on the current issues.
• Conducting interviews with the students who may want to enter the respective university.

Conclusion

A visiting assistant professor is appointed temporarily to fulfill the position of a professor in another college or university. You may be either working full-time or part-time as a visiting officer, in the university. To become a visiting assistant professor, you must have a degree in the subject you want to teach. Some colleges may accept your bachelor’s degree, others may want to have a master’s degree. As a visiting assistant professor, you will need to teach the students, develop the course, and take part in research.

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