Research-intensive universities around the world are increasingly drawing upon leading practitioners in professional fields as adjunct faculty to deliver high quality student learning experiences in diverse undergraduate and graduate program contexts. To support effective professional development in these contexts, many universities have developed flexible and responsive initiatives in order to meet the specific needs and circumstances of adjunct teaching faculty. However, very little has been documented about these initiatives. This paper is a reflective examination of the development and impact of strategic professional development initiatives for field practitioners in the Faculties of Education and Dentistry at The University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada. Our experiences suggest that professional development programs designed to meet the specific needs and circumstances of adjunct teaching faculty can enhance scholarly approaches to university teaching and learning practices. Specifically, strategically led, situated and flexible communities of practice (e.g., mentoring, post-teaching reflective debriefs, blended and distance learning professional development opportunities) were critical supports for engaging adjunct teaching faculty in research-informed and inquiry-based pedagogical methods (e.g., learning-centered assessment practices, peer review).