Adjunct Instructor
Content + Source + Freshness • 13 Dec 2025 • 95% confidence
Offer value
High value due to the esteemed reputation of Duke University and potential to influence future policy practitioners, despite the position being adjunct and requiring advanced qualifications.
- Adjunct position teaching statistics at Duke University
- Influence the development of future leaders in public policy
- Requires advanced statistical knowledge and teaching experience
- Temporary status may influence long-term stability
Pros
- Teaching at a top-ranked institution with strong public policy focus
- Engaging students in vital statistical concepts for policy analysis
- Possibility of ongoing teaching opportunities
Cons
- Adjunct role may limit access to benefits and long-term security
- Requires high level of expertise and teaching background in statistics
- Not suitable for those seeking full-time commitments
Who it's for
Experienced / Advanced • In-person instruction at university
Good fit
- Experienced educators in statistics and quantitative methods
- Instructors passionate about public policy education
- Candidates comfortable in a diverse teaching environment
Not recommended for
- New entrants into the education field without relevant experience
- Individuals unfamiliar with statistical software or teaching
- Candidates seeking stability in full-time academic jobs
Motivation fit
Key skills
About the job
With top-ranked graduate degree programs and one of the most popular undergraduate majors, the Sanford School of Public Policy aspires to be a leading school of public policy for the 21st Century and to be recognized in the region, in the nation, and throughout the world as a leader in the policy field. Sanfordâs vision for what it means to be a great public policy school derives from its core values and from its mission statement: âThe Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University educates tomorrow's leaders and improves the quality of public policymaking through teaching, research, professional training, and policy and community engagement.â As such, the Sanford School is committed to research that matters, teaching that empowers and inspires, deep engagement with the policy world, and to building a diverse and inclusive community.
Sanford offers an
interdisciplinary undergraduate major in public policy studies (PPS) through
Dukeâs Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. Through rigorous coursework in
policy analysis, and economics analysis, and with a foundation of quantitative
training, an understanding of policyâs political context, and a commitment to
ethical norms, the PPS major provides students with skills and competencies
that prepare them to be leaders and problem-solvers in a world that requires
solid policy formulation and evaluation skills across a multitude of pressing
issues.
The Sanford School of Public Policy is seeking applicants for an adjunct instructor position to teach a required introductory statistics course for the public policy undergraduate major starting with the Fall 2025 semester. The course should cover basic statistical concepts using an applied/policy lens as main motivation. The focus is on developing analytical thinking and conceptual understanding together with some practical skills. Topics involve probability âtheoryâ, used to model risk and uncertainty (inherent to incomplete information) in many policy-making circumstances, and techniques for describing patterns of the data, comparing populations, describing relationships among variables, testing hypotheses, approximating causal inferences using non-experimental data, and on understanding and critically assessing othersâ use of them.
Preferred candidates will have proven experience teaching
undergraduate-level statistics or quantitative methods, preferably in a public
policy or social sciences context; strong knowledge of statistical software (e.g.,
R, Stata) and the ability to integrate these tools into the course; a
commitment to student success and a passion for teaching; and excellent
communication skills and the ability to explain complex statistical concepts in
a clear and approachable manner.
Continued employment teaching this course for Spring 2026 is possible and will be discussed during the hiring process.
The course should
cover:
- Probability and
probability distributions
- Moments
of a distribution: Mean, variance and skewness
- z-scores
- Joint distributions
- Moments of a
joint-distribution: conditional mean, conditional variance, covariance and
correlation
- Sampling
- Estimation of
moments using samples
- Ordinary
Least Squares Single Regressions
- Basic notions of Ordinary Least Squares Multiple Regression
- Teach half-semester or full-semester course(s)
- Prepare a syllabus that includes course objectives, readings, and assignments
- Grade assignments and provide written and verbal feedback on a timely basis
- Respond to student questions and issues related to the class; hold office hours
- Distribute required course evaluations to students at the end of the semester
- Provide final course grades within the University required timeframe
- Use Duke University email address for course/Duke related correspondence
- Follow Duke University parking regulations
- Abide by Duke professional standards, including Duke's Harassment Policies and the Consensual Relationship Policy
- Protect the confidentiality, privacy, and security of student, staff, business, and other confidential, sensitive, electronic or proprietary information of Duke University from any source and in any form (spoken, paper, electronic, etc.) that is created, accessed, used, or disclosed by/to you
- Cover letter of interest
- Teaching statement (philosophy, approach, experience)
- Curriculum vitae/resume including education
- Names and contact information for 2 references
