Adjunct faculty engagement

Abstract

United States community colleges continue to increase rates of adjunct, or part-time faculty hires. Adjunct instructors currently teach between sixty and seventy percent of community college courses nationwide. Traditionally they have few institutional obligations, campus connections, or input to the academic process, and fewer opportunities to connect with students. At the same time, community colleges are under increased local, state, and national pressure to increase student success, defined as achievement of a degree, certificate, or educational goals. A qualitative study sought adjunct faculty perceptions of their role in student success. Fifteen faculty members participated from a large Midwestern community college. A bounded case study methodology was utilized for data collection. Grid and group analysis, an anthropological mechanism for categorizing human relationships and affiliations within organizations, was applied to findings. Four conclusions emerged: faculty care about the academic and life skills of their students and recognize gaps in basic education that must be remedied; adjunct instructors bring "real-life" experience and lessons to their classrooms; they concur that student engagement on campus and in education promotes completion; and their own professional efficacy requires cultural and structural connections with the college. Community college students and part-time faculty are fluid populations. In order to increase student success, colleges must make adjunct instructors an integral and enthusiastic part of that mission. Future research is recommended on a larger scale, with consideration of long-term structural and policy changes in higher education.