This study addressed the broader issue of the negative impact of the community college practice of hiring large numbers of part-time faculty on graduation rates. Prior research has determined that higher ratios of full-time faculty correlate significantly and positively with community college graduation rates. This study extended the research of institutional models affecting community college graduation rates and investigated the nature of regional accreditation for the adequacy of full-time faculty as a determinate of graduation rates. This study included all public 2-year institutions in the United States. A correlational research design was implemented using data available through the National Center for Education Statistics and the nation’s six regional accrediting agencies for community colleges. Among the major findings in the study, graduation rates were found to be significantly correlated among schools belonging to different regional accreditation agencies. The study also determined that ratios of full-time faculty, institution size, instructional spending, and ratios of full-time students correlated significantly with increased graduation rates. When comparing community colleges among regional accreditors that had no standards for regulating the adequacy of full-time faculty with those who do, graduation rates did not correlate significantly. These results contribute to the body of knowledge for institutional effects on graduation rates and also have important implications for regional accreditors. The results suggest that regional accrediting standards for the adequacy of full-time faculty may need to be more prescriptive in nature to provide a direct impact on graduation rates.

The present study investigated the job satisfaction of 205 adjunct faculty teaching standardized online courses at a private university in the United States. The extent of the relationship between demographic, motivator, and hygiene factors associated with adjunct faculty job satisfaction were identified. Results from this study indicate that adjunct faculty value work recognition, technical and instructional technology support, and take pride in their teaching. Important faculty satisfaction predictors based on analyses of hierarchical regression models were motivator factors recognition, achievement, and work itself, and hygiene factors policy and administration and salary.

The purpose of this study was to explore adjunct faculty perceptions of factors that influence participation in faculty development at a multi-campus Florida state college. To improve Florida state college adjunct faculty participation in faculty development, it was necessary to examine their faculty development needs and the incentives and barriers that influence their participation in faculty development. This study extended the research on characteristics of adjunct faculty and their faculty development interests. This quantitative study addressed the gap in the literature related to the scheduling, format, and communication preferences of a Florida state college adjunct faculty, related to faculty development. A survey research design was used to explore faculty development preferences of adjunct faculty who had taught for a minimum of one semester. An online survey was used to collect the data via Qualtrics. Adjunct faculty who taught in fall 2018 from all academic areas, and all four campuses were included in the sample. The response rate for this survey was 20%. A frequency distribution was constructed for the demographic data. Multiple regression was used to analyze the relationship between adjunct faculty participation in faculty development and background characteristics. Measures of central tendency were used to calculate the mean and standard deviation to identify faculty development needs, preferred conditions for faculty development, incentives that may encourage participation, and barriers that may hinder participation in faculty development opportunities, as perceived by respondents. The results indicate that the adjunct faculty who responded to the survey need faculty development training related to the following topics: instructional technology, student engagement, and instructional strategies. They indicated weekday evenings was the preferred time for faculty development, one to two hours workshops was the most feasible format, and college-wide email was their preferred method of communication for faculty development. There was no consensus on the preferred location, online or campus. Professional growth and life-long learning were the two incentives identified, by the majority of the adjunct faculty, which significantly or moderately encourages their participation in faculty development. Most of the adjunct faculty identified time and full-time job as the barriers which significantly or moderately hinders their participation in faculty development.

This phenomenological study addressed the transitions of biology and chemistry adjunct faculty, with full or part-time positions outside of academia, as they navigate the transition between their workplaces and the academic environment and also transition toward becoming confident and competent educators. Using the final two stages of Schoening's (2013) Nurse Educator Transition (NET) Model as a framework, this qualitative study examines the transitions of nine biology and chemistry adjuncts at College Alpha, which is a community college located in a southern state. Study findings indicated both degrees of transition, the day-to-day and the overall transition into teaching, impact the overall adjunct experience. The College's involvement with the adjunct and the generational differences between the adjuncts and their students also play a role in the transitions. The literature review addressed the use of the NET Model as a means of examining transitions toward teaching, the roles of adjunct faculty on college campuses, the workplace transition, and the particular needs of Millennial students are also addressed. The study culminated with conclusions about the experiences of the participants, recommendations for future research, and calls for action by community colleges to improve the adjunct experience. A chapter is also included that reflects upon the dissertation writing experience and the challenges of qualitative research not addressed in graduate programs.

No description available.

Background: The full-time nurse faculty shortage has resulted in nursing programs employing adjunct nursing faculty heavily into the clinical teaching component to fill the gap. Many adjunct faculty members continue to teach semester after semester; however, there is a lack of evidence to support the predictive factors that facilitate intent to stay teaching. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to better understand predictors of intent to stay teaching for associate degree (AD) adjunct clinical nurse faculty. Theoretical Framework: Frederick Herzberg’s two-factor motivator-hygiene theory (1959) was utilized as a foundation to explore the factors that impact intent to stay teaching. Methods: Adjunct clinical nurse faculty employed in associate degree nursing programs during the 2015 calendar year were invited to participate in this study. Participants were surveyed utilizing the Job Satisfaction Survey, the Nurse Educators’ Intent to Stay in Academe Scale, and demographic questionnaire via SurveyMonkey Web site. Results: Regression analysis indicated statistically significant relationships between job satisfaction, motivator, and hygiene factors with intent to stay score. In addition, faculty who had full-time employment outside of the adjunct position were found to have lower intent to stay scores compared to those working part time or not at all. Conclusions: Enhancement of adjunct clinical faculty members’ job satisfaction, motivator, and hygiene factors is necessary to retain this qualified group of educators. Improvement of intent to stay in the role can improve teaching and reduce costs at similar institutions of higher learning.

No description available.

No description available.

Part-time faculty members represent the majority of faculty at public two-year postsecondary institutions. Utilizing part-time faculty enables two-year institutions to control their instructional costs and maintain scheduling flexibility. However, part-time faculty are diverse in regards to their employment preference, some prefer part-time employment while others would prefer a full-time position. Since retaining and attracting qualified and experienced part-time faculty members is essential, it is imperative that their satisfaction be understood. This study uses the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF: 04) to study faculty satisfaction. Faculty was disaggregated according to employment preference into full-time, involuntary part-time, and voluntary part-time in order to study the structure of satisfaction for each group and the factors that influence the satisfaction for each group. The factors studied were perception of equity, partial inclusion, demographic differences and academic discipline. I found that the structure of faculty satisfaction and the influence of variables on faculty satisfaction differ among full-time, involuntary part-time, and voluntary part-time faculty.

This research sought to ascertain whether differences exist in the levels of student-faculty interactions between students taught by part-time and full-time faculty. Differences in the interactions of students with faculty were examined for four types of content (a) course-related, (b) intellectual, (c) career planning, and (d) informal socializing; for both in-class and out-of-class.