The Majority-Minority: A Qualitative Study Exploring Part-Time Community College Faculty Members' Socialization And Job Satisfaction
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2015
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Community College Leadership Program
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Doctor of Education
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This item is made available by Morgan State University for personal, educational, and research purposes in accordance with Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Other uses may require permission from the copyright owner.
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Abstract
This study investigated part-time community college faculty members' socialization and job satisfaction. Notwithstanding the fact that part-time faculty members make up the majority of faculty in community colleges, and that the number of part-time faculty members is likely to increase, their inclusion, leadership roles, and resources allocated by the college do not always lead to instructional success (Coalition on the Academic Workforce [CAW], 2012; Gappa, Austin, & Trice, 2007; U.S. Department of Education, 2012). Because of the steady growth and increased usage of part-time or adjunct faculty, there seems to be a need to focus on how these faculty members are socialized into the culture of the institution and to determine how these faculty members rate their own job satisfaction. A qualitative research approach and case study design was chosen to explore the experiences of 12 part-time faculty members employed at a single mid-Atlantic urban community college in the United States. Rosch and Reich's (1996) Model of Enculturation and Herzberg's (1966) Two-Factor Theory of Job Satisfaction provided the conceptual framework for this study. The following research questions guided this study: How do part-time faculty members explain their socialization experiences? How do part-time faculty members describe their job satisfaction? Conclusions reached in this study were that socialization of part-time faculty members is essentially nonexistent; part-time faculty members are skeptical about whether there is an authentic organizational commitment, which could give them a voice in conversations about improving their experiences and working conditions. The following recommendations are made to improve policy and practice: (a) develop an orientation program for part-time faculty members, (b) develop a strong infrastructure for professional development of part-time faculty members, (c) assess and evaluate compensation and benefits of part-time faculty member, (d) establish multiyear employment contacts with part-time faculty members, (e) conduct annual climate surveys to measure the job satisfaction of part-time faculty members, (f) develop clear institutional policies and procedures related to the integration and socialization of part-time faculty members, (g) establish a mentoring program for part-time faculty members, and (h) designate a cabinet-level position dedicated solely to the orientation and integration of part-time faculty members.