The Relationship Between Student Retention in Community College Courses and Faculty Employment Status

Abstract

ABSTRACTCommunity colleges are under pressure to educate a growing student population while economic resources in higher education are diminishing. One measure of success for colleges is the ability to retain students. Due to the varied nature of the community college population, measuring student retention is challenging. One facet of student retention is course retention, defined as the successful completion of a course with a grade of C or higher. Course retention is associated with the likelihood of degree completion; therefore, it served as the measure of student retention used in this study. Theoretical models show a link between student retention and faculty interaction. Furthermore, faculty/student interactions, both inside and outside of the classroom, are influenced by faculty employment status. While researchers have linked faculty interactions with broad measures of student retention, and faculty behavior with employment status, limited research is available on the relationship between course retention and faculty employment status. In this quantitative correlational research study, student enrollment data and faculty employment data were used to examine the relationship between course retention and faculty employment status in a Florida community college. Differences between course retention rates among faculty employed in permanent positions and those employed in adjunct positions were explored using ANOVA.