Socializing Future Community College Faculty Doctoral Professional Development and Career Preparation

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study provides empirical evidence that PhD graduates working at community colleges feel less prepared than their counterparts employed in research universities. In addition, we find that perceptions of skills related to research are not predictive of feelings of job preparation for community college faculty. We offer recommendations for doctoral programs to better prepare future faculty for roles outside of the research university that combine research and interpersonal skills. We argue that there is a misalignment between PhD training and community college faculty preparation and that this training should be not considered a zero-sum game between research and all of the skills required to be an effective teacher, advisor, mentor, and college/university citizen. We also discuss the problematic discourse surrounding PhD professional development that fails to account for the diverse needs of the professoriate.